CHAPTER 1
FAITH
The lobby of the Black Bounty building smelled like fresh pine and sugar cookies, a strange but comforting combination as we worked to turn the usually sleek and pristine space into something resembling holiday cheer. The seven-foot Christmas tree had been the bane of our existence for the better part of an hour. It took all of us to move the couch and chairs just enough to squeeze the wide base into position. There was a moment where I was sure the tree was going to win, but now, with the lights strung and a ladder propped up, it was starting to look pretty damn good.
Eve knelt by the coffee table, placing a bright-red poinsettia in the center with her usual precision. She adjusted it a few times, muttering something about symmetry. Meanwhile, Tegan was on the floor by the tree, arranging a pile of beautifully wrapped presents. Most of the ladies had their shopping done weeks ago, of course. Overachievers. My own shopping? Still nonexistent. I’d be among the few women out there with the men on the twenty-fourth, scrambling through the mall in a last-minute frenzy. Luke used to handleall that for me, his efficiency putting even Santa to shame. Last year, Carnell stepped in to help, and his wisdom guided me through the chaos. But this year, with Greyson asking me to move in with him, it felt important to handle it myself.
Salima had claimed the refreshment table like a queen surveying her kingdom. Trays of cookies—both gingerbread and chocolate chip—sat alongside plates of delicate sandwiches, cheeses, and crackers. She’d even managed to find a festive red coffee pot to replace the standard black one. It was the little things, I supposed, that made a space feel warm.
“Careful on that ladder,” Aurora called from across the room, her voice tinged with both amusement and warning. She was watching Nishi, who was currently perched on the top rung, trying to place a glittering reindeer on one of the tree’s highest branches.
“I’ve got this,” Nishi replied, the determination in her tone making me both proud and nervous.
“You’re leaning,” Aurora added with a smirk as she crossed her arms.
“I’m not leaning?—”
The ladder shifted slightly, and my heart stopped.
“Okay, okay!” Nishi scrambled to balance herself, and we all exhaled as the ornament finally found its place.
It wasn’t perfect. The ornament swayed slightly to the right, and the tree leaned just a hair too far to the left. But somehow, it worked. It felt like us. A little chaotic, but full of heart.
“Looks good,” Tegan said, sitting back on her heels to admire the tree.
“Yeah,” I agreed, brushing pine needles off my jeans. “Not bad for a bunch of misfits.”
Eve rolled her eyes, Aurora laughed, and Salima passed around steaming cups of spiced cider. For a moment, theworld outside—the battles, the darkness, the burden of everything we carried—faded away.
This was ours. A little piece of joy carved out of the madness. And I wasn’t going to trade it for anything.
I reached up to hang a frosted Santa on one of the sturdier branches, the ornament’s chubby belly catching the light from the twinkling string of lights. Next to me, Eve was carefully placing a silver ball, her movements perfect as always. She tilted her head, examining the placement before glancing over at me.
“Where did you get all these decorations?” she asked, her tone casual but her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
I frowned, immediately suspicious. “Why?”
Eve gave me one of her trademark looks, the kind that made me feel like I’d missed an obvious joke. Then she glanced at the others, as if for backup, before finally saying, “Because you’re not exactly the Martha Stewart of the group.”
The laughter that followed wasn’t just contained to her. Nishi piped up. “Oh, come on, Eve. She would be, if we were decorating the tree with throwing stars, daggers, and maybe a few small pistols.”
The room burst into laughter, even Tegan, who usually tried to stay neutral during the more brutal teasing sessions. I fought hard not to laugh myself—mostly because it wasn’t like they were wrong. If someone sold tactical weaponry-themed ornaments, I’d have already bought out their stock. In fact, it was a disturbingly good idea, and I mentally filed it away for later research.
And that, of course, only proved their point. I sighed, feeling the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth despite myself.
“Carnell sent me the tree and ornaments,” I finally admitted,earning a collective round of exaggerated nods and mock ah-ha gestures from the group.
“Well, that tracks,” Eve said, her lips twitching as she fought a smirk. “It’s way too coordinated to be your work.”
“I can coordinate!” I shot back, even though I could already hear the lack of conviction in my own voice.
Aurora raised an eyebrow from her spot by the cookies, her grin sharper than it needed to be. “Sure, you can. If it’s combat boots with your tactical gear.”
“Who doesn’t love tactical gear?” I asked in all seriousness.
The laughter bubbled up again, warm and unfiltered, filling the lobby with a kind of comfort that only came with this particular group of chaos magnets I called friends. I shook my head and went back to hanging ornaments, trying to focus on the tree instead of the idea of a miniature grenade bauble. But as much as I tried to deny it, their teasing wasn’t mean. It was home.
Aurora leaned against the back of the couch, arms crossed and a sly smile tugging at her lips. “So,” she said, drawing the word out like a piece of taffy, “how’s the big move going with Greyson? Or is he still waiting for you to unpack your daggers and decide?”
