Cain has been struggling to find homes for some of the kids he rescued from the compound, and Barton offered to take some of them in. He’s got this huge mansion all to himself, and I think a mixture of guilt, and not wanting to be alone, encouraged him to offer up his home. So he’s got four teenagers living in the house now, and he says there’s more life about it than there has been in years. He seems happier too, and I think most of that is down to him having both Hawk and I nearby.
Hawk, after much arguing, agreed to live in Cam’s house, and the three of us make time for family dinner once a week, and I’m learning so much about both of them. It’s amazing how much I actually enjoy our weekly dinners. My relationship with both of them has come a long way. It’s crazy to think that not even a year ago, Hawk would glare daggers at me in the hallway, and Barton couldn’t even stand to look at me. Now we hug and laugh, and I know without a doubt that Hawk would jump on a grenade to save me—just like I would for him. We’re a family. A large, dysfunctional, perfect family.
Hawk also, reluctantly, agreed to take on an unexpected roommate. Wilder had no plans after graduation, and he looked so down after Emilia left, I didn’t want him to be alone. It just made sense that he lives with Hawk. It’s such a big house for one person, although I did question my decision when I told Wilder and he responded with some fucked up shit about living with his pussy brother? Nope. I do not ever need to hear those two words used in a sentence together, especially not in reference to my brother. Fucking gross!
We’ve only been living here for a week, and already there have been more shouting matches than I can count between the two of them. I’ve stocked an entire kitchen cupboard with bags of popcorn so I can munch on something while I watch the blow-ups that occur between them. It’s more entertaining than TV, and since both Beck and I only had a fraction of the belongings everyone else has, I have had a lot of time to sit and watch The Hawk and Wilder show.
Sitting on the stool beside me, Beck asks, “How are you feeling after yesterday?”
“I’m okay. It was what I expected, although I’m a little overwhelmed with all the options we have. I don’t know which one is right for us.”
I had an appointment with a gynecologist the other day to find out for sure if I really was sterilized at the compound. It turns out, I was. It was a nice thought for a moment, that perhaps it was all a ploy to make me think I couldn’t have children, but of course Bowen doesn’t like to take risks. There’s no way he would just say he sterilized us. It was still a shock—having it confirmed—but the biggest surprise was that this didn’t mean I could never have children. I admit, it’s not something I have ever given much thought to. Why would I, given the upbringing I’ve had? The prospect of having a family of my own one day was never one I allowed myself to dream of...until now. Now that it’s an option, I have no idea if it’s even something I want. The good news is, we don’t have to make any decisions right away. The gynecologist gave me a whole bunch of leaflets on my options. Everything from having surgery to undo the sterilization—but apparently it has a horrendously low success rate—to IVF, to surrogacy and adoption. The five of us need to decide what we think is the best option for us, but there’s no rush. For now, we just want to live our lives. We want to go to college, travel, learn to live together as a family and get to know one another better. We have more than enough to keep us occupied.
Beck kisses the top of my head. “The good thing is, it’s not a decision you have to make alone. When the time is right, we’ll make it together.”
I smile warmly up at him, taking some peace from his words. They’ve all said similar things to me since the appointment, and I know that, regardless of what happens, nothing will send any of the guys running for the hills. No matter what the future brings, all of them will be there for me, and that unwavering support calms me every time I get anxious about it.
The others filter into the kitchen, carrying their own boxes of belongings, and I slip out of my chair to put the paper in the recycling bin before Mason can see it. He already knows; he doesn’t need to see any reminders of his dad. He got what he deserved, and that’s that.
We’re all starting a new phase of our lives, and no parents will be interfering with the plans we all have. This is our time—our time to do what we want, to live the lives we’ve talked about, and enjoy the newfound freedom none of us thought we would have.
Thick, muscular arms wrap around my waist. “What has that smile on your face?”
I turn in Mason's arms, pressing my hand flat against his chest. “I’m just thinking about our futures.”
“Oh, yeah, what about them?”
Tilting my head back, I look up into his eyes. “How amazing they're going to be.”
I feel the others close in around me. West on one side, Cam on the other, and Beck at my back. I look up at each of them, with the same love in my eyes that I can see shining in theirs. Yup, so long as we have each other, the future can throw anything it wants at us. No obstacle is too hard, no challenge too big. Don’t they say love conquers all? Well, our love is a force to be reckoned with.
Extended Epilogue
Six Months Later
“It’s so good to have the crew back together,” Cain says from beside me, sipping on his beer. I lean back in my chair and survey the room with a smile on my face. We’re gathered in the new premises—a rundown apartment complex—Cain has acquired for his vastly expanding gang, and West, Cam, Mason, Hawk and Hadley are spread out around the small hall that’s in the process of being turned into a bar for Cain and his vastly growing army of men, chatting to various people.
We’re all here today to celebrate Oliver’s homecoming. He was released from prison several months ago, but has been living in a halfway house until now. He accepted Cain’s offer to stay here once he was released, and has agreed to help him get set-up in his new headquarters. I’m not sure what his long-term plans are, I’m not even sure he knows what they are yet, but I have to say, it’s fucking great to see him again.
The man himself claps the guy he’s talking to on the shoulder. Oliver introduced him earlier—Aiden, I think his name is—when he was catching me up on what he’s been up to these last ten years. Cain had already told me he’d fallen in with The Feral Beasts, a gang of ruthless thugs who used to control Black Creek when we were growing up, but the shit he’s been through, that resulted in him ending up in prison? Holy crap, it sounds insane. Not a far stretch from what we’ve managed to survive. Oliver walks our way, snatching a bottle of beer from the bar on his way past, before collapsing into a chair on my other side.
“What’s it like to be a free man?” I ask.