“Sounds good to us,” they say together.
“A new era is beginning and from now on, we’re not gonna be caught out again. No brothers will fall and our families will be safe.”
They all agree and pound their fists on the table once again.
“Take a couple of days to rest and get your heads together, I then expect you back stronger than ever.”
I slam the gavel down and brothers flee from the room before I can change my mind.
“So I have a new grandson?” Dad says as he hangs back with me.
“Yeah, it’s what Holly wanted.”
“What about what you wanted?”
“She was right, he’s Shane’s boy. I couldn’t see him in the system and still sleep at night. This way we can always tell him who his father was.”
“As long as you don’t make it a habit to take on a fallen brother’s offspring, Christmas is fuckin’ expensive enough with the grandkids I already have.”
I laugh and embrace the dull ache in my side.
We head into the bar and JJ is draining a bottle of beer. “I would have thought you’d have gone straight to Harper,” Dad says.
“She’s with Alannah while I’m here.”
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s sleeping a lot, another few days and her meds should kick back in.”
Slapping him on the back, I head out and leave them at the bar. After having nearly not survived, I have a new appreciation for my surroundings. I’m going to build an empire unmatched to any other before it. My dad passed down a legacy to me and Luca. I’m going to grow it and pass it down to my sons.
Epilogue 1
Cas
A Year Later
The smell of barbecue hangs in the air, and I kick back in the lawn chair and sip my cold beer as the prospect cooks up a storm at the grill. The old ladies flit around with homemade this and homemade that. I’m content to watch my old lady do her thing, still rocking her short summer dresses. The kids run around and their laughter reminds me why shit has to be locked down tight.
“Can I try some beer, Grandpa?”
Grinning at Gunner, I shake my head. “When you’re as tall as your dad, you can.”
JJ glances over and then resumes his conversation with Leo.
“Grandpa?”
“Yeah?”
“When can I get my own bike?”
Rising from the chair, I say, “Come with me.”
We walk over to the garages, and I pull the dust sheet off my latest project. The light reflects off the bodywork like a candle to a mirror and Gunner’s face lights up.
“Is this for me?”
I nod and sweep my hand over it. “You wanna try it out?”
