Epilogue

SMOKE

One month later

Everything is going as planned.

The renovations on the clubhouse are underway. It doesn’t look like the internal renovations will take much longer, and then we can start the build on the exterior. Especially since we have been doing some recruiting, and one of the men happens to be our contractor. He is letting the guys help him with renovations, so we don’t have too many strangers in our home.

Kevin is a good man. He already rides and enjoys hard work. We discussed it, and he asked if he could join us. I put it to a vote, and the guys agreed. Kevin would prospect. He would bring his legitimate construction business with him so we would have a secondary business.

We have a few other guys prospecting too, but I’m not as sure about them as I am Kevin. Still, it’s nice that I get to make those decisions.

I really thought Ghost kicking me out was the end of the world. When I left Boston, I was so angry with him. I was still stuck in the past. No matter where we stopped, I don’t think I was truly thinking about the future. I was still mourning the loss of the life I thought I wanted. A life that I would have given anything for at one point or another.

Now, I can’t imagine going back. Even if something happened to Ghost tomorrow and they begged me to come back, I wouldn’t. My life is here now. Pensacola has quickly become our home, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here, I have mild weather. We don’t get snow, but we still get the cooler weather in the winter. Sure, the summer is hot as hell, but I don’t mind a little heat. I love the feel of the sun burning my skin while my woman holds me tight.

The people here have been very accepting too. The shop opened two weeks ago. We aren’t taking on a lot yet, but as soon as the people heard, they started coming. It seems people here prefer to support small businesses, and they were looking for a change.

It helps that we have already done a charity run for one of the local charities. We were even featured on the popular country radio station in town. Everything is looking up for us.

I still can’t help but feel a small part of me is stuck in Boston, though. As if I have unfinished business. I know it has to do with Ghost, but I can’t bring myself to call him. To tell him about all of this. He still thinks we are on the road.

I need to talk to him though.

“What are you doing hiding in here, handsome? They are almost ready for us.”

I spin, my eyes locking onto Kelly’s. She looks like a fucking wet dream. She hasn’t changed a bit, and I love it.

You would expect her to become all biker badass with leather and black like Sandy in Grease, but not my girl. She is wearing the softest, most feminine pink sundress with spaghetti straps. She looks like she belongs in church, not in the middle of a biker clubhouse, but she’s here because she is mine. All mine.

“Just lost in my thoughts. I’ll be out in a minute,” I tell her as I pull the black shirt over my head.

She sighs, moving to grab my cut and hold it out for me to put on. I slip it on before turning to her, her hips in my hands.

“Thank you, dollface,” I tell her before kissing her.

She looks up at me. “It’s time.”

“I know. I’m ready. Let’s go,” I tell her, taking her hand, but she steps back from me.

“No, it’s time for you to call him. No more excuses. We are settled. Now you close the door on your past so we can focus on the future.”

This is why I love the woman. She knows me better than I know myself sometimes. It’s like she can just tell when something is wrong with me and she knows what to do to fix it.

Knowing she is right, I pull out my phone.

“Give me a few minutes.”

She nods, heading out of the room.

As soon as the door is shut, I hover over his name. Then I click it before I say fuck it and never call him again.

“Ghost,” he answers the phone.

“Hey, brother,” I say.

“I didn’t think I’d hear from you again. Everything good?” His tone is rough as usual, but he’s not being a total dick.

I take it as a win.

“All good. Settled in Pensacola. Got a nice place here. We have to recoup some costs, but then we will send a cut back home to cover the startup costs you fronted,” I tell him.

“Take your time. I hear it’s nice down there. You got connections?” he asks.

“Already set up and ready to roll.”

“Good. Sounds like a nice place,” Ghost says.

It’s his own way of saying he is happy with where I chose. It shouldn’t make me feel any sort of way, but it does. It’s pretty much the equivalent of him telling me he’s proud of me. I didn’t think I needed that from him, but I was wrong.

“Yeah. It is. I got an old lady. You’d like her,” I tell him.

“Oh? She didn’t run screaming from your mean mug?” he jokes.

“Nope. She prefers it. I’ll bring her up for a visit sometime.”

He chuckles. “I’d like that. Gotta figure out what’s wrong in her head to choose you.”

“Hey now.” I laugh until it dies down, and neither of us say anything else.

After a moment of silence, I ask, “We good?”

It’s my way of saying sorry without saying it. Father always said that we don’t apologize. We own our decisions and move on.

I expect him to say no, but he surprises me.

“We were always good, Smoke. You take care down there.”

The phone clicks off then.

I look down at the phone. “Love you too, Ghost. Thank you.”

We will never say the words to one another, but we both know we feel them. No matter what, we will always be family.

For life.

Kelly

Leaving Jax in our room, I make my way out to the main clubhouse area.

It’s starting to look really nice. Kevin is doing an amazing job with it. I think he is going the extra mile because he is now a prospect and he wants to impress Jax. Lord knows the contractors in this area don’t have a great reputation.

In fact, I did a lot of research before I even let Jax hire anyone. I didn’t want him to get scammed. It seems it worked out, though.

Kevin is now standing with Gunner with his own cut on his back, labeling him as a prospect.

Pretty soon you will be wearing one too.

The thought sends a thrill through my body.

Most girls dream of being a bride and changing their last name.

I dream of being Smoke’s old lady.

