by Brynn Hale
“It’s the best I could do,” Landon says, and I lean and place a soft kiss to his lips.
“Thank you.”
“Make a wish.”
And so I do. It’s a big one, but I’m hoping that the Universe understands that I’m due for one to come true. I “blow” out the candle—turn it off. And we take turns feeding each other bites of cookie.
It feels nice, but I can feel the tension rising in our movements. We’re anticipating what’s to come.
Back in Austin, Landon drives me back to the townhome.
Outside of the car, he shakes his head. “This isn’t how this was supposed to go, but I can’t leave my…”
“It’s obvious that they are your family.” I straighten my back. “Maybe it’s just too late for me to be a part of your life, and I’m going to have to be okay with that.”
“But I’m not okay with that.”
“Then you go do what you have to, and the rest is up to you.”
He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple rising and falling slowly. “I love you, Luna.” His forehead presses to mine.
“I’ll always love you, Landon.”
I drive like my ass is on fire and speed will put it out. I need to get to Houston. That’s where Bronson is. I pull into the hospital parking lot where the guys have told me to—Level 24, southeast corner and they’re congregated.
“How is he?” I run a hand through my hair, seeing their tired faces.
Patton steps forward. “Bronson’s in more surgery. He took a bullet to his gut, lost a lot of blood. Gonna lose his spleen and maybe a kidney, but we both know he’s not going down.”
Halsey shakes his head when I look at him. “Fremont took the worst mentally—he was kidnapped and tortured for about four hours until we could get to him. He’s going to need some therapy, and not the liquid kind.”
“Fuck. I should’ve been there. Why didn’t you wait?”
“It’s not because you weren’t there, Murphy. And sometimes we can’t wait. We went in knowing shit wasn’t right. We all could feel it, but no one said anything.”
I still. Just like Luna and I and how we ended it the first time and the second time. We’d healed, but not learned. And that was a problem with working for Black Ice. I healed after every wound, but I never learned to walk away from the pain.
“I’m getting too old for this shit,” I say without thinking.
We all lean back against our vehicles and I tell them about Luna. And they listen.
“She’s everything that I need.” The honesty that I feel when I talk about her is almost overwhelming. I’m past being someone else and not having truth in my life.
“Then fucking go to her,” Halsey says. “I think we’ve all seen the light after this mission. We’re all thinking what you’re feeling, Murphy. It’s time. Time for all of us to move on and the Rebels to hang up their stars.”
It is time for moving on, and moving back.
I get in the car and see a letter on the seat where Luna was. The front says “Return to Sender” with a date seven years ago, back when I was doing my last tour. The address is wrong, but that doesn’t matter now.
I open and read…
Dear Landon,
I don’t know if you’ve been purposely returning my letters or if I have the wrong address, and I think maybe it’s a sign from the Universe that I should move on…
But I can’t.
I can’t because still I love you. I tried to stop loving you. I tried to hate you. I tried to hate myself. I tried to hate life. But there was always one thing that kept me alive—the thought that you were out there looking up at the same stars as I am. That we are still somehow connected, even if you’re on the other side of the world. Even if you’re not thinking of me. I’m thinking of you.
I’m asking for your forgiveness for not saying yes when I wanted to. I was so scared. Scared I wouldn’t be enough for you. You were meant to save the world and I’m so proud of you. But I need you to save me, too.
My fears of not being enough aren’t your problem. They’re mine. But I’ll forever regret not being yours forever.
If you ever come back, I’ll be here for you.
I love you.
Luna
My heart triple-times in my chest. I know where I need to be and with who.
A quick flight, a short drive, and I’m punching a code into a door. The place is dark.
I climb the stairs and the door to the bedroom is cracked. I slip inside and strip down, slipping into the bed behind her.
“I’m never leaving again, Luna. I’m here to save you, like the thought of you saved me over and over, too.”
She rolls over. “You read the letter…”
“I felt the letter. But I have one question for you…”
“Okay,” she says cautiously. “What’s that?”
“Will…you…marry…me?”
She bites her lip and nods. “I’ve been saved and your mission is complete, my rebel. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Murphy is dead. And the mayhem is over, but the Red Star Rebels will live forever in my heart.
It’s time to start living.
Epilogue
Luna
Landon takes our baby from the nurse’s hands, confident and controlled. Isabel Jade cries out and he rocks her until she’s cooing and staring up at him with those dirt brown eyes that are completely her daddy’s.
The door opens and a familiar face peeks around the corner with a cautious glance.
