Epilogue 1
Tico
Three Months Later ~ October
THIS IS IT. TODAY'S the day.
Right now, I'm in one of the guest bedrooms on the main floor of our clubhouse with Taco, who is my best man, and Daemon. With us we also have Capone, Vin, Paniolo, Stacks, Hex and Backdraft from other chapters in the club.
Capone, the President of our Los Angeles chapter and a good friend of mine.
Despite living so far away from each other, we’ve helped each other’s clubs out numerous times.
He and almost all of his club flew out for Ember’s and my wedding, leaving a bare bones skeleton crew behind to protect their clubhouse and warehouses.
With him came his Ol’ Lady, Danyella; and their daughter, Nina, who will be a junior bridesmaid for us.
Along with them came Blayze and his Ol’ Lady, Monica; as well as Torch and his Ol’ Lady, Daisy.
Vin is the President of our Lexington, Kentucky chapter. He rode up with his Ol’ Lady, Raven.
Paniolo is the President of our Oahu, Hawaii chapter.
He flew in with his Ol’ Lady, Lu, and the twins, Thing One and Thing Two.
Thank fuck for their cuts cause I can never tell those two apart.
I had the Prospects head to the airport to pick them up and lent them some bikes so they wouldn’t have to ride in a cage.
Stacks is the President of our Charleston, South Carolina chapter. With him are Ghost, his Road Captain; and Preacher, his Chaplain.
Hex, is an old Enforcer friend of mine. He came with his Ol’ Lady, Harley, and another member, Yonkers and his Ol’ Lady, Wren. Both Yonkers and Hex were originally from our Huntsville, Alabama chapter but then they moved back home to Yonkers.
And last but not least, Backdraft, who is another old Enforcer friend of mine from Atlantic City, New Jersey. He came with his Ol’ Lady, Zoey, along with their club’s SAA Surge and his Ol’ Lady, Emery.
“Today’s the day,” Capone says as he raises his shot glass and the rest of us raise ours as well. “T, man, you know I ain’t shit for toasts, but you’ve been a good friend of mine for a number of years. I’m glad you finally found someone to put up with your stubborn ass.”
All of us laugh along with him cause he ain’t wrong. I am stubborn as fuck.
Daemon playfully punches my shoulders. “And someone who can beat your ass if you’re being stupid as fuck, too.”
I tilt my head in agreement, because again, not wrong.
Some men might be intimidated by a woman as strong as Ember, but to me, it’s a fucking turn on.
So long as it’s Ember, that is. I love that I don’t have to be gentle with her all the fucking time—and she gives as good as she gets.
Plus, an added bonus is that she is flexible as fuck.
Daemon narrows his eyes at me. “Mind out of the gutter, T. I already have to watch you making out with my sister all the fucking time. I’d really like to have a few hours where that isn’t the case.”
The guys snicker as I narrow my eyes right back at him. “Well get fucking used to it. I can’t help it if pregnancy makes her horny as fuck,” I reply and he rolls his eyes at me because this is an argument we frequently have.
That was another surprise.
Neither one of us thought anything about her missing her birth control pills while she was kidnapped and then she had to go on antibiotics because she got an infection in one of her graze wounds.
Until six weeks ago, that is, when she suddenly started getting sick so often.
Mamá (Mom) came to visit us not too long after and as soon as she saw Ember’s eyes widen in surprise before running to the bathroom, she said she knew Ember was pregnant.
She took Ember to the store and fuck if I didn’t cry when I saw the results.
Sure, it’s a little sooner than we talked about starting a family, but there’s no way I’d change a single fucking thing.
Taco clears his throat. “Today is the day nuestro hermano (our brother) takes the plunge and marries our Queenie,” then he adds under his breath, “the possessive fucker,” which has all of us laughing again, because again, true.
Then he sobers. “You found one of the good ones, T, and I know Ember will stand by you through thick and thin because she already has. Our Queenie has bigger brass balls than some men do, and I’m proud to be adding her to our Royal Bastards familia (family).
To Tico and Queenie!” he cheers and we all cheer, raising our glasses and draining them.
A knock sounds on the door and Danyella, Capone’s Ol’ Lady, pokes her head in. “It’s time, gents.”
We walk out into the hallway and out behind the clubhouse. Ember wanted a simple wedding so we’re dressed in white shirts, black jeans, and our cuts. Though I did polish my boots, wanting to look nice for her on our wedding day.
Ember and the other ladies decorated a simple floral arch which Creed is currently waiting under for us.
A white runner leads from the back door to the arch, and several folding chairs are lined up for our guests.
Along the aisle, white fabric drapes from each of the end chairs and there’s flowers secured to each end chair.
We hired caterers even though several people offered to cook for us, but I’d rather everyone be able to relax for our wedding instead of working.
Stepping up besides Creed, Mamá (Mom) winks at me from her spot in the front row. These past few months, she’s grown extremely close to Ember and I know Ember looks at her as a second mom.
Next to her is Xena from Xochitl’s club, her VP.
Most of her club came out today to celebrate with us as well.
Even most of the Steel Archangel’s—from both the Forest Creek and Junction Creek chapters—came down for the weekend to help us celebrate, though several of the Ol’ Ladies are standing with Ember today—Levi and Sasha from the Forest Creek Chapter and Lark from the Junction Creek Chapter.
Since Ember’s familia (family) is much smaller than ours, we don’t have the usual bride and groom sides—everyone sits where they want to sit.
The music starts and Nina steps out as Ember’s junior bridesmaid.
After her is Jezebelle, Lark, Sasha, Levi, Lena, and Xochitl.
She opted to wear a pant suit and her cut today instead a dress, which thankfully, Ember didn’t care about.
She just wanted Xochitl to stand with her.
Then finally, Pyper as Ember’s maid of honor.
The music changes and I take a deep breath. The back door opens and my breath leaves my lungs when Ember steps out on Lucian’s arm. They’d grown closer over these past few months and while she hasn’t called him ‘Dad’ yet, I think she will someday.
My gaze roams over Ember. Her long red hair is down and is partially tied back.
As for her dress, it hugs her lush torso and waist like a second skin, but the lacy arms are loose enough not to restrict her movements.
Then my gaze lowers and I pray that I don’t get a fucking boner because the slit on the side goes most of the way up her thigh.
I will most definitely be sneaking off with her later.
Lucian hands her off with the same dark promise in his eyes that Daemon gave me earlier, but I’d sooner shoot myself than ever hurt Ember. He sits down in the seat next to Rochelle’s in the front row. Not being able to help myself, I lean down kissing Ember’s plump lips.
“For fuck sakes, Prez, you’re supposed to wait to kiss her,” Creed berates me, to which almost everyone laughs at.
I shrug a shoulder, not in the least sorry for kissing her.
He sighs and starts talking, but damn if I can pay attention to anything he says—I only have eyes for Ember. But when Creed asks for the rings, I snap out of it, sliding her ring on her finger and repeating my vows.
Finally, Creed says the words I’ve been dying for and I’m even more glad that we’ve gone with a more simplified wedding script than most people do.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Wisconsin, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Prez, you may now kiss your bride. Again.”
For the second time, several people chuckle, but I pay them no heed as I pull Ember closer, kissing her. Cheers erupt around us as we pull apart.
“I love you,” she whispers to me.
“I love you, too,” I reply, kissing her again.