Epilogue

Tessa

3 years later

" H ow are you feeling?"

Stella cocks one eyebrow. "How the fuck do you think I'm feeling? Like a beached whale."

I smile and take another sip from my glass of ginger beer. It's the only thing that keeps my nausea at bay.

Stella shuffles around, trying to get comfortable on the recliner, grumbling under her breath about asshole men . Eventually, she finds the sweet spot and relaxes.

"Wanna know what I said when the guys asked me what I wanted for my birthday?"

"Diamonds? A private island in the Caribbean?" Nothing is off the table when you're as rich as Brax. He sold his majority share in Walker Industries a few months ago, making him richer than Bill Gates and Elon Musk. None of the guys need to work, but Quinn loves his role in the FBI and Harley's non-profit working with young athletes from disadvantaged demographics has taken off in the last year.

"Vasectomies all round. It's non-negotiable if they want to come anywhere near me ever again."

I nearly choke on my drink. "And they've agreed to this?"

"Damn right they have." She smirks and then winces as the babies kick her again. "After the twins arrive, I'm done being a baby incubator. Five kids is more than enough for any family, even when there are three baby daddies to share the work."

"You should get your own reality TV show."

"Dear Lord, do NOT put that idea in Harley's head!"

"What idea?" Harley appears with Juno hot on his heels.

"Dad! I hate you!" she shrieks while trying to grab her phone, which Harley holds well out of reach, even though his daughter is tall for a 14-year-old.

"You're grounded, Juno, and like I told you last time we caught you sneaking out to see Anson, grounded means no tech devices for a week."

Stella rolls her eyes. She's heard all this before. Harley is a softy at heart. He likes to lay down the law when Juno is pushing the boundaries, but in reality, she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

"But Daddy, if I can't talk to Anson for a week, he'll lose interest and start dating Stacey fucking cu--Kent!"

"Juno, if he's that easily distracted, he's not worthy of your attention. And besides, teenage boys are all horndogs, so he's probably already dating Stacey behind your back."

Stella closes her eyes, and I hear her counting to ten under her breath. Before she reaches four, Juno bursts into tears and runs off.

"Great advice there, Daddy. Very empathetic."

Harley looks wounded. "What? I'm only telling her the truth. When I was 15, I was juggling at least four girls on the regular."

"Five actually," interjects Brax. "And they all dumped you when Quinn accidentally told Erin Stadler, who told everyone else."

"Fucking Quinn," Harley mutters.

"So, when are you all getting the snip?" I ask. Harley's face turns white and his hand slides down, protectively covering his junk.

"Never," he grimaces.

"Then get used to fucking your hand, asshole," Stella snarls.

"Next week," Brax says, not looking thrilled about the idea of having a vasectomy either.

"You're having the snip?" Cin pipes up when he walks out on to the deck, having caught the tail end of our conversation. "That sucks, dude."

"It's the responsible thing to do," I snap. "These guys only have to look at Stella and she gets pregnant!" I throw Stella a sympathetic look and she smiles.

"I'm not the only one," she chuckles, pointing to my rounded belly.

"Yeah, well," I laugh. We didn't exactly plan this baby, but none of us mind. Or care who the father is. She'll have three loving fathers, and that's all that matters.

I smile to myself when I recall telling the guys I didn't want any more babies.

"But we all know I'm the bio dad," Cin says with a smug grin. He and Harley fist bump each other, oblivious to the angry looks from Madden and Kade, who are also equally convinced their swimmers won the race.

"Oh for fuck's sake," I grumble while Stella throws me a sympathetic look.

"I had this problem too," she whispers. "Hope you're OK with having at least two more kids."

"Not a fucking chance." Three kids are enough. I was happy with two. This baby was an accident. A happy one, but an accident nonetheless. It was my own fault. I'd completely forgotten to have the implant replaced, and by the time I did remember, we discovered I was five months' pregnant.

Needless to say, it was a done deal.

Not that I mind. Harry is seven and Chloe coming up four, so a baby will slot right in. I am grateful I'm not having twins, though. Seeing Stella struggle is enough to put anyone off having twins. If I was her, I'd never have sex again. Pretty sure she's thinking the same as the babies wriggle around inside her enormous belly.

