Let It Ride (Hell's Tribe MC Series) [Book 3]

Epilogue: Love of My Life

Well, here it is. The last chapter of book three. Hard to believe I'm already finishing another book in this series. Nothing has made me happier than seeing how much you all support me and everything I write. I am so grateful to have each and every one of you who read my work, it really means the world to me. If you haven't heard already BOOK 4 IS ALREADY IN THE WORKS! Release date is TBD, but I'm already writing chapter 14, so it shouldn't be too far away. I hope you all enjoyed reading my little novella about Mick and Val and I can't wait for you to see what else I have in store for this series. 

xoxoxoxox  

-Mary

Song for this chapter: Love of My Life by Queen

~Mick~    

Present Day

"So you didn't break up with her?" Ronnie asked. 

I shook my head. "No, but I didn't try and stop her from running away. She wanted an out and I handed it to her on a silver fucking platter." 

"But you told me you ended things because her parents threatened to kick her out." 

I let out a breath remembering the way I had simplified the story to Ronnie the first time she'd asked me about it years ago. 

"It was complicated. I wanted her to get her chance in Cedar City, but I also didn't want Val to lose a chance to fix things with her mother. Your grandpa, he was a fucking right off, but your grandma wasn't as bad. She got twisted up by her husband's manipulation, but she tried to make it right. I knew that if your mom stayed with me, your grandma would never approve, and I didn't want to be the reason Val lost the only family she had." 

"Mom never talked about either of them. I hardly remember grandma," Ronnie recalled. 

I nodded my head. "Makes sense. I mean, she tried that first year your mom was away. She sent any extra cash, presents during the holidays, even tried to call a few times—but your mom kept it to a bare minimum with her at even the best of times." 

"She dropped out before the end of her freshman year, right?" Ronnie asked. 

I nodded. "We kept in touch for a while, and she wrote to me a few months in that she realized nursing was not for her. I think she said she even fainted at her first sight of blood." 

Ronnie chuckled, nodding her head in agreement. "She was terrified of blood, always." 

"After she dropped out she ended up coming home to visit at the start of the summer." 

"A year after you first met," Ronnie figured. 

I nodded. 

I tried to forget most memories from that first year as much as possible. Not only had the months following Val's move been terrible, but it also didn't help that she sent me letters thanking me for making her go. Although she hated nursing, she loved Cedar City. She loved being away from Tooele and on her own, and that made everything that much harder. 

"I was a sad sack of shit those first few months. I found myself walking around town like a fucking zombie. I went back to all the spots I used to take her too and just sat there for hours." 

Ronnie chuckled. "Sounds like quite a broken heart you were nursing." 

I nodded. "It was. Things got better around Christmas time though." 

Ronnie's eyes narrowed. "How come?" 

I let out a breath and couldn't help my smile. "I met Tawny."