Hard Ever After

by Laura Kaye

  “We’ll get to the bottom of it all,” Chen said. “Go home. I’ll touch base in a while.”

  “What’s your plan with him?” Nick asked, giving Woodson one last glance.

  “The less you know, the better.” Chen gave him a pointed look.

  Nick knew he didn’t have to say anything more, so he just nodded and guided Becca toward the door. “Then let’s go home.”

  Chapter Twelve

  BECCA FELT LIKE she was trapped in the dark at the bottom of a well. Somewhere, she knew there was a way out, but as she felt around with blind hands, she couldn’t find the ladder. She couldn’t find the light.

  Despite the fact that, physically, she was functioning.

  She answered questions as if by rote. She watched Shane sew up Charlie’s wound. She ate part of a piece of pizza that she didn’t taste and couldn’t finish. She let Nick change her into a pair of pajamas. She felt him touching her, but she couldn’t reach him.

  She couldn’t find the ladder. She couldn’t find the light.

  But then her friends threw her a rope.

  They’d all been sitting around on the couches in the living room for hours, just keeping one another company, just keeping her company, when suddenly Kat shot to her feet, her hands fisted, her posture indicating she was waging some great internal debate.

  And then she turned to Beckett, who was sitting with his hip resting on the back of the couch behind where she’d been. “I’m pregnant,” Kat blurted.

  The whole room froze.

  Beckett’s face was sculpture still. And then his eyes went wide. “Pregnant? Like . . . pregnant?”

  “Pregnant like you’re going to be a daddy,” she said, her voice uncertain.

  He came around the couch to her and grasped her face in his hands. And then he gave her a smile that lit up the entire room. “You’re pregnant,” he whispered, his voice absolutely reverent. One big hand dropped to her stomach. And then he wrapped her in his arms so tightly that it made Kat laugh.

  “You’re happy,” she said.

  “I’m terrified,” Beckett said. “But I’m also fucking ecstatic.”

  The whole place erupted in laughter and cheers and words of congratulations, the energy in the room shifting like the planets had just realigned.

  Light cracked through the fog clouding Becca’s heart and soul.

  “I thought I told you there better not be any goddamned children,” Nick said.

  Kat whirled. “Nick—­”

  “No, it’s okay,” Beckett said, his face going serious again.

  And then Nick broke out in a deep belly laugh. “I had you. I totally had you.” He grasped Beckett’s hand and pulled him in for a back-­slapping embrace. “Congratulations, man. I’m gonna be the coolest uncle ever. And you’re going to be a kick-­ass dad.”

  “Dude, you have no chance of being cooler than me, so give that shit up now,” Jeremy said, hugging Kat in beside him.

  “You’re a fucking asshole,” Beckett said as he gave Nick a playful shove. But that million-­dollar smile was back on the guy’s face again.

  “You totally are,” Kat said, reaching up to hug Nick next.

  Woodenly, Becca rose from the couch to offer her congratulations.

  “Well, shit,” Marz said from where he stood next to Beckett. “If we’re sharing good news, and why the hell not after this day, then I have to tell you that Emilie agreed to marry me this afternoon.” He put his arm around her and kissed her on the temple. “And to be honest, I have no idea how I lasted this long without telling you.”

  “We were going to share it tomorrow at the reception,” Emilie said, her voice cracking. “But I’m glad we did it now. We’ve been dying.”

  The smiles on the ­couple’s faces were absolutely brilliant with joy. Another round of jubilation erupted.

  The rope was in Becca’s hands. The light was burning off the fog.

  When everyone had a chance to offer congratulations, Sara called out, “I got accepted into college at Johns Hopkins for the fall. I’m going to finish my degree.”

  Jenna threw her arms around her sister’s shoulders. “Oh, that’s amazing, Sara. I’m so proud of you.”

  More celebrations. More light.

  Becca could tell the moment her body finally plugged back in, because suddenly she felt everything.

  “I’m so happy for all of you,” she said, her voice strained. “So, so happy.”

  Tears exploded out of her. Hot, racking, full-­body tears. Sobs that had been stored up since the beginning of time.

  Someone wrapped her in their arms and sank down to the couch with her. A hand fell on her shoulder. Another on her back. Another on her knees. Someone grasped her hand.

  All she had was rope and light now, even though she couldn’t rein herself in. The tears felt like they released a poison inside her that had to be purged, so she gave herself over to them. Not that she really had a choice.

  Finally, finally, she managed a deep, shuddering breath. Tears continued to leak from her eyes, but she could see enough to realize she’d literally soaked Easy with her tears. “I’m sorry,” she croaked out.

  He shook his head. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I got you.”

  She pressed her hand to his heart. “You’re a beautiful, beautiful soul, Easy. I’m so glad you’re in my life.”

  The words visibly impacted him. He gave her hand a squeeze.

  Becca turned to the others, who’d all formed a tight circle around her. “I feel that way about each and every one of you. I love you and I cherish you and you’re just . . . you’re all everything to me.” At least she wasn’t the only one crying, but she was pretty sure she saw only happy tears.

