Asa

by Jay Crownover

  I untangled one of my hands from her hair and put a finger under her chin so that she couldn’t look away from me. “You want to get married, Royal?”

  She rolled her eyes at me like that was the stupidest question I could ever ask. “Yeah. Eventually.”

  I nodded at her and leaned forward so I could kiss her lightly. “Then eventually we’ll get married.”

  She gasped and her mouth fell open in a rather comical way. I pulled her closer so that I could whisper into her ear, “You wanna have my babies?”

  She shivered against me as my hands drifted up along her bare thighs under the hem of my shirt. “Absolutely.” She breathed the word into my neck as she fell forward to hold me closer.

  “You let me know when you’re ready for that to start and I’m on board.” She would be an amazing mom, and while my skills and ability to parent were probably questionable at best, I would figure it out. Because having a family with this fascinating, fun, wonderful woman wasn’t something I was ever going to miss out on.

  My hands brushed up against warm, naked skin that was already damp and ready for whatever I wanted to do with her. She lifted a mischievous eyebrow at me and leaned back from where she was nuzzling on my neck so that she could get her hands between us in order to work on my belt.

  “Were you planning on giving the neighbors a show?” I couldn’t help the humor that laced my voice as she set my hardness free and ran her hand up and down the length.

  “I left the lights off for a reason.” She smiled at me, and my entire world was in that tiny gesture.

  I grunted in response because she wiggled herself up over my straining erection and then slid down so that I was sheathed tightly inside her welcoming and pulsing body. At this angle I could feel the way her body had to stretch to accommodate me. It made my eyes twitch in pleasure. I used the hand that had been stroking her inner thigh and playing with the tender places that led to where we were joined to slip between her slippery folds and find her sensitive little spot of desire.

  She said my name on a moan and started to move on top of me. We were still mostly clothed; all any nosy neighbor would see if they bothered to investigate was a flash of her spectacular rear end every time she lifted and fell as she rode me hard. She curled an arm around my shoulders and leaned forward so that our heads were pressed together. Every time she panted I tasted it across my lips. Every time I growled in satisfaction at her she breathed it in. I teased her clit ruthlessly as she ground into me, as her body sucked and pulled on mine with greedy motions. She was beautiful. The way she worked me over was beautiful, and when she came with my name on her lips and my hand coated in her passion, it was so fucking beautiful it pushed me over the edge and I followed right behind her.

  We panted together and tried to catch our breath as I moved my hand to curl around her naked butt. She rubbed her cheek against mine and sighed as she told me, “I live for these moments with you, Asa.”

  I picked her up and carried her inside our house, our home, and thought that Ayden had been right. When you allowed yourself to love and be loved, that was when life really started. I might have come back from the dead once, but I hadn’t started living until I let myself love Royal.

  *

  “Cora told me I have always been her hero, so I needed to look like one on our wedding day.” Rome grumbled the response when I asked him how it felt to be in his dress uniform after being out of the army for so long.

  We were all standing at the back of the church waiting for this shindig to get started. I think everyone had been a little surprised that Cora wanted to go such a traditional route with her wedding, but according to Rome, his little pixie had always wanted the fairy tale and he was more than willing to give it to her.

  At first I had been stunned when he asked me to stand up with him. Of course Cora wanted Royal as a bridesmaid, so it made sense that I would be the one to walk her down the aisle. Rome had given me one of his somber looks and informed me that I belonged up there next to him just as much as Rule, Jet, Nash, and Rowdy did, and how could I argue with that?

  Shaw and Ayden were trying to keep RJ entertained so that she didn’t shove fistfuls of flower petals into her mouth while she waited for her very important duties as flower girl to start. The adorable, blond toddler was far more interested in making a mess with the rose petals than she was in whatever the women were doing to distract her. She kept looking up at Rome with a big toothy grin and asking him if it was time to get married. The big man just smiled back at his precious little girl and told her, “Almost.”

