Page 70 of Serpent King's Revenge

They all turned toward me, faces filled with something like hope, maybe relief. But Ma wasn't there, and that absence hung in the air, silent and heavy.

"Hey," I managed to choke out, feeling like a kid again, overwhelmed by the sight of them. Abby squeezed my hand, and I took a deep breath. This was family—fractured, scarred, but still standing.

Together.

Lily shot up from the couch, her movement fast and desperate. In a heartbeat, she was across the room and crashed into me with an embrace that nearly knocked the wind out of me. Her arms clung tight, her body shaking with sobs

"God, Nathan," she choked out, her voice muffled against my chest. "You're really here."

"Hey, hey," I murmured, holding her close. I rubbed her back like I’d done when she was a little kid, when Ba had fought with Ma. My throat tightened, but I fought to keep it together for her.

Then Justin was there, his own arms wrapping around us both, making it a group thing. His hug was fierce, like he was trying to squeeze all the time we'd lost out of this single moment. "We missed you, man."

I patted his back. "Missed you too."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Alex hanging back, hands buried in his pockets. He didn't jump into the reunion. He just watched, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to be part of the scene or not.

And then there was Jack, leaning against the wall, the ghost of a grin on his lips as he took in the sight of us getting back together. He didn't have to say anything; his eyes said enough, told me he got it, the weight and the warmth of family.

We stood in a tight circle, arms wrapped around each other, the noise of the hideout fading into a distant hum. Lily's voice broke through the silence first.

"I was so worried," she choked out, her words muffled against my chest. "But I knew Abby would get you out."

Justin chimed in with a grin that matched his tone. "Yeah, your fiancée is pretty kickass."

I nodded, the pride for Abby warming me from the inside out, but I didn't say much. There wasn't a need; we all knew how tough she was.

The hug loosened, and we stepped back, Lily wiping away tears, Justin still wearing that smirk. Then Alex stepped forward. His walk was hesitant, like he was crossing some invisible line drawn since the last time we'd seen each other.

"So I heard you saved my life," Alex said. His voice was low, steady, but there was something under it that I couldn't quite place.

"Don't mention it," I replied, keeping my voice even. There was no room for debts between us, not for things like that. We were family, and that was what family did.

We stood there, a little stiff, a moment more. Then Alex reached out, his hand hanging in the air between us. I looked at it, took a breath, and grabbed it. His grip was firm, just like mine.

"Alright," I said, giving his hand a shake.

But no…fuck that.

This was my brother, we were alive.

We weren’t fucking business associates.

I pulled him in and my arms wrapped around him, solid and real. It hit me right then—I hadn’t actually hugged Alex in years. Ba had us at each other’s throats as early as possible, pitting us against each other.

Now we were united.

And we would take our father down.

"Hey," he mumbled into my shoulder, tense at first but slowly relaxing.

"Hey," I echoed back, and we just stood there, holding on. It wasn't about being tough or holding grudges; it was about blood, our shared history that ran deeper than any bad blood.

Then the others were crowding in again, Lily and Justin, their arms joining ours until we were all mashed together in one big, awkward group hug. I could feel each of them, their hearts beating, their bodies warm against mine. And something in me shifted, like a lock clicking open. For the first time in a long time, I let that wall I built around myself crumble a bit, letting them all the way in. It was messy and weird and kind of perfect.

The sound of a throat clearing snapped us out of the tangle of arms and emotions. Knuckles stood there with his usual tough look, but I could tell he got what was happening.

"You two must be tired and hungry after everything," he said, voice rough like always but not unkind. "Escape and a ride ain't no joke, and I thought you’d be here sooner."

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