by Evie Monroe
She gave me a sheepish expression. “I see why you love the club. I shouldn’t have made you have to decide between the two of us.”
I stroked her cheek. “All right. Club rules are the club always comes first. But for me,” I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “you always come first. If you ever want me to—”
“No. I won’t.”
I squeezed her hand. She seemed so resolute. I had to wonder just what the girls had said to her, to make her so sure. Maybe it was just knowing that she wasn’t the only girl of an MC guy. Maybe it was that the Fury were now gone. Maybe it was that she realized, just like I had, that she and I belonged together. “How’s Alena?” I repeated.
She smiled. “Fine. She’s sleeping on the sofa, next to Ella. She was so tired, obviously. But thanks to you, she seems fine. Like her old self.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t just me. It was all of us. Even—” I looked around and saw the devil I was about to speak about, stalking up to us. He looked pissed, like now that he’d gotten Alena back, he was ready to exact his revenge on me for putting his daughter in that danger. If he had the same adrenaline buzzing through his veins that I did, he’d probably want to settle this with his fists.
He stopped in front of both of us, the snarl on his face slowly unflinching.
Then suddenly, he unfurled an empty hand, holding it out to me. It looked like he wanted to shake my hand.
I stared at it in shock for a moment. Then I reached out and shook it.
“Thank you for saving Alena. For putting her life above your own,” he said stiffly.
“Viktor, I owe you thanks, too, for helping us with our situation. And I owe you an apology for giving you a hard time.”
He shrugged, and his eyes went to Sasha. “I don’t like you being with someone else, Sasha,” he said, his eyes softening. “You will always be my beautiful solnyshka.”
She let out a slow breath, gazing at him uneasily as he touched her cheek.
“But, if you are going to be happy with someone else, I am glad it is a man who I trust. Who I know will protect you and Alena. That is good,” he said.
I saw the relief in Sasha’s eyes. Her face brightened and she smiled, even as tears appeared in her eyes. “He will. I know he will,” she whispered.
“Yeah, I will,” I agreed, gazing at Sasha and stroking her hand in mine. “Always.”
“Good,” he said, turning to leave. Before he took a step, he added, “Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”
As he walked outside, Sasha looked up at me and shrugged. “I don’t think he was kidding,” she said. “He’s never joked once in his life.”
I pulled her to me. “I don’t think he was, either. But it doesn’t matter. If anything happens to either of you on my watch, I’ll kill myself.”
Epilogue
Sasha
“Oh, my God, it looks so good!” I screamed as Grace and I went into the newly painted room in Zain’s house.
Our house, now.
Grace gushed, “I love the color!” She turned this way and that, admiring the way the light streamed in through the white shutters and hit the walls. “What is it?”
“It’s called ‘blue skies’,” I said as Zain inched past me with the paint tray and squeezed my side.
“Hey. Get out of here. The fumes.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s old paint. New paint is totally safe.”
“Oh, so do you mean you could’ve done this?” he said to me with a grin.
“Ha. Ha.” I said to him, elbowing his thick bicep. He knew I’d been spending much of my time fixing up his parents’ old house and making it into a home. There was plenty of work to be done, since the house was HUGE, and he hadn’t done anything to most of the house in years. At first, we’d discussed selling it, but then we decided that it had the perfect yard for kids to run around in, was perfectly located near the schools and everything else we needed in Aveline Bay.
So, we decided to keep it and fix it up.
Zain was proving to be quite the handyman. He’d redone an old room for Alena, completely demolished and renovated the kitchen with a bunch of his brothers. Then, when I’d started to show, he said it was about time he began with the nursery.
Yes, in four months, I’d be having a baby. A baby boy this time.
I caressed my stomach as he leaned forward to kiss me. Then he leaned down farther, laying a kiss on my belly. “How’s my little champ doing today?”
“We’re all doing fine,” I said, rolling my eyes at Grace. I’d been joking to her that Zain asked me that question about a thousand times a day.
