“In that case. Say yes.”
His gaze searched mine, his features turning brittle and sharp with his desire to come. “You put me through hell because I love you so fucking much, and I put you through hell because I come with baggage. But I’m willing to fight together, Elle. Are you?”
His hands found my hair again, holding me in place as he undid me with desperate kisses. “Marry me. Goddammit, Elle.”
He thrust into me, switching the spark for annihilation.
I threw my head back and screamed as my body waked around his. My pussy fisted his cock, and every orgasm bubble popped down my legs.
His black chuckle brought me back to earth where he chased me off the cliff.
His fingertips brushed across my cheek. “Fuck, I love watching you come.” He drove deeper into me. “It makes me so hard.” Thrust. “I can’t fucking control myself.” Plunge. “Christ, Elle.” His wickedly sexy mouth brushed over mine, feeding me his growl as the splashes of his cum filled me.
His eyes snapped closed as his body jerked.
Holding him while he came down from his high, keeping him safe, threading our lives into one, I murmured, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Nameless.”
Epilogue
Penn
SIX MONTHS OF fucking heaven.
Six months of waking up with Elle in my arms.
Six months of being hissed at by Sage for crowding Elle on the couch at night after a long day at work.
Six months of working out of an office at Belle Elle, running my charity, and trading the penny stocks I’d become so fond of.
Six wonderfully happy months where Elle’s father welcomed me wholeheartedly into the family, Larry finalized the adoption on Stewie, and life settled into a full, joyful world rather than an empty, lonely one.
A few months ago, I’d taken Elle to Fishkill to see Gio.
At the start, she’d been cold and standoffish—which I understood seeing as the last time she’d seen him he’d been yelling abuse and physically hurting her.
But just like Larry always said, ‘Thieves can become saints. Saints can become thieves. Most of us deserve a second chance.’ Gio had changed. We’d celebrated with him over the phone when Stewie’s adoption finally came through and he no longer carried hate caused by being in Sean’s pocket.
He’d started a building course in prison, and in four years’ time—when he was due to be released—he’d be a fully-fledged carpenter ready to trade a skill for money.
We’d already arranged he’d work for me building shelters and renovating apartments for those in need. He’d never be homeless again and had a readymade family who knew how to forgive and help rather than judge and ridicule.
The reporters never fully went away.
Arnold Twig ensured their tattletales and slander were given new details. Larry fought for me in another trial—this one with only judges presiding, not a jury. The evidence had three overseers, not just one.
I had the opportunity to stand and reveal everything that I’d endured. I looked Arnold Twig in the eye and buried him under details, evidence, and the long years I’d served incorrectly.
I was no longer a kid and afraid of him.
He was afraid of me.
And despite Arnold’s rebuttal and lies, even marching Sean in front of the public as the perfect role model, the newspapers actually did a good turn for once and uncovered Sean’s old juvie record for deliberately maiming a local dog.
That scrap of juicy detail encouraged more reporters to dig into the not-so-innocent world of Sean Twig.
Slowly, women came forward to issue statements that they’d been touched inappropriately at school and been sworn to secrecy by him. Even a female teacher swore under oath that Sean had raped her on the last day of senior year.
She hadn’t reported it because she was afraid she’d be the one prosecuted for a teacher sleeping with a student.
The day Sean was officially arrested for more crimes than I could ever have done, Arnold Twig lost his position as chief of police and was detained, just like his son. His bail was set high enough that it would’ve hurt him in the wallet as well as his livelihood.
Despite knowing both would be sentenced for their crimes and would spend years paying for what they’d done to me, vengeance wasn’t entirely sweet. It felt as if they got off too easy. That evil had won in some small way.
At least, I had one small victory. Sean had been sentenced last week. Due to the multiple charges and heinous felonies he’d committed, he earned twenty years with no chance of parole.
Hopefully, in another few months, Larry would have a verdict, Arnold Twig would be sentenced, and my records would be expunged forever.
That would be the day Elle and I would agree to an interview by the press constantly hounding us for our tale. That day I would be vindicated, and I’d tell the world everything. Finally proud enough and untainted by lies to stand beside Elle, not as a thieving shadow on her empire, but as her equal.
I couldn’t wait.
All our loose ends were tying up neatly.
Greg finally went to trial, and Elle testified. However, our happiness meant she struggled to hold onto ill will, especially after seeing how changed Gio was. She hoped the same would happen to Greg.
She told the truth in court, the chains and cuffs that David had saved as evidence were revealed, the bank statements purchasing a second car, the diamond engagement ring he’d forced on her—every shred of premeditation Greg had done.
