Kage

I can’t fucking believe it. He’s alive. Not that I doubted my brother, but shit…all my nerves were shot not knowing where he was. Now he’s right here with Huntington. Lars gets off his bike and throws Huntington’s body on the ground, giving it an extra kick.

Before I can greet my brother, Dessa flies past us and pounds her tiny fists against Lars’ chest. “How could you? You were supposed to come back. I was so afraid you were dead. Damn you!”

The corner of his mouth twitches, though he doesn’t do anything to keep her from pounding his chest. His hand goes up into her hair, tightening it in a fist before he roughly pulls it back. Leaning into her face he growls, “I am back, woman.”

Lars takes Dessa’s mouth in a dominating kiss, getting catcalls from all the guys who are standing around. Tamar grabs my arm and leans against me, a deep sigh slipping over her lips.

I pull her close and murmur, “I guess those two are solid now, huh?”

Tamar giggles and rubs a hand over my abs. We all stop to take this moment in, knowing it’s a step forward. We’re putting the past behind us and our future finally has options. With no doubt left as to whether Huntington is dead, we won’t be looking over our shoulders. I just hope Cashwell can live up to the shit he’s mentioned. He might need a little help from Dessa, and we’ll get him whatever he needs to make this happen, but this is for everyone, so that we all have the luxury of power once more.

Yet we’ve still got a long way to go and our first priority will be to keep the compound safe so Cashwell can work without interference. The club gives us safety in numbers, so we’ve also got that part covered.

“Come on, brother, get a room already,” I bellow out my words, some of my brothers repeating the words to back me up.

Lars finally pulls away from Dessa yet keeps his arm wrapped possessively around her waist as they stroll toward us. “Damn I need a shower and some hours in bed.”

“Brother, I don’t care what you do behind closed doors. I’m just fucking glad you’re standing in front of me, still able to give me too much fucking information,” I tell him before I grab him in a bear hug, thankful he’s alive and well.

When we both step back, Lars shakes his head. “Close call, man, but with a little luck I got it done. I chased him for miles until he dumped the bike. I guess he was out of gas because why else would the fucker run into the woods, leaving his bike alongside the road? Anyway, he tried hiding, waiting me out, but the idiot left a trail even a blind man could follow. He never even saw me coming. I shot him between the eyes the second I got a clear shot. I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging without proof, so I dragged his ugly ass with me. Almost got lost too when I took a wrong turn.” Lars looks down and gives Dessa a wicked grin. “But I rode like hell to get back to my woman.”

Tamar gives another deep sigh and it makes me chuckle. “Are you turning into mush, kitten?”

“Shut up,” she snaps and smacks my pecs.

“Come on, let’s get some rest. We can all go to the compound tomorrow and settle in.” Lars nods at my words as we all make our way toward our rooms.

When the door closes behind me, I hear Tamar’s voice. “We’ll be living there too, right? Along with Lars and Dessa…Ramon too?”

“Yeah, I don’t know about Ramon but we’ve never split up so I’m guessing he won’t leave. The compound needs to be protected so the club will have some of the brothers form a team and take shifts. When Felix is back to full health, he’ll handle all of it. By morning, the men will have cleared the compound of the bodies and maybe even cleaned up the place somewhat. We need Cashwell able to pick up his work as soon as possible.”

Tamar steps closer to me and cups the side of my head with her hand. “It’s not like everything is roses and sunshine. But shit…compared to what the last few years have been like, it’s as if we’re finally standing on the top of the mountain and can see where it reaches the horizon, you know?”

“I don’t know about you, kitten,” I brush my lips over hers, “but roses and sunshine never were my kind of thing. Though the words you just spoke painted a pretty picture of where we are now. Solid ground beneath our feet with options. I don’t expect Cashwell to magically turn the power back on but the thought of it evolving into something real finally feels like it’s within reach. And that feels pretty damn good.”

“Hmmm,” she hums. “You know what else feels good?”

The way her fingers travel down my abs, heading for my cock, doesn’t leave any doubt of knowing what else feels good. Yet there’s so much more. “Having the certainty for a solid future, one I get to share with you, and hopefully our children, changes everything. But I also take pleasure in the little things, kitten. This is our time, Tamar. It’s a world where we can live our lives to the fullest.”

Eyes filled with lust, respect, and appreciation are staring back at me, her voice thick with emotion when she speaks. “To the fullest.”

“Damn right,” I tell her before I scoop her up and let her bounce off the bed. “Starting now.”