[A/N: Hello my lovelies! Apologies for the late update! Here is the second to last chapter for you all! I'm so excited that we're closing this book and opening another shortly! Thank you all for being here and supporting me. I love you all and hope you enjoy! -K 🖤]
[🌿This chapter is long, contains swearing, slight angst, and sexual references and insinuations.🌿]
***
[Two years later]
I hurriedly walked through the grocer aisle, quickly grabbing laundry sheets before I forgot. I would have to start preparing dinner within the next hour to have it prepared by the time that the guys stopped by.
There were too many options to consider, so I rapidly grabbed a box and squeezed it slightly, smelling the light lavender aroma that escaped. "Good enough. Santi will like that." I mumbled to myself, tucking it under my arm along with my other necessities.
I chewed my lip nervously, running over my mental list over what else I needed for tonight, or for the house in general. I was positive that I had checked every necessary box. With continuous reassurance from Santi and my therapist, I was doing better with mental challenges and stressful situations.
For the first time in the majority of my life, I was happy. Santi and I hadn't moved, deciding that the house he had prepared for me was going to be our forever home. Being in the same city gave us the opportunity to spend time with Fish, Ben, Molly, and Tessa as often as we desired.
I was also able to see my brother everyday as I took flowers to his grave, with Santi always by my side.
Santi had laid to rest all of his attachments and affiliations in South America, now working out of our garage in a successful furniture-making business. I had also retired from the service, completely disregarding my plan to re-enlist. Santi had convinced me to sell my weapons, and I agreed as long as I could keep my Desert Eagle pistol. Needless to say, that pistol was safely tucked away in my nightstand drawer.
I had recently gotten a job in our city's library and volunteered at a community greenhouse on the weekends. Although my life was somewhat busy. I wouldn't have it be any other way.
Confident I wasn't going to miss anything at the store, I turned around and rushed down the aisle, rapidly turning the corner to shuffle to the checkout.
A sudden collision caused me to drop every object in my hands.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention, and... Please forgive me." I rapidly muttered strings of apologies as I slightly pulled up my long cotton dress, kneeling to begin retrieving my groceries from the laminate flooring.
"No, no, don't apologize! That was completely my fault, and I apologize. Please, allow me." The person across from me instantly replied, also kneeling with me as we both worked to pick up the strayed items. "(Y/N)...?" The voice questioned, causing me to immediately glance upwards.
My mouth slightly fell open in surprise.
"William? It's been a while." I breathed out, placing the dryer sheets under my arm again. I swallowed loudly, not expecting to see him randomly on a day where I was rushing to return home.
He looked different than I remembered him. More healthy. More mature.
He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, two years now?" Will smiled kindly and offered me my dropped bottle of shampoo that had mysteriously stayed intact during our accidental impact. I reached for it and he hesitated. "Wow... You're married?" Will asked, staring at the diamond on my left hand.
I eagerly nodded and admired my beloved ring once again. "Yes. Santiago asked me when we all returned home after...Brazil. And we were married six months later." I explained, reaching for the bottle and tucking it in the crease of my arm.
"Oh, nice." Will cleared his throat in consideration. "Where did you guys get married?" He asked quieter, still glancing at the one-of-a-kind design that Santi had created himself just for me.
"We actually took a trip to Spain. Got married in Barcelona and had a small, private reception here when we returned." I explained, reaching for a box of penne noodles.
"That's amazing, (Y/N). Barcelona, wow! I'm...really happy for you." He genuinely said, smiling at me sweetly. "You have a beautiful home, you're married, you seem really, really happy, and..." His voice faltered as he slowly reached for another object. "You're...you're pregnant?"
He was holding my box of pregnancy tests.
"I, um..." I cleared my throat and reached for the box hurriedly. "I don't think so." He released the small box to me and I secured it into my chest. "I'm just preparing." I nodded quickly, hoping to deter him from asking anymore questions.
Truthfully, I wasn't sure.
