Page 25 of Sex & Cigarettes

“Yeah. I’m nervous but excited. It’s time for a change and for Axel and I to start a new chapter.”

She nods then surprises me when she comes in for a big hug.

“Oh. Okay.” I welcome her embrace.

“Take care of him.”

“I will. You do the same with little man and Abel.”

“I will. We’ll keep in touch though. I need someone to spam with baby pictures.”

I laugh. “You better.”

“Promise.”

“Hey. Can I get in on this love fest?” Goldie slings an arm around each of us as she steps in between us.

Her father has a house in California. He’s following us out along with Goldie. The man needs to get away after losing Teagan. I didn’t know her, but she sounded like one cool chick.

I stare up at the balloons we let off moments ago in her honor and hope wherever she is that she found peace. That she’s watching over us all.

Lord knows I’m going to need it.

“You ready to go?” Axel separates me from the girls.

I stroke his newly shaved jaw, loving his darker hair. We colored his too.

His Uncle Striker arranged new identities for us both. I know it’s crazy to go off not knowing if I’ll have a week, a month, a year, or a whole lifetime with him, but it’s a risk worth taking.

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

“C’mon then.”

I follow him to the parking lot in front of the clubhouse. Trucker opens the gate. Abel and Ainsley are not far off. Smith is now in her arms. Axel hands me my helmet. I strap it on then climb on, wrapping my arms around him.

I look back one more time before we pass through the gate and hope whatever is waiting for us that we’ll have what Abel and Ainsley have when we get there.

Epilogue

Abel

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” I snuff my cigarette out in the grass as Ainsley hands Smith his Easter basket.

“What?” She looks up right in time to see the pink goddamn nightmare hopping our way. “Is that who I think it is?” She squints, shielding her eyes from the sun.

“Sure as fuck is. Fucking Grim.”

“Gwim,” Smith repeats and points while jumping up and down.

For some unknown reason my son has bonded with the scary fuck.

Ainsley laughs. “He’s not that bad.”

“You only say that because you only see him for family gatherings,” I remind her. At my mother’s insistence we make the trip to Drag Creek for Christmas and Easter. “I had to grow up being terrified what he’d do to me if I stepped out of line.”

“Stop it. You act like he’s some type of boogeyman.”

“That’d actually be Boogeyman himself.” He’s a member of my cousin Sarah’s husband’s club, Devils Rejects MC. That’s the club Uno patched over from when he became my VP.

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