Another hug knocked the breath out of Marci.
Brothers pushed through next.Hard grips on my shoulder, rough congratulations.Maui squeezed hard enough to leave a mark.“About damn time.Thought you might need a kick in the ass to make it official.”
“Took long enough,” I said.“She kept waking up like she expected to have to run.”
“She won’t run anymore.”Spade appeared on my left, expression different than usual, almost warm.“Heard from the DA this morning.Mercer is going to trial.No deal.”
A long breath left my chest.Not surprise, but clarity.“How long?”
“Twenty-five to life if he gets hit on everything.”Spade didn’t sugarcoat.“He’ll never walk free again.”
Relief didn’t spark joy, only a quiet certainty.The danger shaping every decision no longer held power.
General waited near a quieter corner, arms folded, keeping watch like he always did.I guided Marci through the crowd and over to him.The key swung against her collarbone, catching each flash of light.
His expression softened once we stopped in front of him.That alone told her everything.“You did good.”
“We survived,” Marci answered.Strength steadied her voice.
“You did more than survive,” General replied.“You fought back.You stayed.Most things in this life aren’t worth fighting for.Money.Territory.Ego.But what you two built deserves protection.At any cost.”
His hand landed on my shoulder, solid and brief.Then he surprised both of us by pulling Marci into a hug.Not gentle.Not tentative.Real.
“You’ve got family now,” he told her.“The kind that stays when things get ugly.Fear will come back sometimes.Remember tonight when it does.You look around at these leather-wearing idiots and you remember you’re not alone.”
Her composure shattered.Tears soaked my shirt as she hid against me, whole body shaking.Brothers and sisters formed a loose wall around us without closing in, protective instinct guiding their positions even while they laughed and celebrated.
My arm tightened around her waist.My other hand cupped the back of her head.I gave her every second she needed.The music shifted to something slow.Couples danced near the stage.The world moved on while she fell apart safely against me.
She eventually pulled back and wiped her face.“I probably look terrible.”
“You look perfect.”I tilted her chin up.“You’re home.”
She touched the key again.The gesture already meant comfort.“Yeah.I’m home.”
Family, music, warmth, and light swirled around us.The Broken Spokestood rebuilt and stronger than before.The fire hadn’t destroyed anything important.It had exposed what mattered.
Marci settled against my side.Her body relaxed in a way I’d never seen in those early days.Peace settled in those walls.Permanence.She rested her head on my shoulder while the key rose and fell alongside her breathing, a quiet promise meant for both of us.
No more bracing for the next loss.Our focus shifted forward instead -- toward land waiting for spring, toward plans ready to take shape, toward years instead of weeks.
Fear would circle back eventually.Trauma never vanished.When those moments came, she wouldn’t stand alone.A club formed her shield, women surrounded her in fierce loyalty, and a man who purchased acreage just to make stability hers would stay beside her through every storm.
She lifted her face.I kissed her in front of everyone.No hesitation.No apology.Claimed her while she claimed me back.
The room erupted.Whistles and cheers and laughter.Marci laughed too, free and bright, and something inside me settled deep.Not victory.Not triumph.Peace.
The crowd kept celebrating.Music rose again.The bar glowed warm and alive around us.Brothers who rebuilt the walls surrounded us.People who waited three months for this reopening filled every corner.
Marci threaded her fingers through mine.I threaded mine back.A whole future waited, and we weren’t rushing forward or escaping the past anymore.We walked toward the next chapter side by side.
Spring would deliver blueprints, garden beds, and sunrise coffee on a porch.Roses would climb fences.Shadows would pool beneath ancient oak branches.A house would rise from open land because she deserved permanence, and I refused to let her forget her worth ever again.
Her hand squeezed mine.
I squeezed back.
We had a lifetime together, and we would use every second of it.
