Storm by Aria Ray

Epilogue

Zoe

one month later

Everything happened so fast, it felt like the world was spinning out of control, but I didn’t want to return to my old life. I liked it here with Storm and this new life we were building for ourselves.

I sat at the mirror in the dressing room of the ballroom we had hired for our wedding. Somehow, in less than four weeks, we had managed to pull off the wedding of my dreams.

Our friends and neighbors on the hill had some pretty swanky weddings, but none of them had ever looked like this one. Storm wanted it to be perfection, and he told me he didn’t want to put any budget limitations.

My hair and makeup were already done, and Mom was standing over me, fixing my veil. My dress flowed perfectly around me, and I couldn’t wait for the knock on the door to signify everything was ready. Mom was going to give me away.

“You look so beautiful, my darling. This is one of the happiest days of my life,” she said, kissing the top of my head. I reached for her hand, which was on my shoulder, and patted it lightly. Tears stood in her eyes, but this time, they were tears of joy.

After the months of heartache and pain she had endured, I was thrilled to see her happy about something. She and Dad were even thinking of reconciling. Once the truth about Jackie and her mother came out, it shed new light on Dad. He wanted to be with us, and that was the reason why Jackie was vengeful.

“He makes you happy, doesn’t he?” Mom asked, smiling at my reflection in the mirror.

My parents were aware that Storm and his friends weren’t exactly of the same social strata that we belonged to. They noticed the roughness around the edges and the fact that the MC dressed and acted differently. None of them could specify exactly how they made their living.

My parents had also learned recently how to avoid asking questions that they didn’t want answered.

“Yes Mom, he makes me very happy. I love him, and he loves me.”

She pulled my fingers up to her lips and kissed them.

“I can see that.”

At the back of the room, Alison sat on a couch, staring at her fingers in her lap.

“Can I talk to Ali for a moment alone, Mom?” I asked.

Mom nodded, smiling at her and then me before she quickly shuffled out of the room.

The change in Alison’s personality was obvious to everyone around us. I wasn’t just imagining it. She still didn’t want to talk about her abduction. She needed help, though. I just hoped I would be able to get it for her.

“I’m very happy for you, too, Zoe. It’s nice seeing you this happy,” she said after Mom was gone.

“It’s going to take some time for you to get there, but I want you to be happy, too.”

She nodded.

“You’re spending a lot of time with Grit,” I stated.

Alison looked up at me sharply. “You’re marrying one of them.”

“I’m not trying to admonish you for it, I’m just saying you should be careful. They are not like the guys we know,” I said.

Alison kept her lips pressed together. She wouldn’t say any more. A knock sounded on the door, and Mom poked her head around it.

“They’re ready for you, honey. It’s time for you to marry him.”

∞∞∞

In Storm’s arms, we swayed together to the sound of gentle jazz playing in the background. Except, there was nobody around to see us.

He had already removed my wedding dress. I was completely naked except for his arms covering me. He was naked, too, and his tattoos glistened in the moonlight.

He’d picked out a beautiful boutique hotel far away from everyone and everything we knew. Tomorrow we were going to fly to Mexico to get even farther away.

We swayed together on the balcony with nothing but a forest beyond us and the silver moon in the sky.

We were married now. We were man and wife.

“I am the happiest man in the world,” he said, kissing the side of my face. I breathed his scent in. I was excited to see what the rest of our lives held for us.

“I love you,” I said.

He took my face in his hands, staring into my eyes intently.

“Are you happy? Or are you worrying about your sister?” he asked. He knew me too well. This was going to be the most glowing memory of my life, but I still had my sister on my mind.

“I don’t know how to feel about leaving her here while we’re in Mexico,” I admitted. “She’s very fragile.”

His thumbs gently stroked my cheeks, sending tingling pings down my spine. I loved the way he touched me.

“She’s going to be fine. Grit will make sure of it,” he said. We stared at each other. I suspected he was thinking the same thing; something was going on between them. Now, though, was not the time to worry about it.

“At least she was smiling today, and that is all I could have asked for,” I said.

Storm kissed me deeply, and I melted in his arms. Then he grabbed me by my waist and lifted me in his arms, with my legs swinging. I chuckled as I snuggled against him. He was carrying me back to the bed where champagne, oysters, and chocolate-covered strawberries awaited us.

“I don’t want to talk about anyone other than you and me for the next two weeks, and the little family we’re going to build,” he said, as we crashed into bed together, rolling and chuckling between the sheets.

I couldn’t wait to start a family with him. I never thought I’d find the man of my dreams. Turns out, I was looking in all the wrong places.

THE END

Thanks for reading! But don’t stop now – there’s more. Click the link below to receive the FREE extended epilogue to “Storm”.

Hope you enjoyed the book?

The next book in the Dark Slayers MC series is “Breaker,” starring Breaker and Callie. It is a stand-alone MC Romance, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers.

Other recommended reads by Aria Ray: please check my bestselling panty-melting Russian Mafia Romance  “Surrogate Betrayal” (complete stand-alone story, no cheating and HEA).