Epilogue
Raya St Claire

a few months later

The rain was pouring heavily onto me, my crop top stuck to my body like a second skin. My white lace bra was visible through the fabric, but I focused my gaze on the target in front of me.

I lift my crossbow, aiming it toward the target.

I pull the trigger.

Bull’s eye.

I smile, wanting to move forward to get my bolts, but when warm breath fans the back of my neck, a shiver descends down my back and goose bumps erupt all over my skin.

I smile even wider.

The newcomer.

“Your stance is so wrong.” He whispers in my ear. He was so close, I could practically taste the mint on his breath mixed with the nicotine.

I wanted to tell him that my stance was anything but wrong, but when I feel his fingers on my bare hip, I was suddenly at loss for words. I swear I looked like a fish, trying to open my mouth to say something only for me to close it again.

“You have to stand with your feet apart.” He whispers, kissing the dip in my neck. “And you have to lift your hands into the air. Like this.” His fingertips graze the skin of my arms as more goose bumps erupt on my skin. He lifts my hands into the air and it nearly caused me to drop the crossbow to the ground. He twirls me around so I could face him and I come face to face with him.

He had his signature smirk on his mouth.

His hair was sticking to his forehead as more rain fell on top of us.

He leans into me, placing his lips against mine hungrily.

“I love you.” He says against my lips.

“Not as much as me.” I tell him, smiling against his lips.

“Get a room you two.” Bear says, shouting through the window of the kitchen.

Ezra laughs, pulling away from me to glare at him.

He did interrupt us, after all.

“Aren’t you supposed to watch Barbie with my sister?” Ezra asks instead of chiding him for interrupting our intimate moment.

“I didn’t sign up for Barbie, man.” Bear says, shaking his head.

“You have grown to love her as your little sister.” I tell Bear. “It’s your brotherly duty to watch Barbie with Ezra’s little sister.”

He groans, disappearing back into the house.

Ezra laughs, pulling me closer to him again. “Did I make it up to you yet?” He asks, kissing the tip of my nose gently.

I look down at my belly, seeing the bump that was formed there.

I nod, rubbing my hand over my stomach.  “I think you more than made up for everything you did, newcomer.” I tell him, taking his hand in mine. “And I forgave you that same day I woke up from being stabbed.”

“I know…” He says, looking at out intertwined hands. “But I told you that I wanted to earn your trust again.”

“You did earn my trust again, newcomer.” I tell him but before I could process what was happening, he crouches down and falls to his one knee.

He actually pulls out a ring.

“Ezra… What—”

“Raya St Claire… Will you make me the luckiest guy by marrying me?”

I didn’t hesitate when I started to nod. “Yes! I will marry you!”

He takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto my finger. It fit perfectly.

The ring was perfect. My heart was full.

“Guess who helped me to pick it out?”

“I did!” My little brother who was definitely not so little anymore shouted from behind me. He came running toward us with the biggest smile on his face. “I also told Ezra that if he ever hurt you, I would personally gut him.”

My eyes widen in shock and Ezra just chuckles.

“Who told you to be violent?” I ask him.

“I did.” Bear says, peeking out the window again. “You’re making me watch Barbie, so I decided to get you back by teaching your brother a few things.”

“Bear, if I wasn’t pregnant right now, I would go in there and gut you down myself. He’s fifteen, for crying out loud!”

“And he needs to know how to protect himself.” My brother says, talking in third person. “I want to fight like you, Ray. I want to shoot a gun like Ezra.”

“Definitely not.” I tell him almost immediately. “You’re too young for all that stuff.”

“You were fifteen when you started to use guns and stuff.” He argues.

“Who told you that?”

I didn’t even have to ask. Bear disappearing back into the house told me that it was him who told him that. Well, I guess he needed to know how I survived all these years.

“Fine.” I sigh. “But if you learn to shoot a gun, you do it with the safety on, always. Got it?”

He smiles widely, clapping his hands together. “Yes! Deal!”

“Now let’s go inside.” I tell him, taking Ezra’s hand in mine. “I think Archie would be here in a few minutes.”

Archie retired from the gang not long after Winchester was killed. He told me that he wasn’t suited to lead the NC anymore and that I had to take over from him. I did, even though I had many thoughts telling me that I should leave.

I never did.

I couldn’t.

Because after eight years, after the betrayal and after all the secrets—the NC became my family. They took me in when I had nothing. They kept me safe from everyone. They protected me and they helped me through everything. I couldn’t leave them behind to fend for themselves. I couldn’t leave. I didn’t want to leave, really.

I made an oath, after all. Always and forever.

I smile when Archie’s black SUV parked just outside the gates of the mansion. He stepped out, propping his sunglasses on top of his head even though it was storming outside.  He didn’t even bother to take out an umbrella so by the time he was standing in front of us, he was completely soaked too. “Ray.” He smiles, pulling me into a hug. “It’s nice to see you again. Same for you, Ezra. And you.” He says to my brother and Ezra when he pulled away from my embrace.

“Hey uncle Archie!” My brother says, shaking his hand like a real gentleman.

Archie’s mom really did a great job of raising him.

“I think you should head inside, little man.” He says to my brother.

My brother was so happy, he just nodded and ran into the house, mud feet and all, just like me when I used to go back into the house, soaking wet.

“I’ve got something for you.” Archie smiles. “Something good.”

I smile and Ezra does too.

My very first job since I’ve taken over the gang.

Even though I was pregnant, it didn’t stop me from leading the gang into victory.

The boys were trained enough to do some jobs on their own.

I was proud of them.

Archie was proud of me for being a good leader just like he predicted.

“It’s not what you think.” Archie adds in, looking at the ring on my finger and then at Ezra. “I need you to plan the perfect wedding for the girl who became a daughter to me over the years. The perfect wedding.”