Epilogue
Tobias
Age Forty-Four
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France
Meet me at the finish line.
W e collide in the middle of the balcony and I lift her from her feet.
"Goddamn you, you bastard!" she cries into my neck. "Please tell me being here means what I think it means."
Eyes glazing, I inhale her scent as she shakes in my arms. It was close, too close, and we both know it. For the last seven years, we set out on a thousand-dream adventure—mostly mine—and not once has she complained. We fought as often as we fucked. We moved twelve times, dodged bullets, lost friends, fought the good fight, together, and mostly side by side—which was the biggest fight of all. We struggled, felt defeated, rallied, and came back swinging. We utilized our position in every imaginable way, going head-to-head with the biggest threats—mostly corrupt corporations and media conglomerates controlled by deep state. With Cecelia's help, Molly implemented several programs and passed numerous bills to give aid to those less fortunate.
We fought hard, and it's been fucking bloody, but we've managed to accomplish a lot—and mostly come out unscathed. Preston reigned both his terms with an iron fist, and with the government's backing and the support of the people, we managed to take out a good amount of trash. My sole focus over the last seven years was to flush out the terrorists who became notorious during Preston's second year in office. Adversaries who made themselves known to me as I sat on the couch in Virginia years ago during our snow day. When the hairs on my neck rose, and that familiar zing struck me like a bolt of lightning, I knew, I fucking knew that I would make it my mission to rid the world of them even if I had to hunt them down and eradicate them myself.
And two days ago, with the help of the US military, we assassinated the five heads responsible for the movement before we immobilized and imprisoned the rest of the key players. And with that war officially over and the bullets coming too close for comfort, and a long exchanged look with my brothers as we all let out a sigh of relief when we made it into the air, we concluded that the war we waged years ago was over for us as well.
We'd done our part, risked our lives, and the lives of those we loved long enough, taking back control of a corrupted government. We won far too many battles to consider our efforts a failure. And what we fought for were the people we once were and will become again, world citizens—Cecelia, the daughter of a single, struggling mother, and me, an orphan left in the wake of a greedy white-collar emperor who turned out to be a man with a heart a lot like mine. Our worlds collided as those people, and since, we've manifested a different reality. One that we worked a lifetime toward.
We have enough birds up to continue our legacy or let it die out—the choice is theirs.
The sad truth is, there's already a new and unseen threat coming because there will always be more. No one can rule the world. In good versus evil, there will always be two sides, an opposition.
"Tobias, does this mean what I think it means?" Her blue eyes search mine for answers as to why we're here, and she knows, but I know she needs the words .
"It means we're in negotiations," I whisper hoarsely. "I'm sorry, Trésor. I'm sorry I scared you."
She pulls away, and I can clearly see the worry I've caused—small black rings under her eyes.
"Sean?" she asks, her voice shaking, too afraid of the answer as she runs her hands up and down my chest.
"He's fine. He'll be landing in Charlotte in a few hours. He's going to make a full recovery. Everyone's okay."
She nods, her posture relaxing substantially as her hands continue to roam. "Okay." She bobs her head. "Okay."
"I told you this was going to be—"
"Doesn't make it easier! After seven fucking years of this, I'm losing my mind! Tobias, our luck is going to run out one day—you narrowly made it out of this one. How many times do you have to risk your neck to see your crazy plans through?" She shrieks all of this out, examining me like I just fell off the jungle gym in a schoolyard. She brushes over the cut beneath my eye, and I grip her hand before kissing the back of it.
"We got them, Cecelia. We got them. We did it, baby."
She gazes on at me, her lips parting at my revelation.
"It's really over?"
"Yes, it's over."
She lets out a long, relieved breath.
"We lost signal on our way to the airstrip. We were fucking running to the plane when I sent you the message. We got detained at the border for a full goddamn day before Tyler got it sorted. And by the time I could reach you, you were already in the air."
"If you want to reach me, Frenchman , then maybe you don't put yourself in these positions like some stupid Rambo commando. You're too old to be taking these risks!"
Unable to help it, I toss my head back and laugh, hard, which earns me two angry fists against the chest. I grip her arms to stop her assault, and she smiles up at me begrudgingly. "God, I hate you."
"I love you, too. And how many times do I have to demonstrate that I'm. Not. Fucking. Old? "
She clasps her hands around my neck, pushing up on her toes and pressing her perfect tits to my chest. "Maybe one more time."
"Only one?"
"Or two." Her face falls of all pretense as she lays her head on my chest and grips me tighter. "God, I was so worried."
I tilt her head up. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Never again, Trésor. I swear to you."
"Yeah, I've heard that be—"
I kiss her soundly to cut off her snarky reply and she draws me in further, a moan escaping her throat. Briefly, I indulge my desire and sweep her sweet mouth with my tongue before I still her, intent on my purpose. "We'll get to that."
