EPILOGUE

Seventeen years later

– DEANNA –

“Do we need anything else?” I ask Bran and suck on the straw to get some delicious iced coffee we just bought into my mouth.

Slurping makes me turn my head to face my twin.

“Dude, you inhaled that sucker.” I chuckle and shake my head. “Why aren’t you suffering from a brain freeze right now? Oh, wait, it’s why you didn’t answer my question, eh?”

Bran smirks. “My brain functions just fine, thank you very much. No, I just needed the caffeine and refreshment because it’s been a crazy day and it’s still early.”

I check my watch. “It’s ten in the morning, what didn’t you tell me?”

A sigh rips from her. “Heath and Hayden asked me not to tell you ’cause they were handling it and would have told you when we get to the clubhouse.”

“Would have?” I grit.

Bran shrugs. “Hey, I’m telling you anyway, but it’s hard being in the middle. Both presidents’ old ladies, both our old men the president, you being my twin and all.”

“There’s four of us, a little hard to get in the middle when there’s two on each side. Come on, spill. What do the three of you know that I don’t?”

Bran dumps her cup into a recycle bin. “There was a naked chick spray painting words all over the clubhouse.”

“Again?” I screech and instantly wince at the harsh sound of my own voice. “For fuck’s sake,” I grumble. “What the hell is wrong with chicks these days?”

“I got the meat,” Luna cheerfully quips as she steps out of the butcher shop, holding up three bags. “Did you guys get the vegan stuff and veggies?”

“I’m not putting any vegan shit–” Luna turns to glare at her father, Casey, who instantly swallows the rest of his sentence.

Casey’s a former Federal Agent who gave it all up when he needed to rescue the woman he claimed as his old lady many years ago. He’s from the AF MC Ohio chapter. Calix, one of the older generation of our MC, who used to be a detective, took over as the president decades ago.

They still come to regular meetings and parties and since we’re the one hosting it this time, they came early to help. Casey has the same looks as Heath and Hayden. I’ve been told by Blue that Casey had even joked about needing to test for DNA, which lead to a massive fight and a fall-out for two years.

A bad joke clearly can do a lot of damage, especially among these bikers. All of them are overprotective alpha men who don’t share. Blue was pregnant even before Casey came into the picture, but like I said, it’s the overprotective alpha shit.

“What’s going on over there?” Luna questions.

We all follow her line of sight to see two teenagers, a boy and a girl, standing in front of Moxie, Lyla’s daughter. The girl is shoving a finger in Moxie’s face as if they’re having an argument.

“Oh, shit,” Bran mutters. “I think that’s the naked spray paint chick from this morning.”

“You got to be kidding me,” I grumble. “What the fuck is she doing in front of the tattoo shop getting into it with Moxie?”

“Here comes trouble,” Bran snaps. “We need to intervene before they fuck shit up. Let me rephrase, before they knock out that boy who I’m fairly sure is the naked girl’s brother because he picked her up this morning.”

I shift my gaze to see what trouble Bran is referring to and see our kids coming down the street. Shit. Bran’s right.

I look both ways before crossing the street and catch a hint of the conversation. “This is all your fault, Moxie.”

“How is you lusting after them and throwing yourself at them at every turn my damn fault?” Moxie calmly asks. “We’re not even friends, we don’t even share classes. I only see you at school from time to time, that’s it. Hell, I don’t even know your damn name.”

“You know my brother’s name. I heard you had a crush on him so you can have him, and I’ll take one of your brothers. Actually, I want all four.”

Moxie releases a sigh and I’m now close enough to snap, “Moxie doesn’t have a brother, and there’s no fucking logic in swapping pussies and dicks. Have some fucking respect for yourself.” I stare down at the girl. “And stop spray painting shit all over the damn clubhouse. No one likes attention seeking bitches, especially not when it involves naked tits swinging. We have cameras, you know. We’re going to turn in the footage to the police this time.”

The boy next to her snorts. “Those bikers are dealing drugs and guns, there’s no way you’ll willingly turn in footage to the police.”

“Stereotyping? Really?” I grumble.

“What’s going on, Ma?” I hear one of my boys rumble from behind me.

The girl I’m still staring down bats her eyes and practically melts into the sidewalk. “Hey, you.”

Moxie sighs. “I can’t deal with this idiocy. The chicks they attract are brainless, and I swear if they do have any brain function? Those brain cells instantly pop whenever they’re near.” She turns to me and Bran. “Why did you two have to have twins?” Jerking her thumb over her shoulder she adds, “Those fuckers look like quadruplets and have the female population of this town running on hormones. I’m out of here.”

