“Wonderful, Jinx,” I retorted.
Wade hissed at Darcy and headed for the new one.
“Rocky!” he exclaimed.
“That’s a girl, little dude,” Jinx said.
Wade’s face screwed up. “Rocky!”
“Fine, it’s your puppy, call her Rocky,” Jinx agreed and sat down.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Nervous as hell. The gallery is going to ring me later,” I replied.
I was agitated, as I’d sent some pictures to my old gallery. I’d started work again. My memories had never recovered; the past was gone, and I accepted it.
The memories I made now mattered, and between Rain, Shotgun and me, we made sure there was lots of recorded evidence. The one thing that pained me the most was losing my baby memories of the kids.
But that was karma because Rain and Shotgun didn’t have them either. Neither of them said it, but it put us at even steven. It was sad because I’d lost so much, but I’d also gained much more. When I logged onto my old laptop, which Sunny had hacked into for me, I found some photos. Something had been slightly off with them, and I played until I was satisfied.
Shotgun and I had done a lot of research into my previous jobs, and Rain had contacted the gallery to see if they’d still be interested in me. It was strange, but as soon as I picked up a camera, I knew what to do. It was like breathing; it came naturally to me. I’d booked a few assignments and had received rave reviews.
Because of the twins, I didn’t want to take on long-term jobs. Now I’d only agree to four weeks once every four months. That meant I was away from home for three months a year. It would be easier if Shotgun accompanied me with the twins once or twice a year, as Rain was locked into his role and working hard.
“Can’t believe you bought fuckin’ puppies, isn’t there enough chaos around here?” Rain demanded as I gazed out over the lake.
“In another seven months, there’ll be even more,” I stated calmly.
Shotgun’s head snapped round so quickly, I was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. Rain gaped and then stared at my stomach.
“Not twins again!” he begged as Jinx began laughing.
“No, just one bean this time,” I replied, and Rain sagged onto a chair, relieved.
“Congrats, Daddies!” I grinned as Darcy shrieked, Wade bellowed, and two puppies howled.
What a life this was, and nobody could offer anything better. Shotgun grinned and got up to sit beside me as his hand rubbed my belly. I didn’t remember Wade and Darcy’s pregnancies, obviously, so this was a whole new experience for the three of us. And I looked forward to sharing it with the men I loved.
Epilogue.
Jinx - Four months before Allegra’s pregnancy announcement.
“Jinx!” Chance bellowed as I headed towards the row of bikes to wash them. That was part of a prospect’s duties. I’d been back on full duties for a week and had escaped Allegra’s nursing two weeks ago. Six weeks at Shotgun’s house was chaos, and I was happy about the peace and quiet of the clubhouse. Which was a conundrum, because it was never freaking quiet there.
“Prez?”
“Get your ass here,” Chance snapped, and I sighed and headed over. My feet still hurt, so I wasn’t rushing. Luckily, none of the brothers expected me to run anywhere. If they did, they were out of luck.
“What’s up?”
“Giving you a head-up. Tonight, you’re being sworn in as a brother. Think yourself lucky, we don’t usually warn you fuckers,” Chance said, and I froze.
“But I’ve not finished prospecting,” I stammered for lack of anything else to say. No, Hellfire couldn’t swear me in. Theyweren’t aware of my past, and if I was a brother when Chance found out… that was my death warrant signed and sealed.
“Kid, it’s rare Hellfire comes across someone like you. When we do, we know to hold on tightly. Somehow, I’m not getting that you think this is an honour,” Chance frowned, and darkness began to descend.
“No. It is. I want this. But I want it fairly, Prez. I need to finish prospecting.”
