EPILOGUE ABEL AND LEXI

"Are you ready?" Lexi asks, coming to my side.

I nod and let her lead me out of the confines into the light. She sways with every step, using everything God gave her and more to keep me following. She needn't worry about that. She's my wife – I'll never not be behind her.

We're moving the housing today. Twenty-two girls are packed and shipped and on their way to their new homes. Mariana's getting four of them for Dallas, two are sold for a fair purchase price, and the rest are heading for our lesser strip clubs. In two days, the new intake arrives from Havana, ready to be branded for Carmen to train. I'm not there to witness any of it this time. Kai is.

I frown as the midday sun hits me and take Lexi's hand in mine. She looks down at them entwined and smiles privately to herself about that. I suppose I don't show it that often, but love is love, and I am in love. It's a foolishness I didn't think would consume me. It has done. I understand now why Dante is so infatuated with his Wren. It's something embedded, deep down. It's past loyalty and respect, far past protective instinct, and probably lives somewhere between madness and rage. I like it. I like it consuming me.

"You should call him," she says, as we get to the steps into the jet.

I walk up them and into the interior. "No."

She sits on the first leather chair she gets to and stares at me as I sit in mine. "You got in the way of something he wanted at the time. I don't blame him for that." I look out of the window, brow arched, and listen to the engines. "No one should blame a Cortez for doing the exact thing they've been built and trained to do. It's what makes you all so effective. You should be proud of him for finding his balls and using them for something other than fucking."

I smile at her logic because, in some roundabout way, I am proud of him for it. "It surprised me. I don't like being surprised."

"Good. That'll serve him well. At least he aimed for your leg. Who taught him to shoot?"

"Elias. Dante. Knox." Not me. No, I taught him loyalty and respect, and, by the look of it, I failed regarding family.

Silence drifts between us as the jet taxis and lifts into the sky. I don't mind it at all, because I've got some thinking to do on this flight.

~

A call pulls my attention as we're about to land. I answer it.

"Knox."

"We've got another fifteen coming in from Mexico on the twenty-sixth. Kai's primed for that offload. And nine coming across to you from New York on the twenty-ninth. Tell him about it."

"Since when have we been dealing with New York pussy in San Antonio?"

"Since I said so. They need a change of scenery." My brow raises at his authority, but, again, for all our sakes and with two cities now being held and Mariana off on her own to some degree, he needs his power on his own terms.

"I thought you were supposed to be moving in today. This isn't exactly keeping clear of business."

"I am." The phone line cuts off.

"Nice."

"Everything okay?" Lexi asks.

I smile and put my phone in my jacket. "Yeah. They're all just fine."

"Where are they?"

"Manhattan. Peyton likes it there."

"Yes. She said she liked Wren, too. Someone has to, I suppose."

I chuckle as the jet lands. "Don't be a bitch."

"You like me being a bitch. Anyway, when are they settling in New York?"

"Knox bought a place on the upper west side a while back. A gift for Peyton. They're moving in today."

"Lovely. Can I have one?"

"You can buy your own damn place if you want one. Your accounts are healthier than mine."

She gets up and heads for the door, smirking at me. "Well, narcotics don't cause the same problems as diseased pussy. I like my profit straight up. You should learn a thing or two about that. Also, Logan likes me."

"Logan hates you. He's just scared of me."

She chuckles quietly as we make our way down the steps to a waiting car. "I'm not sure Logan's scared of anyone."

"Hmm. Well, he should be." Because despite all this posturing bullshit and offer of friendly help on his streets, Dante's in Dragon mode, Knox is getting pissed with Logan's team trying to force him in a direction he doesn't like, despite him insisting he's taking a back seat for Peyton and Cade's sake, and me? I'm just about done with subservience, given it was him that caused Knox's pain in the first place. I'll only accept so much lowering of myself. My father's blood is beginning to overtake Cortez sense without them all close.