Bran snorts and I feel the corner of my mouth twitch. Yeah, our twins share the same gene pool and my boys might be four months younger, but at this age they all look exactly the same. They train together, go to the same school, and all of them started prospecting for the club about three weeks ago.

“You four, come with me,” Casey snaps. “Luna, hand them the bags. These prospects can carry the groceries to the clubhouse.”

“Sure, gramps,” one of Bran’s boys grumbles under his breath.

“Wanna say that to my face, boy?” Casey snarls and takes a step closer.

All four take a step back in unison.

“They even move as one,” the weirdo chick gushes.

Casey glares at the young girl and snaps his fingers. “Now, prospects.”

Our four boys rush over to take the bags from me, Bran, and Luna, and follow Casey to his truck.

“We’re gonna swing by Blue’s house to get some of her ice cream. Luna is coming with us, okay?” I tell Casey who waves a hand in the air.

The girl and her brother are still standing on the sidewalk when we stroll past them.

“Things will only get worse when they get older,” Luna remarks.

I throw a glance her way. “Things getting weird at the Ohio chapter with the third generation up and blooming?”

“Seems like every generation is up and blooming.” Luna winces. “I walked into the house without knocking and stumbled onto my parents having sex on the couch. On. The. Freaking. Couch. I don’t think I’ll ever sit down on it again. Ugh. Come to think about it…I won’t ever trust a couch in any house ever again.”

Bran and I share a look. Couches and sex, yeah…don’t have to remind us. We both burst out laughing. Luna gives us a funny look and we continue the rest of our shopping trip with a smile on our face.

Loud music is playing once we get to the clubhouse. Rows and rows of bikes are parked left and right. Not only is the Ohio chapter visiting, but also a lot of the members of Broken Deeds will join us tonight.

“Here.” Blue holds out a large bag for me to take.

We carry the rest of the stuff we picked up before we went to Blue’s house and have to weave through the thick crowd of people to get to the kitchen.

“Grams, lemme help,” one of my boys states and takes the bag from Blue.

Blue huffs and grumbles in my direction, “Why do they keep insisting to call me Grams? I’m not that freaking old. Is it so hard to call me Blue?”

“Oh, you’re old, bitch,” Lynn quips from behind the stove. “Your hair is gray as fuck, there’s no way you can iron out those wrinkles, and if you want anything to be hard? I can lend you some of the blue pills I slip into Deeds’s drink whenever he needs a hard time.”

“Ma!” Archer snaps. “For fuck’s sake, stop already. Not just with talking. Motherfucker. Blue pills. Does Dad even know? Either of you could pop out a hip.”

He shakes his head while Lynn points a spoon in her son’s direction. “Yes, he knows, and enjoys the extra lube I throw in ’cause slippin’ and a slidin’ at our age gets more fun with a little help. Everyone needs something to pop in and out every now and then, boy. Preferably not a hip.”

Archer shudders and practically runs out of the kitchen. Blue and Lynn laugh and bump hips.

“Ouch,” Blue grumbles and rubs her hip while Lynn does the same.

“Better pop some ibuprofen instead of a blue pill,” I remark and earn a glare from both of them.

I walk over and give Blue a kiss on her cheek, stepping toward Lynn next to do the same and tell her, “Don’t ever change.”

She gives me a smirk. “Didn’t then, don’t now, won’t ever. Even my headstone will–”

“Why the fuck are you talking about your headstone? We’re not dying, not any time soon.” Deeds walks in, Zack right behind him.

Both men head straight for their old lady. And even if they’re old and gray? Their love shines bright and youthful in their eyes as if they fall in love with every look they share. This is what life is all about; finding the one person who becomes an extension of who you are in life. Who supports you and has your back unconditionally.

Hayden and Heath saunter into the kitchen. Hayden’s attention locks on me, allowing a rush of warmth to flow through me. Even after all this time there’s still the same chemistry between us. The same kind of love the older generation has, and what their children have found.

The solid brotherhood, loyalty, family, all these things our lives are graced with, no matter how many hard times we have to endure. In the end it’s the balance which makes life worth living. And when Hayden’s arms circle my waist, pulling me close to let our lips merge? The whole world falls away so there’s only us left to enjoy ourselves.

As it should be…until our hair turns gray…little blue pills and lube thrown into the mix…and yes, even then we’ll keep going. Because we’d still be together, kicking life and enjoying the hell out of it.