Santi and I had talked about starting a family now that we both had steady careers and were recently financially secure. It was an easy discussion and we had agreed to continue living as normal, and if I became pregnant, it would be a cause for celebration.
Not to mention Santi's promise of proving his love to me every day and every night.
And he certainly kept that promise.
"Oh-Shit. I'm so sorry. That was extremely rude of me." Will adjusted the collar of his shirt as he then grabbed the more distant item of my wrapped asparagus. "Would you like help in carrying this stuff?" He asked, noticing as I tucked the items under my arms.
I wasn't planning on getting the shampoo or the pregnancy tests, but after having a nauseous spell in the bathroom, I reconsidered it and stopped by the family planning aisle.
"Oh, no thanks, Will. I appreciate it, though. I have to get going, you know, dinner to make and stuff to do." I grinned and accepted the asparagus as he offered it towards me.
"Right, yeah! Yeah. Um..." He scratched the back of his head and sniffed as he pondered his thoughts. "I don't know the next time we'll run into each other again. I'm being shipped out to Afghanistan next week and um... I've been going to therapy and, like, doing soul-searching, I guess-well, shit. Anyways, I have been an absolute douchebag to you. I was so ignorant, so selfish, so manipulative and..." He sighed, shaking his head as he looked to me. "You never deserved any of it. I never deserved you. I'm...glad you left me. You would have never been this happy with me. What I'm trying to get out is... I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me, because I definitely don't deserve it. But, from the bottom of my heart, I'm truly and utterly sorry for the hell I put you through."
While Will had been speaking and apologizing for his years of wrongs, my eyes had been filling with tears that I rapidly blinked away. His words and expressions were genuine, and I truly believed he felt sorry for his actions and despicable way he treated me. "Wow, Will... Thank you. You don't deserve it, but I forgive you." I sighed, shaking my head. "Everyone deserves forgiveness and a chance to redeem themselves. I wish you the best, William." I smiled and began to walk around him, but was stopped when he beckoned for me.
"Wait, (Y/N)! I- Congratulations. On everything. The marriage, the um..." He motioned to me, insinuating my suspicions of pregnancy. "You deserve it all." He dropped his arms at his sides and bit his lip. "You deserve the world and I'm so, so happy that you're with Santi. He loves you, he always has. I've, God, I was always so jealous of how effortlessly he fell for you and how he loved you at a distance, because I knew even then that his love was more than what I could ever give you." He rubbed his face and nodded in finality. "Take care of yourself, Hades." He chuckled, remembering the nickname and waving in farewell.
"Thank you, Will. I love him, and... I've always loved him too. Take care of yourself as well." I began to walk away, but turned slightly. "And Will, I don't go by Hades anymore. It's Angel now." We both smiled at each other for a final time as we went out separate ways.
I approached the self-checkout area and began to scan my items when my phone started to ring in my purse. I hurriedly dug into it and removed my phone, smiling as I saw Mi Esposo displayed on the screen. I answered it and held it to my ear as I scanned the last items.
"Hey, baby." I tucked my phone between my cheek and my shoulder, holding it in place as I bagged the groceries.
"Hey, beautiful. I'm just checkin' on ya." Santi grinned into the phone. "What time are Fish and Benny supposed to be here?" He questioned, and I could hear the clanks of pots being moved in the background.
Hearing that he was checking up on me caused butterflies to erupt in my stomach. I'd never be used to him. "I'm okay, Santi, getting ready to leave the store. I think they agreed on 7:30, and it's..." I checked my watch quickly, "6:50. I should be home in ten minutes."
"That's fine, that's fine. Don't worry, baby. I'm getting the steaks ready right now, and dinner will be perfect. Don't stress out, okay?" He chuckled, "Drive safe. I need you to come back home to me."
I smiled, swiping my card and waiting for the receipt to print. "Yes, yes. I will drive safely." I grabbed the receipt and replaced my card into my wallet. "I hate to ask while you're getting ready to cook, but-"
"Already got it. I've got coffee brewing right now for you." He stated, opening the cabinets and removing my favorite mug and placing it onto the counter for me.
