EPILOGUE
Sienna - two months later
“Oh God, oh God, yes. Yes, yes, yes!” A crescendo of screams was the first thing I heard when River and I entered the tattoo shop Monday morning.
“What the fuck?” River’s eyes hardened.
“Jericho, oh my God, it’s so big.”
“Holy shit, it’s Jericho and Dev.” I gasped, eyes wide on River.
“Jesus Christ, probably thought we wouldn't be in for another hour. Told you I didn’t want to go in early,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, baby, fuck me just like that,” Jericho’s thick voice rambled.
“This is fucking disgusting.” River pounded on the door to the piercing room.
The sound of bodies scrambling around hit my ears. “How long has that been going on?”
River shrugged. “They hooked up a few years ago, but I thought that shit was over!” he called, loud enough for them to hear.
“Fuck, you don’t have to yell.” Jericho swung the door open, Dev’s hand locked in his.
“You don’t have to be so fucking loud. This is a public establishment.”
“Dude, you should have felt what she was doing with her tongue. You couldn't keep that shit quiet either.”
“Sorry, guys.” Dev winked at me then buzzed by the group of us. Today’s crop top showed off all the tattoos that covered her body. I loved her rebellious personality, I even looked up to her, I just hoped that wasn’t what River and I had sounded like when we’d hooked up in there.
“So you gonna show her the tattoo or what?” Dev popped a baby carrot into her mouth, crunching as she waited for River.
“You got a new tattoo?” I asked. “When?”
“Dev gave it to me last night. I was waiting to show you, but guess that cat’s out of the bag.” He glared at Dev.
“Okay, so let me see it.”
River pulled his shirt over his shoulders, revealing a fresh tattoo across his left pectoral, covered in ointment and a clear bandage. “Pretty. What is it?”
“Take a closer look.”
I stepped closer, eyes narrowing as the fresh ink came into focus. A broken heart just like mine, the chasm down the center replicating the jagged edges of my own scar. The same skeleton faded into the background of the heart, the same few stitches trying to hold the two fractured pieces together. Except his had more. His had barbed wire biting into the sides of the heart, wrapping around it tightly at least six times. The heart was being held together by more than just the stitches.
“That’s my tattoo.” I breathed, the shock of it, the emotion flooding my veins.
“With my arms holding you together. Healing you. I'll never let you break again, Sienna. I know I’m a little rough around the edges. You deserve someone so much better than me, but somewhere along the line, you made me realize that doesn’t matter. We fix each other. I’m better with you than when I’m without you, and I never want to be without you again.”
He dropped to one knee, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket.
“Marry me, Sienna. Take my name, be my wife, let me take care of you for the next hundred years. Just you and me.”
My heart stuttered in my chest, my hand shaking as he caught it by the wrist and slowly slid the ring onto my left ring finger.
“Mrs. Madden?”
A grin split my cheeks. A grin so bright I thought it could light up the entire city on a dark night. “Yes, oh my God, yes. Yes, Yes!”
He pulled me into his arms, crushing me to his body as Jericho and Dev screamed and clapped behind us.
“I want to haul you off to the courthouse right now and make you repeat those words again.”
“I would let you.”
“Mmm, don’t tempt me. Then I can steal you away on a honeymoon, just the two of us.”
“That sounds amazing,” I breathed, nestling into his neck. “But I’ve got a secret.”
River’s lips kissed up my neck before landing at my mouth, nibbling and licking away the small bite. “And what’s that, doll face?”
“It won’t be just the two of us.”
His eyes widened before he loosened his grip on my body and set me on my feet. “What?”
“It won’t be just the two of us anymore, River.” I locked my hand with his. “Dev took me to the doctor yesterday during lunch. We made a baby.”
“Jesus, Sienna.” He scooped me into his arms again, spinning me in circles right in the middle of his shop. Right where we’d first met. Right where he’d first tattooed me. Right where we’d first fallen.
“I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby.”
“Me either.” I swiped at a happy tear.
River’s fingers threaded with mine before he turned his eyes away from me and to Dev. “And I can’t believe you fucking knew before me and didn’t say anything. You tattooed me for two hours yesterday without a word. I should fire your ass for that disloyalty.”
Dev only laughed. “I’ve got loyalty to my girl first. Hoes before bros, Madden.”
“Wait, does that mean you knew he was going to do this? Ask me to marry him. And you didn’t tell me when we went to the doctor yesterday?” I accused.
Dev’s grin only deepened, and she winked. “I love a good surprise.”
River rolled his eyes before I broke up into laughter. “Well, thanks for having my back…I think.”
Dev laughed. “No problem, we nasty gals have to stick together. I’m here for you always.”
“Not if I fire you, you aren’t,” River warned.
I smacked him on the shoulder, the glint of the new ring catching my eye as I did it. Oh my God, I was engaged to marry River. The whole thing felt like a dream.
“Now why don’t you guys take the next hour off? I want to celebrate with my girl.”
“Stop!” I smacked him again, before he caught my wrist and pulled me to him for another kiss. “Have to say,” I breathed against his lips. “I thought your surprise would be a clit piercing. I did not expect this kind of ring.”
“Oh, we can do that too. I aim to please, Mrs. Madden.”
“That name’s a little premature, don’t you think?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” He winked then hauled me down the hallway and directly into the piercing room. “Pants off, doll face.”
“What? Now?” I laughed.
My laughter stopped when I saw him pull the piercing gun from the drawer.
“Naked, now.”
My eyes widened, but I obeyed, stripping instantly and crawling onto the piercing table.
“Naked except for my ring on your finger. I like that.” He crooked a grin at me before cleaning the area around my clit. A moment later, the gun was in place, the cold metal biting into the sensitive flesh.
“I’m surprised you didn’t propose then brand me with your initials, you Neanderthal.”
His chuckle filled the room. “Next time.” The rough pad of his thumb on my clit sent fireworks through me. “Ready for me, gorgeous?”
“So ready.”