"You OK, baby?" Madden whispers as he crouches down next to my chair. "Need another ginger beer?"

"No, I'm good." He kisses my neck and I melt a little.

Over the last four years, my life has changed beyond all recognition. Before I met my guys, I was living one day at a time, trying to keep everything together and failing at most of it.

Now? I have the life of my dreams. Three guys who love me, two gorgeous kids, and another one on the way. And best of all?

I'm safe.

We're all safe.

Kade's out of the mafia, Madden and Cin's personal protection business is booming, with Kade working for them now, and we moved to Madden's house in the forest full-time.

My relationship with my father is still a work in progress, but we're getting there. Slowly. Dad's finally met someone who he cares about. He might even love her - who knows? He's not one for discussing shit like feelings.

Siobhan is the daughter of Seamus, head of the Irish mafia on the East Coast. She's fifteen years younger than my father, but the age gap doesn't seem to bother either of them. And because she comes from a mafia family, she understands our world, which my mother and Marie's mother never did.

I have confidence that even if their relationship doesn't go the distance, they'll stay friends.

My dad's relationship with Siobhan has led to an alliance between the two families. Since the Russians are now under the control of Aleksander, Chloe's half-brother, my father has also forged a powerful alliance with the Bratva. Only the Albanians are on the outside, and they're not dumb enough to go after the three ruling mafia families.

One day, Harry may choose to take his grandfather's place as the head of the Family, assuming Dad doesn't have any sons with Siobhan. I'd prefer it if the families weren't at war when that happened.

But I'm not thinking that far ahead. All I care about is raising my kids and being happy, which for now involves celebrating Harry's birthday with all the people I love and care for.

It was a tough journey getting to this point, but the rewards have been worth it.

"I need the bathroom," Stella complains. I stand to help pull her up. Just as she makes it to her feet, a gush of water splashes everywhere.

"Err... guys!" I yell. "I think the babies are coming!"

Two months later

The guys are pacing the delivery room like caged panthers. They hate to see me in pain, but so far, everything is going as it should. I wanted a home birth, but my OB-GYN said it was safer to deliver in the hospital because of the distance involved.

I love our forest home. Harry moved from the fancy private school my father paid for and now attends a local school down in the valley. He misses his friends from the city, but being the happy, outgoing boy he is, he's made lots of new ones. Chloe will start kindergarten in the fall, and I can't wait.

The downside of living out here is that we're miles from anywhere. Including hospitals.

Because I didn't want to put my baby in danger, I agreed that a hospital birth was the right thing to do. Now, though, I'm wishing I was at home. I'm pretty sure it would be less stressful than watching Madden glare at the medical staff while Cin asks me if I'm OK every five fucking minutes.

"No, I'm not OK!" I yell between contractions. "I'm in agony, all thanks to you three! And FYI, it doesn't get less painful the third time."

Cin squeezes my hand and grimaces. "Need an ice chip?"

"No, I want more drugs!"

"Too late for that, Tessa," Rowan my OB-GYN tells me cheerfully while sitting between my legs. "The baby is almost here. I can see her crowning."

Cin turns white like he might pass out. Thankfully, the other two are less squeamish.

"Almost time to push! When your next contraction hits, PUSH that baby out, Tessa!"

Five seconds later, I do as I'm told, while screaming at my guys for knocking me up, and not long after that, there's a loud wail. The guys all sigh with relief at the sight of our healthy baby.

"It's a girl!" Rowan announces, handing the baby to the midwife for the obligatory checks.

Then she examines me and frowns as I'm hit with another strong contraction.

"Why's Tessa still in pain?" Cin demands, looking worried. I can't speak because I'm in too much discomfort, but I don't remember it being this painful after my last two births.

"I think there's another baby." She looks up at me and half-smiles. "Time to push again, Tessa!"

Oh. My. God.

The need to push is overwhelming and two minutes later, baby number two arrives.

"You have a baby boy this time," Rowen tells us. Nobody speaks. We're all in shock.

How did this happen? I had an ultrasound scan at 15 weeks, and there was one baby. None of my antenatal checks since then have picked up a second baby.

"If the babies are a boy and a girl, does that mean they could have different fathers?" Kade asks once the shock wears off.

"Superfecundation is rare, but yes, it could have happened if Tessa had intercourse with two different partners very close together."

