The Boss

Epilogue

Five years had passed since that horrible day, five years and sometimes it still seemed surreal.

Glancing up and out the window, I watched as the love of my life stood with a beer in his hand turning the burgers on the barbecue. Jace and Bellamy on either side of him.

Anna and Dawson were sitting in the lawn chairs talking animatedly with each other. Two german shepherds laid down in front of them.

I stared at my family in the backyard and thought back to that horrible time.

I was placed in handcuffs as they hauled Nick to the hospital, for hours I sat there until the cops could figure out exactly what happened.

Apparently Lenard "lenny" stonewald was an escaped mental patient. For years he stalked women to the point passed obsession and captured them, tortured them until there was nothing left. I was to be his latest victim.

The cops chalked it up to self defense, for myself and for Nick. I spent the next month sitting beside Nick, waiting for him to wake up.

Scars marked his body, a constant reminder of what he went through and there isn't a moment that goes by that I don't regret not forcing Dawson to look for him sooner.

Sighing, I tried to clear my mind of that time in our lives.

"Baby?" I turned to see Nick standing in the doorway.

"Yeah?" I asked him pushing away from the counter.

"Are you okay?" He asked worry evident in his tone.

"Yeah, just thinking." I murmured.

"Oh baby," he whispered as he walked to my side and wrapped me in his arms. "I'm here okay? I'm here."

I nodded my head and squeezed him in my arms, it still amazes me that I am able to do this.

"Are you two coming out? Dawson is getting hangry," Bellamy voiced from the doorway.

"Are you sure it's Dawson or you?" I chuckled moving away from Nick.

"It's Dawson though she is blaming me," he huffed as he started walking back to the barbecue.

"Is the food ready yet? I'm starving." As we stepped on to the back porch I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched Dawson stand from her chair and walk over to Bellamy to peer down at the food. I smiled happily as I watched her unconsciously rub her slightly rounded belly.

"I want one," I turned to look at Nick and see him looking at Dawson.

"I do too," I whispered leaning in to his chest.

"Want to ditch them and start now?" He asked wiggling his eye brows at me.

I chuckled and shook my head at him, "We can't leave them out here by themselves."

"Why not?" He demanded playfully, effectively making me forget my horrible memories from before.

"Unnnc..ick.." I smiled as trevor came walking on wobbly legs towards Nick and I.

"Hey my handsome little man, how is my favorite nephew?" I asked as I bent down and swung him into my arms.

Anna and Jason had gotten married a year after Nick woke up, now here they were 4 years later with a one year old who was the perfect mix of them both.

Nick seemed to be his favorite person, I chuckled softly as he reached his small arms out towards Nick.

"Come here you little munchkin, let's see if we can't find you seem candy." Nick whispered the last part but still got a dirty glare from Anna.

"Even consider it and I'll cut you," she growled.

I shook my head and glanced around and the life Nick and I now had, we lived outside of the city limits. Our first home, the others lived near by and we still ran the clubs but we left it in charge with managers.

Overseeing the expenses, Jace still liked to run one of the clubs himself, taking time off to spend it with us whenever family occasions such as this happened.

Stephano was still the warlord, he had kept his promise. He checked in from time to time and the vendors were pleased with how he ran his business. Life seemed simple and quiet, it took some time to get used to but I'm happy with how things turned out.

"Come on, Claire, I'm not waiting for you." Dawson yelled as she bolted for the table to start making her food. Bellamy just shook his head at his wife and followed after her.

Dawson was right when she said we were going to be best friends, despite everything she bulldozed her way into my life and my heart. I loved the way that she kept Bell on his toes and I loved that she was going to make me an aunt again.

"Come on baby, before she eats everything again." Nick called out as he pulled the burgers from the grill and began walking to the table.

"It was one time, Nick. One time, let it go." She snarled as she bit into her burger.

"Bet it happens again," he muttered as he placed the meat on the table.

"Watch it, I'll still cut you." She seethed.

"Don't doubt it, but I'm faster than you are right now." He replied, quickly drawing his hand back as she went to stab him in the hand with her fork as he grabbed for a hamburger.

"Seriously?" He growled, she shrugged her shoulders delicately before stabbing some potato salad and shoving a healthy amount into her mouth.

I smiled watching my family interact with each other, this is what we had always wanted. Meeting Bellamy's gaze, I smiled and nodded at him as he glanced around the table.

With everything we had gone through, the moments like this were the ones we had always been fighting for.

Oh my god!!! So this is it! I'm like super sad that this book is over. I know I've been kinda MIA the last few weeks but between work, the holidays, etc. I've been sorta busy. I may go back and adjust somethings, alter some wording or go back and add all new parts but I'm happy with how this book turned out.

I also hope you all enjoyed reading it as well. If you want there to be a sequel about Jace, please comment. I played around with the idea of giving him a woman in thus book but I felt like Jace was someone who deserved his own story.

I mentioned him in this book much like I did with Bellamy and with Jason, however I don't think he got the spotlight he deserved. I'm leaving my choice up to the readers who enjoyed this story.

Xoxo

Me