Page 138 of Blue

Blood continued to trickle from Carl’s mouth. His head dropped as reality began to weigh on him.

“Let’s go,” I said. I didn’t want to spend another moment breathing the same air as him. Fuck him. He deserved everything coming to him.

Cruz pushed away from the desk. Bullet followed next. Rogue stood over Carl, then dropped to a squat in front of him. “I would’ve preferred to take you to the barn. I would have cut your balls off and made you swallow them. I would’ve made you scream in terror. Scream in ways the biggest, meanest guys in prison never could. But I gotta respect my brother. He doesn’t want your blood on his hands. He’s already given up too much of himself to the fucking hell you put him through.”

Carl lifted his head. “I loved him.”

“He hates your fucking guts. I think he’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re dead.” Rogue stood and set my untraceable gun on the desk. “There’s only one way out of the shit you’re in.”

He turned, strode toward the door, and we walked out together. A couple of people peered out of their office doors, but they weren’t watching four guys heading toward the elevator. Instead, they stared down the hall to the closed double doors.

“Thank you,” I said, meaning the simple but profound words for all of them. Cruz for talking me off the roof. Rogue for not just having my back, but also for fighting for Kiss. And Bullet for never giving up on me, even when shit was rough between us.

I didn’t need hellfire and a rain of bullets as recompense for what Carl had done to me. He’d suffer under his own undoing. Wealth and status had protected him, but that shit couldn’t save him now.

I hoped he did pull the trigger. Dead would be easier on the people he’d hurt. As for me, I was fucking done. All I wanted to do was to get back to my girl and back to the Hellers because that was where I belonged. Heller Raiders were the only family I needed.

Bang!

Epilogue

Kiss

Blue stood at the refreshment table and ate cookies with Georgia. Blue had reminded me that sobriety was a fragile thing. What mattered was that Georgia was back on the program, starting over, but recognizing she had to ask for help when she needed it.

Brad was her sponsor. Sponsor being code for boyfriend. At least, I thought that’s where they were headed. He brought her to the meetings on the back of his bike. Tonight, Brad had popped a baby wheelie with her on the back, holding him tight, being a spicy as fuck backpack.

They were figuring it out, both smiling, and both sober. As long as she was clean, his parents were letting her crash in their RV in the driveway of their house.

We all still talked about Janie, almost like she was still here with us. Maybe she was because we were all still together. Talking about her helped keep perspective. Sober friends, sober activities, and being selfish. I wish she could have been a little more selfish. I would’ve liked to have known her better.

I walked up to Blue. Without a pause in conversation, his arm snaked around my waist. God, I loved this man. I loved him hard. But it was the good kind of love, the kind that made you stronger. The kindyou dreamed about and never thought you’d find. The kind you didn’t feel worthy of when you were high and strung out. But sober…the kind fairytales were made of.

“Bruh, there are assholes everywhere,” Blue said to Ryatt.

I smiled at Georgia as Blue, Ryatt, and Brad discussed the pros and cons of planning a trip to Daytona for bike week.

Blue’s palm slid onto my hip, then barely slipped under my shirt until his thumb grazed my flesh. I loved that he had to be touching me all the time. I loved even more that he wanted my hands on him. Some things hadn’t changed. He was still warming his cock in me every night.

And I still wasn’t ready to leave Sully’s place. I needed to know I had a safe place to be, away from the weed and alcohol in the MC. I was always going to be an addict, but I never wanted to use again. But there was nothing wrong with being addicted to Blue’s dick. What could I say? I loved being his Heller whore.

Other parts of our life were even better.

For the first week after Carl Douglas killed himself in his downtown office, the news had reported on every dark secret he’d had. Victims were being identified and some families had filed civil lawsuits against the assets of D&W Group.

Blue wanted nothing to do with Carl or his money. He was being selfish. It wasn’t a bad word when you were in recovery. It was about avoiding triggering people and situations.

“Kiss.” Blue grabbed my attention, squeezed my hip, and spun me around.

Sully winked as he approached. “Hi, peanut.” He pulled me into a hug, kissed my cheek, then sidled me out of the way to get to the cookies.

Georgia laughed and pointed out her favorites.

A moment later, wearing Heller colors and making my insides feel warm and fuzzy, Jazzy and Rogue entered the meeting room. I’d invited them because I wanted them to know I wouldn’t have been able to get—and stay—clean without them.

I didn’t expect the two people with them.

Blue squeezed my hand.

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