Grace and I went downstairs to sit out on the patio, to wait for the other guests to arrive. We were planning on having a big housewarming party today, with all his brothers and our friends, since it was a beautiful day. But of course, Zain was so excited about the nursery that he woke up bright and early that morning to paint it, leaving me with all the prep work.
Didn’t matter. Grace, who’d quickly become my best friend, had come over to help, and together, we’d gotten much of the work done. Cait had also come over to help babysit.
That was the way we were in the Cobras. Family. We helped each other out.
The Fury were truly gone, now. It’d been over five months since we’d heard anything about them, so now everything the Cobras had gone through felt like a distant memory. Viktor had spoken well of the Cobras, to his Russian contacts, so everything with them was just fine. I still saw Viktor of course, every time we switched off on visitation, and things were going well on that front. He had a pretty serious girlfriend named Masha, who Alena adored.
I was happy for him. He seemed happier, though I still hadn’t gotten a smile out of him. And he was truly making an effort to spend more time with Alena when she was at his place.
“Hi, Mommy!” she called to me from the swing as we went outside. She jumped off and came running to me. Now five, she was an independent bundle of energy, a fashionista, and destined to give her daddy heart palpitations in a few years.
I hugged her. “Go inside and get changed into your pretty dress, okay? People will be arriving soon.”
She squealed in delight and ran to the screen door. “Okay, Mommy,” she said, whipping it open and letting it smack closed behind her.
Cait came up, holding Ella’s hand as she helped her up the stairs. Ella grinned up at me, so I bent down and kissed her nose. “You have fun on the swing set?”
She nodded excitedly.
Zain had insisted on installing a massive wood play set in the backyard. It was amazing. He said he’d had one there while he was growing up. It was Alena’s favorite thing in the world.
Grace, Cait, Ella and I sat under an umbrella by the patio, overlooking the yard, drinking lemonade. “This is really a beautiful house,” Cait gushed, pulling her knees up to her chest. “I love this old architecture.”
“Thank you,” I said. “It’s so huge, though. But we’re working through it, room by room.”
“It looks gorgeous,” Cait said.
“You’ll just have to find some way to fill all those empty bedrooms!” Grace added with a laugh, looking at my swelling belly.
“Did you guys set a date for the wedding?” I asked her. “We’re starting to wonder.”
Grace nodded. “Yes. July seventh,” she said proudly. “Cullen didn’t want to move forward with any wedding plans because of the Fury. But now that they’re gone, it’s all good.”
I clapped my hands excitedly. “I’m so excited for you two. I love weddings.”
“You two are going to be bridesmaids,” Grace said matter-of-factly, as if it was a given. “And of course, Charlotte and Nora and Liv. And all the Cobras will be Cullen’s groomsmen. We might do it on a yacht. We thought that would be romantic.”
“Wow,” I gushed. “Sounds beautiful.”
Of course, Cullen, being the son of a famous rock star, had a lot of money to throw around. This would be the wedding of the century, for s
ure. And to think, a year ago, I’d felt practically alone in this country. Despite getting away from Viktor, I’d had almost no one to depend on.
And now I had a huge family of friends. I’d been welcomed into their group, and now, I felt like I truly belonged. It nearly brought a tear to my eye, every time I thought about it.
“How are things going at work?” Cait asked me, leaning forward and grabbing a pretzel from the snack bowls I’d set out. “Did they say anything about being pregnant?”
I nodded and stroked my belly. I didn’t recall being this big this soon with Alena, but now, only five months along, I had a watermelon belly.
I shrugged. “They were happy for me. I’m just going to work until I take maternity leave, and then I might take a year off. I’ll go back, though, of course.”
Grace raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to be a stay at home mom?”
“No, I mean, I love having kids, but I love my job, too,” I explained. “And where I work, they’ve been a lot more understanding about my family situation.”
