Page 53 of Friar
“Because she’s gone,” I said simply, offering no details, no explanation of what “gone” meant in this context.Cheri didn’t need to know about the quarry, about the knife, about the dark water that had swallowed what remained of the woman who’d tried three times to take her from me.Some knowledge was a burden she didn’t need to carry.“She can’t come back from where she is now.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes, but she didn’t recoil from me, didn’t flinch away from my touch.Instead, her fingers tightened around mine, drawing strength from the connection.
“The club… dealt with her?”Her voice was barely above a whisper.
I nodded once.“Justice was served.That’s all you need to know.”
She accepted this with a small nod of her own, and I watched as the knowledge settled within her.Not horror at what must have happened, but relief.Pure, uncomplicated relief that the sword that had been hanging over her head for months had finally been removed.
“You’re safe now,” I continued, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.She didn’t need to know about the hitman, or the fact someone had been helping Tasha.I’d put my trust in Beast and Shield to take care of the rest, but at least Tasha was gone.“You and the baby both.No more looking over your shoulder.No more bodyguards.No more waiting for the next attack.”
Her eyes filled suddenly, tears welling up and spilling over before she could blink them back.Not tears of fear or grief, but of release, the emotional dam finally breaking now that the danger had passed.Her shoulders shook with silent sobs as months of tension, of constant vigilance, of sleeping with one eye open finally found their outlet.
“Hey,” I murmured, shifting to sit beside her on the couch, pulling her into my arms.“It’s okay.Let it out.”
She buried her face against my chest, her tears soaking through my T-shirt as her fingers clutched at the fabric.I held her close, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other rubbing slow circles on her back.Her body felt fragile in my arms, but I knew better.My church girl was stronger than anyone gave her credit for, stronger than even she knew.She’d survived attempts on her life and had carved out a place for herself in a world she’d never asked to be part of.
“I was so scared,” she admitted between sobs, her voice muffled against my chest.“Not just for me, but for the baby.For you.When you got shot at the diner, I thought…” Her words broke off as a fresh wave of tears overtook her.
“I know,” I soothed, pressing my lips to the top of her head.“But I’m right here.We both are.All three of us, together.”
As if on cue, she took my hand and guided it to her stomach where I thought I felt a flutter against my palm.
Cheri lifted her face to mine, tears still tracking down her cheeks but a small smile breaking through.“He’s been active all day.I think he knows something’s different.”
“He?”I raised an eyebrow, my thumb gently wiping away a tear from her cheek.“You think it’s a boy now?”
She shrugged, the blanket slipping from one shoulder with the movement.“Just a feeling.We’ll know soon enough.If we hadn’t had to reschedule my appointment, we’d already know.”
I cupped her face in my hands, struck anew by how beautiful she was, even with reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks.In that moment, I felt something shift inside me, a piece clicking into place that I hadn’t known was missing.This woman, this baby, they were mine to protect, to cherish, to fight for.They were the family I’d never thought I’d have, never thought I deserved.
I leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers in a kiss that started gentle but quickly deepened with need.Her arms wound around my neck, careful of my injured shoulder, her body softening against mine as the last of her tension melted away.I could taste the salt of her tears, could feel the rapid beat of her heart against my chest.We were alive.We were safe.We were together.
When we finally broke apart, both breathless, I kept her close, my forehead resting against hers.Her eyes were clearer now, the fear that had clouded them for so long finally lifted.My fingers threaded through her hair, the soft strands sliding between them as I held her gaze.
“You’re my family now,” I whispered, the words carrying all the weight of a vow.“Nothing will ever change that.Not Tasha, not your past, not mine.Nothing.”
She smiled then, a real smile that reached her eyes and transformed her face.“I love you, Friar,” she said simply, the words all the more powerful for their directness.
“I love you too, church girl,” I replied.“You and this baby both.”
I pulled her back into my arms, arranging us so she was tucked against my side, her head on my shoulder, the blanket wrapped around both of us now.Outside, the world continued turning, the night deepening, stars appearing one by one in the velvet sky.But in here, in this warm circle of light, we had created our own world, our own family, forged in fire and blood but stronger for the trials we’d endured.
Justice had been served tonight.Blood had paid for blood.And now, finally, we could begin to build something new on the foundation that had been cleared of threats and shadows.Something lasting.Something worth protecting at all costs.
Family.
Epilogue
Friar
Roughly Four and a Half Months Later…
I woke to Cheri’s moans and the sting of her nails digging into my arm.My eyes snapped open in the darkness, mind immediately alert despite the heaviness of sleep.The digital clock glowed 3:17 AM, casting a red haze across our bedroom.Another moan, deeper this time, followed by her body tensing beside me.This wasn’t like her nightmares, this was different.This was real.
“Friar,” she gasped, my name breaking on her lips.“I think… I think it’s time.”
I turned the lamp on, harsh light flooding the room.Rain slashed against the windows, transforming the glass into liquid silver.Cheri’s face contorted, a wave of pain washing over her as she clutched her swollen belly.
