Page 6

Epilogue

Four Years Later

I’m not going to lie, stepping away from David’s world and into Isaiah’s was a bit hard at first. It didn’t help that I never had a normal life or a normal childhood. I never had a good idea of what a life outside of all of that was like.

But Isaiah wasn’t joking when he promised we’d tackle it together. It helped that he didn’t expect me to drop everything or to become some office worker or some bullshit. I still did a few jobs for David… I offed people here and there and often did the cruder work that Isaiah wasn’t as fond of.

Because some people just really needed to fucking die.

It took me a bit to learn that I wasn’t doing this for Isaiah; I was doing it to help the people who didn’t have a “David” or “Isaiah” to sweep in and save them. With David’s money, I didn’t need to get paid and could often do whatever the fuck I wanted to save whoever I wanted. But it was nice making my own decisions and knowing that I had Isaiah by my side.

As weeks stretched to months and months stretched to years, the love I felt for Isaiah simply grew until I realized that I had no fucking idea how I survived so long on my own without that rock to support me.

And today, we’re going to stand in front of family and friends and exchange vows to affirm our love and commitment to each other.

“Why are you so damn twitchy?” David asks. “Like how many times can you adjust a bow tie? Look at it. It’s sloppy as fuck now.”

“I don’t know how to fix it,” I realize as I look at the bow that now just looks like a mess of cloth. “It looks perfectly fine. Beautiful. Perfect. I’ve actually never seen anything look any better. Thank you.”

David stares at me as I pace some more.

“You’re going to pace a hole through the floor at this point. I’ve never seen you flustered a day in your life.”

“I’ve never been flustered a day in my life. I’m not flustered. You think this is me flustered? Ha!”

“Do you want me to get Isaiah?”

“Hell no. It’s bad luck for me to see him in his wedding dress.”

“I’m positive he’s not in a wedding dress. And I’m also positive that bad luck nonsense is bullshit,” David says as he grabs my shoulders. Instead of giving me a hug or a pat like a normal person, he shakes me. “You are fine, you hear me?”

“I don’t know if I can even hear anymore after you shouted at me. Maybe if you shouted a little louder, I would hear you just?—”

David puts me in a headlock.

“NO! You’re going to ruin my hair!”

“Your hair? Did you even brush it?”

“Of course I did. I like… fingered it.”

The door swings open and Isaiah looks in. “What are you fingering?”

“Here, you have him,” David says. “I’m not sure how much longer I can deal with this thing.”

“I’m not a thing!” I whine as he zips out the door, leaving me alone with Isaiah. “No! You’re not supposed to see your husband on our wedding day!”

“I’m pretty sure I can see you,” Isaiah says as he walks up and pulls my bow free. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Yeah? Then why did David have you in a headlock when I came in? Were you attempting to make a run for it?”

“Run into your arms, you mean?” I tease.

He’s smiling so warmly at me as his fingers quickly fix the bow. He pulls it tight then leans in and kisses me. “What if I brought Ronald in here for you to bully a bit first? Would that help?”

“Sure would.”

“Do you want to run away and get married at the courthouse?”

“Nah, I’m a brave man, I can do this,” I assure him. “Just promise me that afterwards I’m allowed to brawl someone.”

“That was actually our after-wedding entertainment. I have this big brawl pit set up.”

“Is there whipped cream?”

“The whole pit is full of it.”

“Will you be naked?”

“Might make it a bit awkward for the rest of the wedding guests.”

“It’s my wedding, I don’t care how they feel,” I assure him.

“I kind of do since my parents and family are here.”

“True. We can save it for the honeymoon,” I decide.

“Were you nervous about us?” Isaiah asks as he gives the bow a little tug before his brown eyes drift up to mine.

“No, not us exactly. More that it just all feels surreal. Like… I never imagined I’d be here. I never imagined I would step away from that life and find someone as perfect as you. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to wake up and realize that I’m still just sitting in the corner of some room as the world turns to shit around me. And some days I’m so afraid that I’m going to make a mistake and it’ll all be taken from me.”

“You’re not,” he assures me. “You’re right here with me. You have a questionable father. An even more questionable brother. And a not at all questionable partner.”

“Definitely not questionable,” I say with a grin. “Questionably sexy. Like… it should be illegal for a man to be so sexy. And even more illegal for a man to wear a shirt so tight. I’m actually disappointed your tux wasn’t painted on.”

His lips quirk. “I asked, but the venue wouldn’t allow it. Rather shitty, if you ask me.”

“Fuckers.”

“Right?”

“They must not have realized we were talking about you when you asked. Probably thought you were talking about Ronald or something. Like people would pay to not have to see him naked. I saw him naked once and I cried for at least an hour.”

“You are so mean to him.”

“He likes it,” I inform him.

“Does he?”

“Hmmm. Definitely.”

“We’ll pretend that he enjoyed you busting into tears after seeing him naked,” he says with a chuckle.

