Devil's Rage - Extended Epilogue - Faye Pierce

Devil’s Rage – Extended Epilogue

Sara

Seven years later

“Sara, what are you doing here?” Lia asked in alarm, throwing open the door to her home and ushering me in. She blinked in confusion, her hair a mess, and gazed out into the night. “And in the pouring rain? Did you miss your flight? Or did it get cancelled because of this bizarro weather?”

“Yes—I…” I stepped in, shivering and shaking, pushing back my hood and aware I was dripping all over Lia’s front hall. “I’m sorry, I just…”

“Don’t apologize,” Lia said and took my jacket, then told me to leave my bag, and take off my shoes.

I obeyed in robotic motions, hands shaking, and followed her into the kitchen, where their dog Fenway came galloping up to me, wagging and sniffing. I sank my hands into his soft fur and tried not to weep at the comfort. Nor at how bright my engagement ring was against Fenway’s lovely fur.

“Are you okay?” Lia said and gestured at me to sit. I did, and let Fenway put his heavy head in my lap. She set a glass of water in front of me and then bustled to the kettle, then back. She was still so golden, so gorgeous, and even two kids or being woken up at two in the morning by her crazy friend couldn’t dampen that. “Did something happen?”

“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out and burst into tears.

Lia made a soft, shocked sound and moved closer, her hands, warm and soft, wrapping around mine. I had my other hand pressed against my face as I let out choked sobs, and Fenway made a nervous, whining sound in his throat.

“I need you to fill in the blanks, Sara,” Lia said. “What am I missing—you and Danny—”

“Aren’t even married yet,” I burst out and stood up, startling Fenway and Lia. I was irrational and angry, hormones and exhaustion churning through me. “Six years we’ve been engaged, and I get it—so many things happened. The company took off, Danny had to spend half a year in Germany, and I was overseas, and we put it off so that his cousin… Luca…” I swallowed hard. “We wanted Luca to be there, and everyone, and then all that shit happened with Kir, and the guys had to help…”

I walked to the glass door, arms wrapped around myself, and stared out into the dark yard, my reflection almost swallowed up by the rain and shadow. How had it been so long? How could we have kept putting it off?

“Sara,” Lia said gently. “Danny wants to marry you—more than anything.”

My entire body seemed to convulse, fear and nerves snarling through me. Danny hadn’t brought it up in months. Sometimes my ring seemed to mock me, and we were coming up on our anniversary, and he’d said nothing. He seemed so worn, so tired, and worried about Luca, back stateside and raising hell in Boston. Things with Kir were calm and happy, at least. And of course, Ty and Lia were safe and snug with their little family here.

“I just…” I placed a hand on the glass and my ring glimmered. “I wonder if I was the first bit of normalcy he had and it was good enough to get him out of it, but maybe it’s not enough to move forward. And now.” I pressed a hand over my stomach. “Why am I so terrified?”

Lia got up and moved closer. “Terrified of what?” A sob burst out of me, and Lia hugged me from behind, rocking me. “Sara, Sara, you’re scaring me. This isn’t you.”

“I—no, you’ll hate me,” I whispered.

“I could never,” Lia said fiercely and turned me around with surprising strength. “The woman who faced down the mob to try and get her friend back? You tell me right now.”

“I’m terrified if I tell Danny that I’m carrying his child—he’ll run,” I said, and a sob burst out of me. “I’m terrified I’ll never see him again. I—I don’t know what to do.” I shivered and shook in her arms. “I don’t know what to do. He hasn’t mentioned marriage in months. He seems so tired, so worn.”

“Oh, Sara, no,” Lia whispered. She ran a hand over my hair and squeezed me closer. “It’s okay, I promise it’s okay.”

“I—I just need a few days,” I said. “Can I stay here?”

Lia leaned back and gazed at me, her eyes crinkling up. “Of course. Stay as long as you need. But you should—”

“I will,” I fibbed. “I already sent him a message and said I had to stay longer.”

It didn’t matter, because Danny was overseas, and probably would give my message a passing glance—if that.

Somehow, we’d been missing each other often these past months. I couldn’t even remember the last time we’d been at our apartment together.

“Sara,” Lia warned, but then she sighed and nodded. “Come on. Let’s get you out of these clothes and into bed.” We turned and both jumped, as Ty was standing there, his eyes wide and a hand pressed to his heart. “Oh, Ty—Sara is going to stay here a few days, she’s…” Lia was babbling but Ty was zeroed in on me and tears glimmered in his eyes.

