Epilogue
Snake
One month later
“No deaths, that’s my rule. We talked about this,” Laiken said.
“Babe. There has to be some sort of compromise. We’re cleaning up our act, but this isn’t going to happen all on your terms,” I said.
“Look, I get that you guys are still running some things. You offloaded your drugs into the community, and I turned a blind eye. But there will be. No. Deaths,” she said.
“You know The Devil Saints won’t think twice about killing us,” I said.
“Jace, you have to trust me. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to beat guys like this. But you won’t do it if you stoop to their level.”
“They came onto our turf,” Fox said. “They raided our fucking shop!”
I clenched my fists together. It was a week ago when we realized the mechanic shop had been broken into. At first, we thought it was dumb kids in the neighborhood, but then we noticed how nothing was actually fucking missing. No idiot would break in and not steal anything. That meant that The Devil Saints had broken in and they were looking for information.
“Do you have proof?” Laiken asked.
“We know it was them,” Hawk said. “You just have to trust us.”
“If you want me to do anything about it officially, you have to give me proof,” Laiken said. “And you can’t just go around killing them because you think they did something.”
“We operate off our guts,” Mac said.
“And I operate off of proof,” Laiken said.
Over the past month, a lot of things happened. I convinced Laiken to help us clean up our act instead of arresting us for what she already knew. She was feeding us information she was comfortable from the department, and in her spare time, she was researching Daniel Carmichael. She was digging into his past, piecing together his childhood, and trying to find ways to pin him to the wall. We all knew we had to get that lawyer out of the picture if we stood a chance of bringing down the Saints, and Laiken’s resources were our best shot.
The condition? No one died in the process.
The Devil Saints were unpredictable assholes. They were trying to do what we had done to them. They were trying to offload some of the DEA heat onto our asses.
And none of us were fucking having it.
“What do you know?” Mac asked.
“Depends on what you’re asking for,” Laiken said.
“Where is the DEA on their investigation into The Devil Saints?” Mac asked.
“They’re starting to figure out that the drugs weren’t connected to the cartel. They can’t establish any cartel runners they would’ve talked to. Eventually, the police are going to figure out what happened. And with your history with the Saints, they’re going to piece together that you guys planted that truck. Now, you’ve gotta help me out here,” Laiken said.
“Where are you on researching Carmichael?” I asked.
“That’s actually going really good,” Laiken said. “He’s taking a lot of shortcuts with his taxes. I’m trying to get his records pulled now, but if I can pin him for anything financial, we can get him into our interrogation rooms and separate him from that pack for a little while.”
“But nothing that’ll pull him away long enough to do any good,” Fox said.
“Is he always his pessimistic?” Laiken asked.
“Ever since I punched him, yeah,” I said.
“You punched him? That’s not very nice,” she said.
“Finally! Someone says it!” Fox said.
Laiken laughed as we all stood around in the shop.
Another one of Laiken’s conditions was meeting the club. The people I was leaving her for a while we were dating, and the people she would now be risking her job for. I was hesitant at first. All of this shit was supposed to keep her away from all of them. Away from the bullshit that was plaguing us. The closer she got to us, the bigger the connection if her captain figured out what she was doing. But that was what she wanted, and I had a hard time turning her down.
No deaths and no more secrets.
I kept secrets from her when I could. Like the rumors circulating about Beast. She never wanted to hear anything she couldn’t prove, so I stuck with her personal rule. But chatter was kicking up about Beast losing his head again. He was striking up another witch hunt for his daughter, and even though we knew he would never find her, his anger was building. In the process of being truthful towards Laiken, we took her to Calista’s grave. Talked her through the moment that Beast rolled up into our compound and shot her right in the back of her head.
She was horrified at what had happened, and the only reason she took us at our word was because of Talon’s first-hand account of the situation.
It had taken her some time to digest everything. The shootout. The death of Calista. Us hiding Beast’s daughter out of his reach. But his anger at the fact that he was losing control of his club was rising, and I could feel a reprise of six years ago coming on.
“Well, I’ve gotta get back to work,” Laiken said.
“Will you be coming over tonight?” I asked.
“If this conversation’s gonna turn personal, I’m done,” Fox said.
“Anyone have anything else to state?” Mac asked.
“I just have one thing to say,” Hawk said.
“What’s up?” Laiken asked.
“You know that Snake keeps you away from here because The Devil Saints are unpredictable, right?” Hawk asked.
“Snake,” she said, grinning. “Yeah, I know he does.”