"Oh, she definitely did," snorts Cin before wincing when Madden punches him in the arm.

Thank fuck Rowen is open-minded. She hasn't batted an eye at our unconventional living arrangements, which was why we chose her.

Kade disappears to tell our family and friends the good news, and thirty minutes later, the door to our delivery suite swings open as Stella barges in with half a flower shop in her arms.

"Congratulations! Welcome to the world of twins!"

"I'm still in shock," I admit. Our baby son is busy guzzling away at my breast, while our daughter is in Madden's arms. Cin and Kade have gone to fetch coffee and snacks.

Stella sits down on the edge of my bed and pats my hand. "I'll give you the number of the urologist who sorted my guys out." She winks at me. "Trust me, it's better not to take any more chances. I learned my lesson, so you don't have to."

"Trust me when I say I'm never having sex again."

Another 4 years later

"Are you ready?" Stella calls through the door. I smooth down my dress, apply one last coat of lip gloss, and open the door.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I tell her with a nervous smile.

It's been seven years since the three men of my dreams asked me to marry them. I assumed we'd have a legal ceremony a few months later, but life got in the way, and despite talking about it from time to time, the large rock on my finger never got upgraded to a wedding band.

My father's heart attack three months ago was a sharp reminder that none of us know what's around the corner. Thankfully, after surgery to fit stents in his artery, he's mostly recovered. Siobhan is taking good care of him and if he listens to his doctor and actually rests, he should be fine.

When Dad almost died, Kade decided that we'd waited long enough. It was time to finally put a ring on it. I told the guys to sort it and I'd be there. I'm too busy these days teaching English to high school kids to have time for wedding planning.

The guys told me last week that we'd do the legal stuff at city hall and then have the commitment ceremony here, at the forest house. Although the original plan was to be legally married to Kade, they had some kind of discussion about it, and I ended up being Cin's legal wife.

I'm not sure how that happened, but I got the impression Kade wasn't too happy. But it doesn't matter to me. As far as I'm concerned, I love them all equally, and they're all my husbands, even if the law doesn't recognize the unions.

"You look beautiful, Tessa." Stella has a tear in her eye as she scans my ivory-white dress. My red hair hangs down my back in soft waves, touching the curve of my ass. I usually have it tied up for teaching, so it feels good to let it loose for a change.

She hooks her arm in mine. "Come on, let's do this."

The guys are waiting for us outside with the kids and our family and friends. I look around and smile at everyone, admiring the flowers everywhere.

Buttons trots over to me, her tongue lolling from her mouth. Now she's older, she's calmed down a lot, but her sidekick, Roscoe, has happily taken on the mantle of "World's Naughtiest Dog".

Just yesterday we discovered he'd stolen Kade's favorite sneakers and buried them in the yard.

The guys stand in a line alongside the smiling celebrant. Stella's husbands sit in the front row, next to my father, Siobhan, and the kids. When we reach the flower-covered arch, Stella kisses my cheek and sits down next to Quinn.

"Welcome, everyone. Today marks a new beginning in the lives of Tessa, Cin, Madden, and Kade..."

The sky is inky black. The stars twinkling high above sparkle like jewels. It's quiet out here, but faint music filters through the trees, punctuated by soft laughter, and then someone yelling at Roscoe...again.

I sit on the bench overlooking the pond, staring out into the darkness, enjoying a moment of peace while our friends and family celebrate. Stella and her guys disappeared a short while ago, taking our kids with them.

She promised to keep them for a couple of days, so we could have a honeymoon. I told her she didn't need to, but she insisted. I'm pretty sure she'll regret it when the twins wake up at dawn.

"Hey, kitten," Kade says as he sits on the bench beside me and pulls me into his arms. "You OK?"

"Yeah, of course." I rest my cheek against his chest and inhale his scent. Bergamot and pepper. He always smells so good. "Just needed a moment."

We sit in silence for a bit while someone - most likely Madden - rages about Roscoe, and I fight to stifle a giggle.

"What did the little shit do this time?"

"Remember the beautiful cake Siobhan made?"

"Oh no... he didn't..."

"Oh yeah, he did. He pulled the cake off the table and demolished half of it in five seconds. Thankfully, Siobhan saw the funny side of it."