It’s a title I wear proudly.

That’s what this whole party is for. To announce me to the world as his, even though everyone already knows. Even the club girls they have chosen have been warned off.

No one is to touch what is mine.

And Jax is all mine.

It’s a crazy notion. I never thought that I would be here. I have an amazing job. Mr. Raming kept his word and got me a spot at one of his other agencies. The people there are much nicer and way more helpful. At first, I thought they were scared because of Jax and his reputation that he is quickly getting, but nope. They seem genuine.

Then there’s this place. I love it here. So much so that I gave up my apartment, and I’m now living here full time with Jax. He was sure to get us that king-size bed he promised. Let’s just say it’s been seeing a lot of action lately.

“Kel, come here,” Gunner calls, shaking me from my thoughts.

I practically skip over to him and Kevin.

“Prospect here thinks we can knock down this wall and put the addition here. He said that he thinks we could expand back too and make the kitchen bigger. What do you think?” Gunner asks,

“It depends on how many people we are feeding. Do we really need that much room?”

Mac steps up next to us. “Well, right now, no, but we will when we expand. I mean, the goal is to become as big as the mother chapter. We will keep adding people. Some will have families and end up in their own houses, but until then, we need a place to put them all.”

Bear grunts from nearby. “Better soundproof those walls.”

Everyone laughs, including myself. I have been subjected to the way Bear likes to fuck. Let’s just say even two rooms weren’t enough to drown out the sounds of him nailing some chick against the wall.

“We should make you a little house in the back of the property, Bear. That’s the only way someone wouldn’t be able to hear you,” Jax calls as he comes up behind me, wrapping me in his arms.

“That may be true, Prez.” Bear laughs before taking a swig of his drink.

“Everyone outside already?” Jax asks.

“Yep. Let’s get this party started.” Gunner pats Kevin on the shoulder.

He nods and heads out to the gates.

I guess that’s one of the jobs for a newbie. You don’t get to party because you are running security.

“Wait, before we go out there, I wanted a minute alone with you five.”

“What’s up, dollface?” Jax asks, frowning.

“You having second thoughts?” Bear teases.

I roll my eyes and smile. “No, I actually have something I want to give you.”

I walk over to the kitchen drawer that I stashed my gifts in earlier. I block the drawer with my body and grab what I need. I turn around, and all five men are eyeing me with different levels of intrigue.

“So I don’t know if these are right and feel free to not use them, but I tried to match the font you used before,” I say as I hand them out.

Jax sucks in a breath when I hand him his, and he sees what I had made.

“You had patches made for us?” Gunner asks.

“I did. I thought it was time to shed the Boston patch and tell the world you belong to Pensacola.”

“This is great, Kel. Thanks,” Tank says.

The others murmur in agreement, but Jax keeps quiet.

I turn toward him and bite the inside of my lip. “What do you think?”

He shakes his head, making my heart drop. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. Thank you for this.”

I feel my shoulders drop as I relax. He likes it. Thank God. “You’re welcome.”

“Come on, boys and girl, it’s time to get this show on the road,” Mac says.

As we step out into the backyard, I smile at how beautiful it is. Kevin did a good job designing it. It’s got a large block patio with green grass surrounding it. We plan to add a pool at a later date, but for now we have a few kiddie pools set up to cool the guys down if they need. I think I even heard them talking about wrestling in one.

Jax whistles, getting everyone’s attention. There’s not that many people here. Jax only brought four men with him, but he’s since added five prospects. They are spread out among the party doing various jobs like running drinks and cooking food.

Then there are the three club girls that were chosen. They had to be vetted by me as well. Jax promised he would never let someone disrespect me the way that one girl did once.

I don’t really care that much, but it’s important to him.

“This is a celebration for the Saint’s Outlaws MC Pensacola Chapter. Today, we get to bring my old lady into the mix.”

Gunner steps forward, handing him the cut. My eyes are already tearing up. This feels monumental. It’s the most important day for me.

“Dollface, you are now the prez’s old lady. With that comes responsibility that doesn’t come with being a regular old lady. Do you promise to treat this club and these brothers as family? Will you step forward and help hold them together when I am unable?” Jax asks.

I prepared for this. He told me what to say.

“Yes, Smoke. I will.”

“Then wear my patch with honor, and I will always be loyal to you.”

He holds the cut up, letting me slide it on. Then he kisses me so long I can’t breathe.

When he pulls back, he turns me around so everyone can see his name on my back.

Everyone cheers.

This is the first of many. I can feel it. One day, this club will be full of members. They will all have old ladies and children running around. Right now, it feels more like a club of brothers, but one day, it will be a whole family. We will have celebrations galore. We will all help one another through the good and the bad.

We will be what I have always wanted.

We will be a family that will never leave.

I was always told that the blood running through my veins didn’t dictate who was my family. My grandmother always said that I needed to get out there and make friends. She wanted me to have lasting connections because she knew that one day I wouldn’t have her anymore.

She left me much sooner than either of us wanted, but I hope her soul rests easy now. I found that family she always told me was out there. I found the people willing to do anything for one another and better yet, for me.

I will hold onto it with all my will and might.

“Are you ready to mingle with our brothers?” Jax asks me.

I smile up at him. “Let’s go celebrate with our family.”

The End.

Thank you for reading Smoke’s Rise.