Page 24 of Reaper

I swing onto my bike, Sandy's matching mine rumble forrumble."Try to keep up, AgentMitchell."

Her laugh carries on the wind as we peel out of thelot."Not Agent anymore,remember?Justyours."

Just mine. Yeah, I like the sound ofthat.

EPILOGUE

SANDY

One year later...

The clubhouse sparkleswith twinkling lights and bursts with laughter, transformed from its usual gritty hangout into something almost magical.My wedding dress - a simple white slip that shows off my curves - feels perfect under my new cut with its "Old Lady" patch.Some things change, but leather will always be my style.

"Still can't believe you pulled this off," Reaper murmurs in my ear, his arms wrapping around my waist from behind."Getting Handler to be your witness?That's some next-level manipulation, Agent Mitchell."

"Still not an agent," I remind him, leaning back against his chest."Though Handler did say this is the first MC wedding he's attended where the bride wasn't under surveillance."

Reaper's laugh rumbles through me."Pretty sure you're the only fed who ever quit to marry their mark."

"Pretty sure you're the only mark worth quitting for." I turn in his arms, taking in how devastating he looks in his dress shirt and cut.Some men are made for suits, but my man was born to wear leather.

A commotion near the bar draws our attention.Tank's cursing up a storm, dabbing at a massive coffee stain on his white shirt.

"What's got you looking like someone pissed in your whiskey?" Doc calls out, clearly amused by Tank's fury.

"That fucking woman!" Tank throws down the napkin."Ran into her at the coffee shop this morning.Literally ran into her. Eight fucking years of avoiding her, and now she's everywhere."

"The neighbor?" The MC bar hostess, Maria asks, barely hiding her grin."The one who outbid you on that property?"

"Don't even say it." Tank downs his drink."Bad enough she got my land. Now she's opening some fancy auto restoration shop right where my garage should've been."

I catch Reaper's eye, seeing my own amusement reflected there.Ever since Debbie moved in next door to Tank, he's been ranting about her non-stop.The fact that she's gorgeous, successful, and completely immune to his charm only makes it better.

"You know what this means?" I whisper to my new husband.

"That Tank's finally met his match?" Reaper's hands slide lower on my back, completely inappropriate for public."About damn time someone knocked him down a peg."

"Speaking of time..." I rise on tiptoes to brush my lips across his."Think anyone would notice if we snuck out early?"

His eyes darken with promise."Don't care if they do. I've got plans for you, Mrs. Hunter."

The name sends shivers down my spine.A year ago, I thought I'd lost him forever.Thought my lies, even told to protect him, had destroyed any chance of happiness.Now here we are, surrounded by family, both blood and chosen, starting our life together.

"I love you," I whisper against his mouth."No more secrets, no more lies.Just us."

"Just us." He kisses me deeply, not caring who sees."Though I do have one secret left..."

"Oh?"

His grin turns wicked. "Wait till you see what I did to your bike for the honeymoon."

Behind us, Tank's still grumbling about Debbie while Maria and Doc exchange knowinglooks.The clubhouse buzzes with life and laughter, everything I never knew I wanted until Reaper showed me what family reallymeans.

Some people might not understand how a former federal agent could find happiness with an MC RoadCaptain.But watching my husband chat with Handler like they're old friends while Tank sulks about the woman who's clearly already under his skin, I know I made the rightchoice.

Sometimes the biggest risks bring the greatestrewards.Sometimes the hardest roads lead exactly where you're meant tobe.

And sometimes, love is worth burning everything down and building something stronger from theashes.

"Ready to start forever?" Reaper asks, pulling me toward thedoor.

I look around one last time, at our crazy, beautiful family, at the life we've built together, at all the possibilitiesahead.

"With you?" I take his hand, feeling my ring catch thelight."Always."

Behind us, Tank starts another rant about Debbie's "ridiculous" restorationtechniques.But that's a story for anotherday.

Tonight belongs to us. To love. To second chances.

To forever.

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