“Three months later, when I returned to college, that cunt had someone put Mia’s favorite stuffie in my locker. When the police were doin’ their investigation, that was the only thing I noticed that was missing; Dad had a safe with almost ten thousand dollars inside it. It was way more than what I owed Lawrence, but it was all still there. He killed them to teach me a lesson. He stole a little girl’s life because of me.” Vikes’ eyes swell with tears, and it breaks my heart.
“You can’t blame yours?—”
“Alicia, I only have myself to blame. I knew the guy was bad; enough people warned me about him.”
“You could never have predicted he’d hurt your family. That’s just pure evil. You were just a kid, yourself.”
“So now you know. I had a family, I loved them, they loved me, and they’re not here because of my stupid mistakes. All the times I wanted to tell you how I felt, their faces just kept haunting me. I had to identify them at the mortuary; I had to see for myself what I’d caused. They died because I loved them, because Lawrence wanted to hurt me in the worst way possible. I promised myself I’d never burden anyone with my love again.” He drops his head.
“Well, I’m glad you did.” I climb onto his lap so I can be closer to him. “You made a mistake, but you don’t deserve a lifewithout love. The person to blame for the death of your family is Lawrence.”
“And he paid for it. I joined the club for my own protection. I bided my time. I watched Lawrence’s movements, and the first opportunity I got, I killed him,” he admits, narrowing his eyes and looking furious.
“Then you can leave all this in the past; remember your family the way they’d want to be remembered. Vike, after all we’ve been through, we deserve this happiness. Take your own advice, let yourself be happy.”
“Four innocent people died because of me.” He doesn’t look convinced. “You think I deserve all this?”
“Yes, I thinkwedeserve it. Do you think your family would want you to suffer? Please, Vike, please don’t take all this back; not when we’ve come so far.”
“You think I wanna take it back?” He looks puzzled. “Alicia, I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to. Which is why I feel so damn guilty for it. I’m here, I’m yours…always.” He kisses me softly.
“Then come back to bed.” I stand up and smile. “Let’s not let our pasts define our futures, not when we have so much to look forward to.” Vike nods his head as he stands up and slides his hand into mine again. I lead him into our bedroom, and we both stand over our little girl’s Moses basket, watching her sleep so soundly.
“I think I have a name for her.” I smile as Vike wraps his arm around my waist. “Would you mind if I called her Mia?” I look up at him and see more tears in her eyes.
“I think she would have liked that.” He kisses my cheek.
Wrath stares into open space, holding Peyton and Eden’s hands as they both sob on either side of him. Hundreds of Dirty Soul brothers have gathered from far and wide to stand around Logan Ashford's grave and say their final goodbyes.
“You good, old man?” I ask Vex as we all leave him to rest and slowly start making our way across the cemetery, toward the rows and rows of bikes we arrived here on. It’s been a while since he’s taken the saddle, but there was no way he was gonna let his son take his last ride without him.
“It should have been me, Vike. I’ve lived. I’ve learned all my lessons.” He shakes his head, and Alicia smiles sadly, stroking baby Mia’s back as she listens.
“You still got some years to live, and Raze will kick your ass if you don’t live ’em to the full,” I remind him.
“I shoulda been better. I should have been there for him, and for her.” He looks across to his daughter, who’s clutching Wrath's arm, not wanting to walk away and leave her brother in the ground.
“I don’t even know how to comfort my own daughter,” Vex admits.
“Well, you can start by going over and putting your arm around her. You can tell her she’s gonna be okay, and that you're here for hernow,” Alicia suggests, reminding me that itwasn’t so long ago that she was the sister, crying at her brother's graveside.
“How's anything ever gonna be okay without him here?” Vex rasps, before heading back to where we came from, so he can take Alicia’s advice.
“You good? This can’t be easy for you.” I take my girl's hand and kiss it. “Yeah, today's been hard on everyone, but having her here makes things a whole lot easier. When we buried Saul, I was convinced I’d never be happy again. Now look at what I got.”
I walk Alicia to her car, lifting Mia outta the carrier she’s wearing so I can strap her back in her car seat.
“Peyton, Eden, and Anita are riding back with me. We’ll meet you back at the club.” She smiles, kissing me before she gets behind the wheel. “You go on ahead. I want to give Peyton and Eden all the time they need.”
“I don’t think any of us are going anywhere yet, sweetheart.” I look over to the grave where Wrath is still crouched down, that same dead look in his eyes that's been there since he found Raze’s body. “We ain’t gonna be leavin’ without our leader.”
You can barely move at the club when we eventually make it back to the clubhouse. The yard is rammed; the clubhouse is packed full, and when I see Jessie and Squealer from our Colorado charter at the bar, I head over to catch up.
“Vike, how ya been?” Jessie asks, slapping his palm into mine.
“Been better, but been a whole lot worse.” I glance over to where Alicia is sitting, nursing Mia. These past few weeks have been, without doubt, the best of my life.
“We heard somethin’ about you hookin’ up with Saul's sister. I think you boys out here in Cali are rewriting Jimmer’s rules. First Wrath, then Ruckus, now you… Whose sister’s gonna be next?”