That had nothing to do with Marina, of course. The new promotion was announced three months ago, and my friend Sarah Chin had been promoted to the administrative supervisor. I couldn’t have been happier, because it went to someone truly deserving. Annoyed at being passed over, Marina had made her usual scene and given her notice. After Marina’s departure, everything changed. The place was actually positive, and people were helpful and kind. It was true what they say about toxic people, and how one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.
Anyhow, Sarah was amazing as a supervisor. She was understanding, encouraging, supportive . . . everything I wanted in a boss. Plus, she let me work my own hours, and for the first time, I’d been getting praise from the lawyers, and actually feeling like I was making a difference.
Work wasn’t a burden anymore. I loved it.
But most of all, I loved coming home, finding Zain at home with Alena, both of them playing with dolls and laughing their heads off. He’d pick her up sometimes from daycare and the two of them would do all sorts of things together. She loved him like crazy.
“What about you, Cait? How is your mom?” I asked as Drake came up behind her, massaging her shoulders. He was clearly so in love with her, it practically radiated off of him.
“Oh, she’s great,” she said with a smile. “Has a new boyfriend. Some tax accountant who lives in L.A. I barely ever see her anymore, she’s so happy.”
“That’s great,” Grace said. For a while there, the two of them could barely leave the house, since Cait was former Fury president Slade’s daughter, and kept on a tight leash. Now that the Fury had been decimated, they were enjoying their freedom. “But what’s that on your finger?”
Cait held out her hand, and Drake grinned like the cat who swallowed the canary. “Oh, yes. Drake proposed last night.”
We all gasped, and Grace practically lunged across the table to look at the glinting diamond. “Oh, my God! It’s gorgeous!”
“Congratulations!” I said, and the rest of the group offered their well wishes.
“What the hell’s going on here?” Jet said, appearing at the gate. “I could hear you assholes yelling from all the way down the street.”
“We were just celebrating the news. Cait and Drake are engaged.”
Jet smirked at his brother and punched him. “Took you long enough.”
“Yeah? When are you going to get your ass in gear with Nora?” Drake said, crossing his arms.
He shrugged. “You know me. I ain’t all fancy. But if she asks me, I might say yes.”
We all rolled our eyes. “But where is Nora?” I asked.
“She’s finishing up a shift at the clinic. She’ll be here later,” he answered as Drake handed him a beer. He took a swig and looked around. “This shithole’s really shaping up.”
Just then, Zain came out and wrapped an arm around him and Drake. “Hell, Jet. You’re as charming as ever.” He smacked his head. “What the hell did Nora see in you?”
He shrugged. “My big dick.”
We all burst out laughing. Grace gave him a stern look. “Hey. Little big ears, here.” She motioned off to Alena, who’d just arrived in her pink dress.
Everyone made a fuss about her showing up. She blushed at first, which was usual around large groups of people, but once she got used to it, she wouldn’t shut up. Zain scooped her up and kissed her little cheek. “You look beautiful, Alena. Just as beautiful as your mom.”
She giggled, and he met my gaze across the yard. I smiled at him, my heart fluttering just as it always did whenever he was around.
A few moments later, Nix and Liv arrived. I’d always envied how graceful Liv looked, even when nine months pregnant, which was how she was when I met her. She was a ballerina, and carried her pregnancy so well, compared to me. Here I was, five months along, and I felt like a giant whale. Luckily, whenever Zain looked at me, I felt like a princess.
Cait moved out of her chair so that Liv could sit with her five-month old baby, a chubby little boy named Connor. He was so cute, all of us leaned in to play with him as he blew bubbles and giggled. She passed him over to Grace, who bounced him on her knee, making him giggle even louder.
“How are you doing, Liv?” Grace asked.
“Oh. Good. Getting back into shape for dance. Nix and I are looking into a place downtown. Aveline Bay really doesn’t have a great dance studio. We’re thinking of opening one. For little kids.”
Jet laughed. “You going to get your tutu on, big brother?”