  Cora and Rome had welcomed a healthy baby boy only a few months prior. They had also broken the trend and skipped not only the letter R for the first name but also the C. Baby Zowen was sleeping soundly with Rome’s mom and dad while his cousin watched over him carefully. Shaw and Rule’s baby boy was just a little over a year old and he was fascinated by his infant cousin. Shaw insisted that the older the little boy got, the more and more his personality was making itself known. He wasn’t wild and rebellious like Rule, nor was he mellow and introspective like her. She swore that each day that passed he reminded her more and more of Uncle Remy, and I think everyone in the Archer clan liked that assessment just fine. The baby was sweet, always had a smile or a giggle ready, and seemed content just to bask in his parents’ love, and it made Shaw laugh every time she mentioned how much of a daddy’s boy he was. Ry and Rule were the best of friends, and even now Rule was sticking his shaved head out of the back of the church to where all the guests were congregated to see how his son was doing.

  Ayden groaned as she righted herself back up and walked over to me. My sister was always beautiful, but there was something about her being pregnant that made her out-of-this-world stunning. There was a softness about her that had never been present before and it looked really good on her. She walked over and looped her arm through mine. She just grinned at me when I put a hand on her protruding belly.

  “Are you ready to do this?”

  I lifted an eyebrow at her because she was looking at Royal where she had her head bent close to Saint’s as the two of them chatted about something quietly. “Do you mean today or am I ready to do this with her?”

  She put her free hand on top of mine on her belly and looked up at me. “Both.”

  I was walking her down the aisle as well as Royal since Jet was singing Madness’s “It Must Be Love” while Cora walked to the altar.

  “I’m ready for both.”

  She smiled at me and it made happiness bloom inside of me. For two kids from the wrong side of the tracks we really had managed to luck out and end up on the other side of things in a spectacular fashion.

  “Is everyone ready?” Brite was officiating at the ceremony, so when he asked the question everyone snapped to attention like a bunch of good little soldiers as he and Rome headed to the front of the church.

  When the music started up, Rule and Shaw clasped hands and started down the aisle toward his brother. No one was shocked when they only made it halfway down before he stopped and pulled his pretty blond wife in for a kiss. It made everyone sigh. Nash and Saint went next, the rock on her finger gleaming almost as bright as the smile on her face when she gazed up into those purple eyes, and the two of them glided elegantly down the aisle. Rowdy and Salem went next, both of them looking far too cool for the traditional black tuxes we wore and the simple off-the-shoulder black bridesmaid dresses Cora had picked out. Salem just laughed when, instead of holding her hand and walking down the aisle side by side, Rowdy pulled her in front of him, put his hands across her still-flat stomach, and walked her down the decorated church that way instead.

  Royal appeared at my other side and hooked her arm through my free one. She winked at Ayden, then lifted up on her toes so that she could kiss me on the cheek.

  “Our turn.”

  And here it was. This moment. A moment that would seem so simple, so insignificant and irrelevant to some, and yet it was everything to me. This moment
was my life coming full circle, and if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would’ve missed it and all the wonderful things that it was full of. Friends. Family. Love. Togetherness.

  I took the two most important people in the world to me to the front of the church. I didn’t miss the pride in Rome’s eyes or the approval in Brite’s when I took my place next to the men that had saved me from myself.

  It was RJ’s turn, and even with Sayer at the back of the church to give her a little nudge, the little girl didn’t look like she wanted to move now that all eyes were on her. I saw her bottom lip start to tremble and Rome must have seen it, too. He took a few steps away from the altar so that she could see him. He held one of his hands out to her and Remy’s eyes locked on her father and suddenly she was fine. A smile split her face and she marched down the aisle throwing the flowers like she had been born to be a flower girl. Rome tossed his head back in laughter as Remy stopped about halfway down and did a little ballet twirl just for dramatic effect. She forgot all about the flowers after that and ran the rest of the way to Rome, who hefted her up, making her squeal in delight. He put a smacking kiss on the little girl’s cheek and walked back to his place in front of Brite.

