Beneath His Ink (Highway Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 3) (8 page)

EPILOGUE

“All rise.”

Ella stood up while Judge Oranthino walked back into the court. Just being in this place with its white walls that had been painted over repeatedly and the smell of old paper made her sick. After all they’d been through with the Reapers, she didn’t want to be standing here to be judged again, but when did what she want ever come into play?

“You may sit down.” The bailiff bellowed out in the room, and the sound echoed off the walls.

“Ms. Louise, after looking at your record and the crimes that you are said to be involved in, I hereby release you from further parole, and we will erase the crime that you’d been charged and found guilty of committing. A great tragedy has been placed upon you, and it is with great humility that I apologize to you in the name of our great state and the judicial system.”

The judge looked like he meant that from the bottom of his heart, and she was happy that someone apologized, but that didn’t bring back the years she’d spent in prison. It would have to be enough. The Reapers had brought a big bear of a man into her life, and for that she couldn’t be more grateful.

“Thank you, Judge,” she said and just wanted to be released from this place. It felt like a prison in and of itself. Being locked up made her appreciate the sun in her hair, the wind in her face, and the ability to get up and go where she wanted when she wanted. She looked back at Tyson to see what he thought of the judge’s decree and was almost boiled over by the sexy look on his face. Would she ever be able to look at him without feeling like she’d won the lottery? Probably not, but that didn’t matter; she had won… in so many ways.

“There will be paperwork you need to sign Ms. Louise, but after that, this case is dismissed.” The judge pounded his gavel one time and stood to leave. Ella couldn’t wait another minute to run into Tyson’s arms.

“Didn’t I tell you this would all work out for the good?” Tyson was talking in her ear, but it was hard to hear because he was competing with the roar of her heart beat. It seemed to be beating so hard that she was starting to feel faint, but she started concentrating on the hands rubbing her back. His firm rhythmic motions made her feel safe and loved even though they’d not talked anything about that emotion yet.

She pushed out of his arms gently so she could see the face that made her heart race in an entirely different way. Last night she could barely sleep because she was so worked up about this case. She wanted more than anything to be exonerated from the wrongs she hadn’t done, but she was happy that this whole fiasco had led her to the man who was now looking down at her like he was concerned.

“You did tell me that, and you were right. Did you want a cookie?” It was easy to be funny and sarcastic on the other side of this mess. She was so relieved, she didn’t know what she’d do. There were plans she’d made long ago of having a family and settling into a comfortable life that she didn’t think would ever come true. She saw forever in Tyson, but since he’d not talked of anything besides right now, she’d take what she could get.

“If by cookies, you mean your hot pussy, then I’d like several cookies.” The smile on his face was bigger than Ella had ever seen it, and although she wanted nothing more than to look at his smile and smile along, she wanted to get the hell out of here. “By the look on your face, I’d say you’re ready to go. We have a bag full of money and nothing but time. Where do you want to go?”

There were several things she could have said because honestly she hadn’t been a lot of places, and he was right; they had the perfect opportunity to travel. Money and time were things they had a great deal of at the moment, but she couldn’t deny where she really wanted to go. “I want to go home.”

“Home?”

If she weren’t as in tuned to him as she was, she’d have never seen the look of confusion that passed over his face.

“Yeah, home. The townhouse we left this morning. The one with the dishes in the dish washer, and I think you may have left the television on… that home. Why? Were you thinking of going somewhere else?” This was the question that she’d wanted to ask ever since they had been free of the Reapers and all of their bullshit but had been afraid of the answer. Actually, she still was afraid of the answer, but since they were on the topic, she’d never shied away from the truth even if she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.

He took her hand and led her out of the court room. The bailiff was outside the door and led her to the office where the papers she had to sign were held. She tried not to be concerned that Tyson hadn’t answered the question and seemed to be deep in thought. Was he trying to figure out how to get away from this situation? She didn’t think she’d misunderstood their situation, but the man was deep in thought about something.

“You’ll only need to sign where I’ve placed the red X,” said the court secretary as she led her to a small table in which to sign the mountain of papers she’d placed in front of her.

It was quite a procedure, but she finished in what had to be record time. She felt freer with every sheet she turned and every signature she placed. This feeling was like no other she’d ever had. It felt like she had super powers. The ability to go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted and the power to do anything she pleased. She’d had these abilities all her life, but when they were taken away, she realized how important these things were to her. She wouldn’t take her freedom for granted anymore. The funny thing is when she thought of all the things she wanted to do and all the places she wanted to go, the fact remained that she wanted just what she’d just told Tyson. She wanted to go home with him and just be free.

When she completed her task and gathered her papers, she walked them back to the room where she and Tyson had entered, and she saw the two of them talking about something but they stopped when she walked in.

“Done already?” The woman seemed flushed, and Ella was trying hard to keep the happy glow she’d had a few seconds ago when she’d completed the papers that would annul her from the crime that she’d never committed, but did her papers free him too? Was he now on the prowl for a fresh woman to break in?

