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He wouldn’t share a laugh over a beer or be by my side during business.
As of this moment, it was as if he’d never existed.
And as I started to turn around, he crumpled to the floor.
No, he wouldn’t be there to share any of the joyous events.
He deserved punishment for what he’d done, the tears my mother and sisters had shed, the fear he’d put into my fiancée.
The rage he’d fed my system.
Yes, he deserved punishment.
But his family would be the ones who suffered most of all.
EPILOGUE
Ten months later…
Phoenix
“I’m not certain if a winery is a classic setting for a christening,” Maxim stated as he swirled the cabernet in his glass.
The fact Maxim actually had a sense of humor continued to amuse me. Every member of the Brotherhood owed it all to his lovely wife Savannah.
“I beg to differ,” Brogan threw in as he stood watching everything Mallory did. He was so in love with the woman I’d been able to gather a whiff of his testosterone. “What’s better than swigging back wine, eating cheese from around the world, and snacking on shrimp and mussels on a gorgeous early summer afternoon?”
“Brogan’s right,” Diego agreed. “Would you prefer to be standing in one of the great banquet rooms in a church?” He remained the only confirmed bachelor of the group, acting as if he had no desire to settle down, but I knew better. When he’d held little Griffin, I’d seen the longing in his eyes. It was only a matter of time before he’d find someone.
However, the woman would need to be a strong girl to handle his wild ways.
“No, this is perfect,” Dante said as he brushed his hand down Carina’s back. As soon as she turned around, I was certain firecrackers had been lit off in the sky.
“Are you boys getting into any trouble?” Carina cooed as she punched Dante playfully.
“Always,” the seven of us answered in unison.
Then we laughed, as if not one of us had a care in the world.
I took a sip of my merlot, scanning the lawn area in search of Whitney. Childbirth had been difficult, enough so I’d thought God was punishing me for what I’d done to my brother. As the sun shimmered through the trees, highlighting the burnished copper in her cinnamon hair, my cock twitched. In her arms was our beautiful boy. As other children raced around the grassy area, laughing as if they didn’t have a care in the world, our little prince was still the center of attention.
The sun rose and set over Griffin.
Just the sight of my mother, beaming on this day of happiness allowed me to smile.
I was a lucky man.
But there wasn’t a member of my family who didn’t feel a constant loss.
“We haven’t heard a word from Daddy,” Constantine chided as he clapped me on the back, dragging my attention away from the ugly past.
“If you disagree with my wife’s choice, I think she might oust you from the alliance.” They hadn’t expected my reply, their laughter continuing.
Yes, this was a good day, one of celebration, even if my heart had yet to heal.
“To wineries. We need to hold all our meetings at the Diamondis winery,” Gabriel suggested as he lifted his glass.
“You’ll need to discuss that with my sister,” I told them as we toasted. Nico’s disappearance had affected Elena the most, her once vibrant personality losing some of its shine.