I sighed in relief and held my two bags, exiting the store and trodding to my car. "Thank you, honey. I love you."
"Mi esposa, ti amo." He returned, and I could hear his bright grin. "See you in a few minutes, baby."
"See you soon." I smiled in return, hanging up and tossing my phone onto my purse and grabbing my keys. I unlocked my car and placed the bags on the passenger seat, closing the door after sliding in the driver's seat.
I took a moment to decompress, realizing that after years, I felt like I had finally reached closure with Will. I had already moved on years prior, but now I could finally release my grip and hatred of the past to fully embrace my present that was the closest to heaven I had ever been.
***
"Hey, Santi!" I called out, closing the door behind me as I removed my shoes and approached the kitchen. My favorite candle was flickering on a small table by the entryway and my heart beat furiously for Santi's constant displays of affection for me. I smiled widely, turning the corner, and finding him in grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, perfectly matching the color scheme of our dark kitchen.
He spun around at hearing my voice and grinned, shuffling towards me and capturing my lips softly. "I missed you, Mrs. Garcia." He whispered, taking the bags from my hands as well as my purse. "Your coffee is on the counter and the steaks are seasoned. I was going to wait until they got here before actually cooking them." He explained, turning and setting the bags onto the island behind us.
"I missed you too, Mr. Garcia. That's fine! Thank you." I walked towards the coffee maker, noticing that my mug was already filled and prepared just the way I liked it. "You're amazing, Santi." I praised, reaching for my much needed mug and taking a sip of the steaming coffee.
"Did we want to make the asparagus more lemony or garlic?" He asked, taking the bag away from the asparagus and tossing it into the garbage beneath the sink. He began to eagerly wash the asparagus, glancing to me occasionally.
I stared at my coffee for a moment. "Well, I mean, I like either. But maybe garlic for tonight. I think the lemon flavors go well with salmon."
Santi nodded as he listened. "You're right. We'll do garlic tonight. You want some salmon tomorrow for dinner? I'd love to make that for you." He shut the water off and placed the asparagus into a bowl for seasoning.
"Mmm..." I hummed, placing my mug onto the counter and removing the dryer sheets from the grocery bag. "That sounds delicious. I'd love that." I walked behind him and wrapped my hands around his middle, kissing his covered shoulder softly. "I'm gonna put this this the laundry room." I slowly trailed my hand down his back until I gave his ass a solid slap. "Those sweatpants make your ass look real good, Garcia." I giggled, watching his surprised and aroused expression turn towards me as I backed away playfully. He shook his head and laughed, knowing he could chase me with filthy hands.
I ventured towards the laundry room and refilled the empty container with the new dryer sheets. I tidied up the small room quickly, although it was hardly disorganized in the first place. Before I had left for the store, Santi helped me straighten the house as I deemed fit.
After turning the light off in the laundry room, I traversed back to the kitchen, brushing past Santi who was preoccupied with my groceries and turning on the water of the sink. I hurriedly washed my hands, rubbing soap quickly between my palms.
I squealed in surprise as Santi grabbed my waist from behind, chuckling as I reacted so profoundly to him. His lips attached to my neck as I turned the water off, drying my hands with the paper towel roll next to the sink.
His soft kisses became more intense as he hungrily sucked my skin. "Santi..." I breathed, closing my eyes as he continued his ruthless crusade. Just the previous night, he had created a constellation of hickeys on my stomach and chest, and I knew that this one would be painfully obvious to our company.
His hand wrapped around to my stomach, holding me against him as he stood behind me. I gripped the sink and leaned my head back, allowing him more access and submitting to his dominance.
"If you got something you wanna tell me, now's the time, baby." He whispered against my skin, his grown out scruff tickling my delicate and sensitive skin beneath him.
"Hm?" I questioned, feeling his hot breath fan across my shoulder as he nipped it lightly. "What do you mean?" His hand roamed my stomach as his other reached for something behind him.
"What's this about?" I opened my eyes and found him holding the box of pregnancy tests in front of me as his heaving chest pressed against my back.
