EPILOGUE
Julia
Two weeks later
“I’ll bet you’re more than ready to go home and be with your family,” Nurse Betty says, taking the last of the release forms from me.
“I most certainly am, but I appreciate everything you all have done for me here. Thank you.”
Her smile is kind as she rests her hand on my shoulder. “It was our pleasure, honey. You have a good man there,” she says, her eyes shifting over to Jax.
Warmth invades my heart as I gaze back at my husband. He leans against the wall, his fierce eyes penetrating my soul.
“I do. He’s my best friend,” I tell her, my voice soft.
Our lives were flipped upside down and irrevocably changed two weeks ago. There’s no way I would have gotten through it without him. He didn’t leave my side once and has been caring, attentive, and overbearing…but in the best way.
A lot of Annabelle’s days have been spent here with us and nights with Anna and Logan. I know he must miss our daughter as much as I do. No matter how many times I told him he could leave, he refused. We’re both ready to be home and move on with our lives.
A knock on the open hospital room door grabs my attention. Surprise flares inside of me to see it’s Ryder. “Ryder, hi.”
“Hey, Julia…Jaxson.” He reaches for Jax’s hand, shaking it.
The nurse excuses herself, leaving us in privacy.
“I’m glad I caught you guys before you left. There’s someone who wants to say good-bye to you.” He waves for that someone to come in and my breath stalls at the sight of Connor and his mother.
“Connor,” his name escapes me on a whisper. I’ve been asking about him constantly but no one would tell us anything except that he was safe.
“Hi, Mrs. Reid,” he greets me, shifting nervously from foot to foot. The uncertainty in his eyes tugs at my heavy heart.
Carefully, I scoot just a little closer to the edge of the bed and open my arms for him. “Come here.”
He doesn’t hesitate walking into my embrace, his arms gentle from where I had surgery.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been worried about you.”
“He’s been worried about you, too,” his mother says. “He feels really bad about what happened. We both do.”
Releasing him, I lift his small handsome face to mine. “I’m going to be just fine. What happened is not your fault or your mom’s. It’s no one’s fault but the bad guys. Understand?”
He nods but looks unconvinced.
A lot of guilt has been going around but all the wrong people have been shouldering it, especially my husband. It’s in his eyes every time he looks at me. We’ve talked about it a lot but I know it’s going to take time for all of us to get over what happened.
“Now what’s this you’ve come to say good-bye?”
Biting his lip, he directs a hesitant look over at Ryder.
“Connor and his mother are being put into witness protection,” he explains. “Until we’re certain the threat against them is over.”
Sadness grips me to know I won’t get to see him anymore but I had a feeling this would happen. “I guess I’m not allowed to know where?” I ask.
Ryder shakes his head. “Sorry.”
“I understand.” I look back at Connor, my hand moving to his small cheek. “I’ll miss you but what’s most important is your safety, and I have no doubt that Agent Jameson will make sure you and your mom are well taken care of.”
“Thanks for being so nice to me,” he says. “Maybe one day I’ll be able to come back.”
“I hope so. I’d really like that.”
He gives me one more hug then joins Ryder and his mother at the door.
“Thank you for being so good to both of us,” his mother says.
I nod and offer her the best smile I can manage without bursting into tears. It isn’t until I get one last wave from Connor that the dam breaks.
Jax pushes from the wall and comes to sit next to me, pulling me into his arms. “He’ll be okay, Jules. Ryder will make sure of it.”
“I hate that they have to hide like this.”
“I know, baby.” His hand coasts up and down my back, bringing me a comfort only he can.
I tilt my face up to his. He wipes my tears away and drops a kiss to my forehead.
My favorite kind of kiss.
“You ready to get the hell out of here, Mrs. Reid?”
Even after all this time, my heart still skips a beat when he calls me that. “More than ready.”
At precisely that moment the nurse walks back in, pushing a wheelchair. “I just saw your company leave and figured I’d bring this by.”
“The wheelchair isn’t necessary,” Jaxson says, climbing to his feet. “I’ll be carrying her out.”
“Actually, as long as I move slow, I can walk,” I tell them.
The nurse shakes her head. “Sorry, but it’s hospital policy. You have to leave in the wheelchair. But once you’re outside, your handsome husband can sweep you off your feet.”
Smiling, she pushes the chair closer but Jax steps in front of it.
“The only way my wife is leaving this hospital is in my arms.”
“Jax,” I start, but he doesn’t let me speak, his attention remaining on the nurse.
“Listen, there was a time I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to hold her again, let alone carry her, and I’m not going to let anyone take that privilege from me now. Policy or not.”
My heart aches at the sorrow in his voice. It brings me back to the time years ago when we thought we lost each other forever because of Wyatt. It took so long to heal from that, and I fear this is going to take even longer.
