Epilogue

NYCTO

One Month Later

Things have progressed in this last month.

Eva has settled into a routine. She has found her stride here at the clubhouse and loves her new life.

Ivy does too. She has taken on the job of caring for our crop, as it’s right next to the Cell, where she spends most of her time. She’s scientifically minded and has used her skill set to get our plants growing rapidly. Ivy seems to enjoy being in charge of something that makes her feel useful like she’s part of the club.

Our prospect, Dash, helped Ivy set it up. With how he grew up, he knew all about how the setup should run, so he’s been downstairs helping Ivy get everything in working order. Needless to say, our budding crop is close to blossoming, and so are our new business ventures. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Ivy and Dash’s friendship seems to be growing as well, which reminds me Void isn’t downstairs as much as he used to be. I’d like to know why, but I’m not going to interfere.

I stand back, watching Ivy with her clipboard as she jots down notes. She even requested a lab coat, gloves, and goggles so she doesn’t contaminate the plants. She takes her job seriously, like some kind of nerdy scientist. It suits her.

Dash hands her a cutting, and she examines it under a microscope. “Plant thirteen is doing well, Dash. That extra layer of soil did the trick.”

Dash grins. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

Ivy shoves his shoulder as they keep working.

I, however, roll my eyes. “Good work, you two. Keep it up.”

Ivy nods at me without looking my way as she continues her work. So, I turn and head for the stairs. I don’t need to hang around listening to their crappy banter. As I reach the top of the stairs, the clubhouse is a flurry of excitement. It’s nearly the first weekend in September, and Eva is a little too excited about what Monday will bring.

Eva is rushing around giving orders, wearing tight jeans and a Property of Defiance Tampa President T-shirt. I’ll never get sick of seeing that on her body. She suits the position of club First Lady so fucking well. Maybe a little too well, as she plans for a major Labor Day celebration. Apparently, now that Atomic has forged her and Ivy’s American citizenship papers, she’s taking our American holidays very seriously. According to her, the club must celebrate them with gusto and enthusiasm lest ICE come calling.

I find the way she’s taken to becoming an American incredibly cute. She still celebrates her Cuban heritage every chance she gets, but she loves it here. America gave her a new purpose, a new life. So, she’s taking it in both hands and running with it.

As she fusses about getting everything in order, I walk over to her. Trixie writes something down on a notepad as Eva lists what she wants done. “Only American food on the menu. Hotdogs, wings, potato salad, corn on the cob, I want it all. And beer in those red cups. We need it to be a real festivity, Trix.”

Trixie eyes me. I tilt my head, letting Trixie know what my woman wants, she gets. Trix nods, then walks off with Eva’s orders as I pull her to me. “I’ve created a monster.”

Eva turns in my arms, threading her fingers in my hair as her eyes meet mine. “No. I just want it right. I want to have the perfect holiday celebration for you.”

I press my forehead to hers. “While I like this side of you, chiquita , all I want is to spend the day inside you. Labor Day isn’t that important. Save your energy for the Fourth of July if you want to do something extravagant.”

“But that’s too far away.”

“You want a reason to throw a party?”

“I want to show the guys I appreciate them…” She shrugs. “This is my way. To put on something for them. Celebrate their country and have all the food and festivities to go with it.”

I get it. This is as much for her as it is for me. I caress her cheek. “Have your party. We could invite Miami, make it a real celebration?”

Her face lights up, and she leans in, kissing me. “You won’t regret it. This is going to be the best Labor Day you’ve ever had.”

I chuckle. “Well, you can make it the best Labor Day, and I promise I’ll make it the best night you’ve ever had.”

Her cheeks flush. “You say that a lot. I never think you can top yourself, yet you always manage to.”

I lean in against her and draw her earlobe into my mouth with my teeth. “I promise, baby, I’m only just getting started.”

“Get a room,” Void grumbles, walking past us into the kitchen.

Eva giggles as I pull back and rearrange my cock in my jeans. “Tonight, you and me, we’re finishing this.”

Eva leans in and slides her tongue along my bottom lip, then pulls it between her teeth.

Fuck.

I let out a groan as she turns, her plump ass sashaying as she walks away, making my cock rock-fucking-hard.

“You bet we are,” she calls back over her shoulder.

How the hell did I get so damn lucky?

I head into the kitchen. Void is staring into the refrigerator like some sort of lost soul. That, in itself, is strange—he usually gets one of the club girls to fetch his food. He hasn’t been himself for months, not since I found him in his room with a bottle in hand.

It’s time to check in.

“Void… you wanna tell me what’s so fucking interesting in the fridge?”

He closes it so hard the whole unit rocks, then turns to face me with his arms folded over his chest. “Why the fuck is Dash helping Ivy? I thought he was learning to be a mechanic, not a fucking weed horticulturalist.”

I hold in a laugh. “You done?”

He scowls at me. “Am I done? No, I am not fucking done. I don’t understand why she’s always fucking laughing at his lame attempts at humor. He’s a fucking kid.”

“Mm-hmm… anything else?”

Void throws his hands in the air. “As a matter of fact, yes. Dash is trouble. We gotta kick him out. He doesn’t deserve a patch. I won’t vote yes at the table, so he may as well leave now.”

I shake my head. “You’re done. Dash is due his patch. I get that the table has to be unanimous, but the kid has earned it. He took a fucking bullet in the bar brawl when Spark got himself in trouble. Kid’s got balls. We need brothers like him.”

Void starts to pace. “Don’t care.”

“This isn’t about Dash at all, is it?” I smirk.

He stalls, glaring at me. “The fuck it isn’t—”

“Then what’s your fucking reasoning? All I can see is jealousy.” He scoffs, moving back to his rapid pacing. “You can’t deny the man a patch because he’s spending time with Ivy.”

“I don’t have to stand here listening to this bullshit from you, of all people.” He turns to storm off.

I grab the front of his shirt and force his back against the refrigerator, my eyes meeting his dead-on. “Remember who your president is.” I shove him forcefully, and he exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Void, it’s time to pull your fucking head out of your ass. I get you have issues. Hell, I, of all people, understand that shit. But, brother… if you’re infatuated with Ivy, then you need to stop avoiding her. Spend some damn time with her. You were in a better place when you did.”

His face scrunches. “She’s still a fucking virgin, Nycto. She’s too pure for someone fucked-up like me.”

“Yeah, she is, but she’s also strong, sassy, and so full of fucking fight and fire. She handles anything thrown at her. Fuck, brother, she’s helping us grow weed. The woman lives in an underground bunker with a room full of dying and decaying bodies next to her, knowing and willingly… including Andrés’s rotting corpse, which she bricked behind a wall without batting a damn eyelid. She’s not pure and virtuous… you’re making her that way in your head.”

“What if I’m too late? What if the kid’s made his move?”

“There’s only one way to find out, you fuckin’ idiot.”

Indecision crosses Void’s face, but then I see the look in his eyes change when he heads for the exit. He’s been needing to do this for a long time. No doubt Void and Ivy have a connection. They’ve had one since Eva and I found ours. The problem is that Void is fighting that connection hard. Sure, Ivy is a little more complicated than Eva, but maybe Void is even more troubled than me.

With some careful planning on my behalf, by inserting Dash into the equation, I’ve gotten Void to recognize what he could be missing out on.

I realize Void and Ivy could be great together, but they need to see their potential like the rest of us do.

As he walks past me, I slap him on the shoulder. “Go get your girl, brother.”

“Gonna try. It’s time for me to find out if Ivy is pure or poisonous.”

I guess we’re all about to find out.