I had totally forgotten about the test being in the grocery bags.
I gently took them from his hand and removed myself from his blockade. "It's not what you think, Santi. I just... I don't know. I haven't gone back for another dose for a few months and we have sex almost every night. I... Just though it'd be handy." I shrugged, putting it back into the bag with my shampoo so I could put them both in our bathroom.
I hadn't told him how much I desired for the tests to be positive.
"Do you think you might be pregnant?" He questioned, walking towards me as I pushed the bag away from me. He held my waist as he leaned me against the island, searching my face intensely.
I sighed and shrugged. "I'm not really sure. The last few days I haven't been feeling well, and... Maybe I jumped the gun." I rubbed his shoulders as he lowered his face to mine.
My heart began to race as his hips slightly pushed into mine. My breath shuddered as his fingers tightened around my waist.
"Do you want a baby?" He whispered lowly, reaching a hand towards my cheek. I leaned into his embrace, blushing at the thought that his question inspired. "Quieres estar embarazada?"
I had always wanted to be a mother, whether it be by birth or adoption, envisioning giving love to children that I could nurture and raise to be successful and kind, loving the people of the world. I had always thought it was an impossible and unobtainable dream when I was still serving and struggling mentally.
But I wanted this dream with Santi.
I sniffed and bit my lip, glancing away from him and nodding in affirmation.
Santi smiled and kissed me gently, running his hands down my sides and passing my thighs. He gripped the back of them and hurriedly picked me up, sitting me on the counter in front of him. "I want that too, sweetheart. I promised you I would to give you the world, anything you ever wanted. If you want a baby, I'll give you a baby."
His lips met mine again desperately as his hands frantically began to hike up my cotton dress, gathering the material in his hands as he pulled it over my thighs and pushed it back towards my hips. I grabbed his shoulders as he desperately spread my thighs apart, tightly holding them as he groaned into my mouth. He desired to give me a baby now.
"Santi, Santi..." I panted, watching him untie the strings to his sweatpants. It wouldn't be the first time he took me in our kitchen, or on this exact spot of the island. "Fish and Ben will be here any minute, we-we can't do it now." I breathed heavily, wanting nothing more than Santi to ravage me again and again.
"Fuck, you're right... Damn it." He panted, leaning his head into my chest and retying his strings. I reached into his long curls and lovingly played with his hair. "We should tell them to stay home." He chuckled, his baritone voice filling the kitchen.
I giggled, sighing as his hands massaged my thighs. "That's not fair to them, baby. We promised them dinner. And our...announcement." I wriggled my eyebrows, inciting Santi to lean towards my lips again, pecking them gently before tugging on my bottom lip that was already swelling from his violent onslaught just seconds before.
"Fine, fine. "But after they leave..." He licked his lips tantalizingly, "I'm taking you in every fucking room in this house. Hell, I'll lay you out on the dining table and bend you over the damn couch in the living room." I concealed my whimper at the promiscuous thoughts. His hands perused up my thighs and under my dress, teasingly playing with the lace hem of my panties. "But I promise you baby... I'm getting you pregnant tonight. And I don't break my promises." His lips found mine again and I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling redeemed after years of denial from myself and others.
His hands drifted back down my legs, patting my thighs as he pulled my material back down, and assisting me off the counter. Before I changed my mind and begged for him as I had done before, I kissed his bearded cheek and began to gather the utensils to set the table for our dinner.
***
"He was so fucking hammered, he called me to come pick him up from the bar. I was the one that took him there in the first place and was sitting next to him the whole damn time!" Fish exclaimed, causing another eruption of cackles and laughter to fill the living room.
He held his beer as he laughed loudly and Santi placed his glass on the coffee table with a clank, not wanting to spill it as he engaged in the riveting explosion of chuckles and snorts.
"I was not that drunk!" Benny argued in returned, taking a swig of his beer and pointing at Fish as he howled in uncontrollable laughter. Ben giggled and blushed, knowing that he was, in fact that drunk.
