By the way, Darius lived in LA now. He worked at Mace’s security agency.
At Mace’s request, I flew out to do jobs with them occasionally, and if you thought the Hot Bunch was hot…
Just saying…
Seriously.
* * * * *
Malia lived in LA with Darius.
Don’t ask, it’s a huge-ass story.
But, as you can tell, it had a happy ending.
* * * * *
Liam lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
That was, until very recently.
* * * * *
An hour later, I was standing having some alone time with Gracie, Luke and Ava’s first little girl. I was holding her close to my front. She was fascinated with my guitar pendant and I could see this was fascinating. I’d worn it every day for years and I was still fascinated with it.
But right then, I was fascinated with her little girl fascination.
I felt a presence get close and looked to the side to see Darius moving in there.
“Yo,” I greeted.
He grinned. “Ally.”
I looked across the room at Liam standing with Dorothea and Shirleen. He and his grandmother were grinning at Shirleen. She was saying something she really meant because her head was shaking and her afro was swaying.
I looked back to Darius to see his eyes on the same thing.
“Thanks for bringing him here so we could celebrate with him,” I said.
His gaze came to me. “Not a problem.”
I grinned at him. “So, am I still a pain in your ass?”
He grinned back and answered, “Yes.”
I frowned. “How can I still be a pain in your ass? You live hundreds of miles away.”
“Your brand of pain in the assedness extends great lengths. It might even span dimensions.”
I rolled my eyes, and on the roll back to Darius, declared, “‘Assedness’ is not a word, Darius.”
“Badasses can make up words, Ally.”
This was true. They could do whatever the hell they wanted.
Darius reached in and confiscated Gracie from me. I wanted to protest, but when she smiled up at him, put her hand to his cheek and I watched him turn his head to kiss her palm, I decided against it.
I looked back across the room when I heard Liam and Dorothea laugh, Liam now holding his grandma close to his side with his arm around her shoulders.
Then I felt warmth sweep through me when I felt Darius kiss the side of my hair.
In my ear, he whispered, “Love you, Ally.”
That?
Sheer beauty.
I turned my head, caught his eyes, mine were hot, and replied, “I know.”
* * * * *
Ren and I were on one of Indy and Lee’s couches. Katie was crawling on her daddy and doing it with Gus, Sadie and Hector’s youngest.
Alex and Dante, Jet and Eddie’s eldest and middle boys, were sitting next to me, eating cake and ice cream. Or smushing it all over their faces and getting it all over their tees.
But they were little kids. That shit happened.
So, whatever.