The jury oohed and aahed over her treatment. They glared at Greg and plotted his punishment even before the trial concluded.
Elle had full opportunity to push for a harsher sentence when the judge asked her what she wanted to see happen. However, she didn’t get nasty. She didn’t glower or beg for a harsh sentence.
She merely stated the facts and left—leaving the verdict up to the court.
It wasn’t until a few weeks later, after he was sentenced to eight years, two months—which I thought was exceedingly short—a large donation in Greg’s name appeared in my charity’s bank account.
That night, Elle told me about the deal she’d made with Greg to give him twenty million for my freedom.
She’d paid him, as she was loyal to her bargains.
But the more she became involved with projects around town and traded Belle Elle’s glitzy hallways for canvas tents and soup kitchens—helping those like me—she decided the bribery could be better used elsewhere.
Greg had done something unforgivable, and Elle took it into her own hands to make him redeemable. Fearing it would reflect badly on her character, she didn’t take it all. But she did transfer seventeen million from his name into the charity’s, leaving him with only three.
Only three.
It was a lot more than he fucking deserved.
The reporters noticed, as all charity donations had to be logged with the record service, and in the end, Elle’s final zing at Greg turned out to paint his misdemeanors in a better light.
Who knew? Maybe she set him on a righteous path. He was interviewed and written about as the most generous criminal in history—not an idiot who was greedy.
At least, his father, Steve, had peace of mind. His son wasn’t all bad. Belle Elle avoided more scandal about an attempted rapist who’d worked in their ranks for years. And I fell more in fucking love with the woman who was mine.
In a twist of fate, Sean was put into the same prison population as Greg and from rumors supplied to us thanks to Gio, Greg had earned his fair share of karma.
Unable to get to me, Sean took his frustration out on Greg. A broken arm and few other prison scuffles occurred. As much as I hated Sean for using me as his scape goat, I was kind of glad that Greg hadn’t gotten off completely scot-free.
He’d suffered some bodily pain for what he’d done to Elle.
It was fitting.
Our fake engagement turned real engagement was celebrated only by the special people we invited. We
kept it small, understated, but the ring I bought her was anything but.
The diamond glittered with rubies on either side, perfectly elegant and locked on her finger for eternity.
Her sapphire star necklace was fixed from Gio ripping the chain off her neck, and it hung in our walk-in wardrobe like a talisman, reminding us to keep fighting, because sometimes, even the bad guys turned out to be the good ones.
Without Gio and Sean, I might never have heard Elle scream and never have ventured into the alley to save the day. She would’ve walked around New York and returned to her tower, never knowing I existed.
The tragedy of that never failed to steal my breath at the thought of growing old without her by my side.
Her apartment had become my apartment when we moved into together two days after I was freed from jail. With me not living in my building, builders were free to move in, tear out stairs, rip out kitchens, and blitz the entire building in one go rather than piece by piece.
It was finished two months before I’d hoped, ready for new low-income renters who needed a break.
Everything we’d endured and survived had finally given us the benefit of the doubt.
We’d been tested to see if we deserved the greatest gift of all.
And luckily, we’d been found worthy.
Elle was my happily ever after.
And I was hers.
And who knew? Maybe in the future, we’d give her father and Larry what they wanted and deliver a new Belle Elle heir or heiress.
But for now...she was mine. I was hers, and we were having far too much fun practicing.
Speaking of which.
Elle padded out of the bathroom with a towel on her head and another wrapped around her stunning body. Sage trotted by her heels as she always did when it was dinnertime.
I stayed where I was on the couch, flicking through a magazine on investment opportunities in Africa.
I waited until Elle gave the gray feline her ration of freshly cooked chicken then watched as she unwound her long blonde hair and tossed it over her shoulder.
Hoisting the towel higher around her breasts, she moved back toward the bedroom to continue dressing for the charity gala I was hosting with Larry.
I already wore the gold tux that was this evening’s color of choice.
Elle had yet to dress.
Checking my watch, I cracked a smile.
I was the host. I shouldn’t be late.
But I had a fiancée who was too delectable.
Tossing the magazine away, I followed her into the bedroom, grabbed her wrist, and spun her around. I yanked at the towel.
“Hey.” She swatted me as the fabric tumbled to the floor. Her eyes glittered; her love that I’d never get used to or tired of seeing shone so damn bright. “If you kiss me, who knows how long we’ll be.”
I smirked. “I plan on doing a lot more than just kissing you, Elle.” Biting her ear, I growled, “Get on the bed.”
With a grin, she obeyed instantly, spreading her legs, acting coy and shy all at once.
