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Epilogue
ELENA
“Sariah’s pregnant.”
My mouth pulls into a beaming smile at the news my sister-in-law is expecting her first child with Lucas. He looks a little uncertain as he delivers the news, though I can see the happiness reflecting in his eyes.
I get up immediately from my seat and throw my arms around Sariah, hugging her tight. Her cheeks are tinged pink, but there is pleasure in her face too. Lucas and Sariah will make amazing parents. The more I got to know my brother-in-law, the more I liked him. He is quick-witted, smart, and like both of his brothers, his only focus is on family.
“Congratulations. I'm so pleased for you both.”
Sariah beams. “It's only early days yet, so we have a while to go, but we're both excited.”
As I reclaim my seat, I glance at my husband, who is sitting next to Zeke. We all gathered together in our garden to celebrate Lucas's birthday. I didn't have the first inkling that wasn't all we would be celebrating today. Zeke leans forward to the small table we are sat around and grabs his drink.
“While we are sharing news, we are also expecting.” He grabs Bailey's hand, slipping it into his. The biker Princess smiles, a lot less freaked out than Lucas and Sariah seem. But then, Bailey has done this before.
Lucas looks to me, his eyebrow arched. “We are not pregnant,” I tell him.
Kane and I haven't actively been trying for a baby, but we haven't done anything to protect against it either. I haven't been on birth control for the past six months, allowing nature to take whatever path it chooses. I'm enjoying my time with my husband, but I am also ready to start a family whenever that happens.
Letta leans forward, grabbing a wine glass from the table. She lifts it in toast. “Congratulations all around.”
Two months ago, we helped my sister find an apartment in London city centre. I dread to think what it cost, but my father, surprisingly, is footing the bill for it. I believe Kane had a word with him, though what that conversation involved, he won't tell me. All I know is my sister is happily settled in her own place, driving forward her own life in a way she has never had control before. I don't know if she will trust another man enough to settle down again, but I have made it clear to Hamish that it will be her choice, not his. My sister is damaged, emotionally and mentally, from the trauma Michael Maloney dealt her. I see it sometimes in her eyes, the way she looks distantly off into space before coming back to the conversation as if no time has passed at all.
I take a sip of my drink, as the cool summer breeze washes over my skin. The cropped top I'm wearing shows off the amazing artwork covering my stomach. It took hours upon hours to finish, but the design is so good it looks as if it might leap off my skin. The colours are vibrant, hiding the ugliness of my scars beneath it. I love everything about it, even though there is no uniformity to the pattern that swirls across my abdomen. I love that there isn't. It's free-flowing, and that's how it makes me feel. Alive, free.
Sariah leans forward, her hand slipping into Lucas's. “In other news, I think we might be a little bit closer to finding out who my father is.”
Sariah had admitted to us a few months back that Declan Easton is not her father. According to what she knows, her mother had an affair, which led to her pregnancy with Sariah. She seems to think Declan knows the truth but is withholding. We have all been trying to help her figure it out. Secretly, of course. None of us want this information to get back to Charlotte or Anthony. There is little they can do now, considering Lucas and Sariah are married, but both of them want this to remain a secret, just until they know the truth. Sariah's father could be a worse kind of monster than Declan Easton, so there is a certain amount of caution, particularly from Lucas.
“I spoke to some of my mother's friends who were around at the time I was conceived. They remember my mother being hung up on a man who was married. They didn't think anything could happen between them, that the crush was one-sided, but I'm not so sure. It's an avenue me and Luke are exploring.”
“Whatever you need to help with that,” Kane says, “let me know. I have resources we can utilise—under the radar, of course.”
I smile at Kane's willingness to do anything for his siblings.
“Well, I for one am thrilled at the prospect of becoming an auntie,” Aurelia beams. The youngest Fraser sibling should have been married this summer, but her brothers had put a stop to any wedding. They moved her into her own place in the same building as Lucas in an attempt to keep Charlotte and Anthony's grubby hands away from her. Her parents are still intent on an arranged match, even though Aurelia has made it clear she does not want it.
In truth, I suspect Kane's little sister has already found someone. I see the little smiles she makes, as her thoughts drift into a daydream. It’s the look of someone in love. I'm just not sure who it is she is interested in.
“I'll spoil both babies rotten.” She glances between both of her brothers, who she owes the world to. They saved her from a fate I would not wish upon anyone.
Kane and I worked out, so did Lucas and Sariah, but I know plenty of women who have married into loveless marriages that never become more than that.
Bailey leans forward, taking her sister-in-law's hand in hers. “You will be the best auntie ever.”
Aurelia smiles, but there is an edge to it. “What’s wrong?” Lucas asks her.
“Charlotte has called me a few times this week. She wants me to come home.”
“The fuck you are,” Lucas spits. “She’ll have you in a wedding dress the moment you step over the threshold.”
Aurelia lets out a breath. “She is going to come for me. I know it. She has some hairbrained idea she’s found me a suitable match. I won’t go.” The fight in her eyes doesn’t surprise me. I’ve felt it plenty of times when I was pushed into a corner.
“We won’t let that happen,” Bailey assures her.
“Charlotte is smart. Cunning. If she wants it, she’ll make it happen.”