“I tell you what,” Nurse Betty says. “I’m going to leave this wheelchair here for you. If you choose not to use it I’ll have no idea because I’m headed for my break.” Her lips curve into a kind smile. “I wish you both the best.”
I barely get the chance to thank her again before she walks out. Jax turns to me, not looking the least bit apologetic, but I didn’t expect him to.
“Well,” I say, lifting my arms. “Are you going to whisk me off into the sunset?”
Bending down, he scoops me up into his arms. “Yeah, and I plan to never let go.”
Smiling, I press a kiss to his jaw and rest my head on his shoulder, relishing in what it feels like to be his.
The afternoon sun feels like heaven on my skin as we walk outside. He’s careful as he deposits me into his truck and is even more cautious on the drive home, avoiding every pothole and bump.
My pain is minimal thanks to the medication they have me on. The only downfall is it makes me sleepy, but right now I am too eager to finally be home and reunited with our daughter to feel anything but excitement.
The moment we pull up to our house, Annabelle tears out the front door, a beautiful smile on her sweet face.
“Mama, Daddy!”
Jaxson exits the truck quickly and scoops her up into his arms. They share a moment before he carries her over to me, my passenger door already open and waiting.
He bends down close enough for Annabelle to hug me.
“Hi, my sweet girl,” I greet her, a fierce ache building in my throat at the feel of her arms around my neck. It doesn’t matter that I just felt them last night, not when I thought there was a time I’d never feel them again.
“I’m so glad you’re finally home, Mama,” she whispers.
“Me too.”
Leaning back, she smiles at me. “Grams is inside. We have a surprise for you.”
“You do?”
She nods excitedly. “Come and see.”
Jaxson places her back on her feet. “You go ahead. We’ll be right behind you.”
As she dashes back up the porch steps, Jax lifts me into his arms again. I don’t bother refusing, knowing it won’t make a difference. And if I’m being honest, even though I’m more than capable of walking, I’ll take my husband’s arms any day.
There’s lots of movement and shushes behind the screen door as he climbs the steps. Once we step inside, confetti is thrown at us.
“Surprise!”
My front entrance is filled with all of our favorite people. From the family we share land with to Anna and Logan and Grams. The children hold up welcome home signs and balloons, excited smiles lighting up their small faces. It makes my heart swell with love.
“What a welcome home this is.”
“Do you love it, Mama?” Annabelle asks.
“I more than love it. Thank you.”
Grams walks over to plant a kiss on my cheek, making Jaxson have to bend down. “Glad you’re finally home, honey.” Her worn hands frame my face, hands that have always given me love and comfort.
“Thanks, Grams. Me too.”
“Come on in, lunch is in the kitchen,” Grace announces, leading the way.
My kitchen island is filled with enough food to feed an army. From sandwiches to fruit and veggie trays, salads, and of course, pies.
“Wow, you really outdid yourselves. This looks wonderful.”
“Thanks, I slaved all morning,” Sawyer says.
The ridiculous lie has us all bursting into laughter.
“Sampled is more like it,” Grace returns with a huff.
Jax deposits me at the head of the table where balloons have been wrapped around a chair. The moment he steps back, Annabelle, Mia, and Hope crowd around me.
“We made you some presents,” Mia says, handing me a gift bag.
“You girls are so sweet. You didn’t have to do that.”
“We wanted to and it was so much fun,” Hope says.
Intrigued, I reach in and pull out a beautiful ceramic box that’s been hand painted.
“That one is from me,” Annabelle says. “It’s a jewelry box.”
“You made this?”
“Yep. Alissa took us to the new pottery place. It’s so fun, Mama. We have to go again sometime.”
“We definitely will.”
Reaching back into the bag, I pull out a ceramic pie. My gaze shifts to Hope, a smile curling my lips. “I’m gonna guess you made this one.”
She nods proudly. “I call it Angel Pie. Because you were our angel when we needed one.”
Emotion burns the back of my throat as tears sting my eyes. Little do they know, all of them were my angels. Without them, I wouldn’t have been as strong and calm as I needed to be.
“Thank you, sweet Hope,” I say, trailing a finger down her small cheek.
“You’re welcome.”
“Open mine now,” Mia says, excitedly.
Sniffling, I gather my composure and pull out the last ceramic painting to see it’s a horseshoe. The messy colors running into each other has my heart swelling with love.
“This is beautiful, Mia.”
“It’s for good luck,” she says.
“Thank you so much, girls. I’ll treasure these forever.”
We share a group hug, their little arms tangled around me. Parker and Beckett come over next, carrying a large glass vase filled with wild flowers.
“We got you these,” Beckett says, placing them on the table in front of me.
“They’re so pretty.”
