His fingers tighten against my skin. “Damn right, you are.”
I close my eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, knowing that for the first time in my life, I’ve found where I belong.
I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
With Trigger.
Epilogue
TRIGGER
I’ve been through hell. I’ve seen men shot in the head, gutted like animals. I’ve buried brothers, fought battles we barely walked away from. I’ve lost count of the bodies, the blood, the shit I’ve done to survive.
None of it prepared me for her.
Aerianna is asleep beside me, her body curled against mine, her breathing soft and even. My arm is slung over her waist, holding her close, like if I let go, she might disappear.
She won’t. Not now.
She walked away from her old life for me. For us. And fuck, if that doesn’t do something to my chest, squeezing it so tight it almost hurts.
I’ve never had this before. Never wanted it. Never thought I deserved it. But she’s here. In my bed. In my life. With my cut, and soon my ink will be on her delicate skin.
I’ll burn the whole fucking world to the ground to keep her.
I press a slow kiss to her shoulder, inhaling the lingering scent of sex and whiskey on her skin. My fingers skim down her bare spine, memorizing every dip and curve.
She murmurs something in her sleep, pressing closer, and I swear to God, I don’t know how the hell I ever lived without this woman.
I close my eyes, letting the moment settle deep in my bones, when Aerianna’s voice cuts through the quiet.
“Do you regret it?” she asks quietly.
I go still.
Does she think I regret this? That I don’t want this?
I grip her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “Listen to me and listen good.” My voice is raw, stripped down to the bones. “You are the best damn thing to ever happen to me. To this club. You’re not just mine, Aerianna. You’re ours. You belong here. With me. With us.”
A single breath shudders out of her, her eyes shining.
We crash together, tangled in sheets and heat, my mouth claiming every inch of her like a man starving. When I finally slide inside her and feel her grip around my shaft, it’s not just fucking. It’s more.
She’s all in, and so am I.
Hours later, Aerianna is curled into my side, her head resting on my chest, her breathing slow and even. My fingers trace absent patterns along her bare back, my mind nowhere near sleep.
For the first time in years, I feel whole.
The knock on my door shatters the moment. I already know who it is before I answer. My muscles tense instantly.
Aerianna stirs beside me, groggy. “What?”
“Stay here.” My voice is low, firm.
I slip out of bed, yanking on my jeans, my body already bracing for whatever bullshit is about to come through that door.
Another knock, harder this time.