Before she could say another word, he’d crossed the kitchen and pulled us into a bear hug, causing us both to squawk and Ty to squeeze us tighter.

“Of course,” he said gruffly. “Sara can stay as long as she wants.”

When he pulled away, his eyes told me that he knew, but the dip of his chin said that he wouldn’t say a word.

I gave him a look of thanks and Lia led me to bed.

***

A week later, I was sitting with Mario and Rina in the yard, a lovely, warm breeze stirring my hair, and clouds racing overhead. The rains had finally let up the day before and the yard had dried out enough to venture outside. It had been a bad storm, wreaking havoc on airlines, and even I’d wanted to leave, I couldn’t.

Privately, I appreciated mother nature looking out for another mother. A buzz went through me, a surreal dizziness, part terror, part excitement, and I pressed a hand to my stomach, still unable to believe it.

I’d been extra fatigued these past few months, but I’d chalked it up to travel and work. But no, I was three months pregnant, which was the last time that Danny and I had been together, a lovely night in our apartment where he’d been extra attentive, as though to make up for all the travel he’d have to do over the next month, which had turned into three months.

Mario was singing and running in the yard, already getting too big at almost eight, while Marina, or “Rina,” was still a bit puppy-ish at six and a half. Still, something in my throat ached at how fast they’d grown, how much I wished that we were closer, even if we were on the same coast.

I settled on the blanket, smoothing my hands over the warm fabric, and let out an oof as Rina tackled me with a hug from behind. She laughed as I tipped over my shoulder and tickled her belly, causing her to shriek with laughter, golden hair flying everywhere. Fenway and Mario came loping over seconds later, and then the kids were lying on their stomachs, chattering, and drawing in their sketch books.

“I want to make something for Uncle Danny,” Mario declared. “Do you think he’d like this?” He showed me a clumsy, lovely kiddish, and yet clear sketch of—me sitting in the yard, face tipped up to the sun, and I caught my breath. How could this kid be so insanely talented already? I mean, besides his mother and father, of course.

“I think so,” I said.

“Good, I’ll show Mommy, too, to make sure,” Mario said and took off, sketchbook flapping under his arm. I watched him go, my heart singing at how much he moved like Lia, for all that he looked like Ty.

What will our child look like? Dark hair and green eyes? Or reversed? Or more like me, but act like Danny—”

“I want to make something for Uncle Danny, too,” Rina said.

“I’m sure he’d like that,” I said.

“I miss him.”

“I miss him, too, Ri,” I said and smoothed my hand over her hair. She snuggled closer and then dropped her book, getting up and throwing herself around me. I embraced her little limbs and then looked her in the face, noting her pout. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re sad,” she said. “And Uncle Danny isn’t here. So, I called him.”

My entire body froze up as I stared at her. Her guileless dark eyes. “You—you what?”

“I heard Mommy and Daddy talking, and Daddy wanted to call, but they didn’t want to make you mad,” Rina said with terrifying and precise insight, as though channeling her grandmother and father at the same time. “And something about the baby.”

She shrugged as I stared at her and slowly got to my knees, my head spinning.

“What—when did you call, Ri?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

Then I sucked in a deep breath and put a hand to my head. I was pretty tired and out of it. Maybe I’d misunderstood. Maybe she hadn’t called. Maybe I hadn’t been sold out by a six-year-old.

“Um, I don’t ‘memba,” Rina said, focused on her sketchbook again.

“Honey,” I said in a whisper and put a hand on her back. “What did you say?”

“I said—” She looked up at me and then glanced back, and her entire face lit up. “Uncle Danny.” She rocketed to her feet as I almost fell over, still on my knees, and a hand gripping my shirt over my stomach.

I watched as a dark-haired six-year-old careened into her golden-haired uncle, his face creased with exhaustion, his clothes wrinkled, and a beard covering his face. His entire look haggard enough to make Rina wrinkle her nose and yet still hug him around the neck, giving him a smacking kiss on the cheek. She babbled at him as I watched and my heart seemed to give out in my chest, a sob fighting to get free.

You’d make such a good Dad, I’d told him once, in this very yard, when Marina had been a baby and colicky, and Danny had infinite patience for his little niece. We’d briefly moved down here for a month, helping out with Mario while Lia recovered. Danny had ducked his head and flushed, giving me such a soft look of gratitude, as though unable to say a word.

