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Cheree's intake of breath is sharp. I can feel the fury and pain coiling within her, but she stays silent, her grip on my hand a lifeline.
"Extradited to Texas," Grim continues, his tone heavy with the finality of the next part, "where he's sittin' pretty on death row."
A dry laugh escapes me, humorless and hollow. Vengeance never did warm the blood like they say. But maybe, just maybe, it could offer some sort of closure to lay upon the graves of the past.
"Warriors of Destruction?" I find myself asking, needing to know the fate of the world we left behind.
"Defiant Men fell apart without their snakehead," he tells us. The satisfaction in his voice is almost palpable. "Descended into chaos, tearing at each other's throats. They're done, JD. We moved in, took over what was left of their territory. It's ours now."
"Ours," I repeat, but that life isn’t mine anymore.
This, sitting here by a fire, with a woman who's seen hell and walked out with her head held high, is where I belong.
Cheree leans into me, her body a warm counterpoint to the cool night air, her silence speaking volumes of trust. Trust in me, in us, in the future we're writing with our own hands, far from the roar of engines and the smell of blood and oil.
"JD, you there?" the gruff voice comes again, tinged with something that sounds a lot like hope. "When are you coming back?"
Cheree's hand finds mine, her grip tight, conveying a storm of emotions without a single word. We lock eyes, and it's like we're speaking our own silent language. I know what she's saying—she's found peace in these woods; in the quiet life we've made. And I am not about to uproot that for anything.
"Never, Grim," my voice is steady. "We're done with that life. We're happy here."
There's a pause on the other end of the line, heavy enough to feel. "I get it," Grim says, and I can hear the loss in his words, like he's mourning the brotherhood we had. "I'm happy for you both."
"Thanks, man." It's all I can muster, because there's a lump in my throat that speaks of roads traveled and those left behind. "Take care of the club."
"Always," he replies, the call ends with a click that echoes the finality of a closing chapter.
I lean forward, letting the warmth from the fire sear away any lingering shadows from my past. The logs pop and hiss, their sparks ascending. I turn to look at Cheree, her face aglow with the life we've chosen, far removed from the chaos of our previous world.
She surprises me every day. For a city girl, she's taken to country life like a bird to the sky. My gaze drifts to the greenhouse outside, a glass sanctuary where her dreams grow along with the plants she tends to with such care. It stands as a testament to change, it is a huge structure I built with my own hands, designed to withstand the harshest winters. Inside, rows upon rows of greenery thrive, a living proof of her resilience and the new roots we're putting down.
"Look at you," I say, pride swelling in my chest, "Queen of your garden empire."
"Only because I have a King who believes in me," she shoots back with a grin that could outshine the moon.
And as the fire burns lower, I think about the truth we live every day: Men might think they rule, but it's a good woman who grounds them, makes them whole. Without Cheree, I'm just nothing. But with her? I'm a damn king and she’s my queen.
Leaning forward, the crackling embers casting a warm glow on Cheree's face, and I press my lips gently to hers.
Pulling back just enough to see her eyes, I let my hand wander to her belly, curving over the life we've created together. There’s a kick against my palm, strong and sure, a tiny heartbeat pulsing with the fierce will of its parents. This child, a symbol of our love, carries the legacy of who we were and the dream of what we're going to be.
"Hey there, little fighter," I whisper, feeling a surge of protectiveness.
Cheree lays her hand over mine, her touch tender. "Can you believe it, JD?" Her voice is awed. "We've got roots now, real deep ones."
"Here's to us. To the life we've built and the adventures waiting just beyond the horizon."
Her laughter rings out, bright, and free, as she snuggles into my embrace. "And to our little one, ready to take on the world with the best dad they could ever have."
