Epilogue Two #2
For so long, I'd defined myself by my ability to destroy.
In the ring, with people, in the shadowy world that Adrian, Jax, and I navigated when necessary.
But Sierra had taught me that there was strength in creation, too.
In building something together, in nurturing growth, in protecting what mattered without crushing it.
She'd made me better, my sweet girl. Not by changing who I was, she'd never tried to tame the monster that lurked beneath my skin, the one that still craved violence and control.
She'd shown me that there was more to life than survival. That I could be both the man who’d killed Mason and Jerry, and the man who now held Sierra like the most precious thing in the world.
“Again!” Coach barked, his weathered face creased in disapproval as Jax picked himself up off the mat. “That footwork was sloppy, Lion. What are you, a fucking amateur?”
Jax wiped his split lip, shooting me a glare that promised retribution. “Lucky shot,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders before settling back into his stance.
I smirked, positioning myself back in the ring. “Keep telling yourself that,” I taunted, circling left as we squared off again.
From the corner of the gym came a jingle of laughter—Sierra and Adrian watching from the bench, Toffee secure in his carrier beside them.
Adrian had his arm slung casually over the back of the bench, close to Sierra but not touching, respecting the boundaries I'd made abundantly clear.
Sierra glanced my way, giving me a small wave that sent a surge of heat through my veins.
Seeing her here in my world, seeing her softness against the harsh backdrop of the gym, did things to me.
The momentary distraction was all Jax needed. His left hook caught me on the chin, snapping my head back and drawing Adrian's whoop of approval from the sidelines.
“Pay attention, Killer!” Adrian called, grinning like the lunatic he was. “Or are you too busy making heart eyes at your girl?”
I growled, refocusing on Jax, who was now smirking with infuriating smugness. “Who's got sloppy footwork now?” he taunted, dancing back as I advanced on him.
The next few minutes were a blur of movement, sweat, and the satisfying impact of fist on body.
Jax and I were well matched in many ways.
Both champions in our respective weight classes, both trained by the best, and both holding secrets most people couldn't begin to comprehend.
But where Jax relied on speed and flash, I preferred power and precision.
When Coach finally called time, we were both breathing hard, sporting fresh bruises and matching grins that had more to do with the exhilaration of a good fight than real animosity.
I extended my hand, which Jax clasped firmly, pulling me in for the quick one-armed hug that passed for affection between us.
“Not bad for an old man,” he conceded, wincing as he probed his skin.
“You’re older than me,” I retorted, accepting the towel Coach tossed my way and wiping sweat from my face. “And if you'd stopped partying til 4 AM, maybe you'd have lasted longer.”
Jax's laugh was genuine as he slung his own towel around his neck. “What can I say? The twins from last night were very persuasive.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively, drawing an eye roll from me and a poorly suppressed snort from Adrian, who had approached with Sierra in tow.
“Twins?” Sierra asked in shock, her eyebrows raised as she handed me a water bottle. “As in, two identical women?”
“Models,” Jax confirmed, his smirk widening. “Very flexible.”
“Gross,” Sierra blinked, her pretty face twisting into various stages of emotion. “Some of us are trying not to picture that.”
“You’re missing out,” Jax shrugged, winking at her. “The offer to upgrade still stands, bee. Anytime you want to trade in this grumpy bastard for a model?—”
“Finish that sentence,” I growled, stepping closer to Sierra, “and I'll make sure those twins were the last women you ever entertained.”
Sierra's smile was worth every moment of having to deal with Jax’s inflated ego. She found our bickering funny.
“Let me shower, then I’ll take you for lunch, yeah?”
She nodded, looking up at me with those sweet eyes. “I'll wait with Adrian. He was telling me about a new security system he installed. It sounds impressive.”
I tensed slightly, wondering what else Adrian had been sharing.
The “security system” was almost certainly related to our less legal activities—the warehouse, the “cleanups” that became necessary when threats emerged.
But Sierra's expression remained open and unconcerned.
If Adrian had revealed anything too damning, she wasn't showing it .
“Don't believe half of what he says,” I warned, only half-joking. “Adrian exaggerates.”
“Only about boring things,” Adrian called from across the gym, his hearing unnervingly acute as usual. “The security system is all fact, baby! State of the fucking art!”
