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I don’t know what the fight with the Russian was worth. I don’t know how much money changed hands every time Jaxon stepped into that cage. But I do know what Danny told me. Jaxon’s winnings alone are well over two hundred thousand dollars. More than enough to clear almost any debt. Yet somehow he was still fighting, still being dragged back into that cage, still being told he owed more. The math doesn’t add up. Unless the debt was never meant to be paid.

Henry keeps his eyes fixed on the floor, avoiding mine. Avoiding everyone in the room. The silence stretches.

“Henry.” My voice is quiet. The kind of quiet that makes people nervous. His gaze flicks toward me for a fraction of a second before darting away again. Wrong move. I grip Henry’s ear and twist.

“How much?” This time, there is no mistaking the warning in my tone.

“A hundred K,” Henry yells out.

“Then why the fuck is he still fighting?” I growl out.

“I didn’t give Manny all the money.” Henry sobs out. He knows his mistake and that he’s going to pay for it with his life.

Chapter 33

Jaxon

Spending time with Xavier and Colton is an adventure. An exhausting one, but an adventure nonetheless. Xavier seems physically incapable of being quiet for more than a few minutes at a time. His enthusiasm for practically everything is relentless. We’ve talked about books, movies, and food. He’s asked a hundred questions about my knitting.

Colton, on the other hand, is calm in a way I don’t think I’ll ever be. He’s steady and patient. Content to let Xavier talk himself in circles while occasionally adding a comment that somehow manages to derail the conversation entirely. They complement each other perfectly. Xavier’s energy fills every room he enters. Colton’s presence grounds it.

Watching them together is oddly enlightening. Not because they are similar. Quite the opposite. They are completely different people. Yet somehow their friendship works effortlessly. Like they’ve found a balance that neither of them realized they needed until they had it.

A strange sensation curls in my chest. I watch Xavier animatedly explain something while Colton listens with the long-suffering patience of a saint. Neither of them seems aware of it. The ease between them, the trust. The certainty that the other person will always be there.

What would it be like to have a friendship like that? A real one. The kind that survives distance, time, and hardship. I’ve never had it. Never had the chance. My childhood was spent moving from one foster home to another. One group home to the next. Staying just long enough to learn the rules before they changed again. Just long enough to recognize faces before they disappeared. The schools changed, the people changed. Over and over again.

Making friends requires time and consistency. I never had any of those things. So I learned not to bother. Learned not to get attached. It was easier that way. At least that’s what I told myself. Yet as I watch Xavier throw his head back laughing at something Colton said, I know I missed out on more than I realized. And deep down it hurts.

The sound of the front door opening cuts Xavier off mid-sentence. Which is impressive considering I’m fairly certain the man can talk through almost anything.

All three of us turn toward the foyer. Conor walks in first, Declan right behind him. Both men look composed. Their expressions completely unreadable. If I hadn’t spent the last few days around this family, I would have assumed nothing had happened at all.

Then Declan’s eyes find Xavier. The change is instant. It’s subtle but impossible to miss once you know to look for it. His shoulders loosen. The hard set of his jaw eases. And just like that, he looks less dangerous. Xavier apparently notices it too.

“Declan!” The squeal that leaves him is so unexpected that I bark out a laugh. Xavier is already on his feet. Crossing the room at an alarming speed. Declan barely has time to brace himself before Xavier launches into him. Declan catches him automatically, like he’s done it a hundred times before. Probably because he has.

“You’re back,” Xavier says it as if Declan has been gone for weeks instead of a few hours.

“I was gone four hours.”

“It was a very long four hours.”

Colton doesn’t even look up from where he’s sitting. “He’s been checking the clock.”

“Traitor.”

“You know I’m right.”

I laugh again. Because for all the darkness in this family, moments like this seem just as common. Maybe more so.

Conor comes straight to me. He stops in front of where I’m sitting and cups my face in his hands. The gesture is gentle and somehow familiar. My breath catches anyway. The noise in the room fades. It all drifts into the background. Right now, all I see is Conor. All I hear is him. His green eyes search my face. As if he’s been thinking about me all evening.

“I missed you,” he says quietly.

The words hit me harder than they should. Before I can think of a response, he leans down and kisses me. It’s soft and unhurried. He has absolutely no problem showing affection in front of the people closest to him. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world. The kiss ends far too quickly.

“Aww.” Xavier’s dramatic sigh shatters the moment. The room immediately rushes back into focus. Heat floods my face.