Elliot's face goes tight. He knows what those kids need. He was one of them, in a different way. Owned. Used. Broken down until there was nothing left but compliance.
Jace's hand finds the small of his back, and Elliot instantly relaxes.
"How long for your crew, Asher?”
"Day after tomorrow. My people need time to get into position."
"Your people?" Jinx speaks for the first time, his voice rough. "What people?"
"Four fighters. Pit survivors, like me. They'll be here tomorrow morning." I meet his eyes across the room. He looks away first. "Marlee, Thiago, Kira, Dom. They know how to move quiet and kill quieter. We can trust them."
"We don't know them," Jinx says.
"You don't know me either. But here I am."
"That's not reassuring."
"Wasn't trying to reassure you." I hold his gaze when he looks back. "I'm trying to get those kids out. You can trust me or not. Either way, I'm going."
The room goes quiet. Jagger watches the exchange with those calculating eyes. Jace has gone still, hand drifting toward the knife at his belt. Even Jonah has stopped waving his baguette.
Jinx breaks first. "Fine. Your people, your responsibility. They fuck up, it's on you."
"Fair enough."
"And you're with me on the breach. East entrance."
I raise an eyebrow. "Thought you wanted me to stay out of your way."
"I want a lot of things. Doesn't mean I get them." He pushes off the wall and heads for the door. "Briefing's done. I need air."
He's gone before anyone can respond.
Jonah lets out a low whistle. "Well. That was intense. Is it always like that with you two, or is today special?"
"Today's pretty standard, actually."
"Fascinating. It's like watching two wolves circle each other, except the wolves are horny and also want to impregnate eachother." Jonah hops off the counter, tearing a chunk from his baguette. "I give it three days before you're either fucking or killing each other. Possibly both. Simultaneously."
"Jonah," Jagger says tiredly.
"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. The sexual tension in here is thicker than Elliot's stew, and that's saying something because Elliot makes a mean stew."
"It's not stew," Elliot says. "It's ratatouille."
"Even better. The sexual tension is thicker than Elliot's ratatouille. I stand by my assessment."
I can't help it. I laugh. It's been so long since I laughed that the sound surprises me, rough and rusty like an engine that hasn't been turned over in years.
Jonah grins. "See? He likes me. That's a good sign. Jinx hated me for the first three weeks."
"Jinx hates everyone," Jace says quietly.
"Not everyone." Jonah's grin turns knowing. "Just the people he's scared of liking."
I file that information away. It tracks with everything I've observed. Jinx Harrison, terrified of his own wants, lashing out at anyone who gets close enough to matter.
I've known men like that. Hell, I've been that man. The pits didn't leave room for softness. Caring about someone meant giving your enemies a weapon to use against you. So you learned not to care. You learned to keep everyone at arm's length, to turn your heart into a fortress.