Sierra laughed, shooing me toward the showers. “Go. I'll be fine. Adrian will take good care of Toffee and me.”
“You're so whipped it's not even funny anymore,” he said, though his tone suggested he found it plenty amusing. “It's like watching a killer turn into a housewife.”
I didn't bother responding, nodding at Sierra, and reluctantly letting her go.
Sierra knew I'd done things I wasn't proud of, knew there were aspects of my life with Jax and Adrian that existed in gray areas.
But she'd never pressed for details, accepting that some shadows were better left in the dark.
The hot water pounded against my shoulders, washing away sweat and tension.
Through the frosted glass of the shower stall, I could see the outline of my body—the bulk of muscle earned through years of training, the tattoos on my arms. My body was a weapon, honed through discipline and sacrifice.
It had been my armor for so long; the thing that kept me safe in a world that had shown me nothing but cruelty for most of my childhood.
But Sierra had seen past it. Past the muscles and the scars and the brick walls. She'd looked at me and seen something worth loving, something worth saving. And in doing so, she'd saved a part of me I'd thought was lost in blood forever.
Clean and dressed in fresh clothes, I emerged from the locker room to find Sierra deep in conversation with Adrian, their heads bent over his phone as he swiped through photos.
Her laughter rang out, clear and bright in the cavernous space of the gym, and something in my chest loosened at the sound.
For all his insanity, Adrian had a way of putting people at ease.
His chaos was too unpredictable to be threatening to most, his manic energy more amusing than intimidating.
“Look at this one,” Adrian was saying, tilting the phone for a better view. “I lined the whole thing with this super soft fake fur. Toffee would go fucking nuts for it, I swear.”
Sierra glanced up as I approached, her face lighting up. “Connor! Adrian's built this amazing spot for Toffee in his house. We should take him over soon, he'd love it.”
I raised an eyebrow at Adrian, who grinned unrepentantly.
“What? The king deserves a proper palace when he visits. I even installed a perch by the piranha tank."
“You spoil that cat more than I do,” I sighed, shaking my head in mock disapproval. “And that's saying something.”
“Toffee's family,” he said obviously. “Family gets the best.”
Family. For a decade, it had just been the three of us and Jax’s father who connected us.
Boys turned dangerous men, bound together by a mutual understanding that the world was a cruel place best navigated with allies at your back.
Now, our circle had expanded to include Sierra, and soon, it might include others.
“Ready to go?” I asked Sierra, offering her my hand.
She nodded, rising from the bench and gathering Toffee's carrier, which I helped put on her back. “Bye, Adrian,” she said, surprising him with a quick hug that he returned with obvious delight. “See you soon.”
“Yes you will, bee,” he assured her, winking at me over her shoulder. “Try to keep Killer here from growling at every guy who looks at you, yeah? It ruins the vibes.”
Sierra laughed, taking my hand and lacing her fingers through mine. “No promises. I kind of like the growling.”
Adrian gasped dramatically. “You've corrupted her,” he accused me, grinning wickedly. “She used to be so sweet and innocent.”
“She's still sweet,” I retorted, pulling Sierra closer. "But innocent? Not anymore.”
Sierra's cheeks flushed. “And that's our cue to leave," she said quickly, tugging me toward the exit as Toffee stared back at me through the carrier. “Bye, Adrian! ”
Adrian's laughter followed us out into the bright afternoon sunlight, the sound oddly comforting in its familiarity.
With his cropped tops and occasional bloodthirstiness, Adrian was one of the few people in the world I trusted.
He'd been there during my darkest moments and had helped me bury secrets that would have destroyed me if they'd come to light.
He'd embraced Sierra so completely, treated her with such genuine affection, which only deepened my trust in him.
“He's in a good mood,” Sierra observed as we walked to my car. “Even more than usual.”
I opened the passenger door for her, waiting until she was settled before placing Toffee's carrier carefully in the backseat. “He's always like that around you,” I replied, sliding into the driver's seat. “You bring out the best in us.”
Sierra's smile was soft, her hand finding mine across the console. “I'm glad, I like seeing you happy. All of you.”
I squeezed her fingers gently, starting the car with my free hand. “You make me happy,” I admitted, the words still feeling foreign on my tongue despite their truth. “Happier than I ever thought I could be.”