I wish I knew, and I won’t rest until I find out.
Epilogue
Eighteen Years Later
“Willow Sofia, you can not go out tonight!” Dad growls through my phone, and I sigh.
I should never have said anything. It doesn’t matter that the guys are here and will protect me. To them, it’s a crazy teenage impulse that I should avoid, but I’ve grown up with a ticking. Time bomb attached to my name, and my time is almost up.
My eighteenth birthday is in three days, and they are losing their ever-loving minds. It’s a miracle they even let me come back to school. I’ve taken so many self-defense classes, it makes me want to throw up. Three different martial arts. I can shoot, fence, and box. I even got an axe-throwing session as a birthday gift a few years ago.
“Dad, I can protect myself. I’m going to a closed frat party with my three male cousins. They won’t let anything happento me. Relax, will you?” He keeps groaning on about being responsible, and I tune him out.
“Are you ready?” Cole asks from my doorway, and I shake my head and point at my phone.
“Dad,” I whisper, and he rolls his eyes.
I was allowed to pick from three colleges, all of which had at least three legacy kids from the club or a cousin. They were all within an hour helicopter ride from home, and I had to come home every other weekend.
Seemed like a fair arrangement until this whole birthday doom date thing got closer.
“Cole’s her dad, so I’m going to go. I promise to be careful and call when I get back to my room.” I wasn’t allowed to stay inthe dorms since they weren’t secure enough, so I share a house with my cousins and Deacon.
Our ages range, and we’re in different years, but we manage.
“Don’t you dare hang up.” I end the call and stand up, grabbing my purse.
“He’s going to be so fucking pissed.” Cole laughs as we walk down the hall to Dom’s room.
“When isn’t he? I can’t do shit without them up my ass, and I just want to be normal.” I cross my arms in annoyance.
“Normal in this family?” Dom opens the door to Cole’s words and frowns.
“He said no?” I raise an eyebrow.
“When has he ever said yes or here’s one better. When have I ever cared or listened?” My godbrother stares at me, and his jaw ticks with lust like his father’s.
“Stop! I don’t want to hear shit. I still have three days. I’m going to this party, and I’m going to have fun. This will be a normal college kid’s experience. We’ll worry about my birthday on Saturday and not a moment before.” I push my way into the room and find Deacon on his computer, typing away.
“He brainiac, you coming?” He looks my way, but his fingers keep flying across the keys as he finishes whatever the fuck it is he’s working on.
Could be a paper, the cure for cancer, or he might be reorganizing the world’s nuclear codes just for fun. His head has got to be the most scriest place on the planet, and I would die for just a small peek.
“What are you wearing?” Ok, that is not his normal reaction to me teasing him about his intelligence.
“Um, clothes?” I ask as I glance down my body.
It’s hot, so I opted for jean shorts and a cute babydoll top with thin straps. I’ve got platform sandals on that give me a few more inches of height, and my curly hair is in a half-up, half-down design that makes it look like it’s a waterfall. The makeup is light with mascara and lip gloss, so why on earth is he staring at me like I’m naked?
“Problem?” I try again, and he seems to snap out of it.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” I turn and march my ass to the stairs.
“Wonderful. Let’s roll. Are we taking my car or the bikes?” Normally, the guys hate riding in my ‘cage’, but since I don’t drink and I can’t get them all home on a motorcycle, we usually take my vintage Jeep Wrangler.
“Cage unless you’re drinking?” Dom asks, and I frown.
“Eww, nope. I’m DD as always. Hope in.” I unlock the Jeep, and we all pile in to drive over to the other side of campus.
