Extended Epilogue

KACIE

Five Years Later

" M ommy doctor is the best doctor ever!" Kylie, our four-year-old, says with a grin on her face. There are still tear tracks on her cheeks from crying over the grazed knee I'm cleaning up, but the promise of a sticker cheered her right up.

"You're right about that, kiddo," Kellan shouts over from where he's feeding our two-year-old in the kitchen.

Kylie picks out her plaster, a pink one with a cartoon flamingo posing on it, and I pop it onto the graze along with a kiss.

"All better baby," I tell her, hugging her tightly. She nods when she pulls away, immediately running off to start playing with her toys again. I laugh because Kylie's energy is infectious.

Since having her four years ago and our son two years later, Kellan stepped back from the more dangerous aspects of his life. He's still the Don, but he's no longer going out to lead missions or getting shot or stabbed in fights.

Thank God. It means the kids are safe, but also that he is too. Nowadays, Easton and Darragh do most of the bloody work, while Kellan makes sure business is running smoothly.

"I'm gonna be a doctor just like Mommy!" Kylie calls out, pulling out her little plastic doctor kit from her toy box with glee.

I turn to Kellan, the pair of us sharing a grin. He unbuckles our son from his high chair and lets him run to his sister, where she starts giving him pretend vaccines with her toy syringe.

"I've got the most amazing family in the whole fucking world," Kellan says, happiness radiating from him. He comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me tight as I put the plasters and bandages away.

I swat his arm playfully. "Language!" I remind him, shaking my head.

The kids' nanny comes back in from her break with a bag of blocks, and both kids squeal with excitement. She laughs, encouraging them to go into the garden to play in the sun and build block castles. We watch them run off with matching grins.

"I bet you didn't imagine this when you kidnapped me." I laugh to my husband, resting my head on his chest.

He chuckles darkly. "It's the best kidnapping I've ever done," he teases, making me laugh harder. "God, you're fucking incredible, Kacie. The best doctor, best wife, best mom. I love you more than I have words to explain."

"I love you more than ever, Kellan," I say and melt against him, pushing up on my tiptoes to kiss him.

Instead, he sweeps me off my feet completely, swinging me up into his arms. I shriek, clinging to him as he turns and runs out of the kitchen and down the hall to our bedroom.

"What are you doing?" I laugh as he kicks our bedroom door closed behind us.

"I'm putting another baby in my wife's belly," he answers, throwing me down on the bed to follow through on his promise.

The End. Thanks for reading!