Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Kali

I can’t believe I’m getting married.

Knox was not kidding. He said he wasn’t going to let me go, and he hasn’t. Reluctantly, Nico and Carter left after the whole incident with Nick. Honestly, the only reason Nico left was because Anna assured him it was okay. And how could she not, when I told her about Knox and she heard how happy I was? There’s no way she was going to mess with that. I just had to promise her that I’d be back in Arizona soon.

It took a month for us to clear up everything with Nick. Knox’s commander put in a transfer for him, albeit unenthusiastically. He said he’d miss having Knox on his team, and I know he’s going to miss being a part of the team in Whiskey Run. But he keeps telling me I’m worth it.

And now we’re getting married tomorrow.

“So no strippers,” Knox says as he’s about to kiss me on the way out the door. Anna has planned a bachelorette party for me, and Bear, Dylan, and the others have planned a bachelor party for Knox.

I look at him innocently. “Me? Ours is going to be an innocent night of drinks and girl talk. It’s hard telling what you’re going to be doing. Maybe I should tell you no strippers.”

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into him. “I say we skip the parties and me and you hang out instead.”

I push against his chest. “Hang out, huh? Is that what we’re calling it?”

He laughs. “You know what I mean.”

I kiss him with a big smile on my face. I can’t stop smiling. The days of always being nervous and looking over my shoulder are over. Being with Knox, I’ve never felt more loved or protected in my life.

“All right, break it up, let’s go,” Anna says as she walks hand in hand with Nico into the living room.

“We talked about it, and we’re going to skip tonight,” I tell her.

Anna lets go of Nico and stomps over to me. “No, you’re not. You only get married once, and it’s your last night of being single. We’re going to live it up.”

“She’s not single,” Knox growls, and the tone of his voice is possessive and causes a tremble down my back.

I turn in his arms and hold on to his waist. “I’m not single, she’s joking.”

“But technically...” Anna starts, and I roll my eyes at her. “Uh, can you give us a minute?”

She holds her hands up. “Sure, sure... meet you out front.”

Nico puts his arm around Anna’s shoulder. “The guys are all here, Knox. We’ll be out front too.”

Knox waves him on and searches my face. “I’m going to miss you tonight.”

“I’m going to miss you too.” I kiss him and grab his hand. Before we get outside, I reach into my purse and hand him a piece of paper.

It has a code on it. “What’s this?” he asks.

I wrap my hand around his neck and bring him down so his lips meet mine. He gives me a kiss that pretty much tells me there’s no way I’m single. When I pull away, I smirk. “That’s the new code for the guesthouse. Nico was messing with you and changed it today, but I wanted to make sure you had it... you know, in case you needed it tonight.”

Understanding lights his eyes. “So you’re not going to stick me to no seeing the bride before the wedding.”

I had actually considered it, but I hate being away from him when he’s on missions, and if he’s here, I don’t want to be apart. “I don’t want to...”

He kisses me again. “I don’t want to be away from you either, honey. Not if we don’t have to.”

When we get outside, it seems the party has already started. All the guys from the Haven Team and the team from Tennessee are here. Anna and all the wives of the Haven Team and the Whiskey Run team... it’s a full yard, and before I know it, I’m shoved into a car for a night of fun. I smile because I know I’ll be coming home later and seeing Knox.

Knox

Last night was fun. I did the obligatory few drinks, and then when everyone talked about going to a high roller poker game, I was out. I went back to the house to see my fiancée, and I know I should have let her get more sleep than she did, but I couldn’t keep my hands off her.

And now here we are. I have Bear as my best man. Walker, Nash, Dylan, Aiden and the rest of the guys are all here. But above all else, I’m about to lose it when my soon-to-be wife walks down the altar to me.

I’ve never been happier than I am right now in this moment. The ceremony is perfect—and quick—and when the preacher announces us as husband and wife, everyone laughs because I can’t keep my hands or my lips off my wife a second longer.

I pull away reluctantly when everyone starts cheering. Kali’s face is a dark shade of red, and she shyly buries her face against my chest. I walk her out and stand in the obligatory line of well-wishers.

“I love you, wife.”

Her eyes round as she looks up at me. “Oooh, I like the sound of that.”

I nod in agreement. I know she planned all of this, and I want her to enjoy it, but I wish we could disappear for a little while, just the two of us. The possessiveness to have her, to claim her as my wife in the rawest sense is almost too overwhelming. I want her under me, and I want it now.

She pats my chest and blinks up at me. “After the line dies down, I’m going to need help changing out of this into my reception dress. Do you think you can help me?”

I wrap my hand around her neck, holding her face so she’s looking straight at me. Desire is shining in her eyes too. She wants it just as much as I do. “Yes. Let’s make this quick.”

She nods and smirks at me like we have a secret before turning back to our guests.

Nash, my commander, comes and congratulates us. He pulls me aside. “I hate to cut this short, but the guys and I have to head out soon.”

I didn’t realize there was a mission. No one said anything. I look at the guys across the room. They’re all there, talking and probably figuring out the plan for the next mission. Aiden is across the room, with his hand smoothing up and down May’s back. There’s no doubt Colt is going to figure something is going on with them soon, but I can’t worry about that now.

Bear is still by my side, taking the job of best man very seriously. Everyone else has their focus on my beautiful wife. I look at Nash. “What’s happening?”

He just smirks. “Same ol’ same ol’. Someone needs savin’.”

I swallow hard.

Nash nods. “Yeah, and I’m sorry, I’m going to need all the guys on this one.”

There’s no way I’ll go, but I do hate the thought of my brothers doing a mission without me there to watch their back. All these men have been like brothers to me, and I’m going to miss working with them. “You ever need me, I’m just a call away.”

He nods his head and pulls me in for a hug. He lets go and walks off quickly. I watch as Nash gathers all the guys together, everyone but Bear. The man hasn’t left my side. He puts a hand on my shoulder. “It won’t be the same without you, brother,” he says before walking over to Samantha as Kali reaches for my hand.

I look down in her dark worried eyes. “Everything okay?”

I nod. Yeah, I’m going to miss the guys, but Kali is my life now. Wherever she is is where I want to be. I may still have to do missions, and chances are I’ll work with Nash and them again, but yeah, things are definitely going to be different.

I pull Kali into my arms. “Everything’s perfect.”

“We’ll be right back,” Kali tells everyone over her shoulder. She’s blushing as she grabs my hand, no doubt worried if people are going to know what we’re doing.

I can’t help teasing her. “You sure are in a hurry, honey.”

She looks up at me once we get through the small crowd of people and step into the back room. “Yeah, I’m just waiting on you to make it official.”

“Official?” I shake my head, not understanding.

“Yeah. I figure it’s not official until we consummate it, right? Only then am I truly Mrs. Knox Wright.”

I shut the door behind us and pull her to me. “Honey, it’s definitely official. You became mine the first moment I laid eyes on you.”

She starts lifting the hem of her dress. “I need you, Knox.” She whimpers, already breathless.

I help her with her dress and barely get her out of the layers of satin and tulle before I’m buried deep inside her. “I love you,” I tell her, looking into her big brown eyes.

She tightens her legs around my waist and throws her head back as I thrust into her. “I love you, too.”

Don’t miss the next book in the Whiskey Run: Heroes series.

Keep reading for Aiden and May’s story.