Epilogue Two
GRINDER
Silence.
Pure, unadulterated silence.
I blink open my eyes and stare at the unfamiliar ceiling. Inhale the crisp forest air.
Freedom.
Finally.
Best sleep I’ve had in years.
I groan as I roll over and pull myself off the cot Wrath and Trinity set up for me on their screened-in porch last night. I push the pile of soft, fluffy, clean-scented blankets aside. Forgot how nice those minor comforts could be.
Inside, I find a short stack of clothes and a note from Trinity.
We’re over at the clubhouse. End of our walkway and take a left. The path will bring you straight to the clubhouse. You’ll pass Rock’s house on the left on your way there.
Appreciate the opportunity to have a few quiet moments to myself. Also, that Wrath and his wife trust me alone in their fancy house.
Who knew the big brawler Rock carried to the clubhouse one afternoon would end up with such refined taste. He was such an angry fucker when he was younger. Spent a lot of time worrying he’d end up dead or in prison.
But he turned out okay.
I follow the brief directions and find my way to the clubhouse.
Feeling like a burglar, I approach the front door. One hand’s on the knob and one’s poised to knock.
Gravel crunches behind me. “Morning, Grinder.”
I turn and find Dex walking out of one of the garages. He crosses the parking lot quickly and bounds up the steps, slapping my back in greeting.
“How was your first night home?”
“Best damn sleep I’ve had in years.”
Something close to pity shines in his eyes, and I’m not in the mood for it this morning.
An irritated grunt leaves my throat, wiping the look off Dex’s face. He reaches past me and opens the front door. “They’re probably all in the dining room.”
He follows me inside. I stop, trying to orient myself to the large space. Dex doesn’t offer directions and for that I’m thankful.
Some soft, twangy notes drift down the hallway. Sounds too pure to be the radio.
Curious, I follow the sound, pushing through the wide double-doors into the dining room.
A woman with long blond curls is sitting in a chair with an acoustic guitar in her lap, strumming and singing.
I’m too stunned to move or breathe. What an angelic voice. Is this the kind of girls the club attracts now, or is she someone’s ol’ lady? I can’t remember everyone I met last night. And as much as I have no interest in getting to know any new women yet, I feel like this one would’ve been hard to forget.
My gaze drops to the little guys scattered on the floor at the singer’s feet. Even little Grace seems enchanted by the music. She’s not singing them some Old MacDonald bullshit, either. Something more grown up and complicated about being saved from drowning.
Trinity spots me and waves. “Morning, Grinder.”
I make my way over to where she’s seated with Heidi, Hope, Lilly, and Charlotte. At least I think I remembered all their names right.
When the girl finishes her song, and the kids clap and jump around, begging for more.
“Give Aunt Shelby a break.” Heidi reaches for Alexa, pulling her into her lap.
“Come here, Chance. Say good morning to Uncle Grinder.” Lilly gestures to me.
Chance—such a cute little shit—races over to me. “Morning!”
“Mornin’.” Shit, he already reminds me an awful lot of Z.
“Morning!” Alexa chirps from her mother’s lap.
The blonde approaches me slowly.
“Hi,” she says in a soft Texan drawl.
I nod to the guitar in her hands. “You’re fantastic. You should be a singer.”
Shelby blushes and ducks her head. “Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
The girls give each other nervous looks, but Heidi’s the one who squeezes Shelby’s hand. “Shelby’s a country singer. She just finished touring—.”
“Pssh.” Shelby waves off Heidi’s explanation.
I’m getting the feeling Heidi’s trying to let me know Shelby’s famous or something. Like I should know who she is. “Sorry, I’m not exactly up on—”
“Rooster’s my old man,” Shelby says. “We got up here late last night. I’m sorry we missed ya.”
“That’s all right, sweetheart. I wasn’t up for a lot of socializing.”
“Can’t blame ya.” She flashes a warm, serene smile. I’ve only met Rooster a handful of times when Z sent him to visit me in prison. It’ll be nice to finally see him on the other side. “Where’s he at now?”
She gestures to the hallway where I just came from. “I reckon they’re down in the war room?” She raises an eyebrow and turns toward the other girls.
“I think so,” Trinity says.
“Actually, I was looking for Z first.”
Lilly stands and threads her arm through mine. “I think he’s in the office. I’ll walk down with you.”
Chance skips around us the whole way, and I can’t help laughing at his antics.
“He must keep you on your toes,” I say to Lilly.
“Oh, you have no idea.” She laughs and reaches out to knock on one of the doors in the living room.