Chapter 23 Epilogue 1
Epilogue 1: KANE
Nine Months Pregnant
The house was too quiet.
Nina was curled on the couch, a thick knit blanket draped over her swollen belly. She had one hand resting there, thumb absently tracing little circles over the fabric of her shirt, while her other hand clutched a steaming mug of tea. Chamomile. Her favorite.
I stood in the doorway, watching her.
Nine months.
Nine months since I carried her out of hell. Since I held her trembling body and promised I’d never let anyone hurt her again. And I hadn’t. Not once.
She shifted, eyes catching mine. That soft, tired smile she gave me still hit like a punch to the chest.
“Hey,” she said, voice rough with sleep and something warmer. “You’re staring.”
“I do that sometimes,” I murmured, walking over. “Can’t help it.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m huge?”
“Because you’re mine,” I corrected, kneeling beside the couch. My hand slid beneath hers on her belly, and I felt the faintest kick against my palm.
Our Son.
“He's getting strong,” Nina whispered, leaning her head back, the shadows of the firelight dancing across her cheeks. “Stubborn, too. Just like you.”
I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her stomach. “That’s not a bad thing.”
“I’m not sure my bladder agrees.”
We both chuckled, and for a moment the past didn’t matter. Not the scars. Not the nightmares. Just this—this woman, this life we were building, this tiny soul kicking against my hand.
She ran her fingers through my hair. “Are you scared?”
I looked up at her. Honest. Open. “Terrified.”
Her eyes softened. “Me too.”
And maybe that was the point. Not pretending it was easy.
I rested my head on her belly, listening to the rhythm of two heartbeats—hers and the baby’s—drumming beneath my ear.
“I booked Lena and Kendrick for security detail at the hospital,” I said quietly. “No one gets near you unless they want to die screaming.”
Nina rolled her eyes, but her fingers never stopped stroking my hair. “That’s very sweet in your own way.”
I kissed the curve of her stomach again. “He’s going to be safe. Loved. Fiercely.”
“He already is,” Nina whispered.
The fire crackled, and outside, rain began to fall. Not a storm this time. Just soft, steady rain.
Maybe this was what peace looked like. Not perfection. Not silence. Just safety. Warmth. A future we carved out with blood and grit.
Nina yawned. “If he comes tonight, I’m blaming you. He always kicks more when you’re around.”
“Then I hope he's got my timing,” I murmured, pulling the blanket higher around her. “Because I’m ready.”
Nina smiled again, that same soft promise in her eyes as the night I almost lost her.
This time, I wasn’t letting go.
Not ever.
And if our little boy was anything like his mother—God help me.
Nina shifted slightly, letting out a low sigh as she adjusted her weight. I could see the discomfort etched in her face, even if she tried to hide it behind that calm strength she wore like armor. I knew her tells by now—the way her fingers tightened just a little when her back ached, the way her jaw clenched when the baby moved too much, too low.
“You should be in bed,” I said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek.
“I will be. Just…” she paused, her hand resting protectively over her belly again, “He's been moving all day. Like he knows something’s coming.”
I tensed. “You think—”
“No,” she cut in softly, giving me a look. “Not that kind of coming. Just… change. Like he's getting ready.”
I stayed kneeling beside her, one hand still over hers. “He'll come when he's ready. And when he does, I’ll be right there.”
Her gaze drifted to the fire for a moment. “Do you think I’ll be a good mom?”
That brought me up short. Not because I didn’t have an answer—because I had too many.
I sat beside her now, carefully, guiding her into my arms. Her body fit against mine even now, even with the weight of life between us.
“I think,” I murmured against her temple, “this baby is going to grow up with the fiercest, most beautiful, most impossible woman in the world teaching him how to survive.”
“And you?” she asked, voice muffled against my chest.
I smiled, holding her tighter. “I’ll teach him how to shoot.”
I was joking ofcourse.
She let out a soft laugh, the kind that made my heart ache in the best way. “God help his teachers.”
“God help anyone who even thinks about hurting him,” I said darkly.
She tilted her head up, met my eyes. “He's going to be loved.”
“He already is.”
We sat there for a long time, just holding each other. We’d bought ourselves a future. And we weren’t giving it up.
Then—
Nina shifted again. Froze.
Her breath caught.
My entire body locked up. “What?”
She blinked, wide-eyed. “Kane…”
“What?”
“I think… my water just broke.”
I was already on my feet before she finished the sentence, scooping her up into my arms with practiced precision.
“I told you he kicks more when you’re around,” Nina muttered.
I kissed her forehead, already heading toward the door. “You better believe it. Our little king has perfect timing.”
Outside, Kendrick’s SUV was already parked in the driveway. He stepped out with a knowing smirk and tossed me the keys.
“You good?” he asked.
I nodded. “He's coming.”
Lena leaned against the garage, arms crossed, smirking. “Hope you’re ready to cry, tough guy.”
I didn’t answer. Just held Nina close, her fingers digging into my shoulder now, eyes bright with pain and wonder.
This was it.
I wasn’t just a man with a past anymore.
I was about to become a father.
And for her—for them—I’d burn the world down all over again.