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"Hey, kiddo." I get her attention, and she lifts her head and looks at me. Her nose is red, and her cheeks are flushed. "Everything is going to be okay." She nods, then buries her face against my ribcage again.
"Is he dead?" Bellamy asks, her voice muffled.
"Yes." I keep my reply simple but think about her mom. She deserves to know and rip that Band-Aid off now. "Bellamy, look at me." I wait for her to lift her face. "Your mom is…" Fuck, it's hard for me to say.
Bellamy's lip wobbles. "Is she dead?"
"Yeah, kiddo." I kiss the top of her head. "I'm sorry."
Bellamy cries harder, clutching at me. Regardless of their past, she loved her mom. I lift my sister in my arms and look at Ember. "Let's go home."
It's been several hours since Ember, Bellamy, and I arrived at the clubhouse. The rest of the members are finally back after taking care of the aftermath between us and my uncle's club. Nikolai and a few of his father's men, who watched the families while the club took care of business, left a few minutes ago. Charley made it through surgery and is in intensive care, where he will likely stay for several days before being moved to a regular room to finish the recovery process. He lost a fuck ton of blood and sustained a couple of broken ribs, a concussion, and liver damage from one of the stab wounds. The knife in his chest barely missed his heart. If the blade had been longer, Charley wouldn't be here. He's lucky to be alive.
For now, the clubhouse is quiet.
With Bellamy finally asleep, Ember and I head to her room. "She's devastated." Ember falls to the bed. "I wish I could make the pain go away." She removes her shoes.
I can still smell the whiskey stench on my uncle's breath, so I kick off my boots and shed my clothes.
"We'll see her through it, babe." I stroll across the room and grab my woman by the hand, pulling her off the bed and leading her to the bathroom. I reach behind the shower curtain, turn on the water, and then face her. She moves to remove her shirt, but I stop her. "Let me do it."
Ember gives me a soft smile. "I should be taking care of you."
I lift the shirt over her head. "I need this, babe." I move to her jeans and push the denim down her hips and thighs, removing her panties. Ember steps out of her clothes, kicking the garments to the side. She steps into the shower, and I join her. Together we stand beneath the water, soaking in the heat. I take her favorite lavender-scented shampoo from the shelf, squeeze some into the palm of my hand and massage it through her hair into a thick lather. Ember closes her eyes, letting out a soft moan. My cock responds to her naked body and the sounds she makes. I ignore the aching need to fill her pussy full of my cock. This isn't about sex. I'm taking care of my woman. Once the soap is rinsed from her hair, I repeat the process with conditioner before applying body wash to a loofah and washing every inch of her body. Doing the same for me, Ember washes my hair and lathers my body. We take care of each other.
Once the water runs cold, I dry her off and brush her hair before tending to myself, then get her settled into bed.
I slide in behind her, pulling her body against mine, and melt into the warmth of our bodies. I've got a real chance at happiness without constantly looking over my shoulder now, and I'm not about to waste it. I want a life with Ember, and that starts with us building a solid foundation to stand on. It's a new day and a fresh start.
I nuzzle my face in the crook of her neck. "You ready for this? You and me?"
"I've been ready for two damn years."
"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here." I close my eyes and sink into the peace I only get from holding her.
"You'll make up for it." I hear the smile in her tone.
I shift, roll Ember to her back, and hover over her. I pause before kissing her. "Damn right, I will."
EPILOGUE
"Will you sit down already? You're making me dizzy." I close the laptop and set it on the sofa beside me. I've been trying to work on my next book project, but no matter what room I retreat to, Blake finds me. And all he does is pace and look at his watch every five minutes. I'd find him adorable for being brotherly over his sister's first day of school if I weren't so annoyed.
Standing, I walk over to Blake and wrap my arms around his waist. "She'll be here any minute. She's riding home with Remi and her friends, and they probably stopped by to see Grace at the bakery for a snack. You have got to chill a little."
"I'm being chill," Blake grunts.
"Mmhmm," I tease, rolling my eyes.
"It's a big day for her," he says, his tone full of worry.
My expression softens. "I know it is."
Bellamy told us she hated school because kids bullied her and called her nasty names just because of who she was associated with. Blake and I assured her things would be different here in Polson. Even Remi explained to her that none of the kids would mess with anyone linked to the club. Since Bellamy and Remi have become close, she introduced Bellamy to her small circle of friends over the summer. By the time the first day of school rolled around, Blake's sister was excited to attend school for the first time.
Reaching up on my tiptoes, I press my lips to his. "You're an amazing big brother, you know that?"
"Thanks, baby."
