Epilogue
LINZIE
“Everly! Come on, it’s not that big of a deal,” Mason calls after Everly as she drags Kaylie toward the clubhouse doors. The snow finally let up, and the streets are clear, so everyone is slowly making their way home again.
Everly spins on Mason. “You had no right to dig into our lives for information that has nothing to do with you. You’re not her father, Mason. You’re just a friend I knew in high school who grew up to be a biker.”
“Whoa!” Mason snaps. “I’m far more than that, and you fucking know it. You’re just too afraid to admit it.”
“I already told you I will never date a biker. I don’t want this lifestyle,” she yells.
“What’s wrong with it?” Mason tosses back.
“I will not be someone who waits up all hours of the night wondering where you are, who you’re with, or if you’ll even be coming home.
I have Kaylie, and she needs stability. She needs a home.
We need someone who will care enough to be around and not fuck off whenever he feels the need to take a long ride on a country road. ”
“What the hell does that mean?” Mason asks, seemingly confused.
“I’ve done nothing but be there for both of you in every way.
I show up to help take care of Kaylie. I put a security system in when you were scared someone was watching you.
I babysit so you can go out for a girl’s night.
And you had absolutely zero complaints when you made out with me in my room the other night.
So, please explain to me what the fuck happened between then and now? ”
“Hey,” Andi whispers beside me, effectively scaring the hell out of me in the process. “What’s going on here? Why are they fighting?”
“I’m not sure. I was about to find out until you came over here and started flapping your yap.” I tease.
Andi tosses her hands in the air. “Well, excuse the fuck out of me. I was just trying to get in on the gossip with my bestie. I didn’t know you’d be so touchy about the interruption.”
I flip her the bird, and she flips it back, laughing.
“What are your plans now that the roads are clear?” I ask. “Are you going to go for that storefront in town and stick around for a bit?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking I should take my delivery truck and maybe check out another location.
Somewhere I can start fresh. Where my past won’t think to look for me.
” She raises an eyebrow. Her ex has been trying to track her down for a while, and although he doesn’t know me personally, he knows I’m Andi’s best friend, and I never liked his ass from day one.
If he were smart, or had someone else to help him, I’m sure he’d realize Andi would come to me for help.
“Where are you looking to go?”
“Eli offered me a space in Mountain Heights. Seems they have a small strip mall they haven’t been able to fill all the slots for, and he’s willing to build me a state-of-the-art industrial bakery for a small investment,” she says, her cheeks turning pink.
“Well, if you open shop in Kings territory, you’ll have their protection, which would make me feel better about it. Plus, it would be closer to Cash.” I sing his name teasingly.
“Yeah, that’s not fucking happening.”
“What? Why? I thought you two were hitting it off.” I’m genuinely shocked at her response. As if summoned from hell, Cash appears with a club whore on his arm, and neither is wearing much clothing. Although at least Cash has pants on. “Oh. I see your point.”
Andi rolls her eyes. “I’m not upset about it. He was a great lay, and I’ll probably have to work through a few good guys to find one with his level of skill, but trust me, I dodged a fucking bullet with that one,” she explains further. “He’s all about his brothers, his strip club, and his dick.”
“I see.” She may not admit it out loud, but whatever happened between them hurt Andi. She’s not one to admit when someone has caused her pain. But she will be petty as fuck if they’re in the same town and cross paths at all.
“Hey, baby.” Gabe comes up behind me, encircling me in his arms and kissing my neck.
“Good morning.”
“Ew. That’s my cue. You too are doing that thing again,” Andy complains.
“What thing?” Gabe questions.
“The one where you nuzzle her neck, she gets all hot and bothered and then you disappear down the hall and we all get to hear her scream your name when she climaxes.” She scrunches her face in disgust. “I’m sorry, but we’re not those kind of friends.
We don’t share the soundtracks to our sex lives with one another.
So, I’m going to load up my truck. You two go do what you do. ”
Andi waves us off and heads for the kitchen.
“I think she has a killer suggestion. We should go back to bed, and I’ll finish what we started earlier before Kaylie came knocking looking for breakfast.” Gabe suggests. I turn in his arms, grabbing his hands and holding them at my sides. He watches me with suspicion in his glare.
“Hmm, all right. But this time, you get to wear the butt plug.” I drop his hands and take off running for the hallway. Gabe is hot on my tail and shouting threats about my ass and all the things he’s going to do to it. I ignore him and head for the sanctuary.
Wrong move!
The guys are in the sanctuary waiting for Gabe to start church. I run to the head of the table, and stop, gripping the back of his chair. When Gabe enters the room, all eyes are on him.
“Everybody out! NOW!” Gabe shouts, sounding pissed as hell. No one questions the scene unfolding before them. They just do as he commands and quickly exit the room. Once the last man has left, Gabe locks the door.
“You didn’t have to cancel church. I can come back later. Really.” I try to deflect.
“Oh, no. You broke the rules coming in here. Women aren’t allowed in church. You know that, Vixen,” he says, stalking toward me like he’s the predator and I’m his prey. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to punish you.”
“Hmm. I’m sure we can come to some kind of compromise.”
“Well, you see, that’s only one offense. You also threatened the president of the club with bodily harm. I’m afraid that’s a punishable offense too, baby.”
“Bodily harm?” I scoff. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m afraid not. You said you were going to shove something up my ass. That would be a clear violation since I don’t swing that way.”
“Gabriel,” I coax.
“Nope,” he answers. “No compromise.” I watch as he flips a metal plug in his hand, tossing it up and catching it repeatedly.
“Where did you get that? You were planning this!” I accuse. His smile widens, and he gives me that sly shrug.
“I hoped.” He teases. “And then you gave me the window of opportunity I was waiting for. Now. Stop right there and drop those jeans. Present my ass to me and maybe I’ll eat you first.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love your punishments?” Without the slightest bit of hesitation, I unbutton my jeans and begin to strip.