Epilogue - Tess's Secret: A McGregor Christmas

Chapter 2

All the decorating was finished. Zane stayed up late the night before making sure to complete the long list Tess made for him. All of this could have been handled by a professional decorator, but Tess insisted they do it themselves thus falling onto his shoulders. What else was new?

Zane smirked. It was fine. He didn't mind helping his wife with whatever she wanted. His mind frequently revisited the time she had been kidnapped by his own club. It was the most frightening moment of his life. It was also the most helpless. If Tess hadn't been courageous, she would have been killed. If he hadn't joined the damn club, she wouldn't have been put into the fucked up situation at all!

He had put his entire family at risk joining that club, and look where it got him. He was a murderer. A mass murderer. It wasn't something he lived with easily. It was a strange thing really because faced with it, he'd do it again. The only thing he'd have done different was not joining up in the first place.

Tess was his savior. Since he wasn't able to go to counseling and discuss all the killing he had done, Tess was the one to bare the brunt of all the sleepless nights and all the nightmares when he did manage to fall asleep. Over time, things started to improve. But what he had done wasn't something he was ever going to just be okay with. The salve was the knowledge he helped save his wife's life and his family's. It was what kept him sane.

Now, he was definitely blessed to be where he was at. He was about to have seven children to his name. Seven. Never did he think he'd have so many. His family was going to go crazy. He was going to go crazy.

The babies were due in April which meant he would have six kids in diapers. Unless he was able to potty train faster. As it was, Alex didn't want anything to do with the potty. He loved shitting in his pants. His sweet Mia was too scared. Lee was the only one making real progress. He loved picking out a prize from the prize box. Mia didn't care about the toys, and Alex just stole them.

Zane made up his mind to watch Alex. His son definitely inherited his own rebellious side. Alex loved nothing more than grabbing markers and drawing all over his arms to match daddy. It was a dangerous thing. He would have to add his sons, Tess undoubtedly carried, to his watch list too! No one was going to end up joining an MC. Not on his watch.

"Wow. It looks beautiful in here. You did a great job, babe."

Zane pulled Tess into an embrace, placing a kiss to her head. "Oh yeah? Do I get a reward later?"

"I can barely move, Zane," she swatted.

"It's okay. You don't have to move. You can just lay there."

"You're horrible."

The doorbell interrupted them. Zane's pearly white teeth shown as his smile grew into a roguish grin. It was contagious as Tess followed him. Little pitter-patters ran to the door as well.

"Dorks! Enter," Zane waved his hand out for his siblings.

"I'm no dork," Karrie shoved at Zane's shoulder.

"You're dating my brother. You're a dork by injection."

"True." Karrie walked over and hugged Tess the best she could. "Hey, girlie. Cole, up top," she held up her hand up high causing Cole to jump. "Little munchkins."

"Hi Tess!" Robert kissed Tess on the cheek.

"Uncle Rico!" Cole fist bumped Robert.

"Hey dude!"

"We beat mom and dad here," Marlie dragged in with her arms full of presents, happy to drop everything at the base of the tree to catch her breath.