Travis laughs, the sound warm and rich, filling the car.
“Deal, sweet one,” Travis replies. “Extra pancakes it is.”
Travis takes the next turnoff, the sedan rolling into the gravel lot of a cozy diner, its neon sign buzzing with a retro glow.
Cole, Max, and their boys—Richie and Billie—are in another car behind us, probably heading straight to the city, but this moment is ours, a stolen slice of calm before the storm.
We slide into a booth inside, the diner’s warmth wrapping around us, the smell of coffee and syrup making my mouth water.
I clutch Bean, setting him beside me, and Travis orders us a ridiculous stack of pancakes, dripping with whipped cream and strawberries.
As we dig in, sharing bites and laughing when syrup gets on my chin, I feel it again—that sense of belonging, of us against the world.
Tomorrow, we’ll face the music.
And as scary as that thought is, I know that I’m doing it alongside the most special man I’ve ever met in my life.
Travis is my Daddy—I just hope I’ll still be around to say that after tomorrow.
Chapter 22
Travis
“You good?” I ask.
“I’m good, Daddy,” Miles replies—and I believe him, but I had to ask.
The city’s morning pulse thrums around us as Miles and I sit in a small café two blocks from the Knox & Rain office, the clink of coffee cups and the hum of conversation filling the air.
It’s early, the sun barely cresting the skyline, casting long shadows across the checkered floor. I’m nursing a black coffee, my eyes flicking to the window, scanning the street out of habit.
Miles is across from me, his star-patterned hoodie hiding the tracker in his waistband, Bean tucked in his backpack on the chair beside him. He’s nibbling a croissant, flakes crumbling onto his plate, his smile sweet as he glances at his phone.
The flash drive is now laced with Cole’s spy software to relay Knox’s network activity to the Guard. It’s is in his pocket, ready to be returned today. It’s a big day, the pivot point of our plan to take down Knox and his cartel ties, and the weight of it sits heavy in my gut.
Miles pops up, brushing crumbs off his jeans.
“Bathroom break,” he says, flashing a quick smile before heading to the back.
“Got it,” I reply, doing my best to sound relaxed but failing pretty miserably.
Alone, I lean back, forcing my mind to focus…
Today’s the day we set the trap. Miles’ job is simple but brutal: slip the flash drive back into Knox’s office, act normal, and leave at his usual time.
Once that’s done, his part’s over, and it’s up to me, Cole, and Max to follow the data trail, nail Knox, and dismantle his Los Lobos connection.
The software is already running, feeding us fragments of Knox’s emails and transfers, confirming he’s funneling millions through Obsidian Ventures.
But if anything goes wrong—if Knox suspects Miles, if that death threat wasn’t just a scare—my boy is in the crosshairs.
My jaw tightens, and I sip my coffee.
I can’t let my feelings for him cloud my judgment, not today, but the thought of him in danger makes my chest ache.
Before I know it, Miles slides back into the booth, his face relaxed, confident, a spark in his eyes that makes him look every bit the fierce lawyer I first saw in that diner.
“Ready for this?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, Daddy-firm.
