Noia squeals. Launching herself, she throws her arms around me, nearly knocking me off the stool.
“Oh mygod, you guys! I knew you two were meant to be!” she exclaims, squeezing me so tight I can barely breathe. “I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this moment ever since the anniversary party! Remember how I asked you about it the next morning and you swore up and down it was just a hookup?”
“Okay, okay,” I laugh, patting her back. “You were right. Happy now?”
She pulls back, eyes suspiciously shiny. “Ecstatic.”
Ryder clears his throat, expression softening as he looks at us. “So, what’s the plan for today? You two want to head over after breakfast to check out the damage?”
My stomach drops at the reminder. In the blissful bubble Jax and I made this morning, I’d almost forgotten about the break-in.
An image of those men tearing through my home flashes in my mind, and I shiver. “Yeah,” I say, my voice losing a bit of its cheerfulness. “Best to get it over with.”
Jax’s hand, warm and reassuring, slides to the small of my back. “We’ll take care of it together. They mostly made a mess and broke some furniture. Nothing that can’t be fixed or replaced.”
“We’ll help. Right, babe?” Noia offers as she walks over to pour herself a cup of coffee.
Ryder’s nod is firm. “Damn straight.”
fifty-five
The sun is sinking closerto the horizon, painting the lake in fiery oranges and reds. Sasha is sitting beside me on my back porch, head resting on my shoulder. We haven’t said much since settling out here with our drinks, exhausted from a long day.
“You good?” I ask softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
She nods against my shoulder. “Just… thinking.”
I get it. The damage to her house wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but seeing her space violated like that—books ripped from shelves, furniture overturned, glass shattered across the floor—was gut-wrenching. The look on her face when we walked through her front door is something I’ll never forget.
“At least the FBI agents seemed competent,” I offer, swirling the amber liquid in my glass. “And the sheriff’s deputies were thorough.”
“Yeah,” she sighs. “I still can’t believe those assholes confessed so easily.”
I snort. “Most guys like that are in it for themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Feds gave them some sort of deal.”
According to the FBI agent who interviewed us this afternoon, the guys who broke in weren’t exactly criminal masterminds. Just hired muscle sent to terrorize Sasha and send a message. But they sang like canaries once they realized they were facing serious federal charges.
Sasha shifts, turning to face me fully. Even tired and stressed, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Do you think they’ll be able to find Ryan?”
I take another sip, letting the burn settle in my chest before answering. “I hope so. With everything Dylan sent, they should have enough information to start putting serious pressure on the Triple Six.”
We fall silent again, watching as the last sliver of sunlight disappears.
“How about we go inside and I’ll make us dinner?”
“Yes, please.” She nudges my shoulder with hers.
I rise and hold out my hand, helping her up.
The grin she gives me lights up my insides. “Love you.”
“Love you too, sweet cheeks. More than you could ever know.”
epilogue
TWO WEEKS LATER…