“And you know that if they come down that road with guns blazing, we’re going to have to defend ourselves,” Hawk said.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” she said. “What I’m saying is that you won’t be instigating deaths if you want my help.”
“I just… felt the need to make sure that was clarified,” Hawk said. “Because I’m all for this, but not at the expense of not defending my own fucking family.”
“Trust me, I would never take that right away from you,” Laiken said, and Hawk smiled.
“See you tonight?” I asked.
“See you tonight, babe.”
Laiken left the lodge, and Mac turned his eyes towards me. He was studying me as I watched Laiken walk out that door, and the moment we heard her car pull away I knew what he was going to ask.
“You ready?” Mac asked.
“Yeah, tonight’s the night, right?” Hawk asked.
“I still can’t believe that Snake’s doing this,” Fox said.
“Why?” Talon asked. “He’s in love. The fuck’s wrong with that?”
“Yes, I’m ready. But I gotta get out of here and get some things prepared,” I said.
“You’re preparing stuff? Sounds fancy,” Talon said.
“I don’t do fancy and romantic. But I do need to clean,” I said.
“Clean up, maybe,” Fox said, grinning. “But seriously. Congrats.”
“I haven’t done anything yet,” I said.
“But you will. So… congrats,” Fox said.
I headed home to get everything ready for tonight. I cleaned up all the shit out of the house and took out the trash. Readied the bath to be run and changed the sheets on the bed. I had gotten permission from Mac to not go back to the lodge tonight, so long as I checked in every so often. And I was glad.
Because if things happened the way I imagined, I wasn’t going to fuck the shit out of Laiken with all the other guys sleeping in rooms next to us.
“Jace? You here?”
Laiken’s voice filled the house, and I got into position. I opened up my bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed as Laiken’s footsteps came up the stairs. I pulled the ring out of my pocket and twirled it in my lap, my head bowed as I studied the diamond. It was a ring my grandmother had gifted my mother, but because the ring was more beautiful than the one my father proposed with, he didn’t like her wearing it. It was a family heirloom. Bordering on an antique. I had it professionally cleaned in town, and it glimmered like I had purchased it yesterday.
I heard Laiken stop at the door and gasp as she took in the room around her.
I had purchased all sorts of electronic candles. Yellow and red and light blue glowed around the darkened room. There was a hot bath with vanilla-scented bubbles waiting for us in the bathroom and freshly-cleaned sheets ready for our juices. I slowly raised my gaze to Laiken as I took her in, studying the dress she had put on for the evening.
That had been my only request of her. A dress with no panties underneath.
“Jace,” she said breathlessly. “What the fuck is all this?”
I chuckled as a grin crossed my cheeks, but I stayed silent as I slid to the floor. Her eyes were on me as I got on one knee, her hands flying to her lips. I held up the ring with my head bowed, trying to collect my thoughts. The speech I had rehearsed had suddenly left my mind, and the only thing I had left was the truth.
And if there was anything Laiken deserved from me at this point, it was the truth.
“Laiken, you are the wildest woman I’ve ever met,” I said. “You are sexy, smart, kind, and compassionate. I don’t deserve you… not even close… but I’m hoping you will consider what I’m about to ask you.”
I heard her draw in a shuddering breath as I raised my eyes to hers. There were tears in her eyes and a smile upon her cheeks. I clenched my jaw and studied the trail of tears trickling down her skin. Leaving reddened trails behind as my chest constricted with emotion. This woman had me all twisted up inside. She broke down my walls and made me feel weak. And within that weakness, I’d never felt more like a man than when I was in her presence. In her arms.
Between her legs.
“Our worlds are different, but our souls are the same. There is no other woman for me. Not by a fucking long shot. And trust me, I tried to find her,” I said.
“I’m sure you did,” she said in a whisper.
“I know we have so much shit to work through. With the Saints, and your job. But I want to work it out all with you. Laiken Riley, will you marry me?”
I held the ring up to her, and she took it between her fingers. I watched her slip it onto her left hand as my heart thundered in my ears. Her eyes danced along the sparkling ring as her hands reached down for my shirt. Then, she fisted the material and pulled me up to her lips.
Our tongues collided in an electric tango of lust. Her lips were pillowy soft and tasted of the cherry blossom lip gloss she had painted them with. Her fists pulled me closer as my arms cloaked her back, and I could feel her nodding against my face.
Our foreheads rested against each other’s as our lips broke apart, a smile crossing her cheeks.
“Yes,” she said. “I will marry you, Snake.”