That imagery makes me laugh. Honestly, what really happened was I snickered. It was more of a… like awkward snicker since I was a teenager and didn’t know what else to do with myself, and he’d been so pissed that he tried beating me up. When I won that, he was even more pissed.

“You know just how to make me feel better,” I say.

“It’s because I know you quite well and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I’m pretty lucky.”

“You think? I kind of feel like you got the short end of the stick. My clothes are always boringly the right size. My family is sketchy at best. And my dating skills are like ‘We could punch someone for my Friday evening date.’”

“Those are the best dates. And honestly, all around best everything,” he says. “If I had to paint my perfect man, I’d paint you every time.”

“I’ve seen you paint. You definitely wouldn’t paint me.”

Isaiah laughs as he no doubt remembers the stick figure he painted for me the last time we tried a craft. It was beautiful and I hung it on the fridge. Afterwards, David took one look at it and asked who the kid was who painted it while Isaiah died a little inside.

I hope to remember his expression for the rest of my life. He tried his hardest to have the painting destroyed after that, so I had it framed and hung it on the wall with the threat that if he ever touched it, I would cry.

So far… he hasn’t touched it.

He’s such an easy man to sucker.

“Are you ready now?”

“Maybe.”

“Come on. I’m going to hand you off to David, but I’m going to meet you up at the altar. And then I can call you my husband.”

“Sounds delightful,” I say.

David is waiting outside as Isaiah hurries off to find his father.

“Thanks for being the dad I never had,” I say.

“Thanks for being my kid,” he responds. “Still wish you’d come back to the family business, though. I miss having you around every day.”

“I would miss me too if the only one you had to hang around with was Ronald.”

“You two,” David says before shaking his head.

Even with my nerves, the ceremony goes perfectly because once I’m up at the front with Isaiah by my side, all I can see is him. It’s like the whole world stops existing besides the man in front of me. With him, I feel like I could do anything. I could accomplish anything I put my mind to.

And when the officiant goes, “You may now kiss” and Isaiah draws me in, all those fears just wash away. How could I ever be nervous with someone like him? I’ve seen the worst in people. I’ve lived through so much darkness, but it was all worth it to have the brightness Isaiah offers me.

After a few pictures, we’re whisked off to the reception where Isaiah wanders around introducing me to people.

“You two were lovely,” Isaiah’s mother Betty says as she draws us both into a hug.

“Thank you, Mom,” Isaiah replies as she kisses us both. It’s still going to take me a while to get used to her affection.

“I would love to meet your father,” Betty tells me.

“Uhh… sure. David!” I say as I wave him over. Betty, who has no idea her son’s “detective agency” runs so deep, is absolutely oblivious to what David does. She and her husband are just both… cute. It’s really the best way to describe them. They are one hundred percent the kind of people who shower you with cookies every time you come over and stare at babies in adoration in the hope their children will get the hint that they want grandkids to spoil. She crochets little doilies and bestowed a few upon me which I use to set my guns on.

Isaiah said that I should set something like a bowl on them, but I’m pretty sure they look best under my guns. They really highlight the black with their white frilliness.

David comes over and holds out a hand. “I’m David.”

“It’s so nice to finally meet you! I tried getting Isaiah to set up a meeting before the wedding, but he said you were quite busy.”

“I was,” he says. “We had a big shipment going out.”

“Isaiah says you sell utensils? Like silverware?”

David hesitates. “Yep. Definitely spoons we were shipping out. A lot of spoons. You know… round ones, pointy ones.”

I raise an eyebrow at Isaiah as he looks elsewhere. Clearly, he didn’t want to share what David really does, but how did he end up on silverware?

“What is your part in it?” Betty asks, very interested.

David just nods for a bit. “Uh… I… I’m like the general manager. I just make sure things end up where they’re supposed to. Definitely don’t want the wrong spoon to end up in someone’s hands. That could be horrible. Catastrophic, honestly.”

“You’re obviously very knowledgeable about your silverware. I got this set from my great-great-grandma and I would absolutely love to know what kind of metal it is.”

“Oh look! The music! Let’s dance. Everyone should watch us,” Isaiah says as he grabs my hand and hauls me off.

“Are you hoping to shock the questions out of your mom by showing them our sick moves?” I tease.

“I panicked. She wanted to know, and she asks so many questions. ‘Why did David adopt Aiden? Did he go through an adoption agency? Which one? How long did it take for him to adopt Aiden? Was David single when he adopted him?’

“I… told her as much truth as I could but then she was all ‘Is that legal? That sure doesn’t sound legal. I can ask my friend who works for CPS.’ Like why is she so nosy?”

“The only thing you got from her was wearing the same shirt size,” I joke since she’s a petite woman and he’s a man who thinks he can wear petite shirts.

“Funny. Hilarious.”

“Thank you.”

He pulls me in close as he rocks to the music. “Do you think we’ve distracted them enough?”

