“This is for you.”

“It’s been in the closet for months. You’re telling me it was mine all along?”

“Open it,” he urges.

I sit on the couch and pull the ribbon off then flip the lid. After pushing back the tissue paper, I’m met with leather. I slap my hand over my mouth in shock and snap my gaze to Gage. All I can see are the rockers and the club logo, but it says ‘Property of Reaper’. I snatch it out of the box and jump to my feet with a scream. It’s a cut. A property cut. For me. He takes it and helps me into it as his brothers cheer and whistle. I think I hear Chrissy scream, too.

“You want me to be your old lady? You’re claiming me?”

“You’ve always been my old lady, Raven. You claimed me the moment I met you.”

He catches me as I jump into his arms, raining down kisses on his face. He laughs, squeezing me tightly.

“How long have you had this?” I can’t believe he’s had me suffering all this time when all he had to do was pull the box out of the closet.

“It was supposed to be your birthday present. I’ve just been waiting for the right time to give it to you.”

“The tattoo guy…is he going to put me on your back?” I ask eagerly.

“He’s going to put us on my back. The last picture you drew of us.”

“You’re using one of my drawings?”

“Yeah.” He shrugs.

“Then I want it, too. I want your ink.”

“Sure thing, babe.”

Aunt Nita, Chopper, and Ellen show up out of nowhere and hug me one by one.

“Now you’re truly one of us,” Ellen whispers in my ear.

Gage makes another hand signal. Allah stops the music, grabs the mic, and announces, “This one is for our prez and his first lady.”

When Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy” comes on, Gage takes my hand, twirls me around, then tugs me into his arms. I stare up at him in utter shock.

“I thought you didn’t dance?”

“Didn’t say I couldn’t.”

I’m in absolute Heaven as he dances me around the room. How has he hidden this from me for so long? We could have been dancing up a storm! As the song winds down, he pulls me close and stares into my eyes. Allah launches into another song – “#Beautiful” by Mariah Carey and Miguel. I have to blink and shake my head to make sure I’m seeing right, because Gage begins to mouth Miguel’s verse to me. He swipes a tear from my cheek and I realize I’m crying. This is way more than his usual brand of sweet. I don’t know if I can handle this level.

“I need to tell you something.”

“What?” I ask, wondering if my heart can take anything else tonight.

“I love you.”

“What?” I exclaim. Did he just say what I think he said?

“You heard me. I love you, Raven Selena Alvarez.”

That’s it. I’m done. Down for the count. He loves me. Not only that, but he said it.

“Why?” I ask, even after hearing the three words I’ve longed for. He said he doesn’t know what love is. What’s changed?

“Why not? You’re Princess Charming,” he smirks.

“Be serious.”

He chuckles as I smack him on the chest but it’s short-lived. The mirth disappears from his face and he cups my cheek, stroking it with his thumb.

“Because…you fit. You dove into my life head first, into a world you knew nothing about. You accepted me. All of me. No judgment. You just…” he shakes his head in disbelief. “Loved me. Even when I thought I didn’t know what love was. You’ve opened my eyes to a future I never thought possible…and I can’t wait to share it with you.”

“Oh, Gage…” I sniffle, trying to hold back my tears. Impossible, I know, but I think I just fell a little more in love with him. I definitely hope I see more of this side of him. He leans in and kisses my lips gently, before his hand slithers across my thigh and squeezes my mound through my jeans.

“Your tight pussy didn’t hurt either,” he whispers.

Yeah. There’s the Gage I know. Giggling, I wrap my arms around his neck, and pull him down so his forehead rests on mine.

“Gage Harley Hunter…I love you, too.”

EPILOGUE

***Raven***

“Are you pregnant yet?”

I roll my eyes, and Ellen snickers. “No, Chopper. Not since you asked yesterday.”

His brows furrow in concern. “Maybe we should get you two checked out, see if everything’s okay.”

“Jesus, Pop,” Gage grumbles as he walks into the bar. “Give us a break.”

He drops down next to me on the couch and snatches Mikey off my lap.

“It’s been three months,” Chopper persists. “I knocked up your mother in the first month.”

“Everyone’s different,” I explain. “It’s just taking a little longer for us.”

Ellen removes herself from the situation, going to sit next to Dr. E at the bar. Traitor.

“I still say you should get checked out. How often have you been having sex?”

“¡Dios!”

“Pop.” Gage gives him a warning glare, but he doesn’t back down.

“I need some more grandbabies. Make it happen, boy.”

After issuing that order, he takes Mikey and leaves us alone. Gage sighs and curls his arm around my shoulder.

“Still love me?”

“More than ever,” I answer.

“Even with my crazy-ass family?”

“I love them, too.”

He takes my hand, pulls something from his pocket and begins fiddling with my charm bracelet. When he’s done, I see he’s added a new charm – a heart.

“Love you, babe.”

He’s still not comfortable saying it, but he shows me every day by doing small things like this. It only makes me fall impossibly deeper in love with him. “I love you, too.”

He leans in and trails his nose along my neck. A shiver runs down my spine and I seriously want to drag him back to his room, even though we made love before we came here. We moved into the house two months ago and have definitely been utilizing the sex room, despite what Chopper thinks. I have to say, my life has been pretty awesome. I’ve enrolled in an online art program and it’s going great. Lonnie moved back to Miami and we exchange texts every now and again. Our relationship isn’t mended but we’re working on it. Things with Laurelyn are much better, too. I still think about Deena, what she did to me…what I did to her. I still don’t regret it but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t affected me. Gage is an immense help in that regard. I mean, he is the Grim Reaper.

Ace was pissed beyond words about his guys. Even without my testimony, we had the surveillance video from the mall so that pacified him a bit. Gage handed over the men’s bodies to him and they ended up making some kind of business deal he won’t tell me about. I’d bet the Dealers are getting the better end of it though.

“Do you have to go to Miami?” Gage grumbles.

“I promised Dani I would.”

“Have them come here. The house is big enough.”

He slides his hand up my leg, making me giggle as he licks my neck. “It’s just a week, fiend. You’ll survive.”

“No, I won’t.”

He blows in my ear as his hand moves farther up my leg, and I lose it. I grab his hand and drag him to the bedroom.

“Now who’s the fiend?” he teases.

“Shut up. The only thing I want to hear from you right now is how good I taste.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckles.

I throw the door open and freeze in my tracks. The room is covered in rose petals, candles flickering on every surface. What the fuck? I step inside, looking around in shocked curiosity.

“What’s going –?”

I turn around and the sight before me makes me forget the rest of what I was going to ask. Gage is on one knee, presenting me with a diamond ring glistening from a jewelry box. I begin to hyperventilate, pressing my hand to my sternum.

“Marry me,” he says simply. No speech, no professions of love, not even a question, really.

I approach him carefully, watching as he removes the ring from the box. He takes my hand, slips it on, and smiles up at me.

“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?”