Error (Adrenaline Series Book 5) (16 page)

“Yeah. When chicks do it, it's called an X-rated video,” Knoxie sighs.

Drew starts laughing and Madden fusses. “Why do you encourage him?”

“To watch your forehead wrinkle.”

The declaration does, which makes us laugh again.

“Look whatever it is, Azura said make sure you guys were around for it.”

“Well get the thing going,” Drew huffs. “I'm getting antsy.”

“You mean horny?” Madden questions extending his arm around the back of the couch behind Knox.

“Same. Same.”

Through a chuckle I manage to get the video pulled up.

Azura's beautiful face appears on the screen. She's positioned on the edge of my bed. The sight of her in a jean skirt and sweater makes my heart heavy.

Fuck. This is going to be the longest two months of my life.

“Hi McCoys,” she coos into the screen.

Instinctively I say back, “Hi...”

“She can't hear you,” Knox states.

“Let me have it,” Drew encourages.

“So....I know having me come into your lives was probably a bigger deal than you imagined it would be.” She starts nervously, which makes me smile. “But I truly appreciate everything you did for me. Have done for me. Will probably continue to do. You are the most amazing people in the entire world and I can never thank you enough, not only for saving my life, but for letting me become a member of your family, especially since I didn't really have one.”

There's a small pause as she smiles brightly into the camera.

I swear it's just for me.

“I left for the airport today, unless Destin was a bad boy in which I haven't left yet and he's gonna be in huge trouble.” Chuckling I fold my arms across my chest. “I know you've lost a lot in these past few months. I know it's been hard. More importantly I know you fear the idea of forgetting. Of letting those memories just...die. But as someone who has an entire life they'll never be able to know about or get back, I will say no one deserves to feel that. You deserve to keep those memories forever. So here you go...my thank you to you. And my I love you to you Destin...”

Drew looks at me. “Is she gonna sing?”

Knox groans, “God I hope she doesn't sing.”

“If she fucking sings, I'm turning it off,” Madden declares.

There's a brief second of a black screen before a face appears that sends us all to the edge of our seat.

“I'm a fucking McCoy,” Daniel chuckles goofy into the camera. “What's better than that baby!” The girl beside him tosses her hands in the air seconds before doing a shot with him.

“That's fucking Middle Man,” Drew whispers weakly.

The video footage cuts to another shot of Daniel being the life of a different party. We watch as the world cheers him, Merrick laughing at his side. More drinks are had, more laughs captured, the two of them looking like drunken idiots, but happy nonetheless. The film changes scenes again this time to the three of us at a pool party. We're laughing hysterically, trying to drown each other, chicks desperately trying to be close to us.

A female voice I don't recognize says, “Another day in the life of a McCoy.”

It zooms in on the three of us together, leaned against the edge, smiles never fading. Suddenly it fades to footage of us working in the shop together. Merrick is play fighting with Ben. I'm in the office on the phone. Drew's talking to Madden and Knox. There's no audio, but by the smiles we're giving off it was probably a good day. Daniel slides out from underneath a Benz he was working on, laughing while Knox smirks and Madden scowls.

Some things never change.

The montage changes to Daniel doing a performance on his bike at one of the events he used to attend. It shows him completing several stunts, the crowd eating him up, demanding more from him. After his final trick he parks and simply waits for something. That's when it happens, he's joined by two more motorcycles. One on each side.

“That's us,” Drew whispers with tears on his face.

In unison the three of us take off down the road and pop up onto one wheel at the exact same time. The video stills at that moment capturing the three of us the way I'll never forget. As one unit.

With tears on my own face at the sight of the three us together, forever frozen in time, I lean back with a bittersweet smile on my face as I read the words out loud. “Thank you for welcoming me into the best family in the world.”

Dead or alive. That fact is true. Even if Daniel, Ben, and Merrick are not here beside us, they're still family. They're still a part of us. And thanks to the most amazing woman I've met in my life, I can see us together any time. How she even found all this footage is beyond me. I don't even fucking care. All that matters is now we have it. We have a solid piece of history no one can take from us. Damn it feels to be a McCoy. Like Middle Man said...what's better than that?

Epilogue

Azura

Gripping my bag tighter, I slide into the front seat of the SUV Destin is driving. Thankful to be out of the cold I buckle up and rub my hands together while he loads my bags.

As soon as he's all done he slips back in the driver's seat. “Fuck...my nuts are so frozen I feel like I should be roasting them on an open fire.”

The joke makes me snicker before leaning over to give him another kiss.

We may have made out right outside the door for a few minutes before he grabbed my bags. Can you blame us? I haven't seen him in two months and there is only so much a vibrator can do. Though if you must know Destin has declared that as an 'only while working away from him' object. He preached and preached about how he will make sure my pussy is too worn out to ever need it when I'm home. Is it wrong to hope he makes good on his promise?

