In the Arms of the Beast (Kings of Hell MC 5)

“Remember I’m here for you whenever you need me. And I know nothing about kids, but I’ll learn and do my best. You won’t be alone with this.” He kissed Knight’s cheek. He’d never had to be Knight’s rock before—in fact it had always been the opposite in their relationship, but he was finding that it didn’t scare him.

Knight squeezed Elliot’s hand with more force. “I’m so glad you made all those dumb videos. I wouldn’t have met you if you hadn’t.”

Elliot snorted. “I love you too. And you will be a fantastic foster dad, even if it’s not what we planned.”

Knight pressed his lips to Elliot’s. It was as if the universe was in balance again.

Epilogue 2 – Vars & Jake

Much had changed in the two years since the world narrowly avoided annihilation. With Magpie gone, the club’s most lucrative business had dried out, but bills to pay grew each day and a certain lifestyle needed to be upheld so the show went on. For Vars, that meant creative accounting and rare opportunities for actual time off.

He’d noticed at some point that he didn’t need to sleep when he drank fresh blood, so when push came to shove, he could always do that. The club wasn’t ready for a complete overhaul of its business model, and having eight toddlers on the premises and running amok didn’t make things easier.

The cataclysmic event that had put an end to Baal’s plans left the clubhouse ruined, but they’d taken their time dividing what was left structurally sound into two areas. One more suited for the members and hangarounds doing their thing, the other—family-friendly. Money remained a constant issue because of the high cost of necessary repairs, so instead of investing in new sets of leather sofas and other flashy furniture, the club relied on what was available secondhand, recycled, gifted, in a mix of colors that didn’t work together. All the locals were still struggling with the aftermath of Baal’s attack anyway, so it wasn’t an issue.

Since so much still needed to be done, Vars sometimes had to force Jake to take time off, because his boy’s sense of responsibility hardly left any room for fun. Since he’d become a member, he’d gotten proficient at not only taking orders, but organizing the work of others. Concerts always brought a spike of cash, and Jake made sure plenty of watered-down beer was sold to intoxicated guests. With the way things were going though, the Kings’ profits from small-scale meth production were growing. Vars didn’t love it, but they were scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point.

Everyone did their share. Shadow and Gray organized occasional heists, Fox and Nick opened a repair shop that operated in the gray area when it came to taxes, and the club also owned a car wash. Maybe once their living situation improved, the club could allow itself to make money for real, but at this point it was still more about survival.

Still, even when surviving, a man had his needs, so Vars enjoyed his leisure time, especially when that time involved Jake massaging his feet. He lay in a deck chair, lounging in the July heat with a cold beer in hand. Perhaps it was time to follow Gray’s footsteps and move out of the main building for some privacy, but the area behind a ruined side wall that remained standing was secluded enough for what they were doing.

Jake looked up at Vars with big blue eyes Vars would never tire of. Jake was the answer to all his needs and in the three years of their relationship, had offered Vars more tenderness than he’d received in his entire life. There wasn’t a submissive sweeter and more pliant than Jake.

“Nick had this idea to attach some ropes to me when I turn into Azog. We could pretend the gargoyle is a machine. It could work in the dark. Would be a really cool thing at a party. What do you think?”

Vars chuckled and invited Jake closer with a gesture. He pressed the bottle to Jake’s lips and let him drink. It was only an excuse to pull at his warm ears and rub his nape, but Vars enjoyed seeing him smile at the taste of the beverage. “We’d have to disguise you anyway. Can’t have people looking too closely or trying to rent you out. I’m not pimping out my gargoyle boy.”

Jake snorted and looked up at Vars with a bright gaze. “So you like the idea in general?” Some things never changed, and one of those things was Jake’s eagerness for Vars’s approval, even if he had toughened up to the other guys.

Vars gave him a short but intense kiss before returning to his relaxed position and pushing his feet at Jake’s chest. The massage wasn’t over yet after all. “Only if I can ride that machine once it’s done with all the hard jobs.”