"You know," she says as we walk. "I'm not sure I ever saw this future in front of us, but I'm glad it's working out. Dante's happy, Knox is happy, Mariana's happy, and we're happy. Only Shaw disrupts that balance." She drops her ass into the car seat and looks up at me. "And Shaw disrupting balance makes you sad."

I slam the door on her and walk around the other side, getting in behind the driver. "Sad? When have you ever known me to be sad?"

"Now." Her hand reaches for my face to cup it. "You're also anxious."

I snort and look out the window, pulling my skin from her fingers. "You're not allowed to know me that well."

"You told me to understand you, to learn you. I did. I do. You feel things more than any of them. Astonishing for such a cold bastard."

I laugh and shake my head as we start travelling roads and looking at unseen-before skylines. Cold? I suppose that's an apt description of me. I've had some time to think about that since Knox's wedding. Shaw looked at me before those vows as if he hated me, and by the time we walked outside, with all of us having listened to words of love and promise, he looked resigned to a life without us. He left that day, walked away from us all – because of me and my failings as a brother.

Staring at barren trees and dull skies, I close my eyes and wait for the journey to end. Lexi's hand creeps into mine, like she knows, just like I do, that nothing will be settled until everything is settled. She squeezes, maybe hoping to offer support.

She does. Always.

I just don't like telling her that.

The car stops, and I open my eyes and get out.

"Do you want me to come?" she calls.

Ducking back in, I take her hand and kiss it. "No."

I start walking, heading up the steps into the place, and am met by one security guard trying to stop me and then a concierge. I stare at both of them and eventually concede the fact that unless I'm going to kill both of them, I'll have to be polite.

"Call the penthouse. Tell him his brother's here."

The guy gets on the desk phone and calls up, then looks at me. "He asks which one? Which brother?" I keep staring, so he goes back to talking. "He won't answer, sir. Yes. Of course. I'll send him up now." He puts the phone down and comes around the desk, opening his arm to direct me to an elevator. "Just press the P, sir."

I move in and watch the doors close, and then wait for them to open again. The eventual space that welcomes me is full of no one waiting and one door. It opens as I'm about to knock, and familiar blue eyes stare at me. They're not shocked, not frightened, either. They do seem older, though. Wiser maybe.

"Abel?"

"Shaw."

He pauses and looks back inside, like there's something to be wary of. There isn't. I didn't fly all the way to London for more anger or animosity. "Who died?"

"No one. Is she in there?" He nods. I smirk. "Does she hate me?"

"Yes."

I move forward, pushing him backwards because he wasn't expecting it. He tries moving to get in front of me again, but it's too late for that, and, like it or not, we're family. She needs to get used to that. "Nice place."

"Abel," he snarls, as I turn into a main area. "Stop."

"No."

A feisty-looking Miri turns into my path, eyes like slits. "No. Not here. You can fuck off." She plants herself in my way, chin high and defiance all over her. "Or are we fighting again?"

I look back at Shaw and chuckle. "I can see why you like her. Not sure it was worth shooting me for, though."

"You were in my damn way."

"Lexi said that. I've realised you're both right."

He walks past me, getting himself in front of Miri as I look back at her. "I didn't ask you to come here, Abel."

"Would you ever have?"

He frowns and glances back at Miri. "I doubt it." He looks back at me. "Besides, I didn't think you'd give a damn."

"You were wrong." I move around them both, heading for what looks like a deck area outside. She hisses at him as I go. Probably about me. "Miri," I call. "Come out here. Without him."

Nothing happens for a few minutes. It's just me on a deck, feeling the wind skim over me this high up. I stare down at the people and traffic below, wondering if she's got the balls to face me on her own. Seemed to have in there.

"I don't want you here," eventually spits at me. I smile and wait for her to get closer. "Neither of us do."

Turning, I lean on the rail and take her in. "You know that's a lie as far as Shaw's concerned. He wouldn't have asked you to follow me out here if he didn't want some part of us back. He might have left us, and maybe it was for you, but family is family, and I'm here to rectify mistakes that were made. I can do that with or without your help."

"Are you still stealing women?"