"Thank God I had a slice," I laugh. Although it's not funny. That fucking dog is a pain in my ass. I blame Cin for deciding Buttons needed a friend. She was equally unimpressed when Roscoe arrived.

"Anyway, less of the cake. It's time for us to leave for our honeymoon."

I sit up in surprise. "What? I thought we were staying here?"

"Nope, Mrs. Ford. We are whisking you away for a few days. Come on, the guys are waiting."

He pulls me to my feet and drags me back to the house. Everyone standing around waiting. We say our goodbyes and Savannah promises to take good care of the dogs and the house for us. I suspect she'll be far too busy making the most of having her two boyfriends there with her to pay much attention to the dogs, but as long as she feeds them, they won't care.

It's late by the time we pull up at a small private airfield where Brax's private jet is waiting. Nobody's telling me anything, so I have no clue where we're going. I just hope there's a nice, comfortable bed because I could sleep for a week.

Thankfully, there is a bedroom on board, so we pile in there and I fall asleep next to my husbands shortly after joining the mile-high club.

When I awake, the cabin crew is preparing for landing. I take my seat next to Madden and stare out of the window in awe at the turquoise sea.

"Where are we?" I ask when we land on a small airstrip and the guys help me out of the plane. The hot air whips my hair across my face while the sun beats down on my shoulders. I hope they packed sun cream or I'll be redder than a lobster soon.

"Remember the island Brax bought two years ago?"

I do. Stella was furious he'd spent so much money until he took her there and she decided it was the best place ever.

"Yeah, is this it?"

"Sure is, sweetness! We have a whole week here. No kids or dogs to worry about!"

"A week?" I yelp. "I can't leave the kids that long!"

"Yes, you can. They'll be fine. Stella and the guys are taking them to Disney World."

Jesus, I'm going to owe her big time for this.

"Norcross, Heather, and the boys are going as well. They're staying at the beach house."

The guys bundle me into a waiting car and after a short drive, we pull up outside a beautiful house overlooking a white sand beach. As I'm about to step onto the porch, Cin grabs my hand.

"Oh no, we have to do this properly," he says with a serious expression. "It's traditional for the husband to carry his wife over the threshold."

"She's our wife too, asshole," Kade snaps. "Just because you won Rock, Paper, Scissors , and cheated, I might add, does not make you more important."

My jaw drops. "Seriously? You played a stupid game to decide who was going to be my legal husband?"

"Of course, sweetness. And I won because I'm the best!"

"Is it too late to apply for an annulment?" I ask Madden, who's rolling his eyes at Cin's antics.

"Afraid so," he laughs. "We already consummated the marriage. Three times, if I recall." Then he moves closer and kisses me. "And we're about to make it four times."

I shiver with anticipation as Cin carries me into the house and runs up the white marble staircase. He drops me on a huge bed and climbs over me, his erection pressing against my stomach.

"Thank you for making me the happiest man who ever lived," he says before kissing me senseless.

"Love you, too," I reply as Kade and Madden appear.

"Love you, Kitten." Kade drops a kiss on my shoulder and then shoves Cin off me. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love you more each day." He kisses me slowly, tenderly, and I feel like I might float up to the ceiling on a cloud of happiness.

"Love you, too," I whisper against his mouth before he slides off me and rolls to the side, making room for Madden.

"Baby, I love you. Thank you for driving the shadows away and giving me everything I ever wanted." When we met, he was closed off, unwilling to let anyone in because he thought he had nothing to offer.

Now he knows he does. He's my strong, silent protector, my sexy Dom, and he means everything to me.

They all do.

I never thought I'd find happiness like Stella. I thought Enzo was the best I could hope for. But I was wrong. The right guys were out there, waiting for me. And now we've found each other. I won't ever let them go because they're all mine, even if our relationship is unconventional, and my father still doesn't exactly approve.

"I love you, Madden," I tell him, and he smiles down at me.

"Did you bring the bags in?" he asks Cin. "I packed some toys."

"Toys?" I squeak. Pretty sure he's not referring to beach volleyball.

"Oh yes, baby. We're going to have so much fun this week." He grins at me while I melt into a puddle on the bed.

Best. Honeymoon. Ever.

The end.