“They even picked them,” Kayla adds.
“Here’s the card.” Parker thrusts an envelope at me, his eagerness putting me on alert.
My eyes shift to Grace and she gives me a subtle nod. I brace myself as I open it but still yelp when a leaping plastic frog jumps out.
Parker doubles over in laughter, Beck chuckling along with him.
“Boys!” I try to use my best scolding voice but end up laughing with them.
“Got ya good, didn’t we?” Parker says.
“You did. I deserve a big hug for that one.”
They don’t hesitate. Their arms hug me tight, and I even receive a kiss on the cheek from Parker.
“We’re glad you’re back, Aunt Julia,” Beckett says. The amusement that was in his voice moments ago is now gone.
“Thank you. You both are such brave boys.” I want to say more but don’t want to ruin the beautiful moment with the horrid memory we all wish to forget.
“All right, let’s get Auntie Julia some lunch,” Kayla says. “All of the kids go out to the deck, your plates are there. And by kids, I mean the big ones, too,” she adds, eyeing all the men.
“I’ll babysit,” Grams chuckles, following them out the patio door.
After bringing me a plate of food, the girls fix themselves one then join me at the table.
“You girls are amazing. Thank you for doing this.”
“There are some casseroles and pies in your freezer, too,” Grace says. “We didn’t want y’all worrying about suppers while you’re still tryin’ to heal.”
Their loyalty and friendship never cease to amaze me. “Thanks. That will be extremely helpful. I’m still having a hard time getting around.”
“Did the doctor say how long before you’re a hundred percent?” Anna asks.
“He figures about six weeks but we’ll see. Every day is better.”
At least for my body, the heaviness in my heart will take much longer to heal.
My gaze shifts outside to the deck where Annabelle sits on Jax’s lap, eating her lunch. “How has she been sleeping?” I ask, looking back at Anna. The love she and Logan have shown my daughter is something I will never be able to repay.
“Better than the first week. She still tosses and turns. I think it will be better now that you guys are home.”
“Mia is still sleeping with us,” Faith confesses, her sadness mirroring the one in my chest. The memory of that horrible man pointing the gun in her face has panic gripping me all over again.
“Hope hasn’t left Sawyer’s side,” Grace shares, her voice wavering with emotion. “She’s even been going with him to the gym instead of the bakery with me, and her night terrors are horrible. She wakes up screaming at least once a night.”
“And Parker?” I ask.
She wipes her tear-stained cheeks with her napkin. “He tries to hide behind his pranks but I sense his anxiety. He’s more watchful and uncertain to go places. He’s even asked Sawyer to teach him how to shoot.”
“Beckett, too,” Kayla says. “I also found a walkie-talkie in his room that leads to Parker. He told me it’s so they can be prepared if the bad guys come back.”
The pain in her voice has me reaching for her hand. “We’ll get through this. We all will, it’s just going to take time.”
“I actually have an idea I want to run by you all,” Anna says, bringing our attention over to her. “What would you think if I offered a group counseling session at the center for all the children? I could get it funded and run a few classes a week. That way we can offer it to all the families that were affected. I have a wonderful psychologist who deals with my veterans for PTSD. Of course I’ll sit in on it too, since child psychology is my major.”
“I think that’s a fantastic idea,” I say, meaning it.
“Me too,” Faith agrees.
Grace and Kayla nod.
“Good. Then I’ll get the details ironed out and we’ll start as soon as possible. Any word on when they plan to reopen the school?”
“I’m not sure they will,” I say, “not with only a few more weeks left in the school year. Besides, last I heard they’re still trying to find a principal.”
“It’s too soon anyway,” Kayla says. “They aren’t ready to go back and neither am I.”
I fear none of us will be ready to take that step, but I know the time will come when we need to. We have to in order to move on with our lives.
As we near the end of our lunch, I attempt to stifle a yawn but the pain medication has finally caught up to me.
Within seconds, Jax is by my side, lifting me into his arms. “Time for bed.”
“I’m still good for a bit, Jax,” I assure him, not wanting to be rude and leave my guests.
“You go.” Faith nods. “We’re just going to clean up then head out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, now go,” Kayla orders, waving us away. “Let Hulk take you out of here before things go smash.”
Us girls chuckle while Jaxson remains less than amused.
Kayla shrugs at his glare. “Sorry, Hulk, the opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t pass it up.”
Jaxson grunts at the apology and starts out of the kitchen.
I wave at my friends over his shoulder. “Thanks again, ladies. Tell the kids I love them.”
“You bet. We’ll come back tomorrow to check on ya,” Grace yells, her voice trailing out of the room.
There’s no slowing down my husband, he’s a man on a mission. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I smile up at him. “How did you know I needed rest? Were you watching me?” I tease.
