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EPILOGUE ONE: WRAITH

FOUR WEEKS LATER

G ingerly, I pull on my jeans and slip my feet into my boots. I still get the occasional pain in my abdomen if I move too fast.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Raven walks into the bedroom dressed in cute denim shorts and one of my T-shirts tied in a knot on one side. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and she’s wearing clear lip gloss, which is my favorite fucking thing.

Her hand still looks like a miniature cable car with pins and pulleys and splints. But all her fingers are healing nicely. And she no longer has to wear a sling or do the circulation tests three times a day to make sure she has blood flow. She hasn’t gone back to work, but I told her she didn’t need to. I make more than enough for us to live comfortably, so she’s debating returning to college to retrain as a nurse.

The hospital released her before they released me, and I made her promise that she and Fen would move into my place until I was home. Ember agreed to move in temporarily to help her with Fen and basic things like washing and dressing. Butcher agreed to put some prospects around the place to keep it secure. And Margie helped, bringing meals so no one had to cook. I think she’s starting to see Raven and Fen as her family too, now. It’s giving her something…hopeful…to focus on, perhaps even bringing her some happiness.

Marco was arrested, all his assets confiscated. After her surgery, Raven told the police that Marco was headed for the cash in the safe, and they laid a trap for him when he arrived. A friend of Butcher’s made sure it hit the major news channels. If the Bratva know he’s in prison and everything he owns was seized, my hope is they’ll stop chasing Raven.

But we’ve taken security precautions in case. And we move into our new home in twelve weeks. A beautiful farmhouse we bought yesterday, with the huge windows Raven loves. There are two small outbuildings in the back, and I promised Fen I’d turn one into a little nature spotting sanctuary for him.

“It’s the Fourth of July picnic, babe. And you, me, and Fen are going, even if I die trying to get us there.”

She smiles and strokes my cheek. “I had a feeling you were going to say that. Which is why Smoke is going to come and get us all. I organized it yesterday when he took us to look at the house.”

My injuries are healing a little faster than hers. I’m a whole heap of internal stitches. She’s got bones that need to re-fuse together. Neither of us is allowed to lift much right now.

And we’re both the luckiest sons of bitches to be alive.

I put my arms around her, being careful of her hand. “I can drive the truck.”

She shakes her head. “My only rule for going is that you let Smoke drive us there. We can sleep at the clubhouse tonight, and then he’ll give us a ride home sometime tomorrow.”

“I’m fine.”

“And the seat belt passes right over your wound site.”

“Which is healed.”

“Allegedly. But what’s the harm?”

I shake my head. “You guys go in the truck. I’ll follow on my bike.”

Raven raises an eyebrow. “That doesn’t feel like a safe option.”

I look out of the bedroom window at the sunshine. “I need to ride, Blue.”

She’s about to tell me all the reasons I shouldn’t, so I cut off her response by kissing her. Her lips are soft and warm, her tongue eager to meet mine.

In the last week, it’s like a dial has switched back on when it comes to our sex life. Post our surgeries, it was about pain management and wound care and zero lust.

But recently, I’ve wanted this woman with a vengeance. I’m consumed with thinking about all the ways I want to fuck her and make love to her.

My hands slip down to her ass, and I squeeze the cheeks I know have bruises on them from last night. Her ass was ripe for biting, so I bit.

And she loved it.

“You’re trying to distract me,” she says.

Her eyes are wide and clear and show no sign of pain. “Is it working?”

She groans. “Somehow it is. I need to learn how to be firmer with you.”

I lead her hand to my cock. “I’m already pretty firm for you.”

Raven bites down on her lip as she rubs my length three times. “As fun as it would be to do something about that right now, Smoke will be here in five minutes.”

“He can wait.”

I run my fingertip along her collarbone, tracing the line where I came on her neck two days ago. Her cheeks heat in memory.

“Axel,” she says softly. And I think that’s my favorite way she says my name.

“I can be quick.”

“Axel, why do months have different days?” Fen shouts from the hallway.

We both look to the door. “That kid asks the best questions,” I say.

Raven uses the distraction to slip out of my arms. “Good luck answering it in a way a five-year-old will understand. This morning, he asked me if my right arm would end up longer than my left one because of the weight of the pins in it.”

I was going to do this later at the club picnic, but I decide now’s the right time. “I have a solution to that length issue by adding a little weight to your other hand.”

“If it involves more suggestions about sex…”

I laugh at that. “No. But it does kind of involve promising to have sex with me for the rest of our lives.” From the drawer next to the bed, I grab the box I picked up with Smoke yesterday and open it.

Raven places her hand over her mouth as she gasps and takes in the large oval diamond solitaire. “Axel.”

“I know your divorce hasn’t quite been finalized. But nearly dying gave me a new perspective on shit. I’m all in with you, Blue. No amount of time is going to change that. I’m only going to love you more and more each day. You’re my old lady. I love you and Fen more than I ever thought I’d be capable of. So, will you marry me? Will you wear this ring and show the world you love me just as much as I love you?”

She blows out a sharp breath. “Yes. Yes, I’ll do all that.” The words come out on a sob.

Raven throws her arms over my shoulders.

“Be careful with your hand.”

“Oh, shut up,” she says. “You just proposed, let me hug you.”

I chuckle as I hold her close. “You want to try the rock on, love?”

“In a second. This feels nice.”

“I meant what I said. Every fucking word.”

Her hand strokes the back of my neck. “Every word was perfect. I feel the same. And yes, now I’ll look at the rock.”

I kiss her neck, then simply breathe her in. “Let me put it on,” I say when I finally release her.

Her left hand shakes as she offers it to me. “Good thing I’m right-handed,” she says.

“We don’t joke about getting injured,” I scold playfully as I slip the ring over her knuckle.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Would it be corny to say it’s not as beautiful as you?”

“Not when you just asked me to marry you,” she says, lifting her lips to mine.

I kiss her, hoping she can feel everything I want her to know in the connection of our bodies, but in case she can’t…

“I’ll give you the best life a man can provide for his family, Raven. I promise.”

She grins up at me. “And I can’t wait to live that life with you either. To build a home and grow our family together.”

I cup the cheeks of her butt and put my lips to her ear. “How soon were you planning on the growing our family part? Because I’m thinking we should start right now.”

“Axel,” she says, the single word filled with laughter. “Maybe, tomorrow.”

I nuzzle the side of her neck. “I’m joking. Not until your hand is properly healed.”

“Spoilsport,” she whispers.

Fen bursts into the room, and Raven drops to her knees to tell him the news and show him the ring I’ve just given her.

The kid cheers as she tilts it left and right in the sunlight, and it throws rainbows up at the ceiling. And the sight of them tells me we just got our happily ever after.