Page 157 of The Price of Forever

“We will never not be in your debt,” Cora said, squeezing my arms. “You and Seven saved this family. Our family.”

“And I’d do it again,” I said, looking around at the shining, incredulous, tear-stained faces. I met Axel’s then Damian’s eyes. “If that’s the price I have to pay to make sure I keep my brothers in my life forever, well, I gladly paid it. I’ve lost you too many times. I didn’t plan on losing you again.”

“You’ll never lose us,” Damian promised.

“And I hope you keep us forever, too,” Mercedes added, rubbing my back.

Damian pulled me into his arms, and everyone crowded around us again. At this rate, we’d never make it out of the courthouse. Stuck forever outside room 38, embracing until our bones turned to dust.

I laughed to myself amid the bliss, relishing the warm embrace of family.

It’s what I’d been missing since entering the foster system. What I’d been craving throughout childhood, after Kaylee’s death, and all through my listless, wandering young adulthood. A family surrounding me. A true love at my side.

After everything we’d been through, it seemed like this would be the end of the story. But for me, it felt like the beginning of a brand new life.

The one I’d been too scared to hope for.

EPILOGUE

ABOUT A YEAR LATER

JORDAN

“Are we ready for the performances?” I had to speak so loud over the din of voices in Seven’s apartment that I was nearly shouting. A few heads turned. I’d never seen so many people in Seven’s apartment before, but we’d never thrown a Christmas party like this before, either.

Not just a Christmas party. This was a pole dance exhibition, employee banquet, and family get-together all in one. But Axel had insisted we go all out, so that meant a professional holiday decorator had come in the day before to spruce the place up with fancy wreaths, enormous ornament displays, and so much gorgeous, sparkling garland that every corner of the apartment could have become an Instagram backdrop.

My brothers were in attendance with their beautiful counterparts, as well as Willow, Legs, Legs’ wife Harietta, Harry, Chico, Liam, Trojan, Jessa’s friend Kendra, and Roxie. Mercedes’ ex-sister-in-law, Maddie, was in town with her daughter Grace, visiting New York City for the first time for the holidays. Zero was here with Axel and Cora. He’d been on-and-off tailing Ranger, who seemed to enjoy the brief chases that ensued.

I’d been training Jessa, Cora, and Mercedes on the pole for almost a year, and my brothers finally joined the lessons about six months ago. Tonight, they would showcase their talents and have some fun. Even Seven was going to do the routine I taught him.

They were my first students, but hopefully not the last. Not if everything went according to plan over the next year. I was currently collaborating with my brothers to bring something new to the seventh floor of their charity building—a pole dance studio and classroom. Teaching Cora, Jessa, and Mercedes showed me how much I loved teaching. And how much I loved showing women the power of their own bodies, the inherent strength they held between their legs and in their femininity. It gave me a shiver every time I thought of their journeys and all the journeys that were yet to be discovered.

Eventually, everyone stopped chattering and looked my way. I smiled brightly at the familiar faces. “Who wants to go first?”

When nobody raised their hands, I pointed at Seven. “Thank you for volunteering, honeycake.”

Laughter rippled through the room. I sent him a shit-eating grin. “You ready?”

Seven sent me a smirky-smile and put his beer down. “I entered this world equipped. Make me set the tone, why don’t you?”

A year later, and still finding creative ways to say born ready. “I’m not gonna go easy on you just because you’re sleeping with the instructor,” I called out. More laughter, but Axel and Damian groaned.

“Can we not do the sex jokes?” Axel asked me in a withering tone.

“You’re only going to get more of them since you said that,” Damian warned him.

I cackled. “You are so right.”

Roxie operated the Bluetooth speaker set up near the pole. Electronic music sprang to life. With a sexy look back over his shoulder at me, Seven tore off his shirt, and then ripped off his performance-ready sweat pants like Magic Mike.

“Oh God, he even gave her bedroom eyes,” Axel muttered.

Clad in just his performance undies, as we called them, he grabbed the pole and began his routine.

“Look at how he works that pole,” I said, internally counting the beats as he went through the routine. Everyone started cheering as he scaled the pole. “Almost as good as I work his.”

Trace snort-laughed. Damian fought a grin, while Axel just sent me a glare.

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