Epilogue

A Few Days Later

"Your brother just walked in," Ward says, sliding his hand out of the bottom of my dress before conveniently flipping the material down to cover my bare ass. "I guess we're lucky he didn't saunter in three minutes later."

"If you have a key, I want it back," I call over my shoulder.

"I come bearing gifts," Ranger says.

"We're all good on Girl Scout cookies." Grady snorts.

"Smart-ass." Ranger rolls his aqua-blue eyes and moves to sit on the cushion next to Ward and me. "That is going to take some getting used to. I purposely avoided the urge to check your age when Merrick was handling this." He shakes out a tri-folded piece of paper and offers it to me.

"We're bonded," I remind him, taking the paper. "You could check, and even if you didn't like what you saw, you still couldn't do a thing about it."

My lips push together when I get a good look at the raised golden stamp in the corner.

"Our updated marriage certificate?" I gasp. "Thank you."

"Of course." Ranger smiles. "I believe Cassian wanted to speak to me about something?"

My head twists to look at Cas. At some point, he folded up the newspaper he was reading and dropped it on his lap.

"Did my father sell us out?" he asks with apprehension lining his tone. I know it's been bothering him, but things have been chaotic since we made it back to Virginia.

"Why would you think he did?" Ranger asks.

"Because of something Lucien said before he died." Cas leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "But that doesn't sound like the man I know."

"No," Ranger agrees. "It does not."

"Then, how did Ezrah know where to find us in Kentucky?" Ward asks.

Ranger sighs. "This is going to be a rather boring recollection of events, but if you insist?—"

"I do," Cas growls.

"Did you not wonder why I turned to you in the first place?" Ranger asks. "Any number of individuals in Vegas could have been called upon to house Sparrow for a few days. However, I chose you. Not just because you owed me a marker, but because of who your father is."

My head tilts as I try to follow Ranger's train of thought. "That's why you pushed the fake marriage. You needed to give Cas's father something he could use to prove his displeasure to the Andrettis."

"Indeed." Ranger nods. "They were desperate for allies, and I gave them one. Canton Forbes reached out to Lucien to express his hatred for me and my methods, along with his contempt that his oldest son was tied up in our war. He offered to provide insider information if Ezrah and Lucien spared Cassian's and Ward's lives."

"Why go that route at all?" Ward growls.

"It gave Lucien a false sense of security by not only convincing him that he had someone inside my inner circle, but also that those closest to me would defect if given the chance." Ranger shrugs. "It also gave me the opportunity to see if I could separate the two of them."

"You barely gave us any warning that Ezrah was heading to Kentucky," Grady growls.

"See, that was an unfortunate series of events that centers around Lyra." Ranger stretches back against the couch cushion. "The Andrettis assumed she had more information than she did. Ezrah hired a contract team to track and retrieve her. He was on his way to meet them?—"

"But they never had Lyra. They grabbed her sister instead," Ward points out.

"Correct," Ranger says. "But we intercepted chatter that Ezrah was moving to meet the team to collect who they thought was Lyra. I dispatched a team to try to collect her before that could happen, but they were too far out. As a result, I needed to distract Ezrah. Canton made a quick call to notify the middle Andretti that he had a location, and the rest is history."

"You could have given us a little more notice," Cas growls.

"I attempted to," Ranger says blandly. "Unfortunately, Kane didn't answer his phone. At that point, I made several calls to determine who was the closest to your location while Merrick continued to try Kane. I was trying to find you some backup, but when Merrick spotted Ezrah's team already in town, it became an emergency. Meanwhile, the original team sent for Laken tried to retrieve her, but they were unable to gain an access point, and she ended up in Lucien's possession."

"If we hadn't bonded with your sister, would you have tried to kill us?" Kane asks, coming to take a seat in one of the chairs.

"Kill you?" Ranger laughs.

It's an ominous sound that makes goose bumps break out on my skin.

I twist, glaring at my brother.

"I regularly daydream about killing Tanner, but I'm at a loss. Why would I kill you?" Ranger asks, looking genuinely puzzled. "Don't take this the wrong way, Sparrow. I care about you as much as I'm capable of, but you're a pain in the ass." He shoves himself off the couch, shaking his head. "Kill you? God, no. All I've ever wanted was to know that she's safe. I can't express how much of a relief it is to know that she's no longer my problem." He makes it to the edge of the living room and turns back to face us, but he focuses on me. "It's their job to keep you alive now. And, truly, I think that will be a good thing for our budding relationship. I no longer have to attempt to control you. They will follow you around and keep you safe." He gives a weird bow. "Good luck, gentlemen. Now, if you'll excuse me. I've finally evicted Kate, but my house is covered in an obscene amount of dog hair, and I have an adorable little omega to attempt to coax out of her shell." He stops by the door. "Tanner received a delivery of his belongings yesterday. Has anyone had any success at finding him alternate living arrangements?"

Grady snorts.

Ranger is probably going to be pretty pissed when he realizes I told Tanner he could stay with my brother for as long as he likes.

Ranger's eyes narrow. "Fine. I'll ask him myself. His presence is grating on my nerves when I only just got my home back. That's not a good sign for his long-term survival." He nods, agreeing with himself, and spins around, aiming for the door. I barely hear him say, "Next on the eviction list is those giant mutts and all the hair that goes with them."