  “We feel the same way about you, Becca,” Kat said from where she knelt in front of her.

  “Yeah,” Marz said. “You’re da bomb. Then again, I’ve thought so since you made a MacGyver reference, so . . .” The men groaned. “What?” Marz asked.

  Her heart was so, so full. But something still needed to be said. Urgency flooded through her, and she whirled to face Nick, who’d been sitting behind her, holding her and stroking her back. “I want to marry you. Tomorrow,” she said. “Just like we planned. I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to put it off another second.” The words rushed out of her. She scrubbed at her face, despite the fact that her eyes seemed set to non-­stop.

  Nick grasped her hands. “Becca—­”

  “Please,” she said, sensing that his concern for her was going to push him in the direction of caution, of taking things slow. “The best way to fight back the darkness is with love and light. The best way to cheat death is to live life with no regrets, holding nothing back, just throwing yourself into the messy, vibrant, unexpected beauty of it. That’s what I want. I don’t care about what happened. I refuse to let that win. I don’t want to wait to be your always and forever. And for you to be mine.”

  He studied her face for a long moment, his pale eyes shiny and searching hers. Anticipation hung over the room like a balloon about to burst. “I would love nothing more than to make you my wife. As soon as humanly possible. But tomorrow will do.”

  “BECCA, ARE YOU ready? It’s five o’clock, so it’s time,” Kat said.

  Staring at herself in the floor-­to-­ceiling mirror in the bridal room at the inn, Becca nodded. One by one, her friends formed a tight circle behind her. Kat, one of the bravest, fiercest women she knew. Emilie, one of the strongest and most generous. Sara, one of the most courageous and certainly the most resilient. Jenna, one of the most compassionate, with so much passion for life that she’d helped a broken man rediscover that within himself again.

  How lucky was Becca to be surrounded by such extraordinary women? The only one missing was her own mother, and a little part of Becca’s heart ached that her parents weren’t there to see
everything that she and Charlie had become. But that just proved that you had to love and cherish the ones you cared about while they were in your life and never waste a single minute.

  “You look gorgeous,” Sara said.

  “We’re all fucking hot,” Kat said, making them all laugh.

  “We are pretty stunning,” Becca said. The gowns, the flowers in their hands and in their hair, the happiness radiating out from every one of their faces. “And I’m ready.”

  “Let me make sure the coast is clear. My brother has been a total crazy man about not seeing you.” Kat winked at her as she made for the door. Becca hadn’t seen Nick since they’d departed at noon for the salon. Truth be told, she was at her limit of missing him, too. “Okay, we’re good.”

  They moved out into the main space, where Becca found Charlie waiting for her. The look he gave her was full of pride and affection.

  “Are you feeling okay?” she asked him.

  “Great,” Charlie said. “I’m about to witness my favorite person on earth getting everything she ever wanted. How could I be anything but great?”

  “I love you, Charlie,” she said, gently hugging him.

  “Bridesmaids, it’s time to march,” Sonya said. The lady had seemed a little rattled when they’d first arrived, but she’d really gone above and beyond in putting Becca at ease. But if Becca was honest, she didn’t feel scarred by what had transpired there the day before. She felt freed.

  One by one, her friends made their way to the dais at the far end of the courtyard.

  “And now it’s your turn,” Sonya said as the music transitioned to the wedding march. “Congratulations, Becca.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she slipped her arm through Charlie’s good one. They stepped through the door and out into the evening sunlight. “I want this for you someday, Charlie. This happiness, this belonging. You deserve it.”

  He smiled. “I want it, too. And for the first time in my life, I believe I can have it.”

  “Jeremy is amazing,” she said, giving him a little nudge with her elbow.

  “Jeremy is everything,” Charlie whispered as they neared the back row of chairs. The happiness in the words filled Becca’s heart up to overflowing.

  The audience all stood. It wasn’t a huge gathering—­a handful of Nick’s friends from various stages of his life, some of Becca’s hospital colleagues and spouses, friends they’d made along the course of the investigation—­Detective Vance, Walter and Louis Jackson, Chen. Ike and Jess, who worked at Hard Ink Tattoo, sat to the far side holding Eileen by her leash—­the puppy wore a collar with wedding bells hanging off it and a veil that ran down her back. And to top it off, nearly twenty members of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club had come, some with dates, some without. Before all this, Becca had never before met a person in a motorcycle club, but without them, Nick and his teammates would never have been able to win all the fights that had ultimately allowed the guys to clear their names.

  And finally put the past to rest.

  Becca was looking forward to getting to know the Ravens more now that all the fighting was behind them.

  Looking up, Becca found Nick straight ahead of her, looking as sexy as she’d ever seen him. His dress uniform highlighted the strong width of his shoulders and the trim leanness of his waist. Metals hanging on one side of his chest spoke of a man of honor, loyalty, bravery, and so much more. But what she most noticed was the expression on his face. Total, abject, unrestrained love, unconditional devotion, incredible respect.

  If you had those things with the person walking through life with you, what more could you possibly want? Becca certainly didn’t know.

