Page 192 of Dagger

I gave half of it to women’s charities, and I commissioned the old mansion to be rebuilt and repurposed into a women’s refuge. When it was finished, it would offer accommodation to fifty families along with meeting rooms for counseling sessions. It was a huge project, and I had to get planning approval from the new mayor to build it, but with the new mayor of Hambleton being Abe, it wasn’t a problem.

The first six months of the kids living with us were difficult, to say the least.

Jack was angry at the world, and Molly was heartbroken. We decided to get them straight into counseling, and eventually, everything started to get easier.

John was so patient with them, more so than me, but then he’d had a lot of practice with raising kids, whereas I was clueless seeing as my ex-husband took over Junior’s upbringing when he turned eleven and sent him to boarding school. Over time, though, things settled down, especially when we got the kids into school, and life was good.

I loved being a mom and a grandmother.

I had two granddaughters now with the birth of Lola, who lived her life strapped to her daddy’s chest as he went about his work at the clubhouse. Belle was toddling around, and Wilder—well, he was just wild as usual. Kennedy and Breaker had another boy, Kalen. Bowie and Layla’s brood was about to getbigger, seeing as Bowie had knocked her up again. Everybody was healthy and happy.

Just as it should be.

I leaned my cheek against John’s shoulder and sighed contentedly.

John’s hand found mine, and he entwined our fingers together. “You happy?”

Emotion filled my throat because happy wasn’t a word I could use to describe how I felt inside. I’d gotten lost, and then I was found, and there weren’t words in existence to explain how it felt to finally be with the man I’d loved since we were kids with stars in our eyes.

“I’m blessed,” I breathed, watching my family laughing and joking together.

Atlas’s eyes came to us, and he pointed two fingers at his eyes before turning to point them at John. “I’m watchin’ you.”

My mouth curved.

My son-in-law wasn’t happy when we came home and announced we’d gotten hitched. Since then, Atlas constantly told John that one day, he’d see him in the ring.

It hadn’t happened yet.

Atlas’s mouth thinned, his eyes falling on John’s tight, red pants. “I’m tellin’ ya. You need to go get changed. We can see what God gave ya, and it ain’t fuckin’ pretty.”

Sunny stood from the floor where she was playing with Kady, Molly, and the puppy, and popped a hip. “That’s five dollars, please,Atlas.”

The room fell silent.

All color drained from my son-in-law’s face. “Huh?”

Sunny looked at him as if he’d lost the plot. “Oh my God, Atlas. I said that’s five dollars, please.”

“Jesus Christ,” John whispered. “Look at his face.”

My eyes widened when I saw Atlas’s expression, which went from devastated to blank. “Be right back,” he croaked with a catch to his voice before he turned and stomped out.

“Ooops,” Sophie murmured.

Bowie smiled at Sunshine sadly. “My girl’s growin’ up.”

“They all are,” John agreed, gazing around the room. “The Earth travels around the sun, and the years pass. We can’t stop it, and why would we want to?” He shrugged. “I’ve got a cut hangin’ out on that wall that I remember puttin’ on for the first time, years ago. Your grandpa’s cut’s out there, too, along with all the cuts of the men no longer with us. Time moves on, things change, and we evolve. We grow up, we strive to do better, and God calls us home when he feels it’s time. But remember, the stuff we leave behind can help future generations, and I don’t mean the material shit, I mean the love, boys. That’s what’s important. One day, one of these kids will sit in the big chair, and I hope they think back and remember what their Granddaddy John gave them.” His eyes misted over, and he looked at his boys in turn, nodding proudly. “I hope they recognize that we left them a home and somewhere they belong. I hope they carry on the legacy.”

My eyes welled up as John’s words sunk in.

He was right; this club was home to everybody who felt lost, just like I once was. The men in it may not have all been blood, but they were all family. Even Jack and Molly had a good life ahead of them because my husband never cared about where they came from or who they were born to, and I loved him all the more for it.

“I guess there’s not much more to say,” he shrugged, “except, thank you, one and all, for riding this ride with me.” He raised his bottle in the air, grinning huge. “Here’s to the Speed Demons.”

Epilogue

John

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