Rook shot him a look. “You do that, and she’ll put you to work.”
Havoc pointed at Avery. “Would you? Because I can lift heavy things. And I’m great at taste-testing.”
Avery laughed. “I might take you up on that.”
Stone snorted. “Don’t encourage him. He’ll move into the pantry.”
“I could,” Havoc said proudly. “It’s nice in there.”
Ledger shook his head. “Man has no shame.”
A chair scraped softly at the far end of the table. Fish looked up from his plate, his movements slower, more deliberate than the others. His gaze settled on Avery, steady, unreadable, but not unkind.
“You did good with that place,” he said, voice low and even. “Takes guts to bring something back instead of walking away.”
Avery’s smile softened. “Thank you. Really. I’ve been working hard on it.”
Grim slid the bowl of fruit closer to her. “Shows.”
It wasn’t loud or dramatic, just a simple gesture that landed with surprising warmth. Avery felt it settle in her chest, a quiet acceptance she hadn’t expected.
Rook watched the exchange, something easing in his expression. Like seeing her fit here — withhispeople — meant more to him than he’d ever admit out loud.
“You’re good for the place,” Stone said, lifting his mug in her direction. “And for him.”
Avery’s cheeks warmed. Rook didn’t argue. He didn’t look away either.
And Avery felt that acceptance from all of them settle somewhere deep and steady inside her.
After plates were cleared and coffee poured, Stone set his mug down. His posture shifted, shoulders squaring, the room falling into a natural silence around him. When Stone spoke, men listened.
“We need to talk about the Reapers,” he said, voice steady, authoritative. His expression shifted from warm to lethal. “Before we get into the break-in, Grim and Fish need to report what they found on their recon.”
Grim leaned forward, forearms braced on the table. “They’re pushing past the line. Not just sniffing around…they’re securing places in the county.” A ripple of tension moved around the table.
Fish spoke next, voice low and even. “Two bikes parked behind the old mill on Briar Road. Same place they used when they tried pushing product last year.”
Rook’s jaw tightened. “If they’re back at the mill, they’re not testing us. They’re planning something.”
Grim leaned back, expression hard. “They’re not just planning something. They’re gearing up. Could be a push.”
Fish nodded once. “Saw three men. One lookout. Two moving crates. Couldn’t get close enough to confirm contents, but the pattern fits their drug runs.”
Stone’s expression darkened. “I reached out to their Pres again this morning. Still nothing.”
“That’s intentional,” Ledger said. “They want us guessing.”
Havoc muttered, “Or they want us pissed.”
Rook’s voice dropped, cold and controlled. “If they’re this close, they’re not scouting. They’re positioning.”
Fish added, “And they were watching the road. Not random. Not sloppy. They were waiting for someone.”
Stone nodded. “Which means they’re not just sniffing around…they’re trying to establish ground.”
A low murmur rolled around the table. Grim’s jaw flexed. Havoc’s fingers drummed restlessly. Ledger’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. Even Fish stilled, the air tightening around him.
Stone let the weight of it settle before he continued, voice steady but edged with steel. “This isn’t small. And it’s not coincidence.”
