Page 17 of Maverick's Code

"I know it will probably be impossible, but... I'd love to join Iron & Blood."

The request catches me off guard, though maybe it shouldn't. She's lost her family, her club, everything she's known. And she's standing here in the aftermath, looking for somewhere to belong.

"That's... complicated," I say carefully, not wanting to crush the hope in her eyes but not wanting to lie either. "Ex-Outlaws don't usually get welcomed with open arms. But after the intel you just gave us, after helping us take down Jake and Marcus... you might have a chance." I tuck another strand of hair behind her ear. "It'll take time, though. For everyone to trust you."

"I understand," she nods. "I don't expect it to happen overnight. I know I'll have to prove myself."

"You've already started," I assure her, thinking of Hellfire's words about her father, about the respect in his voice when he said her intel was solid. "And you've got me in your corner."

A small smile tugs at her lips. "Is that what this was? You in my corner?"

"This," I say, my hand sliding to cup her cheek, "was something I don't regret for a second. You're mine now, Sadie. And I promise you'll never be alone again."

Her eyes widen slightly. "Are you sure? About me? This is all happening so fast."

"I've never been surer of anything," I tell her, surprising myself with how true it feels. "And yeah, it might be crazy to say this so soon, but in our world? Life moves fast. Sometimes you just know."

She rises up on her toes, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that feels like a promise, like the beginning of something neither of us expected but both of us needed.

Epilogue - Sadie

Two years later

"Come on, baby girl, please stop crying for Mama," I plead, bouncing our screaming one-year-old on my hip.

Harper's face is red with frustration, fat tears rolling down her chubby cheeks as she continues to wail at an impressive volume.

Maverick emerges from our bedroom, pulling his Iron & Blood cut over his broad shoulders. Even after two years, the sight of him still makes my heart skip. Especially now, watching him transform into dad-mode as he approaches us.

"What's wrong with our little monster?" he asks, reaching for Harper.

"No idea. She's fed, changed, and had a nap. But she's been screaming for twenty minutes," I sigh, gratefully passing our daughter to her father. "We're going to be so late to the barbecue."

"Watch and learn, princess," Maverick says with a wink.

He holds Harper up above his head, making airplane noises as he swoops her through the air. Her cries immediately turn to squeals of delight, her tiny hands grabbing at the air.

I shake my head, laughing. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're not the fun parent," he teases, bringing Harper down for a kiss on her chubby cheek before continuing the airplane game.

"I'm remembering that next time she needs a diaper change at 3 AM," I retort, grabbing the diaper bag and my keys. "Come on, fun parent. Everyone's waiting."

Barbecue

The Iron & Blood clubhouse is alive with laughter and music when we finally arrive. The parking lot is filled with familiar bikes and the smell of barbecue wafts through the air. Harper, now perfectly content in her father's arms, babbles excitedly at the commotion.

"There they are!" Angel calls out, waving us over to the picnic area.

She's nestled against Ruthless's side, his arm draped possessively around her shoulders. They make a striking couple, both beautiful and dangerous in their own ways.

Hellfire sits at the head of the table, his wife Chloe beside him. Even in casual clothes, with a beer in his hand, he carries himself with the authority of a president. But these days, his smiles come easier, especially when he spots my daughter.

"Bring that little rugrat over here," he demands, arms outstretched for Harper, who practically jumps from Maverick's arms into her honorary grandfather's.

"Sorry we're late," I say, accepting a beer from Butcher as we join the group. "Someone decided to have a meltdown right as we were leaving."

"Sounds like her mother," Wrath teases from where he's flipping burgers, his wife playfully swatting his arm.

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