Ella placed the papers in her hand, and the woman still looked a bit flustered. Who knew what that meant? All she knew was that Tyson had a way of making your temperature rise and your panties fall very quickly and with just his voice. Maybe he’d been working his magic because this woman seemed nervous when Ella came near.

“With these papers you have been exonerated from your crime and your record will be cleared.” The slab of wood with her name on the desk read Millary Yeates.

“Thank you, Miss Yeates, I appreciate all this office and the judge has done for me.” Ella couldn’t believe all of this; it was like a fairy tale. Except for the fact her “boyfriend” seemed to be getting ready to be on the outs.

“Ready to go?” Tyson said pulling her out of what she was thinking. When she turned to him, he was looking at her oddly.

“Sure,” she said to him, before turning back to the secretary. “Thanks again.”

Leaving the office with Tyson’s hand on her back guiding her out the door she heard him say.

“Thanks, Milly, for everything.”

Ella walked faster, surprised at how her happy mellow feelings had morphed into something that really would possibly be a reason to go back to prison for something she
did
do.

“Hey, Ella, why are you walking so fast? I know you want to get out of here, but you don’t need to run.”

She turned to look at him when they were close to the door. Did she really want to get into this when she could see the outside? This place was stifling, and with all she was feeling, she was afraid if she started on him she may just explode. Taking a deep breath was a way for her to do a few things: one, gather herself, and two, figure out what she was going to say and how she was going to say it.

“Are you sure you want to go home?” Tyson broke her concentration with his words, and she was at a loss of what he meant by that.

“Yes I want to go home, but if you feel that you want to go somewhere else… with someone else, feel free. Don’t feel like you have to stay with me. I’m still willing to share half of the money with you, so you’re not obligated to stay with me for the money either.”

Tyson didn’t say anything, but his face turned a shade of red she’d never seen on him before, and she wondered if now would be a good time for him to take a breath.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” The man clearly didn’t follow where her mind was, and although Ella hadn’t wanted to start this here, it looked like the showdown was going to happen right in the middle of the courthouse. She’d come to a conclusion while she spit that disgusting sentence out of her mouth. It wasn’t what she wanted, but she couldn’t live her life wondering what was going on between them.

“What part of that didn’t you understand? I’m happy that I was freed today, and I want you to know that I want you to be free too. You have done a lot for me, and I’m so excited about the freedom that I took for granted. I want to make sure you are doing what you want with whoever you want to be doing it with.”

He looked so confused she swore he shook his head to clear it. “Come with me,” he said as he walked toward the door and out into the sunshine. They picked up a car to get around in, and Ella wondered when he’d start riding his bike again, but he wasn’t heading toward the car but a bench. When he sat her down, she was struck with déjà vu. It was the same type of bench they’d sat on after they’d lost the first time at the horse races when she’d had to tell him who she really was and what she’d been sent to him to do.

He’d left her that day, and she’d been crushed. She’d like to think that this time would be different and that when he said what he wanted to say, she would be able to accept it and move on without too much difficulty. This was bullshit she was feeding herself because she knew that it would hurt more than the last time, but it was better to hear it now rather than later.

“You wanted to say something to me?” Ella just wanted this over with. She was already thinking of what she would do with her half of the money. She was glad that place was a month to month rental because she couldn’t see herself trying to stay there without him. There were too many memories even though they hadn’t been there that long.

He turned to her, and she could see that now he was trying to sort out what he was going to say. She was trying to give him time to get his words together, but it was hard. “Do it like a band-aid… just rip it off.”

“What are you talking about? Ella, you have been talking crazy since you signed your papers. If you want to be on your own now since you have the freedom to do and go wherever you want just say that. I get it, and I’ll be on my way. I don’t want your money.”

Could she have read the whole situation with ‘Milllie’ wrong? “I’m glad that I’m a free woman in terms of the justice system, but I wasn’t trying to be free of you.”

“I guess that’s good to hear. Have you given some thought to where you want to go after this? I know you said home, but I would have thought you’d want something more exciting.”

“Being with you is exciting enough. I mean, you were there, and we get pretty crazy.” She was happy that her words seemed to put a smile on his face. They had been having some intense moments. “Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to go to Belize for my honeymoon,” he said looking at her like she was supposed to have an answer, but she must have her wires all crossed because she couldn’t find anything to say. His honeymoon?

“That seems like a great place for a honeymoon if you were having one.” She sat there and watched him watch her for a few seconds more before she got what he was trying to ask. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

“It’s the simplest way to get to the honeymoon,” he answered.

She was so excited she didn’t know what to do with herself. “Where did all that come from? Just a few minutes ago, you were whispering sweet nothings to Millie, and now you’re proposing to me. I want to say yes, but I don’t want you to marry me for the wrong reasons.”

“I want to marry you for all the right reasons. I love you. I love being around you, touching you, talking with you, laughing with you, working out problems with you. You are more than I’d ever thought I’d find, and I want to keep being around you for the rest of my life.”