"I have to give it to Beefcake," I say with a laugh. "He's braver than I thought he was."

"Or dumber," Kane adds with a laugh.

"Does anyone else feel like Ranger purposely shoved us at you, hoping we would bond?" Grady scratches his thick beard. "Because I'm starting to feel like that was his plan from the jump."

"I wouldn't be shocked," Kane says.

I laugh, shaking my head.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least, either, but I am thrown off by the fact that I've never, not even once in my life, seen Ranger show interest in anyone.

I can't help but wonder if she likes him, too, and that's why she's been so catty toward me.

Not that she doesn't have other viable reasons, but omegas are notoriously possessive of their alphas. Although, I'm bonded, and also…he's my brother.

"Are you doing okay down there?" Ward asks, his words running together as his accent rolls through them.

I pat his chest, giving him a smile. "I really am." My gaze moves to Cassian. "Do you feel better about the whole situation with your dad now?"

He nods. "I believe I do."

"Good." I snuggle closer to Ward's chest. "Mmm, you smell so good." I stare up into his eyes. "You know I love you. Right, Ward?"

"Me too, lass," he growls, sliding his hand up and under my dress. "Me fucking too."

"Hmm," Cas growls, climbing into the massive shower. "I woke up and you were gone." He prowls closer, with his brown curls falling over his forehead. "For the record, I didn't much enjoy it."

I laugh, running my soapy hands over my tits. "I was straight-up soaked in cum from all four of you. It was imperative I clean off before I started smelling like a teenage boy's laundry basket."

His hands land on my hips, and he bends to bury his face in my throat. "My laundry basket certainly never smelled this good." He turns us into the water to rinse away all the soap.

I laugh and move my hand down to jerk his half-hard cock.

"You know you can invite me to check for creepy crawlies at any time." He chuckles. "I live for any excuse to feel your slick, tight little body against mine." His warm breath fans over my neck as he nips at my earlobe. "Goddamn, you're a wet dream."

I smile but squeak as he lifts me and wraps me around his front. My back hits the cool tile of the wall. I squeeze his shaft harder as it grows in my grip.

"I heard your declarations of love earlier with Ward," Cas growls, biting my neck and flicking his tongue over the indents.

I tease his crown through my pussy lips, and when it reaches my hole, I shimmy my hips to force him inside me. "Is that right?"

"Yes, and I'm jealous as fuck." Cas's forearm lands above my head as he cages me in, thrusting so deep that I curl toward him to try to lessen the ache.

He yanks my hands up, pinning them above my head with his arm resting against the tile. The fingers of his other hand creep up my chest and wrap around my throat.

It makes my feet clench, digging into his muscular ass. His forearm flexes as he squeezes with more pressure. That, combined with the way his cock stretches me to capacity, makes me moan.

I work my back against the wall and use it as leverage to bounce even harder on his throbbing cock.

"Annika," he growls, staring straight into my eyes.

"Yeah, Cas?" I ask, nibbling my lower lip.

He ruts deep but doesn't slam his knot inside. He does thoughtfully work his pelvis against my clit. "Anything you want to say to me?"

It's nearly impossible to keep myself from grinning. "Harder! Please!"

"Wrong answer," he growls, slamming his lips to mine as he tightens his hold on my throat. He fucks me against the tile while devouring my mouth. Just as my core starts to tighten around his thickening length, he pulls back. It removes the blissful pressure from my clit, and a needy, embarrassing moan slips out. He pecks a final kiss on my lips, slapping his hips into mine. "Do you want to try again?"

I growl.

Okay, so it's a pathetic attempt at a growl, but it still makes him chuckle.

"I love you," I admit, staring into his dark eyes. "Now, make me come, or you'll see the unglamorous side of having an omega."

Cas snarls, thrusting so deeply that his knot pushes inside my opening. "Aww, fuck. I'm so fucking done for. I love you too, beautiful." He leans close, rolling his pelvis against my clit.

My core convulses, milking his shaft as his knot swells to lock us together.

Cas continues bucking up into me as my nipples and clit pulse. It's barely a few more ragged thrusts, and he empties inside me. "We're going to need to discuss having that IUD removed." He smiles, nipping at my lips as he comes down from his orgasm. "I'd really like to negotiate you popping out a couple of babies for us."

I laugh as he finally releases my hands.

"I watched a video online," Grady says, climbing into the shower. "I'm fairly sure, if the three of you hold her down, I could pop that sucker out in no time."

Cas snorts. "I'm legitimately surprised no one has stabbed you yet."

"Hey, I'm not a complete monster." Grady prowls closer, working his pierced cock. "Unlike modern medicine, I'm fully aware there are nerve endings in the cervix. I'd get you the good drugs before the procedure."

My mouth waters as a little bead of pre-cum forms on the head of his cock. "I love you both."

"You really shouldn't encourage him." Cas nuzzles his nose to mine.

I give him a quick kiss. "Even my last gynecologist didn't offer me meds when they placed it. It hurt like a bitch. I might send Grady to med school."

Grady laughs. "Holy fuck. I would kill to deliver our baby. It also might help with methods of dismembering a corpse. It would be convenient to know which joints give way easier."

I laugh while Cas huffs like an old man.

"Pack life sure is interesting," he mutters.

"That, it is," I agree.