  Jet started to sing and Cora appeared at the back of the church with her father. Joe was also in his dress uniform from the navy, which made the fact that his daughter was in a flouncy, puffy, light pink wedding dress even more noticeable. Of course there would be no white wedding for the punk-rock pixie. It was like the entire church took a collective breath and let it out as the two of them made their way to the front of the church. Rome couldn’t take his eyes off the woman that had helped him slay all his dragons. RJ kept clapping her hands and saying, “Mommy is pretty.” She sure was. Cora’s multicolored eyes gleamed with unshed tears as she slowly made her way toward her waiting family … all of us.

  When Joe handed Cora over to Rome, Rule broke the emotional silence with a loudly whispered, “It’s about damn time,” which had the entire church laughing. Jet stopped by to give Ayden a quick peck on the cheek and to pat her very round belly before taking his place next to me. We shared a look and I just nodded my head. I had had to do some serious work to earn my place up here next to these men, next to the man that loved my sister when I didn’t know how. I would never forget it.

  We all had marks, some physical, some emotional, some that would never leave us, and many of those marks were of our own making as we all tried to get to the place we were supposed to be. Our marks defined us, separated us, and made us the men we were today. One fact that none of us up here on this altar could dispute was that the most important mark, the most lasting marks we would all carry with us, came from falling in love with the remarkable women that stood across from us.

  We were marked and had been marked in unforgettable and forever ways. We were all better men for it. Marked men. None of us would have it any other way.

  Asa and Royal’s Playlist

  So this was a tricky one. Asa is all over the map, so the musical choices that reflect his personality are, too, and I really pictured Royal as upbeat and bubbly, so I knew she needed a pop sound track—which I absolutely don’t listen to. So the compromise was that I gave her all old pop songs that were popular when I was younger and can remember hearing on the radio. These choices are silly, catchy, and fun, which fits her personality, but definitely are not the fare that’s on the radio today. (Though I do have a secret affinity for Eminem. Don’t tell anyone!) This is an interesting one, but it fits and I think it’s a good one to say good-bye on …

  Tom Petty, “You Got Lucky,” “Even the Losers”

  Shooter Jennings, “A Hard Lesson to Learn”

  Diamond Rugs, “Blue Mountains”

  Britney Spears, “Toxic”

  Whiskeytown, “The Battle and the War”

  U2, “With or Without You”

  Jason Isbell, “Streetlights”

  Raconteurs, “Salute Your Solution”

  Funeral Party, “Finale”

  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Devil’s Waitin’”

  One Direction, “Better Than Words”

  Justin Timberlake, “SexyBack”

  P!nk, “Trouble”

  Eagles of Death Metal, “I Want You So Hard”

  George Thorogood, “Who Do You Love?”

  Them Crooked Vultures, “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I”

  The Killers, “All These Things That I’ve Done”

  The Duke Spirit, “Love Is an Unfamiliar Name”

  Christina Aguilera, “Dirrty”

  Guns N’ Roses, “Civil War”

  Eminem, “Berzerk”

  American Aquarium, “Northern Lights”

  Band of Horses, “The Funeral”

  Slobberbone, “To Love Somebody”

  Black Angels, “You’re Mine,” “Love Me Forever”

  Sea Wolf, “O Maria!”

  Morningwood, “Best of Me”

  Madness, “It Must Be Love”

  AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Before I get into my regular acknowledgments it occurred to me that I need to take a minute and holler at the other authors that have helped me navigate this crazy journey to get the Marked Men into the world. Writing is a joy and a passion but it is also a job, a job with the world’s greatest perks and benefits no doubt. It’s also a job that has some pretty crazy ups and downs and over the last few years there is a good chance I would have ended up quitting or in a strait jacket if it weren’t for these wonderful and extremely talented ladies:

  Jennifer Armentrout is my hero. I want to be her when I grow up and I’ll make book babies with her any day.

