The kitchen smells of coffee and toast and bacon frying in a pan this morning. Zane is at the stove, moving with that economical rhythm of someone who knows exactly where everything is. Finn’s sitting at the counter in a worn tee, hair a disaster, scrolling through his phone but not really looking at it. Ryder’s at the table with a mug in his hand, staring into it like the answers might float to the surface.
It’s domestic in a way that feels almost offensive given the circumstances.
I stand in the doorway, watching them.
Three men who look like they’ve survived things I don’t have names for.
Three men who are pretending this is just breakfast.
“Okay,” I say, because subtlety is overrated. “We need to talk.”
Finn glances up first. “Good morning to you too, Heartbreaker.”
Zane turns off the stove without looking surprised. Ryder’s eyes lift slowly, assessing.
I step fully into the room. “In a practical way. I have questions.”
“That sounds ominous,” Finn says lightly. “Should I stretch first?”
“Shut up,” I tell him automatically.
He grins. But it’s thinner than usual.
Zane slides a plate in front of me. Eggs. Toast. The kind of food that assumes the world is stable.
“Eat,” he says.
“I will,” I reply. “But I’m not letting this get brushed off again.”
Ryder sets his mug down. “Brushed off?”
“Yes,” I say. “We keep acting like this is manageable. Like it’s just… increased security and vibes. But something is happening, keeping me here, and I need more info.”
I didn’t know if I wanted it, but now I think I need it.
Zane’s jaw tightens, just slightly.
I take a breath. “Why might I be targeted?”
No one answers immediately.
That’s not comforting.
“I want real answers,” I continue. “Not ‘it’s nothing’ or ‘we’ve got it handled.’ If I’m in this, I deserve context.”
Ryder’s gaze sharpens. “You think we’re lying to you?”
“I think you’re filtering,” I say. “Which is not the same thing.”
Finn exhales slowly. “She’s not wrong.”
Ryder cuts him a look.
“Cole used to be Ryder’s enforcer,” Zane says quietly.
“As in…” I trail off.
“As in he did the jobs Ryder didn’t want to look at too closely,” Finn fills in, tone stripped of humor now.
