Page 51 of A Man of Prestige

They tell me what they found out, and how they ended up coming to try to rescue me. By the end of the tales, and a nurse visit, we’re all caught up with the entire story.

Vivienne sits down. “I…don’t think I should print anything. I mean, fuck, who the hell would even believe all of this. It’s insane!”

Conner laughs. “The craziest things usually are.”

“What now?” Alexis asks as she looks around at all of us.

“Now, we do good. Only good.”

“Only good?” Ella asks with a raised eyebrow.

“OK, mostly good,” I correct myself.

“Let’s start with you getting out of here. The rest, we’ll figure out later,” she says as she leans down and kisses me.

I don’t know where we go from here. Hell, I don’t know what the world holds for us. But I do know that even Chuck didn’t realize who he had brought together. He never knew the pact we made to each other that night, and he certainly didn’t know what we were capable of. And that tells me just how powerful we are.

We don’t need power, wealth, or prestige. All we need is each other.

Epilogue – Aiden and Ella

Aiden

I pat my pocket. My mother’s ring is in there. I’m doing what I should have done so many years ago. Some men claim they are nervous when they propose. I’m not nervous at all. I’m focused on what I’m about to do. I want everything to be perfect for her.

I look at the garden, taking in my surroundings.

It’s been six months since my world was completely flipped upside down. Six months of having Ella back in my life and God have I needed her. After the pomp and circumstance of burying our fathers, Conner, Sebastian, and I disappeared for a few weeks with our women. Conner rented a yacht in the Bahamas and took us around deserted islands. We laughed, drank, and forgot about the world back home. It was needed. We wanted to be gone when Vivienne’s article was published. But we were tracked down in Nassau by our brother Kevin LaCosta. He’d come to chat with us as an FBI agent.

We found a small bar off the beaten path and sat at a table on a deck overlooking the water. He asked questions. We answered questions. And when we finished, he knew most of the story.

He had looked at us in awe, asking how we were able to keep this to ourselves while figuring out all the missing pieces.

I remember looking at Conner and Sebastian knowingly. “Because that’s what brothers do,” I answered.

Kevin is a good guy, don’t get me wrong, but that level of trust is not something he could understand, not now, and not ever. I admit, I still struggle with trust issues, but the five other people sitting at that table had been through hell and back with me, and I know to this day, any of them would have my back if I asked.

He had explained to us that the FBI was investigating Jared, Adam, Vance, and Damien based on Vivienne’s article. She had sent Kevin all the files that she had used to piece together the connections between the criminals. Kevin, seeing that these were TOD members and brothers, decided that a visit to discuss things in person was warranted. After some consideration, we agreed.

He had left, stating that it was likely these four men would be taken into custody in the coming days. He had offered us protection, even asked if we wanted to join the witness protection program, but we declined. Do those four men have friends? Yes. Could they come after us? Yes. But we have friends, too. And we sure as fuck won’t let the enemy win. It took us a long time to get over Chuck’s betrayal. When Kevin visited, it was still a sore subject. Hell, it might always be one. But we had left that day, knowing we wanted to get as far away from it all as possible, at least for a little while, and we did.

Now, we’re back. Sebastian is wrapping up his Senate campaign. After helping Sebastian amend and improve the transportation bill, Conner’s lobbying firm has become the hottest ticket in town. And me, I did something crazy. I talked to the men that oversee my program and others to consider a new program. They agreed after months of discussions. And now, I run a medical trial program aimed at cutting-edge treatments for children with cancer. It’s a way to honor both my mom’s and Sebastian’s sister’s legacies. And I was able to put in a good word for Ella to take over my previous position.

Are we still the Kingmakers of Kensington as Vivienne had once dubbed us in an article? Yes. But this time, we’ve made our own kingdom, and we’ve earned our rule over it.

It took some negotiating, but Ella moved into my home last month. She spent the tail end of the summer planting a garden. We took some of Angela’s ashes and buried them there. We’ve talked about starting a family for weeks now. And I feel it’s time to take the first step.

It’s a beautiful sunset tonight. I couldn’t have picked a better ambiance for what I’m about to do. This week, Ella was away for a conference, and I added a small patio with lights hanging overhead and wisteria climbing up the columns of a pergola. I told her to go look at a surprise I have for her in the garden.

I look out the back windows and watch as she takes it all in. I smile as she reaches out to touch the petals of roses that I’ve had planted along the edge of the patio. She’s perfect, and she’s all mine.

Ella

I’m tired from traveling, but when Aiden’s eyes lit up on my arrival home and he told me he had a surprise, I suddenly felt very much awake. He has that effect on me. I can be having my worst day, but as long as he’s there, it’s alright.

I drop my things and walk down to the garden. I smile as I see the pergola, new plants, and a patio. We’d been talking about this for weeks. I know he’s busy, so the fact that he made this happen makes me smile.

I feel the soft rose petals as I watch the sun begin to sink in the distance. The sky blazes with reds, pinks, and purples. It’s beautiful.

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