Liam’s phone chimes with a notification. His expression darkens as he reads it.
“Pike’s moved again,” he says, turning the phone so we can all see. “He’s calling for an audit of all your businesses, Dom. And he’s filed a formal ethics complaint against me with the bar association, claiming conflict of interest with your real estate transactions.”
Dom’s jaw tightens. “Fucking bastard.”
I set down my spatula. “You know what? We’ve been playing defense since this whole thing started. Maybe it’s time we hit back.”
Three pairs of eyes turn to me.
“Think about it. Dom, you’ve got connections in every elite circle in this city. Liam, you know the legal system inside out. Cora understands how her father operates better than anyone. And I’m pretty good at finding patterns where others see chaos.”
I look at each of them, feeling something click into place. “Together, we’re fucking unstoppable. Pike doesn’t stand a chance if we coordinate.”
Cora straightens, something fierce flashing in her eyes. “You’re right. I’m done being his victim or his pawn.”
“A coordinated approach could work,” Liam says, setting his coffee down. “I’ve been collecting evidence of Pike’s corruption for years.”
Dom’s expression shifts from anger to calculation. “My media contacts could be useful once we have something solid.”
“So, we’re doing this?” I ask. “All of us? Together?”
Dom sets his coffee down, his expression. “Together,” he agrees, the word carrying more weight than just our plan against Pike.
Cora reaches across the counter and takes my hand, then Dominic’s. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m grateful for the Hunt.” Her eyes are bright with emotion. “Not for how it ended, but for where it’s brought us.”
Liam circles around, completing our little circle by placing his hand on Dom’s shoulder. “I’ve spent my entire career building walls to keep people out. Didn’t expect to find myself here.” He looks at each of us. “I’m not in this for revenge anymore.”
The admission hangs in the air between us, honest and exposed. I feel my chest tighten with something that goes way beyond desire or convenience.
“Well, shit,” I laugh, trying to lighten the intensity while my heart pounds. “Are we having feelings at breakfast now? Because I didn’t sign up for that.”
But I did. I fucking did.
Dom surprises me by reaching over to brush his thumb across my bottom lip. “You’re a terrible liar, Ryder.”
“Yeah,” Cora smiles, leaning into me. “We can see right through you.”
Liam shifts closer too, his arm sliding around Dom’s waist in a gesture that would’ve been unthinkable days ago. “Face it, we’re stuck with each other now.”
I look at each of them, and somehow, inexplicably, I fit with them. We all fit together.
“Fine,” I admit. “I guess revenge makes strange bedfellows.”
This wasn’t the plan. None of this was the fucking plan.
We were supposed to use Cora, break her, and destroy Pike through her. Instead, we’re standing in Dom’s kitchen makingfucking breakfast together like a... family? The word feels dangerous even in my thoughts.
I’ve spent my life calculating odds, reading people, and finding the angle. It’s how I survived after Pike’s anti-gambling initiatives crushed my business. It’s how I’ve always operated—know when to hold, know when to fold, know when to walk away.
But there’s no walking away from this. Not anymore.
The way Dom looked last night when he finally let go. The sound Liam made when he came. The trust in Cora’s eyes when she fell asleep between us. They’re all burned into me now. Permanent.
And it terrifies me. Because Pike is coming for us with everything he has. The man destroys what he can’t control, and right now, his daughter is beyond his reach for the first time. He won’t stop until he breaks this thing between us.
These people weren’t supposed to matter to me. This was just meant to be revenge with benefits.
But watching them now—Dom’s daddy energy, Liam’s protective stance, Cora’s defiant strength—I realize I’d tear the world apart to keep them safe. All of them.
