My fingers curl against the wall. Knox shifts behind me, as though he wants to move closer, wants to wrap around me the way Malachi clearly wants to wrap around Candace but won't. Not yet. He holds himself back. For now.
Malachi moves past us, close to Candace but not touching. He comes to stand at her side and waits. Candace stares straight ahead, then exhales. A sharp little breath.
Ruby's the first to move, stepping in with an almost feral energy. "So," she rasps, voice hoarse and inappropriate in exactly the right way, "is this the part where someone hands me a shovel and we all agree we've never met that man? James, go ahead and start a special batch of your chili. I've got a whole list of men we could feed it to."
A rough sound escapes Candace. Almost a laugh. Frankie's mouth twitches. Maggie lets out a soft, watery snort. The tension cracks, enough for a hairline fracture. Enough for everyone to breathe again.
I push off the wall and step up beside Candace, reaching for her hand. My fingers wrap around her knuckles. Her grip is iron. "You call," I tell her quietly. "We show up. Every time. No questions." Her fingers tighten once, then loosen, as though she's testing whether we're here or just a shock-induced hallucination.
James moves closer, big hand rubbing circles between Maggie's shoulders. Nash shifts enough to block the warehouse door from Darla, whose eyes are glassy and fierce where she's tucked under East's arm.
This is more than a club. It feels like a wall. A human barricade lined up behind a girl whose entire life just caved in, and another girl still healing from being sold off like property. They didn't need anyone to draw a battle plan or give an order. They came without hesitation.
Malachi murmurs something too low to catch to Candace. She nods once, squared shoulders sagging the tiniest bit in his direction, a lean she probably doesn't even realize she's making.
Maggie clears her throat. "All right. If no one eats soon, I'm force-feeding all of you. Upstairs. Now. Go sit, or I'll start mothering in public."
Ruby sniffs. "You already mother in public."
"And you keep coming back for it. So move, heathen."
That earns a ghost of a smile from Candace. We break apart, people peeling off in pairs and trios. Frankie murmurs something about coming later to clean the air. Ruby announces she's claiming rights to all ritual burnings, "for aesthetic reasons."
Darla shifts, pain flickering as she stands. East is instantly there, steadying her with hands at her waist.
"I wanted to be here for you," she says, and the way Candace's face crumples for half a second almost undoes me.
They're all doing it. Not running from the wreckage. Running into it.
Knox steps in closer behind me. His palm finds the small of my back. My body moves before my brain catches up, leaning back into his chest, letting his strength line up with my spine. His thumb slides along my waistband.
"You okay, sweetheart?" he murmurs, pitched for me alone.
No. Maybe. But I'm still standing.
"I'm here," I say instead.
He doesn't push. Doesn't say talk to me, even though the words are gathering behind his teeth. Instead he dips his head and presses a quiet, steady kiss to the top of my head. Just that. Simple.
Ruby catches it, of course. She never misses anything that can be used for chaos. "Ugh," she groans theatrically. "Domestic affection. Vice, take your wife home before you start making heart eyes so hard the power cuts out."
Knox's chest rumbles against my back. "You got a problem with heart eyes, Ruby?"
Ruby flicks her hair. "Only when I'm not the one receiving them. Go. Shoo. Take your emotional support disaster and go do," she waves her hands in a flourish, "marital things. We'll tuck Candace in."
Nash, quiet, immovable Nash, cuts her a sidelong look that lingers a second too long. Ruby's mouth snaps shut for half a beat, then she grins at him, delighted and dangerous. Interesting.
My face heats. "Please never say the words 'marital things' again."
She wiggles her eyebrows. "Too late. It's my new favorite phrase."
Candace's lips twitch. Frankie rolls her eyes and mutters something about hexing Ruby's eyeliner. Maggie shakes her head, already herding everyone toward the stairs.
Knox leans down, mouth brushing my temple. "Ride home with me?"
I could take my car home. I drove here myself last night. But I need to feel Knox's heat. "Yeah. Take me home."
Knox exhales as though he's been waiting for that answer. "Come on." He guides me toward the doors with a hand at my back. As we pass James, he gives me a nod. It's warm, solid, like I'm not some stray the club took in, but one of theirs.
