“We have Kevin. We have our weapons. We have lots of uninterrupted travel and sex.”
“Hey!” I protest. “We have that too!”
Never mind that Immy tried to barge into our room this morning while Elias was balls deep.
I’ve never been hornier in my life. My obstetrician said increased libido is normal for pregnancy.
We also travel plenty. Last year, Elias and I made it to LA for a WWE taping and a trip to Disneyland. And just a few months ago, we went to Disney World. Immy was in heaven the entire time, and I can’t wait to bring her back when she’s older.
My parents were also more than happy to watch Imogen for two weeks while Elias and I traveled to all the places he promised he’d take me.
I flip off my best friend, and she sticks out her tongue at me.
Elias kisses the top of my head as he stands to check on the burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Del joins him, beer in hand as they talk animatedly. It’s probably about wrestling, or baseball, or something stupid like if they would win in a fight against a bear.
Elias is in full-on dad mode, and my heart squeezes at the sight. He’s wearing an apron that says, ‘Hi Hungry, I’m Dad,’ and he was so fucking proud of that purchase. He’s also retired some of his all-black mob outfits in exchange for brighter shirts. I nearly choked on my juice the other morning when he walked out in a Hawaiian shirt and blue shorts.
He’s still in charge of the Five Boroughs Alliance, but he’s stepped back some to spend more time with his family. His uncle, Martin, and head of security, Jax, are taking charge, only looping in Elias when necessary.
He’s more of a CEO now.
My event planning business was a near-overnight success, and I know it’s all because of Elias and his connections. I’ve had to expand three times now, adding dozens of employees each time just to keep up with demand. Of course, now I’m on maternity leave, so I’ve left other people in charge for the next year—which is how long I plan to be out of commission.
As for Noah and Del, they run a successful business that appears legal on paper—a travel agency—but it’s just a cover for their murder-for-hire company. They still take on jobs, mostly pro-bono ones, but they’ve also scaled back on that life.
We’re getting a little bit of both worlds.
That normal life and the one that brought us all together.
Noah picks up her book and sighs as she flips it open.
I’m so glad to see her happy.
She deserves this peace and the man who helped her get to this point.
“Deadly Obsession?” I ask, noticing the title and the half-naked couple embracing on the cover.
Noah peeks over the top of the book and wags her eyebrows.
“It’s so good. This woman walks into a nightclub owned by a mafia boss. She’s in trouble, running from an abusive ex, so she asks this dangerous man for help. He becomes obsessed with her, killing everyone who’s hurt her in her life. But then she becomes a target to his rival so they get married that way he can protect her.”
“Sounds familiar,” I snort.
“There’s a ton of sex too. Like, chapter one he’s fucking her.”
“Sold. Can I read it after you?”
“What’s mine is yours, sister.”
I still get giddy when Noah calls me that. Neither of us had siblings, so I never imagined I’d have someone who I can call sister, even if it’s only through marriage. Noah has always been my best friend. From the moment we met, I knew she’d be someone special in my life.
“Food’s done,” Elias announces. He’s already preparing mine and Imogen’s plates.
Noah helps me out of the chair, and we all head over to the picnic table.
We pile food on our plates. Noah and Del brought pasta salad and brownies that they baked together.
I call Imogen over, and Elias sets her on the bench next to me. She’s perched on her knees as she picks up the hotdog to eat, smearing ketchup and mustard on her face.