“I’m always watching you, Julia.”
My heart tumbles in my chest, the sweet words warming my soul. I rest my head on his shoulder, my eyes growing heavy.
He lays me down and covers me with the blanket at the end of our bed. I wait for my kiss before he leaves but he surprises me by crawling in behind me, his body curling around mine.
Moaning, I snuggle back against him, relishing in the heat of his hard body.
“It’s been way too fucking long since I held you like this,” he murmurs, his lips pressing against the base of my throat.
“Way too long,” I agree.
The hospital bed was not big enough for both of us. Jax was left to sleep on a terrible cot. I hated it but he reminded me that he had slept in far worse places and assured me he’d be fine. I’m glad that from now on I’ll be feeling him next to me as I sleep. His arms have always been my sanctuary.
The sound of a light pitter-patter enters our room. I smile, already knowing whose small feet they belong to.
Jaxson twists his head, looking over his shoulder. “Come on up, baby.”
Annabelle happily crawls in on the other side of me and moves in close, her sweet face only inches from mine. There are dark circles under her eyes, proving how hard the last couple of weeks have been for her.
“How did you like staying with Anna and Logan?” I ask, brushing a piece of hair out of her face.
She shrugs. “It was good. They took me out to do a lot of fun things but I’m glad it’s just us again. I missed our family.”
“I missed it, too,” I admit on a whisper.
“Things are going to be better, Annabelle,” Jaxson assures her. “I promise nothing will ever hurt our family again.” There’s more than a conviction in his voice, there’s a threat and a promise.
“I know, Daddy, because you’re my hero.”
My heart melts into a giant puddle.
Jaxson reaches over me, his fingers dancing along the side of her small face.
“And mine,” I say, feeling the need to add that.
He drops a kiss on my shoulder, his lips lingering, offering more than words ever could.
Annabelle snuggles in closer, exhaustion weighing heavily on her. Jaxson’s strong arm curls around the both of us, bringing us peace and safety.
Sleep tries to claim me but I fight it off, wanting to bask in this moment forever. To absorb their heartbeats and their love surrounding me.
As long as we have this—have each other—we have everything. Nothing or no one can taint something as precious as this because love will always drive out hate, even in the most devastating times.
*
Jaxson
A sound pulls me from sleep. My eyes snap open and I take in the dark room where Julia and Annabelle sleep next to me. Seconds pass before I realize my phone is vibrating.
The red numbers on the clock glow with the time, showing it’s the middle of the night. Reaching for my cell, I look at the screen and see a long distance number displayed.
My body tightens with anticipation, hoping it’s the call I’ve been waiting for. Carefully, I climb from bed, trying not to wake my family.
My steps are quiet as I head into my office. “Yeah?” I answer, keeping my voice low.
“It’s been done.”
My eyes close, revenge seeping into my bleeding soul. “You sure you got them all?”
“Trust me, my brothers and I don’t leave loose ends. Every single one you asked for has been terminated.”
Meaning no women or children.
“Good. Thanks again. I would have done it myself but I can’t leave my family.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad we could return the favor you did for our father. Let us know if you ever need anything else.”
“Same to you.”
Ending the call, I send a text message to both Sawyer and Cade: I just got word from Justice Creed. It’s been done.
I wait for some kind of remorse to hit me but I feel none. They deserved to pay for what they did, for what they almost took from me. When it comes to my family, I’ll stop at nothing to keep them safe and ensure it stays that way.
I’m surprised when my phone dings back seconds later.
Sawyer: I knew Thatcher would come through for us. May those motherfuckers rot in hell.
Cade doesn’t respond but I didn’t expect him to. Pocketing my phone, I walk out of my office and back into my bedroom to find Julia stirring awake.
“Jax?” she whispers.
“Sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Who was on the phone at this hour?”
“No one for you to worry about.”
Thankfully, she trusts me enough to accept that answer. “Come here,” she says, reaching out for me in the dark.
Taking her hand, I climb in next to her, gathering her into my arms.
“You okay?” she asks, reaching up to touch the side of my face.
“I am now.”
A smile stretches across her pretty lips. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
A shift happens deep within me, just like it always does when she says those words to me. Words that used to terrify me to hear, now the only fear I feel is to never hear them again.
“I think you have a time or two.”
Her soft chuckle floats through the air. “Good, because I do. I have since I was seventeen years old and I’ll love you until the end of time.”
“I love you too, Jules. Always and forever.”
She presses her lips against one of the deep, jagged scars on my chest, healing it more than time ever has and ever could.
That night I was finally able to rest easy, knowing justice had been served. Everyone who attempted to take what’s mine is now burning in hell for an eternity, and anyone stupid enough to fuck with my family again will join them.
Until my dying breath, I will protect what’s mine.
The End
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