Destin pulls away and leans his forehead against mine. “Hi...”

With a bright smile, I coo back, “Hi...”

Another peck makes it onto my mouth before he pulls out of park and away from the airport. “Glad to be home?”

I reach over and drop my hand on his lap. “Glad to be back with you.”

There's a long groan that comes from him. “Careful. I am not above pulling this car over into an empty parking lot, letting the seats down, and having a quickie before dinner at The Commissioner's house.”

Weird I know, but when he requested this one thing from us we couldn't really deny him. I mean all he did to save me from the BV MC before they came to peaceful terms with the McCoys? That cop who saved my life when there was a gun to my head? All the pulls he made to keep me safe, I couldn't just tell him no, when we were requested for dinner. It's the least we can do no matter how much I wish we were home at the apartment having wild and crazy glad to be home sex.

Changing subjects I ask, “Aside from being ridiculously horny, how is everything? How's the tattoo designing coming along?”

“It's really fucking awesome...”

About a week after I left, during one of our nightly video calls, Destin showed me some of his doodles. While most of the designs were the typical cartoon characters or me topless, he had a few that he liked for tattoo possibilities if he were to ever go back and get another one. He explained how he wanted one that could stand for the all McCoys they've lost. None had really made the cut yet, but it got my mind working. A couple days later, I gave him the number of a tattoo shop I knew through Cage that was looking for a new artist. Next thing I knew Destin's doodles were turned from absentminded drawings into a profitable hobby. It's not like he needs the cash, but he enjoys the escape it creates. There's still some rough moments when Daniel's death hurts too bad or Merrick's lack of presence springs into mind. Those are the time he's needs me most. Each time it happened and he broke down I had to talk myself off the ledge of coming home to hold him. However, we eventually began to agree it was good he had some space to learn to cope. To stand on his own two feet again. I think part of him needed that independence. Besides, with The Devil finally dead, I think it's easier for him to gain it.

“I think I might've settled on one for all of us.”

Confused I question. “All of us? By all of us you mean-”

“You. Me. Madden. Knox. Drew. And Mel. All the McCoys.”

My mouth moves, but nothing comes out.

“You don't want a tattoo?”

“Not really,” I squeak. “Needles kind of freak me out.”

“Needles?”

“Yes.”

“Watching free runs and boogie boarding with sharks is all very normal to you but
needles
freak you out?”

I give his leg a squeeze. “Keep up that kind of lip and you won't be giving me any other kind.”

Destin groans and pounds the steering wheel in sexual frustration.

After a giggle I sigh, “Okay, but seriously. You want us all to get the same one?”

“Yeah.” He glances over at me. “It would mean a lot to me.” The look in his eyes has me nibbling on my bottom lip. “But...if you're too scared, I understand. I'll have Drew figure out how to make you one of those cheap out of the machine washable ones.” Before I can snap again he says, “Speaking of Drew, how do you like his SUV?”

“I'm glad it's his.”

He frowns. “You don't like it?”

“I don't like
you
in it.”

“What? Why not?”

“I don't know. I guess I prefer my Destin on two wheels...” I seductively say.

Another growl comes from him. “You're killing me baby...”

With a short snicker I check the time, trying to estimate how long until sex o’clock.

Look. I have needs too...

“Don't worry about that. Me and Pepper are still together. This was just to keep you warm and get all your shit back to the apartment in the least amount of trips. Now do me a favor and open the glove compartment.”

I follow his request seeing a small velvet box with a red bow.  An unhappy look pops up on my face. “We said we were waiting to exchange presents until after dinner.”

“We are,” he says. “This is just an early one. Open it.”

“But Destin-”

“Open it.”

Rolling my eyes, I grab the box, pull at the ribbon and open it. Inside there's a shiny silver key. When I look up, I'm thankful we are at a stoplight. I lift it up and twirl it around my fingers. “Sex dungeon?”

He chuckles. “If that's what you wanna call our new apartment, you have my full support.”

Shock invades my system. “Our what?”

“Apartment.” My jaw bobs to object. “I realized when you came home I wanted you to come home to
our
home. I also figured, it's gonna be a lot harder to get past my brothers and cousin's deaths if every time I'm in the apartment it feels like I'm looking at their gravestones. This will be good for me. For you. For us.”

I press my lips together for a moment as I slip the key back into the box. “Are you sure that's what you want? A new home?”

“As long as I'm with you baby, anywhere is home.”

I know the feeling. I guess that's the craziest thing about love. Once you find it, I mean really find it, you never feel homeless or lost again. I may have grown up feeling awkward, with barely there parents and a distant sibling, but I know now, what's truly important. What having family really feels like. I now know exactly what it feels like to have a home.