The perfect woman.
My perfect woman.
Undoing my belt, I fell to my knees to worship her.
We’d get to the charity event.
Eventually.
In the meantime, we’d be together.
Just us.
We’d love. We’d argue. We’d protect. We’d evolve.
We were a family.
And that was all that fucking mattered.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to thank my beta readers for their tireless energy on helping me get this book out in time. Melissa, Amy, Yaya, Vickie, Melissa, and Tamicka. There is no way in hell I would’ve been able to do this without you. Same with every book I write. I’m honored to have you in my corner and hope you never leave me.
Thank you so much to all the bloggers and reviewers who helped spread the word about this duet and for all your mega support throughout the years. Again, I hope you never leave me because I could never do this without you.
Thank you to my international publishers who have taken my work and translated it into so many exotic, wonderful languages.
Thank you to Kylie and Eric for recording the audio so fast and so brilliantly.
Thank you to my long suffering husband who didn’t like me working such long hours on this book (he got lonely). I think February 2017 will go down in history for the most hours worked versus lack of sleep. I know I’m going to coma and wonder what a day off is once I press publish.
I hate acknowledgements as I know I’m going to forget someone (hence why some of my books have them, and some don’t). So thank you to everyone who I talk to on a regular basis online. Thank you to fellow authors for their wisdom and insight, and thank you to the friends I’ve made off-line who keep me sane with a horse ride or two.
You all mean so much to me.
Until the next book, be safe and kind and once again, THANK YOU.
OTHER WORK BY PEPPER WINTERS
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today International Bestseller.
All Pepper’s books are available in e-book, paperback, & audio.
DARK ROMANCE
New York Times Bestseller ‘Monsters in the Dark’ Trilogy
“Voted Best Dark Romance, Best Dark Hero, #1 Erotic Romance”
Start the Trilogy with
Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) CLICK TO BUY
Multiple New York Times Bestseller ‘Indebted’ Series
“Voted Vintagely Dark & Delicious. A true twist on Romeo & Juliet”
Start the Series FREE with
Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) CLICK TO BUY
GRAY ROMANCE
USA Today Bestseller ‘Destroyed’ CLICK TO BUY
“Voted Best Tear-Jerker, #1 Romantic Suspense”
SURVIVAL CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
USA Today Bestseller ‘Unseen Messages’ CLICK TO BUY
“Voted Best Epic Survival Romance 2016, Castaway meets The Notebook”
MOTORCYCLE CLUB ROMANCE
Multiple USA Today Bestseller ‘Pure Corruption’ Duology
“Sinful & Suspenseful, an Amnesia Tale full of Alphas and Heart”
Start the Duology with:
Ruin & Rule (Pure Corruption #1) CLICK TO BUY
SINFUL ROMANCE
Multiple USA Today Bestseller ‘Dollar’ Series
“Elder Prest will steal your heart. A captive love-story with salvation at its core.”
Start this series for only 99c with
Pennies (Dollar Series #1) CLICK TO BUY
EROTIC ROMANCE
Brand New Release ‘Truth & Lies’ Duet
Start this duet with
Crown of Lies (Truth & Lies #1) CLICK TO BUY
ROMANTIC COMEDY written as TESS HUNTER
#1 Romantic Comedy Bestseller ‘Can’t Touch This’ CLICK TO BUY
“Voted Best Rom Com of 2016. Pets, love, and chemistry.”
UPCOMING RELEASES
For 2017 and beyond titles please CLICK HERE
RELEASE DAY ALERTS, SNEAK PEEKS, & NEWSLETTER
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SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE
Facebook: Peppers Books
Instagram: @Pepperwinters
Facebook Group: Peppers Playgound
Website: www.pepperwinters.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. With 19 books currently published, she has hit the bestseller charts twenty-seven times in three years.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption
Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette. She signed with Trident Media and her books have sold in multiple languages and audio around the world.
On a personal note, Pepper has recently returned to horse riding after a sixteen year break and now owns a magnificent black gelding called Sonny. He’s an ex-pacer standardbred who has been retrained into a happy hacking, dressage, and show jumping pony. If she’s not writing, she’s riding.
The other man in her life is her best-friend and hubby who she fell in love with at first sight. He never proposed and they ended up married as part of a bet, but after eleven years and countless adventures and fun, she’s a sucker for romance as she lives the fairy-tale herself.
For more information on Pepper and her work please follow:
Facebook: Peppers Books
Instagram: @Pepperwinters
Facebook Group: Peppers Playgound
Website: www.pepperwinters.com
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