Now, he murmured something to Marina and set her down, and she went skipping into the house. For a moment, he stood there, hands in his pockets, his face as cool and unreadable as the first time I’d laid eyes on him. I scrambled up, my face turning red, and guilt snarling in my chest. How could I have not told him? God, I was a monster, and not acting like an adult—not being a good partner to this man who’d done everything short of selling his soul to try and make things right. From Kir to therapy to the business—Danny had tried to keep me happy.

And in trying to be the man that I’d seen in him, he’d become so much more.

Someone who came even when I tried to push him away, when I got scared and ran.

Now, I took a step forward, a hand lifting, and Danny’s eyes seemed to burn, then he was charging across the yard and pulling me against him, gentle but unbreakable. Tears rolled free and I pressed my face against his shoulder, shaking and trying to apologize.

“I guess there’s a first for everything,” he murmured into my ear, and I leaned back. He caught my chin with one hand and gave me a stern look that made my knees go week, while his other hand pressed into my back, not letting me go.

“What?” I whispered.

“You’ve never been more wrong, wife,” Danny said, and he gazed at me, and I realized that he wasn’t exhausted from work—he was exhausted from rushing across the world to get to Malibu thanks to his six-year-old niece’s meddling—he’d killed himself to get here, to me.

Tears blurred my sight and Danny kissed me, savage and possessive, but also sweet and loving. I didn’t know how he did it. But I knew that he knew—and that he was right, I’d never been more wrong.

“But—but,” I blubbered as we broke apart and Danny wrapped his arms around me again, rocking me. “But you…”

“I wanted to get all this shit with work settled, and then surprise you… Or ask you.” I leaned back to look at him, which was a bit difficult because Danny didn’t seem inclined to let me go. “Aw fuck it—wanna move to Malibu?”

I clutched at him. “What?”

“Sara, we can’t keep busting our asses for this company. I think we need a break, to rethink things. Things are good. We can step back, let our competent staff handle stuff.” He cradled my face. “I didn’t know how to ask you to slow down, though. I didn’t want you to think I thought you couldn’t hack it. So, I thought maybe a house here might help sell it.” He swallowed hard. “I didn’t think you’d…”

“Didn’t—huh?”

“Oh, Sara,” Danny breathed. “Baby, I’d marry you today if I could. I had this whole idea of getting the house built, then proposing we have the wedding there…” He stepped back and looked me over. “I don’t care about any of that. All I want to do is be here—for you, for… the future.”

I closed my eyes and laughter bubbled up, amidst the tears. “Did Marina tell you?”

“No, I didn’t know what she meant, but I owe her forever. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she knew that.” He laughed and my entire heart lit up at the sound. “I thought she meant Lia until I saw you,” Danny said hoarsely and suddenly I heard a noise and looked down in time to see Danny had gone to his knees before he wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his face into my stomach. “I just saw you and knew.”

“Of course,” I said and tugged on his hair.

“It knocked the wind out of me—I couldn’t even breathe for a second. I don’t think I heard a word of what Rina said.” He paused and trepidation went through me. “And I also don’t think I’ve been this happy since you said yes,” Danny said. “Or this scared.” He looked at me. “I’m sorry you thought you couldn’t tell me.”

I gave a hiccupping laugh and leaned down, kissing him, “I’m kind of a hormonal mess. Please don’t take it personally.” I tugged on his hair again. “You’re here.”

“I’m here,” he said, and his eyes glinted as he stood up. “And I’m not going anywhere, Sara Tailor. You agreed to make an honest man out of me and there’s no way in hell you’re reneging on that.”

Even though I knew he was kidding, even though I knew that he wanted this, that he loved me, I clutched at him and whispered, “You still want to get married?”

He swept me against him and tipped me back, “Why, Sara Tailor,” he murmured and kissed me. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Then he straightened me and gave me a serious look. “I can’t think of a better time to marry you than while you’re carrying our child—our future. We’re calling out for the rest of the damn month to make this happen, as quickly as possible.”

I went up on tiptoes and kissed him. “I think, between me and you, we can make that happen.” I smiled at him, my love, my future husband, the father of our precious child. “Anything is possible with us, through thick and thin, mess—and more mess.”

“And we’re great with a mess,” Danny agreed with a laugh, and he kissed me again.

The warm Malibu breeze ruffled around us, carrying the children’s laughter, and our silent promise to each other to always find a way back to each other—no matter what life threw our way.

After all, we’d done it so many times before, finding that happy ending.

Together.

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