Our eyes connected heavily as my hands grasped her ass. I picked her up effortlessly, listening to her gasp with surprise. Hearing my given name drip from her lips during such an important time in our relationship told me she accepted me. All of me. Every facet of me. It told me she wasn’t just marrying Jace, the young boy she met in college. She was also marrying Snake, the burly, unrestrained hot-head that rode with The Road Rebels.
I could not have loved her more at that moment if I had tried.
Pressing her to the wall, I bunched her dress up to her waist. I could feel her heated pussy radiating against my cock. I pinned her with my chest as I pushed my pants down, then pulled out my dripping cock. One look at her in that dress and I was done for. She could smile at me from across a room, and my dick would rise for her. I slid the head of my cock along her wet entrance, listening to her gasp as I played with her clit. I teased her to moans, her hands gripping into my back. Her body shook for me as my cock slid to her entrance, then I pushed in and encompassed her lips with mine.
I set a furious pace, fucking her imprint into the wall. Her legs locked around me as my lips ravaged her neck. She whispered my name and moaned with every undulation her body made against mine. I pressed the fabric of her dress into the wall, gaining leverage with my legs as I drove further into her body.
“I love you, Jace. Fuck… I love you… so… oh, shit.”
“That’s it. Let it wash over you. Let my cock paint your body.”
I pounded into her hips, feeling her entire body jumping against mine. Her tits pressed deep into my chest, and her thighs jiggled every time our hips connected. She was dripping all over me. Down my balls. Coating my thighs. I pulled down her dress and sucked on her breasts, leaving marks on her skin she would cover with her uniform the next day.
I wanted her walking into that fucking police station with evidence of The Road Rebels underneath.
I could feel my balls pulling up into my body as her pussy clamped down around me. Her grip on my back became stronger and her moans because louder. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her legs began to quiver, and I knew she was close as I reached for her ankle.
I folded her leg up to her chest as her eyes flew open, and the moment my tight curls raked against her clit she was done.
“Jace! Yes! Oh… fuck, fuck, fuck. Yes. I’m coming. I’m coming. Oh… shit!”
I planted my face into her neck and groaned. I thrust deep into her body, sliding against every sensitive part of her. Her walls fluttered around me and pulled me in deeper, pressing our bodies as close as they’d ever become. Sweat was gathering underneath my shirt as my cock twitched, my hot cum painting her walls with my scent. Laiken clung to me, her lips peppering my neck with kisses as she shook within my grasp.
I felt her smile into me, and I felt like I was floating. Even with all we had been through, I could still make her smile as I wrapped her within my arms.
“Fancy a bath?” I asked.
She giggled as I slowly pulled away from her, feeling our intermingled juices trickling from her body.
“Yeah,” she said, panting. “I think I could do with a bath.”
“Then, allow me.”
I tugged her dress over her head and found she wasn’t wearing a bra either. I groaned at the sight of her bare tits, her nipples pulled to painful peaks. I reached down and wrapped my lips around one as she groaned, collapsing at the knees. I wrapped my arms around her and caught her before she could hit the floor, then picked her luscious body up and held it close to mine.
“I’ll never get used to this,” she said.
“Used to what?” I asked.
“The fact that you can pick me up.”
“And I hope you never do. Because I love the little gasp that leaves your lips when it happens,” I said.
I carried us into the bathroom and lowered her into the bath. I stepped back and surveyed the scene, her shining skin underneath the numerous bubbles. I stripped as she rolled her eyes over me, her eyes taking in my chiseled muscles I kept toned just for her. I knew she loved running her fingers over them. She loved sinking her teeth into my strength. I kept them up just for her. Just so I could see her eyes shine with lust whenever I got naked after a long day with the crew.
“I’ll never get used to that either,” she said as she licked her lips.
“Good,” I said. “Because I plan on devouring you every night.”
“Then get on in here, hot stuff. The night’s just beginning.”
She lifted her leg out of the water, and I watched the water drip off her curves. I stepped into the steaming water and sat down, feeling her wet skin sliding against mine. She maneuvered herself, so she was between my legs, with my cock growing against her back.
“You’re insatiable, aren’t you?” she asked, giggling.
“Only when it comes to you, love. Only when it comes to you.”
“I love you, Jace,” she said as she leaned into my chest.
“I love you, too, Laiken.”
“We’ll get them. You trust me when I say that right?”
I dipped my lips to her neck and nipped at her salted skin.
“With my life,” I said. “I trust you with my life.”