Epilogue
Amy
Six Months Later
The music swelled as I clung to Eric’s arm, glad that I had decided on flats instead of my heels. My feet were already swollen, and I imagined they wouldn’t look much better by the end of the night if I didn’t prop them up at some point. Even with the cooler weather, I couldn’t find much relief.
I was just plain miserable.
I leaned into my husband’s body, hoping that I didn’t topple him over in the process. I was hugely pregnant, like ten times the size I should be, pregnant to the point that I could not see my feet any longer over the huge swell of my stomach. Eric laughed at me constantly when I tried to look at my feet standing up and when I tried to get from a sitting position to a standing position, but I just reminded him that this was his kid too.
And I was more than ready for this kid, this son, to get out of me.
The doors opened, and I turned my attention back to the wedding, my heart melting at the sight of Roxanne in her wedding dress. Of course, Roxanne hadn’t gone for a traditional gown, but for a sleek version that showed off her fabulous body, her fire-engine red hair standing out in sharp contrast to the whiteness of the gown.
I groaned a little, wishing I could look smoking hot right now. Right now, all I looked like was a blimp that should be circling the wedding. It was one reason I had declined her offer to be her bridesmaid. I couldn’t stand up there that long and not look miserable.
But Sydney looked fabulous at the altar, with Zach on the other side for Neil. All my friends, all my family were in one room, and I was so happy to see them.
Neil wiped the tears away as Roxanne finally reached him and the wedding began, me breathing out a sigh of relief when they told us to sit.
“You alright?” Eric whispered as the preacher started.
I squeezed his arm.
“I’m fine. Miserable as always.”
He winked at me before turning his attention back to the ceremony, his hand remaining on my knee. I sighed inwardly as I thought about our own wedding, performed in my father’s backyard just a few months prior. While I would have liked to have been a skinny bitch on my wedding day, like Roxanne was, I didn’t want to wait any longer to make Eric my husband, definitely wanting it to happen prior to our son being born. It would make our circle complete, and with each passing day I felt that circle grow tighter. The love that Eric showed me day in and day out made me so unbelievably happy, and as we worked on making the farm what we wanted it to be, I was already imagining what our lives were going to look like after five years or ten.
I loved him, and there was nothing more to say.
The ceremony was short, and after the couple made their way down the aisle, we all went to the reception, where booze and laughter were overflowing. Unfortunately, the only thing I was interested in was the buffet and a comfortable chair; Eric found both for me.
“Go on,” I said after he got me situated. “Go mingle.”
He squatted beside me, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“You sure?”
I nodded.
“I’m sure Zach would like to tell you all about the auto shop.”
“Be back in a bit,” he said before walking away, disappearing into the crowd.
I watched him go, another happy sigh escaping me. I sure did like to see him walk away.
My hot husband. I still couldn’t believe it. I was a married woman, with a kid coming any day. It was far from plans I’d had that time last year.
Speaking of which, the club was stronger than ever. After their honeymoon, Neil would take over as the new leader of the Horsemen. It was a decision that had been made by more than just my father, but by the members of the Horsemen, all casting their votes on the new president. Neil had been surprised, but he really was a great choice, and I knew that Roxanne was ecstatic about the idea. It got him out of the danger of tracking people to kill, and since most of the threats were gone for now, he really was driving her crazy.
But that wasn’t the only changes that were happening with our friends. Sydney, after much pressure from Zach, had decided to hang up her gun, sorta. She was going into private investigations, and the chief of police had already promised that he would send her cases they couldn’t deal with, just to keep her out of their hair. Sydney was hyped about it, and Zach was relieved she would at least be out of the line of fire.
Knowing Sydney, I doubted she would remain out of trouble for long.
Shifting in the chair, I thought about my family, how good my father was doing with his recovery process. True to form, he had spent more time at home with Tessa, even coming out to the farm to give Eric a hand when I couldn’t help. It warmed my heart to see them getting along, knowing that my husband had always wanted some sort of father figure to relate to.
Hayley was also doing well in school, and I was excited to see where her nursing career was going to take her. My baby sister was going places, and I hoped that she continued on her path.
All in all, life was good.
***
Hours later, we walked out of the reception hall, me stifling a yawn in the process. It was late, much later than our bedtime, and I was looking forward to getting into our bed.
“We need to get you home before you fall out,” Eric was saying, his arm around my waist. “You going to have enough energy to get that foot rub tonight?”
I laid my head on his shoulder as we walked to the truck.
“I always have that kind of time.”
His laughter was drowned out by the sound of approaching motorcycles, and I frowned, watching as a group pulled up in front of the reception hall. In the streetlights, I could see the outline of the emblem on their leather jackets: a grim reaper holding his scythe,.
“What the hell?” my father said, coming to stand next to me.
The rest of the Horsemen filed out of the reception. Neil was also there, his tie hanging loosely around his unbuttoned white dress shirt.
The rider of the first bike shut his off, swinging his leg over before standing.
“Grant Travis.”
“That’s me,” my father said, stepping forward. “Who the hell are you?”
The biker stuck out his hand.
“I’m Fox, Fox Lawrence. I’ve come a long way to talk to you.”
My father shook his hand.
“You could have picked up the phone.”
The biker chuckled, shaking his head.
“I heard a rumor about you, that you’ve stepped down from the Horsemen.”
“I have,” he responded as Neil stepped forward. “Here’s my replacement if you have club business.”
Neil shook the stranger’s hand as well, his expression stone cold. “Can we make this quick? I have a wedding night to get to.”
“Yeah,” Fox said with a grin.
I was partial to my husband, but Fox was… well, the name fits him.
“I’m representing the Grim Legion from Nevada. We want to make a partnership with the Horsemen.”
“A partnership?” My father echoed. “What the hell for?”
Fox turned to him, that grin still on his face. “Because we are setting up shop.”
END OF BOOK 3
Because reviews help spread word about my books, please leave a brief review on Amazon or Goodreads if you enjoyed Defiled. Thank you!
FREE BOOK: Sign up for my newsletter and download my bestselling standalone MC romance LOGAN. Available FREE only at