“Aw, come on, Pip. Give me a hug,” Tiny encouraged, lumbering toward me.

“Tiny, stand down,” I ordered, retreating.

“A little one?” Tiny asked.

“Fuck off,” I snapped.

He lifted his hand with his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “A teeny, eeny, one?”

Jesus.

I put my hands to the massive wall of his chest and pushed. “Fuck off, Tiny, or I’ll shoot you.”

His hand shot out, curled around my neck and his face was suddenly all I could see. “I’ll miss you, girl.”

As fast as it happened, he turned and lumbered away.

Live caught my eyes and tipped up his chin before he looked away, swallowed and jerked his chin up again at the bartender to order another beer.

My eyes slid through the guys and I got more looks, chin lifts and then they turned away.

They were all going to miss me.

I felt a lump form in my throat.

“Go home,” Rhash said quietly from beside me and I looked up with him.

“Right.”

He held my eyes.

I lifted a hand and placed it on his chest.

“Quality, Pip,” Rhash was still talking quietly, “you are pure quality.”

I pressed my lips together, pressed my hand in his chest and jerked up my chin.

Then, before I lost it, I said not a word, turned on my boot and left.

As I was walking to my girl in the parking lot, I saw it.

A shiny, black Aston Martin.

My lungs started burning.

For over a week, Knight hadn’t returned my calls. At first, this was unsurprising. It happened often, he was a busy guy. Then it got kind of annoying.

Then it hurt.

He knew Creed took off a few days ago to get back to life in Phoenix and prepare for me to join him there.

He knew I didn’t like to be separated from Creed.

He knew that tomorrow, I was climbing in my ‘Vette and driving away from Denver and everything that meant whole worlds to me.

Including him.

Now he was standing in the dark, h*ps against his superior, high performance vehicle and I knew his eyes were on me.

I started to move toward him but saw his head in the streetlamp shake once and I stopped dead.

We stood there staring at each other through the lights illuminating the parking lot and we did this for some time.

Finally, Knight pushed away from his car, turned and opened the door.

He was beginning to fold his long body inside when I shouted, “Bottom of my soul!”

I heard his door slam, the car purred to life and then he shot around in a tight circle, stopped with the driver’s door beside me, his window down.

He looked out and said softly, “Bottom of mine, Sylvie.”

Then the window whirled up and he purred away.

Total badass.

Total cool.

Totally f**king sweet.

I went to my girl, opened her up, slid in and rested my forehead on the steering wheel.

Creed had wanted to come up, be with me while I said my good-byes, ride with me on the way down. I told him he needed to get back to his life, his kids and I wouldn’t be far behind but I would be okay without him.

I was wrong.

I sucked in breath, lifted my head, started her up and headed to Charlene’s were I was sleeping on the couch because my house was empty.

* * * * *

The next day, early…

I stood in the back room of my house, Adam leaned heavily into my side.

I hated my house.

I loved this room.

I had Creed for the second time in this room (and a few other times too).

I saw his tat for the first time in this room.

And right then, I was standing with a little boy I loved so much it hurt leaning into my side in this room.

I put my hand on his head and slid it down his hair to curl around the back of his neck.

“Is Gunny okay?” he asked the room.

“Yeah, baby. Tucker said she made the trip just fine in his truck,” I replied.

He looked up at me. “Mom says you’re gonna come to visit us at Grandma’s.”

I nodded. “I absolutely am.”

“Will you make me Cocoa Puffs?” he asked.

“Yep,” I answered.

“Will Tucker bring donuts?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” I answered.

He grinned. “Good.”

“Good,” I whispered, sliding my hand to his cheek.

He tipped his head to the side and asked, weirdly, “Sylvie, do you know what love is?”

I stared into his face and answered softly, “I do, Adam. I absolutely do.”

He stared into mine and replied just as softly. “I do, too.”

That was when I knew.

I knew.

I had to lose Creed and endure Richard so I could have Adam.

And Knight.

And Charlene, Leslie, Theo, Ron, Rhash, Live and everybody.

So that was also when I knew…

It so totally sucked.

But it was worth it.

* * * * *

Sixteen hours later…

I barely got one wheel over the curb in my turn into Creed’s drive before I saw his garage door go up.

The Expedition was to one side in the garage. The sedan was parked out in the drive. Creed was walking out the door that led to the kitchen.

My heart skipped.

I rolled my baby in, turned her off and exited, a stray candy bar wrapper falling to the cement of Creed’s garage floor.

I’d pick it up later (maybe).

That was my last thought before my feet left the ground, an arm around my waist holding me close, a hand shoved into the back of my hair pulling my face down and Creed kissed me.

I slid my arms around his shoulders and kissed him back.

We did this a while.

When we stopped, I opened my eyes and looked into his blue ones just as he said gently, “Welcome home, beautiful.”

Home.

I smiled.

* * * * *

Two minutes later…

Hand in hand, Creed walked me through the dark house into his bedroom.

One light was on at Creed’s nightstand and, at what it illuminated, I stopped dead.

Holy shit.

Holy shit!

“How’s that for hearts and flowers?” Creed murmured and I tore my eyes away from his huge bed that looked entirely covered in deep red, velvety soft rose petals to tip my head back and look at Creed.

I opened my mouth.

I closed it.

I opened it again.

I closed it.

“Fuck me, she’s speechless,” he kept murmuring as he grinned down at me.