“Come in, brother.” Landon motions him with his head.
Lennox is followed by his wife Sasha and our baby’s two sisters, Della and Sahara.
Uncle Lennox slips Isabel from Landon’s hands and his wife gives her nuzzles. Della and Sahara giving Landon hugs and congratulations.
I smile and feel warm inside, truly at peace.
The next morning after he came back to me in Austin, Landon took me to the coffee shop, where I actually did see him at, walked up to a table with a man sipping some blended drink, and lifted my hand in his.
“Fuck off, you self-righteous prick.” Then he dipped me and kissed me until my word spun in the best way, all to a roaring round of cheers.
I didn’t care what it was all about, I just wanted coffee. He’d kept me up all night long and damn it was the perfect cup, sitting outside and watching the world go by hand-in-hand with the man I love.
Then after he got done with the Rebels, moving to Kildare, Nevada, took no convincing for me. I was all in as soon as he slipped back into my bed. I found a job working at a local firm and making another good friend, Violet Wilder. Her husband brews beer at the local brewery, WildStyle Brewing Co, and it’s become one of our favorite places to just chill out with friends and family to enjoy a drink…well, before this little surprise happened.
I forgot to unpack my birth control pills when we moved, caught up in the hustle and bustle. But after we realized what had happened, we just went with it. And then two months later, the stick had two lines and we stood in front of a judge, with Gwen on my side and Lennox on his and Della and Sahara and their husbands behind us, to say our vows.
Life moves fast, but we have a lot of years to make up for.
Landon owns a shop fixing motorcycles and selling refurbished ones, vintage and some not so vintage. We could live off of his Rebel earnings, but that’s for retirement. And my husband has to be doing something to keep him out of trouble.
Kildare is our home and any chaos that happens here is completely on purpose.
Isabel cries out and I take her for a feeding. People kiss my cheek and file out.
It’s just us and the wiggling seven pounds in my arms, and I can see the happiness in Landon’s eyes.
“I never dreamed that this could happen…” he says, the words tight from his mouth as his eyes gloss over.
“I did and I got everything I wished for.”
~THE END~
I really hope you’ve enjoyed this Red Star Rebe
l.
Find out what happens to Bronson after that injury in BRONSON- RED STAR REBEL SQUAD BOOK 2
BRONSON
He’s never looked back. She’s never looked forward. But when he’s hurt in a covert operation, can he count on her again?
Bronson
I watched from a distance through a scope as they lowered the casket into the vault. I cursed myself as she crumbled to the ground when everyone was gone.
Neveah knows me as another name and her best friend and confidant. I’m still the same guy, but I don’t think she’ll see it like that.
I know her past and I helped her through the darkest days, except for one…the day I died.
The day I realized that she loved me like I loved her.
And now I need her again and she’s the only person I can trust.
I never stopped loving her. I’m going to find out if she feels the same.
Neveah
I opened the door and realized the last five years were a lie. His life is a lie. And I don’t tolerate liars—he knows this.
Looking a dead man in the eyes is like seeing into heaven. But when he speaks, I feel like I’m in hell.
Every wish, every dream, every wanting moment comes rushing back to me.
I can’t do this again, especially if he’s returning to his ghostly status after these two weeks.
I’ve hid too much in my life, but I’ll continue to hide my feelings to protect my heart.
He thinks he can return from the dead and sleep in my bed. Hell to the no!
If he wants back into my life…he’ll need to bring not only his best moves, but also the truth. The latter will be the harder for him.
The Red ★ Rebel Squad series are fast-paced, sweet and steamy short stories of ex-military men turned contract for hire and the confident and sassy women who can live without the complications of a relationship but will find they can't live without the love.
And if you liked CROW aka Lennox Wright, Landon’s brother and want to know about his story, you can CROW: Graffiti Street Guardians MC story here CROW.
If you liked Cece of Cece’s Closet in Kildare, you can find her story in HEMI: Graffiti Street Bad Boys 1 here HEMI.
And finally if you’d like to find out about the WildStyle Brewers, you can find Violet and Benji’s story here BENJI.
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If you like ALPHA, CURVY WOMAN, INSTALOVE SHORT STORIES, please follow this link to get WOODY: Diamond Ridge Mountain Men for free on Bookfunnel at
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About the Author
Brynn Hale is a Midwest girl who can spot--and swoon over--a hard-working guy a mile away. She believes in winks across a crowded room, guys who do the dishes, a blue-collar alpha will always win a heroine's heart, and a martini or craft beer is the perfect accompaniment to her stories.
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