His Twisted Heart by Ellie R Hunter
Epilogue
Luca
The club is on an unofficial lockdown. Victoria and I have only been allowed to leave town because today’s the day she has her operation. It’s been two weeks since the shit show of a wedding night, but for me, and for Tor, the fight is in the rearview. This is life-changing surgery for her, and no one is going to take the joy of getting her hearing back away.
They said it takes a few hours, but it’s been too long. I pace the length of the corridor in the private hospital over and over. It does fuck all to help, but it’s better than sitting still on the hard plastic chairs.
My phone pings with a text from Pope, wanting an update. I let him know there isn’t one since he last asked thirty minutes ago, and slide it back into my pocket.
The last thread of my patience is about to snap when the doctor walks around the corner with the nurse in tow. Bringing my pacing to a stop, I hold my breath, waiting for him to speak.
He’s smiling, so that has to be a good sign. Right?
“Mr. Jackson. Your wife is in recovery, and she’s doing well.”
“The surgery… did it work?”
“There were no problems. It went smoothly, but we won’t know for sure until she comes around fully.”
I shake his hand and exhale heavily.
“Thank you.”
“It was a pleasure.” I’m sure it fucking was with the price we paid. Asshole. “Nurse Williams will take you to Victoria.”
He walks away in the opposite direction, and I follow the nurse, starting to breathe easier when I see Tor.
She’s groggy as hell, and she’s swamped in gauze around her head, but she smiles when she sees me.
Leaning over her, I press my lips to her forehead and gently kiss her before sitting down beside her bed.
“The doctor says the surgery went well,” I sign, hoping she catches it as her eyes lazily open and close.
“Rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Taking hold of her hand, I pray. I’ve never given much thought to religion, and I’m not sure if I’m praying to God or not. I hope whoever is out there is hearing me, even if it’s the devil. I would sell my soul for Victoria. Anything she needs, she gets, one way or another. She’ll have the fucking world.
VICTORIA
I grasp Luca’s hand tighter as we head back to the car. I’m aware of everything. The cars passing by, the people chatting that walk by us, and a car alarm going off somewhere in the distance.
With my free hand, I gingerly touch the aid hooked in and around my ear, and then the other. The surgery was successful, but I still need the hearing aids for full effect.
Luca opens the passenger door for me, and I climb inside, thankful for the quiet inside the car.
“Hello,” I say quietly, wanting to hear my own voice again. It’s so weird. I lived most of my life being able to hear and spent a short while not being able to. Now, it’s strange hearing myself again. I keep checking to make sure it still works, which is ridiculous, because I can hear everything around me. Luca climbs behind the wheel and slides the key in the ignition.
“There’s one thing I want to hear before we set off to the hotel,” I say, not having to worry I’m being too loud.
“What’s that?”
“I want to hear you say you love me.”
I’ve read his lips. I’ve seen him sign it, but I need to hear him voice the words.
With a devilish grin, he angles his body to face me from his seat.
Sliding his hand around the back of my neck, I lean closer and strain not to watch his lips, but to stare into his eyes.
“Victoria Jackson,”—fuck, I love hearing him call me Jackson— “I love you. So fucking much, it’s not healthy.”
Smothering a smile, a tear betrays me, and I swipe it away.
“What’s with the tears?”
“It’s a happy tear, I promise. I never thought I’d be able to hear again. I’ve got everything I want, and it’s too much to deal with,” I admit.
Using his thumb, he wipes away the tear that follows and says, “We’ll check out of the hotel and get on the road. But before that, you have a call to make.”
Pulling out his phone, he taps on the screen and places it on the phone stand. He’s calling Grandpa.
He answers on the third ring and barks, “Luca, you better have news for us.”
Laughing, I speak before Luca opens his mouth. “Hi, Grandpa.”
“Victoria?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“You can hear me?”
“Clearly.”
The line becomes crackly with roars of cheering and whooping. “Victoria, it’s Dad. It worked?”
“It did. Although I may have to turn down my aid if you all keep yelling. You’re all so loud.”
Luca laughs quietly, and more laughter filters down the line.
“Oh my God, sweetheart. We’re so happy for you,” Mom coos next, and I hear Mason and Myles in the background.
I have so much making up to do with my brothers. They put themselves at risk just for me to get my surgery. They’ve given me my hearing back, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to thank them for it.
“Okay, we’re hitting the road in an hour or so. We’ll check in,” Luca tells them and ends the call.
He gives zero fucks about hanging up on anyone.
Peace. That’s what I have now. True peace in my heart and in my soul.
Luca pulls out into the light traffic and reaches over for my hand. I entwine my fingers with his, and he lifts them to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss on my knuckles.
“Are you ready to ride with me forever?” he asks.
“Try to stop me.”
At the stop light, he leans over and claims my mouth, whispering, “Your smile right now is making me so fucking hard. We might have to check out late. I’m going to tell you how much I love you over and over again while I’m inside of you.”
“What are you waiting for? The light’s green.”
My mom was wrong. Sometimes the boy who broke your heart can put it back together again.
“You once said anal was girlfriend material sex. You’re now my wife, which means your ass is mine.”
“It’s a good thing we have forever, because I’m not doing anal for the first time in a hotel room.”
Luca Jackson may be an asshole, but he’s my asshole.