Nix pretend-coughed out a “Fuck you” and headed inside with an aluminum-foil covered dish which had to have been Liv’s famous potato salad.
Liv smiled at him as he left. “Oh, yes, he’s going on pointe soon. He’s going to be my best student!”
“Does he know about this?” I asked.
“Oh, here they come! Here they come!” Cait said suddenly, peering down the driveway.
We all waited with our breaths held as Charlotte appeared, holding a car seat. “Hi!” she said in a hushed whisper, bringing up the car seat and setting it down on the table. We all peered in and saw the tiny baby, little Joel, named after her brother, who’d been murdered in cold blood.
“Oh, he’s so beautiful,” we all cooed, peering at his tiny little baby parts. “He’s perfect.”
Charlotte beamed. “I was worried, being a couple months premature, that it was going to be tough. But Joel is a fighter.”
Behind her, Hart nodded. “He’s definitely an ass-kicker. Just about as stubborn as his uncle.”
“How are you?” I asked Charlotte as she slid into an open seat. She looked tired, probably from those sleepless nights taking care of a new baby, but happy.
“Oh. Great. I decided I won’t be going back to work at the Animal Hospital, at least, not yet. I have enough to handle, with Joel and all the critters at home.”
Alena wormed her way through the crowd and crawled onto one of the chairs to look at the baby. “Look but don’t touch, okay?” I warned her.
She nodded. “My mommy’s having a boy baby, too,” she announced proudly to anyone who would listen. “We’re going to name him Flynn.”
At this news, everyone looked at me. I shrugged. No idea where that name had come from. Probably a movie she’d seen.
Before I could say anything, Zain spoke up. “That’s today. She changes every day. Yesterday, she wanted to name him Prince Eric.”
I grinned at him. “Zain wants to call him Axle.”
He shrugged. “Hey. It’s a good name. Tough.”
“I don’t want tough! I want a sweet little mama’s boy who never forgets his mommy.”
He scoffed at that. “My son’s gonna be riding a motorcycle from the time he’s four. His first bike’ll be a mini Harley.”
The guys all nodded their heads in agreement. I truly didn’t put it past him. He spent almost as much time in the garage, working on his bike, as he did in bed with me. Sometimes I felt like
his mistress, and the bike, his true love. I’d told him that, once, and he’d said, “Well, I love both of you, but you’re a hell of a lot nicer to curl up next to in bed.”
After we all fussed over little Joel, we all went inside. As I was setting out the buffet, the crock pot of pulled pork, the potato salad, the rolls, the pickles, baked beans, corn on the cob, macaroni salad, and fruit, Nora walked in, pulling off her jacket and waving at everyone. Jet came up to her and kissed her nose.
We all went outside to eat as the sun began to set and the moon shone over the enormous, quiet backyard. Zain lit candles all around and turned on little fairy lights. He also piped in some smooth jazz, so the mood remained festive and fun.
As I was coming outside with my plate, he wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck. “Happy?”
I nodded. “So happy. You have no idea.”
He nuzzled my neck, smelling me, dragging his lips down to my collarbone. “Good. That’s what I like to hear from my pretty lady.”
I smiled. That was what he called me the first night we met.
I turned around and looked up at him. He kissed me, then gave me a look that told me everything I needed to know. A look that said he wanted me, needed me, and would protect Alena and me for the rest of his life. That said he was just as happy as I was.
Then I went down to the picnic tables, where all the Cobras and their wives and family were assembled, talking and having fun. People who would constantly have my back, as long as we lived. My American Family. Who knew that growing up outside of Moscow, Russia, I would find everything I wanted and needed in life in a little town called Aveline Bay, California?
I was so lucky, so happy, and so loved.
And best of all, I got to spend the rest of my days with Zain, my bad-ass motorcycle man who’d changed my life for the better, the moment he walked in.
THE END
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Down and Dirty
by Evie Monroe
Being a single dad isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I’ll do anything for my little girl. Taking care of Jade and keeping food on the table is top priority for me.