Fish slapped his knee and wheezed painfully unable to breathe fully. "He-He cried for 10 minutes about how much he loved me, and how happy he was that I had driven all the way out there to pick him up. We were five minutes from his house!"
Santi and Ben laughed heartily as Fish wiped his eyes free from his cascading tears, breathing heavily as he calmed down from our hours of exchanging memories and stories after enjoying a wonderful dinner.
I finally finished my water, placing my glass on the coffee table before me. Santi adjusted himself on the couch next to me as I sat up straighter. "Boys, there something I've been wanting to tell you." I had been waiting for an extremely long time for this announcement, and I knew that they were going to be hesitant.
Fish and Ben immediately quieted as the calmed themselves. From the opposing couch, they nodded in understanding and collected their erratic and maniacal laughter, glancing at each other suspiciously.
"Oh my God. Am I gonna be an uncle?" Fish questioned, holding his hand over his chest in genuine expectation. Ben curiously watched Fish and glanced at me, waiting for me to confirm or deny his suspicions.
I blushed with a scarlet hue, chuckling and shook my head negatively. "No, no one's an uncle." Yet. Santi's fingers gently trailed my spine, reminding me of his promise he had yet to fulfill tonight. "I want to show you something." I breathed deeply and stood, feeling Santi stand behind me, and the guys immediately standing in response.
"I'm suddenly very nervous." Ben muttered, following after Fish as I began to lead the group towards the basement door of the house. "Oh God, we're being murdered, Fish."
"Oh, shut up, Miller." Santi laughter and nudged Ben on the shoulder. I flipped the switch on and began to descend the steep stairs into the basement that acted mostly as a storage area and a different workshop for Santi.
This was where all of my belongings had been safely stored by Santi while he waited for me to return to him.
I had used the basement for the same purpose for both Fish and Ben, but just as I didn't know that my things were being held here, neither did they.
The guys followed me as I reached the bottom, maneuvering through the shelves toward the far end of the basement. I halted in front of a large, steel door, turning around to face the group behind me. "I love you all very much, you know this."
Fish and Ben nodded curiously, eyeing the door behind me. Fish shoved his hands into his pockets while Ben removed his hand and adjusted his hair nervously.
"And I've told you all that I'd do anything for you." I grinned and turned back around, entering the passcode into the door, which happened to be Tom's birthday.
With a click, the door released and I heaved it open, allowing Ben and Fish to slowly and hesitatingly scrutinize the entryway. I reached into the room and flicked on the light switch, illuminating the barricaded room suddenly.
"Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit!" Benny muttered, screaming as he darted into the room excitedly and behaving with frantic shock.
"Absolutely no fucking way. How the actual fuck-" Fish grabbed at his head, shaking it in denial and disbelief. "This can't be real. (Y/N), Angel, this isn't real." He slowly crossed the threshold and surveyed the room quietly.
"I assure you, Benny and Catfish, it's all real." I placed my hands on my hips, feeling Santi snake his arm around my waist as we watched the guys jump up and down excitedly, holding onto each other as they cried happily.
They never thought they were going to see the countless 100-pound duffel bags of stolen, illegal money ever again.
And yet, they were standing there , surrounded by the bags that were stacked neatly on top of the other, and filling the majority of the room.
"How-when-why?!" Ben shook his head, craning his neck to study the immense stacked height and amount of bags that seemed to have doubled in the span of two years since he had last seen it.
"After we got married in Barcelona, I had a special request for our honey moon. We spent a year carefully planning out our strategy and after a week in the Andes and traveling on an undocumented plane, it's all here. Every dollar accounted for." I explained, leaning against Santi's shoulder.
"You're a looking at nearly $240 million, boys." Santi chuckled, watching them shout and curse intelligibly. "When we split it four ways... That's about $80 million for each of us." He smirked, watching their faces illuminate in unadulterated shock.
Ben dropped to his knees and held his fists in the air victoriously. "I'm getting my fucking Ferrari, I'm getting it!" He shouted blissfully, slapping his hands onto the ground excited. "No! Fuck that! I'm getting two Ferraris!"