  Cora Carmack always makes me laugh. It’s good to remember this is supposed to be fun and she never lets me forget it.

  Sophie Jordan is the master of reinvention. She is genius and has so many voices and ideas. She is the prime example of how to always grow, always challenge yourself and to never be scared of something new.

  Tiffany King is prolly the nicest human being alive. She showcases how easy and effortless it is to support instead of compete. I just love her and her entire outlook on life.

  Kristen Proby is a class act. I love her to death and honestly she is the perfect author to showcase how to conduct yourself professionally and thoughtfully in this business and in life. We are an odd pair but I’m so glad she loves me back.

  Lisa Desrochers was the first author to tell me that I had something special working for me. She was so kind and so excited for me it was infectious. She’s brilliant and her take on romance is so fresh and different it’s hard not to admire everything that sets her apart.

  KA Tucker is an agency sister and an amazing author, seriously the woman gives me word envy all the time. Every time I read one of her books it makes me want to be a better writer. Plus she’s just a doll and every time I’m in the same room with her I just want to hug her face off.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Of course, since this is the end of the series, I have to thank, first and foremost, all the amazing readers who embraced it and loved it as much as I did. Would there have been more after Rule without you guys? I can’t honestly answer that question with a yes. I love how my misfits found a place in your hearts and so did their misfit creator. I wouldn’t push to do better without you guys. I wouldn’t give of myself so fully with each book I write if I had never promised not to let you guys down. Being able to share my loves and my passions with so many people over and over again has really been a blessing.

  Never doubt that the most important thing to authors is their readers. We want to thrill you. We want you to fall in love. We want to surprise you. We want to shock you. We want to make you angry. We want you to be blown away. We want you to stick with us while we try something new. But more than any of those things, we want to thank you for giving us a platform from which to let these stories shine.

  So thank you and a million different thanks for a million different things.

  The sam
e goes for the bloggers who have had a hand in getting the boys out into the world. I appreciate those of you who have followed my career—through this series and, more importantly, beyond it. I know that being a blogger can be thankless, but please know that I am thankful for your support and promotion every step of the way. Hell, if it wasn’t for bloggers, I wouldn’t have had Karen, Michelle, and Rosette to help me navigate my first blog tour or promotional blitz. I wouldn’t have had Denise to tell me, “Hey, you need to make a Facebook and a Twitter.” I wouldn’t have had Mel around to say, “You need a fan page and I’ll help you run it,” or Mich in all her Kiwi glory to be like “You’re gonna be a star and I want to interview you even if no one knows who you are,” and Lisa being all “Let’s do a character interview—oh, you don’t know what that is, I’ll walk you through it.” Plus, most of the events I come out to see you guys at are spearheaded by passionate bloggers. You are all so important to sharing the love of books with the world that I can’t stress my gratitude for what you do enough. I always say I won’t name-drop because I value all the bloggers who have been there for me along the way equally. But for those of you who have been on board from day one … I especially thank you for believing in me and having faith in me being more than a flash in the pan. It matters so much to me.

  Getting Asa wrapped up took a lot of work. He was a complicated guy with a difficult past, and getting him to a place where he understood that he deserved not only love but to be a better man took work. He really undid me and I wanted to make sure that he not only got the story he deserved but so did the rest of the gang. I absolutely couldn’t have gotten him there without Vilma Gonzales (my book spirit animal) and Denise Tung (my story sensei). I needed both of them to make this the best story possible and guide me in the right direction when I was lost. Reaching the end of this series gives me goose bumps. Instead of feeling sad that it’s over, I feel like I really did what needed to be done to have everyone be where they were supposed to be. Now all I am is excited to move on to the next thing. I’ve made many an important, valuable, interesting, and wonderful book friend along this journey. These two ladies rank at the top of that list. I have all the love in the world—and then more—for both of them.