Daddy's Boss

“I won’t let anything like this happen again.”

“Don’t hurt Rafe,” she said. “He did everything he could to save me. I promise. Louis shot him, and…”

Dawg silenced her with a kiss. “I won’t do anything. I promise.”

“Take me to Vegas,” she said. “I don’t want to wait. I want to be your wife, and for us to have a future together.” She took his hand, and even though her own shook, she knew her own mind, and the only person she wanted was Dawg.

“You want Vegas?”

“Yes, as soon as it can be arranged,” Lori said.

“Paul,” he called to his brother.

“What’s up?” Paul asked.

“Get us three plane tickets to Vegas. We’re heading there right now.”

She held onto Dawg as he began to make the arrangements to clean up the place. She didn’t listen to anything else. Instead, she held onto her man and promised herself she was never going to let him go.

Once they were in the car, Paul began driving them to the airport.

“I thought you were going to say no to everything. With everything that happened,” he said.

She smiled. “I’m not that weak. I’m not going to leave you, Dawg. There’s not going to be any more pushing you away either. I’ve wasted three years. I’m not going to waste another moment.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. “I’m free for the next fifty-plus years. What about you?”

The smile on his face would stay with her forever. It was so charming.

Yes, Dawg Hampshire wasn’t a very good man, but he was her man, and she was going to love him for the rest of her life.

“I’ve got no plans. Can I share mine with yours?”

“Yes.”

Epilogue

Ten years later

“The only way you deal with bullies is by fighting fire with fire,” Dawg said. He stared down at his son and watched as Tommy frowned with his fists up.

His father had once told him before he died that in order to raise men, you had to take away their childhood. For a long time, he’d believed that, but then he held Tommy in his arms, seconds after he was born, and that all changed.

“You’ll learn to defend yourself, and when they can’t hit you, you’ll worry them.”

“Are you teaching our son to fight again?” Lori said, stepping out into the garden. She had a tray of cookies in her hands, and all of their kids, every single one of them, rushed toward her.

He watched as arms wrapped around her body, and she laughed.

She was heavily pregnant with their fifth child.

Taking the tray of cookies off her hands, he offered them to the kids, which they all took before going to finish their projects in the garden.

Pulling his wife against him, he tilted her head back and stole a kiss. Her eyes were closed, and he smiled. “How are you feeling today?”

He placed his hand on her stomach, knowing pregnancy always made her smile. He’d vowed to never get her pregnant again, but after they held their son or daughter, they wanted to do it all over again.

“I’m tired, but we’re all good. Everything is more than good.”

Ten years of married bliss. Even with the troubles of his work, Lori didn’t give him shit about it. He came home, they talked, and she’d run him a bath. Afterward, they’d make love.

His days at work were hell, but coming home was the part he loved the most. He’d waited for this woman for what felt like a lifetime, but every single time he thought of that time before he finally made her his, she’d needed that time.

“Mommy, Daddy, come see.”

And hearing that sound was the icing on his cake.

Holding his woman in his arms, they made their way over to their children, their family, and the love he felt for her, kept on growing, and he knew it would never stop.

The End