Fish wiped his cheeks from joyous tears and approached Santi and I, hugging us lovingly. "You should've told me you guys were going back, I..." He sniffed, "Thank you. Thank you, Pope. Thank you, Angel."
I cupped his cheek and kissed it softly. "You put some of it aside for your baby's college fund, okay? Don't be spending it all in one place now." I hummed, patting his shoulder as he nodded profusely.
"Yes, yes of course." He chuckled through his tears. He was interrupted by Benny who came barreling towards us all, embracing us tightly and gratefully.
"You motherfuckers!" He chortled loudly. "You went back and didn't even tell me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wait." He halted, glancing between Santi and myself. "Is Will getting his share?"
My mouth opening is response, but Santi answered for me. "No. William got forgiveness. And he's lucky he even got that." Santi blankly stated, holding me tightly as Fish and Ben agreed with the decision to leave Will out of the inheritance.
"Son of a bitch got more than he deserved and he was fortunate enough to keep all of his teeth." Fish retorted, causing us to all laugh in response.
"What are you waiting for, boys? Go play with your money." I shooed them back into the room and they eagerly accepted, unzipping the bags and hurriedly counting through the bills.
I backed away and walked towards the stairs so I could start cleaning the kitchen while they were busied in the basement. A hand grabbed my arm, preventing me from ascending.
"Why do you insist on sneaking off, Angel?" Santi inquired, smirking mischievously as I stared at him from the taller step.
"It's something I'm good at." I returned, watching his hands hold my hips steady. I held onto his shoulders and titled my head. "I'm going to start cleaning up while they're doing whatever it is they're doing."
Santi's hands rested on the back of my thighs, leaning my against him as his hands traveled to sit on my ass. I bit my lip as he raised an eyebrow. "Think we should just lock 'em down here? They'll be entertained with the money to care about any knocking furniture." He eyed me in desire, causing me to ponder our options.
"Maybe. But...you gotta wash the dishes first." I shrugged, and Santi grinned brightly. He squeezed my cheeks harshly, making me gasp quietly.
"Yes, baby, yes to any chore. I'd fucking mop the driveway if you asked me." His claim caused me to laugh ecstatically and toss my head back in entertainment. "Remember what you said back in Lorea's? Something about rolling naked in the money? You still up for that, Angel?" He licked his lips and imagined the provocative scene.
I began to walk backwards up the stairs, slowly and teasingly. "Give me a reason to take my clothes off and find out." I winked, turning and bolting up the stairs as he bounded after me.
Being with Santi has redeemed me in more ways than I can list. He has healed me, gently and patiently. His kindness and dedication have proven to me that love is tangible and it is real, and the proof in Santi himself. His acts of love and affection never go unnoticed, and everyday, I have discovered more reasons to love him more abundantly and profoundly than before.
If it wasn't for our obscene trail of smoke and smuggling, we would have never realized or declared the extent of our love for each other.
If I had never been cast out of a position of grace, I never would have evolved into Hades, a twisted and mangled reflection of who I had been the entire time, mutilated into a creature I was never intended to be.
But because of Santi's redeeming love, he reached into the hell that had me painfully chained to the past, and rescued me.
He had saved me from my own worst adversary: myself.
Over the years, many people have called me Angel, but they were all unaware of the true angel in their midst the entire time.
Santi was the most powerful angel of them all, a warrior and defender of those would couldn't help themselves. Although a warring angel, his gentleness will always be unfathomable.
Everywhere that I go, I know that I will always be under the protection of his ever-reaching and guarding wings. He will always be there to raise me when I cannot lift myself. His healing touch will always be alive on my skin, his fingerprints forever seared onto me, evidence of his unadulterated and uncontainable love for me.
I would always be the combination of Angel and Hades, but Santi would always prove to me that I was more than my past and that I had always and would forever be his angel and deserving of the love that I had always desired.
"In every demon, an angel hides. In every angel, a demon strides." -Anonymous