Nina grins. “It’s great to see you leaving this place.”
“Thanks again to both of you for all you did,” Leeva says, then turns to Trinity. “How is Mauler?”
“The worst patient there ever was.” She laughs, then points at the door. “But see for yourself.”
Both Leeva and I frown. But when we exit, my heart stalls.
Mauler is there, propped up against a car since he can’t ride with his broken arm and leg.
And there are bikes everywhere; it looks like every member of the Havoc Guardians is here, even Digits, who rarely leaves his tower to come out for a ride.
“Oh my god, Hayes.” Leeva’s voice shakes. “They’re here to take you.”
I wrap my arm around her tighter, kissing her head. “That isn’t what this is, little dove.”
Tats steps forward, his bald, tattooed head gleaming in the sun. “The club unanimously found you not guilty, Army. It was unanimous,” he repeats.
Unanimous, which means that Razor and Thunder hadn’t voted, and I don’t know how their absence has been explained or what’s been shared with the club.
My eyes track to Ash, and he just shrugs with a small smirk.
The bastard knew but didn’t inform me; instead, he let me worry and stew.
Probably payback for disobeying his direct order that he needed Thunder to stay alive.
“You’re not here to take Hayes away from me?” Leeva scans around, still worried.
Ash steps forward, his lips curled into a full smile. “We’re here to escort you home.”
“It’s an honor ride,” I explain to her. “Protection, respect, and unity.”
This means absolutely everything to me.
“We’re riding together to protect and honor our own.” He smiles down at Leeva. “Welcome home. Once you’re fully recovered and can ride on the back of Army’s bike, we’ll do a celebration ride.” He points to my black truck. “For today, though, your chariot awaits.”
Leeva laughs lightly, then turns to me with tears shining in her eyes. “Is this truly happening?”
“Yeah.” Emotions clog my throat, hardly believing this myself. After all the years of waiting, all thelostyears. The pain and the heartbreak. The acceptance and the forgiveness. “This is really happening.”
She leans into me, tilting her face up to mine. “Take me home, Hayes.”
“You’re mine now forever.”
Her smile outshines the sun before she pulls my head down to seal my vow and claim with a kiss that heals every part of my fractured soul.
Epilogue 1
Army
Harrison—sincehe’sbeenstrippedof his patches, everyone refuses to use his road name—is restrained in a chair in the large room of the Cell.
Every brother who feels the need to come for their pound of flesh for his wrongs against the MC or them has been allowed to carve a small chunk out of him. As part of the psychological warfare and torture, along with the physical, Tats has a bucket of his magic solution that dissolves flesh and bone sitting beside Harrison. Each chunk of his body is dropped into the bucket for him to witness himself disappearing piece by piece.
It’s poetic justice, if you ask me.
I’ve waited for my turn. Mine will be the finale. I promised Leeva this would be painful but quick.
And as much as I originally wanted to keep him alive for as long as his body withstood the torture I wanted to inflict on him, I’m okay with this quick andmercilessdeath. We’ve been at it for twelve hours, and it’s time that I cut this cancer out for both Leeva and myself.
