Epilogue

Roddick ~Two years later

Holding my wife’s naked body in my hands while I thrust into her was the best damn part of the cold ass days and arctic nights here in Canada. Our new home was at least twice as big as the apartment we lived in our first year in town. Now we had a house. A home. With a fireplace in the bedroom, which came in pretty handy because Cherie loved making love by a roaring fire. “Someone’s feeling frisky today.”

She laughed and tightened her legs around my waist, licking the sweat from my neck in one naughty swipe. “I can’t help it. I think it’s the storm, so dangerous and wicked.”

“Or maybe,” I kissed one side of her neck and then the other, “it’s the pregnancy hormones.” I dotted kisses down her body until I came to the small swell of her belly where our baby grew inside.

She laughed and pulled me up for another kiss. “I’m only four and a half months, I think that’s too soon for the horniness stage.”

“You mean this is just you and there’s more to come…later?”

She smacked my ass and kissed my mouth. “You’re insatiable! That’s how I got like this in the first place.”

Yeah, we’d spent the first few months in our tiny apartment lost in each other. Losing ourselves in the passion of our love. She worked during the day, and I made us a home. “Have you told your brother about the baby yet?”

“No. I wanted to make sure we were out of the woods first.” She nibbled her bottom lip which she only did when she was nervous.

“What is it, darlin’?”

“Nothing. I just...I’m nervous.”

“Baz is cool with this. Remember the wedding?” He’d gotten us both rip roaring drunk in Niagara Falls and we had the time of our lives, and we had plenty of photos to prove it.

“No, not that. About being pregnant and having the baby.”

“You’re a nurse, Cherie.”

“Exactly, I know what can go wrong.”

“You’ll be fine. I’ll be right there with you the whole time.”

“How did I get so lucky, Roddick? I love you.”

I kissed her for all I was worth and we came together fast and hard, passionate before we both collapsed on the bed with a gasping laugh. “You didn’t get lucky, Cherie, I did. Never forget that.” I wiped her tears and pulled her close.

“I won’t because you are the best husband in the world.”

“You have a way of making me feel like a superhero, baby.” I kissed her again and slid from the bed. “I have a surprise for you. Put this on.” I tossed her a robe and waited by the door.

“What are you up to, Rod?”

“You’ll see.” I pulled her along to the room we settled on for the nursery and pushed open the door.

“Oh my God, Roddick! This is. . .amazing.” Awe filled her voice and she looked up at me with tears in her eyes, and I really did feel like a fucking superhero.

“I’m glad you like it, babe.” Woodworking was my new gig, my new passion. I had a shop out back where I made tables, rocking chairs, statutes and pretty much anything else people in North America were willing to buy at my prices. Apparently, high-quality hand-crafted wood was in high demand. “I have a rocker in the works so you can sit right here and nurse our baby.”

She cupped my jaw so tenderly, the way she often did when her emotions were high. “Are you sure this is what you want, Roddick? You’ve transformed into a sexy lumberjack but…”

I sighed because she asked ever so often, and I loved her for it. “Cherie, I am right where I want to be. With you, my beautiful wife.” CAOS was doing fine, thriving even in Brently and beyond. They’d given us half of the ten million dollar reward money from the FBI, but we insisted they kept the money from the other agencies who’d piled charges on Maldonado and about a dozen other Mexican Devils, Molly Johnson, and a few other Mexican politicians. It was a nice nest egg for us and much appreciated.

“I’m glad because I love our life here, even if I do miss Baz. And Torch.”

“We’ll visit once the baby is born. I miss them, too.”

“If we can,” she said. We’d been advised by Brockton to stay out of the U.S. until everyone had been tried and convicted in all jurisdictions.

“If we can’t then we’ll have a big ass party up here. Can you imagine them in this cold?”

We made our way back to our bedroom, and Cherie snuggled closer to me as we sat in front of the fire. “I can’t but I would love to!”

“Then let’s make it happen. When the baby gets here.”

“Babies,” she clarified and looked up at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. “We’re having babies, Roddick.”

“Babies? Twins?” She nodded and I stood, slipping on my long johns and jeans. “Twins?”

“Yes! Where are you going? Are you upset about this?”

I frowned up at her. “Upset? Hell no, I’m excited!”

“Then where are you going?”

“We need another crib and another rocking chair plus two little armoires—and in the next four months!” She laughed and it was the sweetest damn sound I’d ever heard. I knew I’d spend the rest of my life keeping that look of love on her face and aimed right at me.

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~ T H E ~ E N D ~