Page 39 of Hatter

“I’d like to strike tomorrow if possible,” March suggested, his voice steady and confident. “Gives us time to gather intel and prep our gear. Not to mention, it won’t give Eddie enough time to pull in more reinforcements. He lost some men, so we need to hit him while we have the advantage.”

“Agreed,” Shake said.

“Tomorrow night it is,” I confirmed. “As long as we can all agree we have a decent shot at getting this handled once and for all.” I leaned back in my chair as the others stood and dispersed.

“Good luck, Hatter,” Jo whispered, suddenly at my side. Her eyes were wide and worried, like she knew something was up. And here I thought she hadn’t been listening to us.

“Thanks, darlin’,” I replied. “We’ve got this.”

“Be careful,” she murmured, giving me that sweet, heartbreaking smile of hers. And with that, she turned back to her cooking.

She stirred something on the stove, probably the sauce. The scent was filling the air and making my mouth water.

“Jo,” I said, my voice rough as I stood up and walked toward her. She didn’t turn, still focusing on her cooking, but I could see her shoulders tense up a bit. I reached out and tugged her gently away from the stove. She looked up at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers, filled with worry and love all at once.

“Wha --” she started to ask, but I didn’t let her finish. I crushed my lips against hers, pouring every ounce of love and desire I felt into the kiss. She gasped, but then melted into me, her arms wrapping around my neck.

When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers, breathing hard. I lifted my hands and cradled her cheeks as I looked deep into her eyes.

“I love you, Jo,” I whispered, letting the words tumble out. “More than anything. I don’t care if it’s too soon. It feels like I’ve waited for this moment forever.”

“Sebastian,” she whispered, her own voice shaking with emotion. “I love you too. So much.” Her eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled all the same, like she’d just found the one thing that had been missing her whole life.

“Promise me you’ll stay safe, no matter what happens.”

“Sebastian, I --” she started, her voice catching in her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I promise. I love you too, Sebastian. I mean it.” Her voice trembled. I could feel the weight of each syllable, heavy with all the hurt she’d been through. “You have no idea how much.”

“Jo.” It felt like we were standing on the edge of something big, and I knew there was no going back. Not that I wanted to. Right now, I had everything I wanted.

She reached up, touching my face with trembling fingers, and I could see the fear fighting to break through her resolve. But I knew Jo -- knew she was strong, stronger than anyone I’d ever met. And I would be damned if I let anything happen to her.

“It’s your turn to promise,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin. “Promise me you’ll come back to me.”

My gut twisted with a fierce protectiveness that made it hard to speak. “I promise.” The words were a vow, and a prayer. “You’re my world.”

I could feel the tension in the room. I knew promising her such a thing could backfire. There was no guarantee someone wouldn’t get off a lucky shot and take me out, but if that’s what she needed to ease her fears, then I’d give it to her.

“Sebastian,” Jo murmured. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve someone like you. You’re the most honorable man I’ve ever met, and the kindest. The night I stepped out in front of your motorcycle was fate. I can’t think of anything else that would bring us together like this.”

I held her closer, breathing in her scent. There was a silence, heavy and real, as we clung to each other.

“Jo,” I whispered into her hair. “You didn’t have to do anything to deserve me. And neither did I. Life just has a funny way of throwing shit at us when we least expect it.”

She laughed softly against my chest, the sound humming pleasantly against my skin. “Well… if this is life throwing shit at us, then it’s at least the good kind.”

Her teasing remark made me chuckle, a warm rumble in my chest that seemed to relax her further.

“Only you could describe us meeting as ‘the good kind of shit’, Jo,” I replied, my hands sliding down to hold her tighter against me. The soft smile she gave me made me want to haul her off to my room and do wicked things to her.

Just then, the door burst open, and March barreled in, Rabbit and Cheshire trailing behind him. Their faces were grim, instantly killing the intimate bubble that had formed around Jo and me.

He didn’t have to say anything. The way he held my gaze spoke volumes. Jo stepped back from me, her face composed, but I could feel the maelstrom of emotions inside her. She turned off the stove. “I’ll be in my room,” she murmured, giving me one last lingering look before exiting the room.

As soon as she was out of sight, March turned to me with an intensity that told me I wasn’t going to like what I was about to hear. “We need to act now, Hatter. Eddie’s reinforcements are closing in. He’s pulled in everyone from lower-level mafia to street thugs. They’ll be in town in less than twenty-four hours, according to what Absolem was able to find.”

The room seemed to darken at the mention of Eddie’s name. I clenched my fists tightly at my side, my muscles coiling in anticipation. I didn’t know what would happen after we confronted Eddie. As many connections as he had, this might very well come back to bite us on the ass one day. Even if we were victorious this time, a day, week, or even year from now, someone could seek vengeance. There was no way to guarantee it wouldn’t happen.

“I’m ready,” I said, needing to put that fucker six feet under.

---