Page 84 of Demo

After she walked away from his grave today, she would never think of Richard again. Demo was her future and she planned on making it a good one with him.

Sara—nowScissors—and Will—now Jigsaw—were officially patched in at the end of January. At their party, Scissors had proposed to Sissy. Down on one knee in front of everyone, she’d waited for Sissy’s answer.

Of course, she’d said yes.

Sissy had officially joined the rank of ol’ ladies, with her father’s blessing, and ditched her club kid denim cut for one that saidProperty of Scissors. She and Paige, who wore herProperty of Democut just as proudly, had come up with the idea of Paige utilizing some of the empty rooms in the clubhouse as her new clinic.

Paige was now the club’s acupuncturist and massage therapist. Until the town settled down about Paige being a foot fetish model—which Demo still did not understand the big deal of—Paige did not feel comfortable opening another clinic in town. Tessa had gone a step further and asked Steel for a medical clinic as well. Cage had the plans drawn up and would be starting construction soon. Pumpkin and SJ were going to be moving into the trailer next to Frankie while construction took place as Pumpkin did not want the dust and noise around SJ.

Once her house sold, Paige would be moving into the same apartment complex as Jumper, Jasmine, and Pirate. Demo would be remaining at the clubhouse. It wouldn’t be forever and, as much as he wanted to move in together, he understood Paige’s need to keep a small bit of distance between them. Independence was important to her.

Demo was looking forward to the day when Paige wore his ring as well as his cut.

The scare of Clifton’s break-in and then her assault at the clinic had prompted Paige to have a very serious conversation with Demo regarding the boys’ future. Should something happen to Paige, what should happen to the boys?

After assuring her over and over again that he wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her, Demo had told her he would be honored if she entrusted her most precious creations to him. He did, however, understand if she felt they should go to Ronald and Cindy or Harper and Lucky. It wouldn’t change how he felt about them or the hand he planned to have in raising them.

Following her release from the hospital, Paige had a will drawn up naming Demo as the boys’ guardian should anything happen to Paige. Both Demo and Paige also signed paperwork to become the other’s medical and financial Power of Attorney.

Come spring, Demo was breaking ground on the club’s newest housing area. This one would be known as the Square, because it only had four plots. The design would be the same, though, and have a communal backyard between the four houses.

While no other takers had claimed the other three plots, bets were flying. Pumpkin was the top contender with SJ but he seemed adamant about staying in the clubhouse.

Demo wanted Paige to have a hand in everything going into his new house. He wanted her to feel welcome for when she was ready for them to start having sleepovers, as well as eventually move in. Be it in a month or in a year.

Everyone was gearing up for Jasmine and Jumper’s April wedding. It was not a rare sight to see Pirate and Sophia, as Best Man and Maid of Honor, at each other’s throats regarding one detail or another. There were also bets taking place for how long before the two either came to blows or started fucking. Demo was betting on the latter, mainly because he knew Pirate would never actually hit Sophia—no matter how often the club brother looked like he wanted to strangle the sassy minx.

Every day Paige worked her witchy magic on him a little bit more. Just when he didn’t think it was possible to love her any more than he already did, she would do something to prove him wrong.

Following her assault, their sex life had taken an understandable hiatus. She hadn’t feltcleanand it had taken some time before Paige had felt comfortable with the two of them engaging in any sexual activity. It was rare for Demo to see Paige insecure, but old wounds had shown themselves when Paige had asked him if he wanted to take a break from dating her while she got her head on straight.

When he’d asked why, she replied nervously, “So you don’t feel guilty about wanting to seek out other sexual partners.”

Demo nearly busted a lung laughing so hard. “You do recall when I said ‘I love you’ right? That wasn’t contingent on you being willing or able to put out, Paige. I could care less if we ever have sex again. Okay,” he amended, “Idocare, sue me. But there’s no need to rush things. You take care of you and I’ll take care of you.”

“Then who takes care of you?” she asked in return.

“My right hand,” he said while wiggling the digits in front of her face. “Paige, you never have to wonder or worry about me being faithful. You own me, heart, body, and soul. That includes my cock and lips, last I checked. I’m yours, regardless of when you’re ready to have sex again.”

A few weeks later, he’d surprised her with two new tattoos. In true Demo fashion, he’d gotten several lines to Austin Giorgio’sYou Put a Spell on Medown his back. The only change or addition he made to the lyrics was addingPaigewith a comma before the first line. Then he got a tattoo below his bellybutton that readProperty of Paigewith an arrow pointed down at his groin.

Paige laughed so hard that she’d nearly toppled off of her bed.

Standing at the gravesite of Richard Hannigan, Demo felt good about facing their future. He’d found his woman and she’d given him two adorable little boys that he would one day get to call his own.

And it helped that his woman had magic needles that helped him manage his shoulder pain.

Demo even made peace with his dad. It had taken a shouting match over the phone for his father to hop on a plane and finally make it out to Pennsylvania. It would take time for father and son to mend bridges entirely, but his father’s heartfelt apology was a very good start. He was even considering moving to Mount Grove to spend more time with Demo, as well as get to know Paige, Mikey, and Nelly Bean better. The idea of being a grandpa had brought a smile to his father’s face that Demo had never seen before.

Time would tell. Demo was willing to let bygones lie so long as his father did.

Taking her hand, Demo led Paige away from her late husband’s gravesite. Their present was just as important as planning for their future—and Demo knew there was an ice cream bar waiting for them back at the clubhouse.

Paige was his miracle and proof that magic did exist in this dark world. Demo would do anything and everything necessary to ensure her happiness. As he’d told Paige before, there was no rush. They had time. There was no relationship checklist and monitor verifying they completed certain milestones by a certain date. Paige would move in with him and wear his ring whenshewas ready and not a moment before—because Demo wouldn’t let her.

Their future was theirs and theirs alone. Filled with laughter, love, lots of witchy magic, and the promise of dancing naked in the moonlight.

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