“Feel free, hun. You look like you can handle it.” She waved them on, and Owen gave her a quick nod before turning his icy gaze on Derrick.
“I forgot to mention something. Both of you are being recorded.” Owen pointed out the small hidden cameras planted around the room. “Derrick? You’re fired. And you also have a choice to make. The Pointe can talk to the police about the walk-in, or you can reimburse us.”
“…I can pay you,” Derrick mumbled, looking like he’d lost everything. Good, because the money he’d taken could now be used to make The Pointe whole.
“Good, good.” Owen crossed his arms, strangely intimidating. “Angelo is going to bring you downstairs and set that up. If you ever come back here again or cause us trouble in any way, I won’t hesitate to press charges. Are we clear?”
“Yeah.” Standing, Derrick shot Eve a look, and he might’ve tried to glance at Jax, but Tristan blocked that too. If Jax hadn’t been sideswiped by everything, he might’ve taken his own shot at Derrick, showed him even more consequences to his actions, but Jax just wanted this entire thing to be over.
Without another word, Derrick practically bolted from the office, Angelo right behind him.
“Come on, Eve, you’re done here,” Marci stated, standing over her.
Seething, Eve glared at the entire room, still cradling her face.
“Tris?” She looked up at him, but Jax could practically see the fury rising from Tristan’s skin.
“You don’t get Derrick’s deal.” Tristan’s low, gritty voice would be sexy in any other scenario. “This footage is going to a lawyer, and soon you’ll have restraining orders from The Pointe, me,andRain.”
“What?FromRainy?” Her shrill voice cut through Jax’s head, echoing off the walls. “You can’t do this! He’smyson.”
“But you’re not his mother,” Tristan said sadly. “You’ve never been his mother.”
“You stole him from me! You don’t deserve to be happy!You-” She leapt up, lunging for Tristan, but Marci was ready. With a grin, she grabbed Eve by her hair and dress, and Eve jerked backward with a cry.
“Nope. Time to go,” Marci announced, and suddenly, they were gone.
Jax’s mom sniffed. “I knew she could handle herself.”
Stunned silence reigned as the tension in the room slowly settled, and Jax let out a long breath.
“Holy shit,” was all he could come up with. His mind was still spinning from all the information, his emotions jangled and raw, and he stared at Tristan’s back, not knowing what to say or do.
He used to be a cocky party boy, and then an angry brat, but Tristan hadslowly stripped Jax down to his real self, someone who wanted to love and be loved in return, someone who wanted joy and softness in his life.
And Tristan fulfilled all of those wants wonderfully, smoothing the edges of Jax’s pain and making things bearable.
Finally, Tristan turned, and once their eyes met, his held guilt, relief, and love. The last one was the most important, because it told Jax everything he needed to know.
Tristan had made mistakes, but only because he’d beentookind. Stupidly kind, but kind nonetheless. That was leagues better than maliciousness or unchecked anger. And he’d clearly been on a journey during their week apart, trying to fix things, although the fixing could’ve been a little less dramatic.
But then Jax wouldn’t have heard Tristan’s declaration of love, confirming that their bond had always been there, forged long before they ever existed in these bodies. While Jax never believed in that kind of stuff, whatever he had with Tristan challenged that.
Now that they were close, he could feel their connection pulling them together, but there was so much they needed to work through. It must’ve shown on his face, because Owen coughed.
“I should go downstairs and see how Marci and Angelo are doing,” he declared. “Hey, Finn, Ollie, why don’t you help me?”
“Sure,” Finn said, but Jax could sense that his mom was hovering in the hallway.
“Gianna, give them a minute?” Ollie came to the rescue. “You can hassle Tristan later.”
“You’re lucky you’re cute, hun.” Her voice drifted away, and suddenly they were alone.
“How are you feeling?” Tristan breathed out, looking Jax over.
“Better. I need a few more days, but I’ll be okay.” Jax couldn’t help but be charmed by how much Tristan cared for him. In fact, if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to go by, he’d been just as heartbroken as Jax.
“Who told you about this?” Tristan asked before grinning weakly and shaking his head. “Gideon…”