"O kay ." She glances over my shoulder. "Tobias, this house is a dream."
"Is it?"
"You haven't seen it?"
"No. I came straight from the beach to you. I was waiting for you."
Her eyes soften. "Come see. You've waited for this day for so long." She grips my hand and I manage to pull it away just in time.
"That can wait, too. As I said, we're in negotiations."
She glances up at me, brows drawn. "For?"
My insides rattle as I grip her to me. In her eyes, I see it all, including my redemption.
"Life."
"We're negotiating life?" She cups my face as emotions swell inside me, past the point of holding it. I choke several times before I'm able to speak.
"Tobias, what is it?"
"I love you."
"I know. Please tell me what's going on. You're scaring me."
"Don't be scared. I have a favor to ask."
She sobers considerably when she sees the visible change in me. "Okay, I'm listening."
"I'm done scaring you. Completely fucking done. I'm done making you worry. I'm done plotting. I'm done with the board altogether. "
"You're serious?"
"We'll never be fully done. You know that. But I'm done with every part of the heavy lifting."
She swallows. "Okay."
I lift her hand and kiss the back of it. Her eyes fixed on where my lips caress her skin before I open her palm and place the sand dollar inside it. "I've been saving this for you. For today ."
"It's beautiful." She runs her finger over the shell.
"My father reminded me of a memory the last time I saw him. It was the day on the beach, the only memory I have with him. Break it in half. Right down the middle." I cup my hands beneath it to catch the spoils.
She snaps the dollar in half, and the contents fall in my palm. I give a nod to luck when five perfect bone-shaped doves appear in my palm. She studies the evidence in my hand and lifts one to inspect it. "They look like little birds."
"Kind of ironic, isn't it? Even before I knew what my destiny was, it was handed to me by a man I never really knew. What's even more ironic is that these birds represent the five of us." I lift the birds one by one. "Me, Sean, Tyler, Dom, and you . The beginning and the end—even though technically they're doves—in the religious sense, they represent sacrifice and peace."
"I didn't know that," she says softly, studying the pieces, "that's... really beautiful." She lifts her deep ocean eyes to mine.
"It's time to change our wings, Cecelia."
Her lips start to tremble, and I know she's feeding off my emotions. We've reached a point in our union where there isn't an ounce of separation. We've been one for a long time.
I take the birds from the dollar and set them on the balcony.
"You," I manage to strangle out through the ball in my throat, "you did this for me. I demanded the sacrifice, but you, Cecelia, you brought the peace."
Her eyes glisten as a suggestive smile plays on her lips. "Have you been drinking?"
"Not a drop. "
"Sorry, it's just that you rarely get this sentimental unless—"
"Not this time." I close my eyes and hang my head as more emotions seep from me. All I feel for her is raging in my head and chest and refusing to be held back a second longer. "I don't need alcohol, and I don't need to hide anything from you."
"Tobias, what are you saying?"
"Where I go, you'll go?"
"I'll follow you anywhere," she assures without hesitation. "You know that."
"As I will follow you. And from this day on, I never want to take a single fucking step without you beside me. I love you, Cecelia, so much." She cups my jaw, the evidence of my undoing dampening her hand.
"I love you, too. Tobias, but you're still scaring me."
"Don't be. I'm not afraid of anything anymore. And you gave that to me. There's no opponent strong enough for us, Cecelia. You have to believe that by now."
"I do."
"God, I'm—" I dip my chin to my chest. "I have so much to say, but I don't think I can get through it all... will you forgive me that?"
I take a knee, and she recognizes my intent. It's the most beautiful sight. I burn her expression and the love in her eyes into memory.
"I..." I hang my head. "Fuck..." I run my face along the sleeve of my shirt and see her visibly starting to come as undone as I am.
"No man on earth has ever loved a woman more than I love you. I'll prove this every day for the rest of our lives. I love you more than any cause, any ambition. The sight of your face over any other on earth." I choke on every other word, frustrated by my inability to carry out my plan but too emotional to give a fuck. I'd humiliate myself a million times over because she's shown me, repeatedly, the beauty in a bare, stripped heart. "You own me. You make me so fucking happy. You are my purpose now, and forever ."
Her eyes shimmer and spill over as I pull the ring from my pinky, lifting the diamond into her line of sight. Her breath catches briefly, her eyes drifting from the ring and back to me as I gaze up at her and blink, clearing my vision.
I'm so fucking gone.
"I didn't steal this," I manage to say, with a slight lift of my lips.
Her lip quivers with her reply. "Non?"
"Non. I earned it."
She slowly dips her chin.
"And I've earned your trust?"
"Yes."
"Your loyalty?"
"Yes."
"I've earned your faith?"
"Yes."
"I've earned your heart?"
"Wholly."
"Your body is mine?'
"Yours. Only yours," she swears.
I push the ring onto her finger.
"Make me king?"