I look over his shoulder. “Well, your mom is staring at us, but I can see her mouth moving as fast as it can. David is sending me ‘help’ eyes. Oh no… his bodyguard is moving over.”

“No! Don’t let his bodyguard wrestle my mom.”

“I told you we should have just had the brawling pit.”

Isaiah turns me so he can see what’s going on. “Oh fuck. Now my mom is just chatting up the bodyguard.”

“You think she’ll be able to tell he came from the mafia?”

“Should we intervene?”

I rotate him so I can watch. “Your mom is blushing now. She won’t stop smacking his muscular arm. Do you think she’s trying to tell your dad that she wants him to start lifting weights?”

“She is not blushing!” He spins me around so he’s facing them. “Damn, she is patting his arm. Why’s she patting him so much? David just tried slipping away but my father blocked him. The way his hands are moving, I’m positive he’s now asking him about golf.”

“David hates golf.”

“He looks like he’s pretending to enjoy it. Look,” he says as he turns me so I can see David mime lifting something above his head.

“No, I think he’s showing him how he’d beat someone with a club. He did that once. The guy gave him clubs instead of paying him back the money he stole from him. David just like… smacked him around a bit. It was all in good fun.”

“Oh joy. Your father is teaching my father how to be a gangster. He’s a second-grade teacher and I bet the kids would all love to learn that as well.”

I grin at him. As the song ends, our curiosity gets to be too much, so we head over to see what’s happening and why they’re all still huddled together.

“Oh, you’ll never believe it!” Betty says.

“I’m sure I won’t,” Isaiah responds dryly.

“David said he’d just love to join us for our family camp this year. And he’s going to bring his friend here,” Betty enthuses as she pats the bodyguard’s arm some more. “He said he’s never had s’mores before! I’m going to s’more him all up!”

“How fun,” Isaiah says. “I think we’re going to leave you to it and go back to dancing.”

He draws me back.

“Did your parents just tame David and his cranky bodyguard with the idea of s’mores?” I ask.

“Sure looks like it. You imagine a whole weekend of them together?” he asks. “Sounds entertaining and horrifying all at once.”

“I’ll make sure he brings Ronald so if the bears come, they eat him first,” I say.

“Perfect planning.”

“Thank you, my lovely husband.”

“You’re welcome, my lovely husband,” Isaiah says before giving me a kiss.

Two days later at a beachside resort

“What are you doing?” Isaiah asks as he lowers his sunglasses.

“Just looking at that suspicious man over there,” I say as I nod at a man lying back, getting some sun. “He looks like he needs to have his ass kicked.”

“Which part of him makes you think that?”

“It’s intuition,” I explain. “Just like how the moment I met you, I knew we were meant to be.”

“Did you? This is the way I remember it. Some strange guy ended up on the same scene as me and I was like ‘I wonder if he’s a bad guy and I need to shoot him’ and you waltz right up and go ‘Damn, your shirt’s so tight I bet a toddler could wear it.’ Then after we defeated the assholes, I was asked if I wanted to fuck, and when I just stared at you, you got in your car and drove off.”

“I swear it was much more romantic than that. I remember red flowers.”

“Yes, you bashed a vase of roses over a guy’s head. They were red from the blood.”

“And wine.”

“You also cracked a bottle of wine over a different man’s head.”

“Huh… weird.”

“Yeah, definitely weird how we remember vastly different situations.”

“It is,” I say. “That guy is definitely suspicious.”

Isaiah laughs as I notice a woman walking our way.

“Would the newlyweds like something to drink?” she asks.

“I still have my drink, but thank you,” Isaiah responds.

“I’m good too,” I say.

She smiles and heads off.

“We should go skinny-dipping like our first date,” I decide.

“I feel like that would be horribly frowned upon here.”

“That’s no fun. Fine. We have our own private hot tub?”

“I think I could get behind that.”

I get up and hold my hand down to him, which he takes so I can pull him up.

“Everyone’s jealous of my sexy man,” I declare. “They’re gonna be more jealous when they see me bending you over that hot tub with the curtain wide open.”

“Why is the curtain going to be open?”

“To show others what they’re missing out on, obviously.”

Isaiah squeezes my hand. “I don’t think any of them care.”

I grin at him. “Fine, fine. As long as you’re aware how much I love you.”

“I’m more than aware, I promise. I love you too. I love you so much I let your weapon-dealing ‘father’ walk you down the aisle and told my parents he dealt in kitchen utensils because I panicked and was holding a spoon at the time.”

“David’s face when they started asking him about it was priceless,” I say, quite pleased.

“I’m sorry. It was so awkward.”

“It was but I still love you.”

“See? That’s all that matters.”

We laugh as we head into the elevator and up to our room, enjoying just another moment in our lives together. I dealt with a lot of shit before meeting Isaiah, but everything that came after him is what matters most to me.

And I can’t wait to keep exploring what that means.