  As she got closer, she could see the men standing up for Nick, standing by his side. Jeremy, who lived life with more pure delight than anyone she knew. Shane, within whom a fire to help and secure justice for others burned so bright. Marz, who was the most positive, loyal person she’d ever known. Easy, who would do anything for anyone, and who was one of the strongest ­people she’d ever met in her life, even if he didn’t yet know it. And Beckett, fierce and self-­sacrificing, the quintessential good guy hiding under a gruff exterior. She loved that about him. She loved all of them.

  On a table in front of the men stood seven framed photographs. Her father and the six men from their A-­team who hadn’t survived that ambush on a dusty road in Afghanistan. They were all together again. Just as it should be.

  Finally, she and Charlie reached the front. The chaplain asked, “Who presents this woman to be married to this man?”

  “I do,” Charlie said. He kissed her on the cheek, then turned to take a seat.

  Except before he could do so, Kat came down the two brick steps, grabbed his hand, and led him to stand with her. “You should be here, too,” she said.

  It was the first moment all day that made Becca have to fight back tears.

  Nick stepped forward and took her hand, and the glassiness in his eyes hammered the next nail into her effort to make it through the ceremony without smearing her makeup. As he guided her up the steps, he whispered, “I love you, Becca. I am absolutely the luckiest man alive.”

  “I love you, too, Nick. Always and forever,” she whispered back.

  And as they exchanged their vows and claimed one another with their rings and confirmed their commitment in front of everyone they loved, Becca knew this was what happily ever after felt like.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the chaplain called out when they’d said everything that needed to be said, “may I present the new mister and missus Nick and Becca Rixey. You may seal your union with a kiss.”

  As applause erupted, Nick slid his big hand behind her neck and slowly pulled her in. The kiss was deep and soulful and claiming, full of love and heat, the kind of kiss she would remember as an old lady, the kind of kiss that would make her remember that, once, she’d really lived.

  But living was what she was all about now. And this kiss was what their happily ever after was going to feel like all the time. Full of life and passion and love.

  And if they ran into some hard times along the way, they’d fight through them together. Side by side. Surrounded by their friends.

  After all, hard ever afters were good, too.

  Because hard is good.

  Acknowledgments

  THANK YOU FIRST and foremost to Amanda Bergeron, my amazing editor at Avon, for thinking this book was as fun an idea as I did, and for agreeing to the title that still makes me chuckle! Working with you has been one of the greatest pleasures of my career, and I adore that you love all these guys as much as I do. Thanks also to my agent, Kevan Lyon, for loving the idea of this book, and to KP Simmons for everything you did to make the incredible invitations and announcements that we used during the voting for the book’s ­couple.

  I also want to thank all the readers who participated in the vote to determine which ­couple the book would feature. I adored how many of you wanted it to be about all the ­couples, and I hope the book gave you enough of a follow-­up with everyone to whet your whistle! It was so much fun writing these characters again, and I can’t thank you enough for giving me a reason to dive back into the Hard Ink world.

  Thanks to writing friends Lea Nolan, Christi Barth, and Stephanie Dray, who helped me think through the suspense plotline of the story and just generally provide support and encouragement. You all are the best!

  This book had a ton of support from readers and bloggers along the way—­first with the voting, then with the cover reveal, and finally with the release. I couldn’t do what I love so much without your support, so THANK YOU to the amazing blogging community that has turned out so often to support the Hard Ink books and me more generally. You guys rock so hard!

  Thank you to my husband and daughters for dealing with mom on deadline again! Your support and encouragement means the world! Finally, thank you to the re
aders who take my characters into their hearts and allow them to tell their stories over and over again. Read hard, dear readers, always and forever.

  LK

  Get ready to meet

  The Raven Riders

  Coming May 2016

  RIDE HARD

  Brotherhood. Club. Family.

  They live and ride by their own rules.

  These are the Raven Riders . . .

  Raven Riders Motorcycle Club president Dare Kenyon rides hard and values loyalty above all else. He’ll do anything to protect the brotherhood of bikers—­the only family he’s got—­as well as those who can’t defend themselves. So when mistrustful Haven Randall lands on the club’s doorstep scared that she’s being hunted, Dare takes her in, swears to keep her safe, and pushes to learn the secrets overshadowing her pretty smile.

  Haven fled from years of abuse at the hands of her criminal father and is suspicious of any man’s promises, including those of the darkly sexy and overwhelmingly intense Ravens leader. But as the powerful attraction between them flares to life, Dare pushes her boundaries and tempts her to want things she never thought she could.

  The past never dies without a fight, but Dare Kenyon’s never backed down before. . . .

  Keep reading for a first look . . .

  Chapter One

  TO SAY THAT Haven Randall’s escape plans were not going as she’d hoped was quite possibly the understatement of the century. Especially since she wasn’t at all sure her current situation was any better than the one she’d run from three weeks before.

  But today could be the day she found that out for sure.

  Staring out the window through the slats of the blinds, Haven watched as another group of motorcycles roared into the parking lot below. They’d been coming in groups of four or five for the past hour or so. And, God, there were a lot of them. Not surprising, since she was currently holed up at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. A shiver raced over her skin.