Behind me, I hear the soft shuffle of boots as my brothers file out of the chapel.They're not interfering yet, but I can feel their presence, their readiness to back me up if this goes sideways.
"You need to leave," I say, my voice dropping to the level that makes most people's survival instincts kick in."Now."
"I'm not leaving without Evangeline and the children."
"Yes, you fucking are."
The standoff stretches between us, tension crackling like electricity.Ethan's got maybe fifty pounds on me, but it's soft weight; gym muscle, not the kind built through violence and necessity.He has no idea what he's walking into.
"Gentlemen."Ghost's voice cuts through the tension, calm but carrying absolute authority."I think we all need to take a step back."
Ethan's gaze flicks to Ghost, taking in the president's patch, the scars on his knuckles, the kind of quiet menace that comes from years of making hard decisions.
"You must be the leader of this little gang," Ethan says, his tone condescending."I'm sure you understand the legal implications of harboring minors without proper authorization."
"I understand that you're in my clubhouse making threats," Ghost replies smoothly."And that's not something I take kindly to."
"I'm not making threats.I'm stating facts.Those children need to be in a stable environment with proper supervision.Not some motorcycle club where God knows what kind of illegal activities take place."
"Uncle Hades?"
The small voice cuts through the adult posturing like a knife.We all turn to see Jake standing in the doorway, his young face confused and frightened.
"Jake, sweetheart, go back to your brothers and sisters," Evangeline says gently.
"But why is the mean man here?"Jake asks, and I watch Ethan's face flush with anger at the casual description.
"Mean man?"Ethan repeats, his voice tight with barely controlled rage."Is that what you've been telling them about me?"
"I didn't have to tell them anything," Evangeline replies coldly."Children are excellent judges of character."
Emma moves in front of Sophie and Jake without a word, her small shoulders squared.
The verbal slap hits its mark, and Ethan's composure finally cracks completely.
"That's enough," he snaps, his grip on her wrist becoming visibly painful."We're leaving.All of us.Right now."
Evangeline tries to pull away, but Ethan holds fast.I can see the white pressure marks where his fingers dig into her skin, and the sight sends a red haze over my vision.
"Let go of her."The words come out more growl than speech.
"Or what?"Ethan's false bravado is back, powered by desperation and wounded pride."You'll assault me?In front of witnesses?In front of children?"
He's not wrong.One wrong move from me and he could have the cops here.He could use it as ammunition to prove that Evangeline and the kids aren't safe with us.The smart play would be to de-escalate, to let him leave with his dignity intact.
But watching him hurt her, watching him treat her like property, makes every civilized instinct I possess disappear.
"Hades," Evangeline says quietly, and something in her voice stops me cold.Not fear of Ethan, but fear for me.Fear of what I might do and how it might destroy everything we're trying to build.
The knowledge that she's protecting me, even from herself, hits like a punch to the solar plexus.
"Please," she continues, her green eyes locked on mine."The children."
She's right.Whatever this thing between us is, whatever I want to do to the bastard who's hurting her, it has to take a backseat to keeping the kids safe.
"You heard the lady," I say to Ethan, forcing my voice back to something resembling calm."Let her go."
For a moment, I think he's going to push it, going to force a confrontation that will end with him on the floor and me in handcuffs.