"Yes." She sneers and crosses her arms like that answered all her questions.

"You're not getting my help then."

"You're cute when you're aggravated. Much better than scared." She huffs. I sigh and look back out to the view. "Believe it or not, Miri, I just want my brother. He doesn't need to come home, but he does need to know he's loved. I don't blame him for anything. If he's happy, I'm happy."

"He is happy."

I look over her shoulder at him pacing around inside. "He isn't. Not entirely. Even something as pretty as you can't replace the feeling of an entire brotherhood being cut off, let alone a twin. Be sensible, Miri. Let him have a choice. Learn to accept us."

She stares away from me, maybe hoping London's dismal outlook will help her decide all our fates. "Accept you?" She shakes her head at me. "But if you really just want him to know he's loved?"

"Yes. Nothing has to change here other than him knowing he's welcome if he chooses that. We miss him. I miss him." I do. I miss him right down in my damned bones. "But you should know I'm not going anywhere. He'll understand, by the time I leave this apartment, that we're all here for him again. That he can come home, if he wants to. He'll know that much. You aren't all he has anymore."

"Are you threatening me?"

I shrug. Perhaps. I can't help that, either. I am threatening, and nothing's ever going to change that. "It's up to you, Miri. You're the one who will make it hard or easy for him. As long as you're together, you're as welcome as he is." Her jaw tenses, and she frowns before looking back at him, still pacing around inside. I expect she didn't want any of this, let alone me coming here and offering her a place in our family. Tough. You fall for a Cortez, you better be damn sure you're ready to accept all of us. "Go, speak to him."

She edges away, and it doesn't take long before he's out on the deck with me. I smile and wait, unsure what the outcome will be. He cut us off once because he thought he had no choice. This time, he could choose to stay away regardless. I'm not sure I'd blame him for that, either, considering the woman he's chosen and their beginning.

"It's all forgotten?" he asks, still several feet away.

"You think I'm gonna forget you shooting me? Hurt like a bitch." He scowls. "Felt good, though, didn't it? To beat me?"

His hands find his pockets, and he keeps his eyes directed at mine. "Yeah. It did."

I walk over, still smiling, and stand a foot out from him. "You know, I thought I came here to apologise for forcing you into something you weren't. It's not that, though. You're who you are because of that, and you're a damn fine man for it, Shaw. You hear me? I'm proud of you. Doesn't matter if you're like us or not. Or like me or not. I'm still proud."

"You are?"

"Yeah. And I still love you. We all do." He nods, but it's a cautious acceptance of the facts. "I mean it. You come back anytime you want. Even your sister misses you." He smiles and laughs lightly. "I miss you. We all do. It's wrong without you there. Come back. We'll have a cook-out and play ball, and your girl can get herself introduced to everyone properly."

He frowns. "Yeah, not sure that's gonna happen. She doesn't like you much."

I smirk. "No one likes me much. They still end up loving me. I'm good at charming people when I need to. You're not the only one with that skill." He moves around me to the railings around the drop, body leaning over it like he's thinking things over. "Whenever you're ready, Shaw. No rush. Just know you can."

Turning away from him, I start heading for the inside.

"You're leaving?" he says.

I look back. "Yeah. Gotta go see Landon about something Cane related."

"Cane? Logan? What do you mean?" I smirk and keep moving, listening to his footsteps following me. "Abel?"

The door pulls back in my hand, and I keep smiling all the way to the elevator. "What are you doing for work these days?" I ask as I turn to face him. I know exactly what he's doing – nothing. Knox has been tracking him ever since he left. "Looks like you've put on a few pounds." Shame, he was good at killing people. Good at being nasty as hell when needed. I could do with some of that for new ventures in Europe. "We're in the Savoy for three nights. Call. We'll have dinner before we leave."

The doors close on his confused face, and I chuckle the entire way back to Lexi. No way is any Cortez happy doing nothing with their life. They need purpose, drive, a sense of fucking direction despite happy ever afters.

We're not built for nothing.

We're built to rule.

We're built for sin.