Page 33 of Hammer

For a brief moment, the scene almost felt… normal.Like we weren’t a random collection of broken people thrown together by circumstance and danger.Like this was just a regular family movie night instead of a fragile truce built on pizza and Bruce Willis.

“So, Levi,” Sam said during a quieter scene, “Aura tells me you’re good with computers.”

Levi nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose.“I like coding.”

“You ever think about cyber security?Club could use someone with those skills.”

“Sam,” I warned, not wanting him recruiting the kid for club business.

He held up his hands.“Just saying.Kid’s got talent, or so I’ve heard.”

Levi looked intrigued, but Chase shot Sam a suspicious glare.Always the protector.Always on guard.I knew that stance all too well -- had adopted it myself with Aura when she’d first come to live with me, watching for threats around every corner.

The conversation drifted back to the movie as plates emptied and bodies relaxed deeper into furniture.Even Amelia seemed less tense, a small smile playing at her lips during the funnier scenes.I caught myself staring more than once, drawn to the way the tension had eased from her shoulders, how her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when she smiled.

“Anyone want more pizza?”Aura asked during a lull in the action.

Murmurs of satisfaction and decline circled the room.Chase set his empty plate on the coffee table, then turned those penetrating green eyes directly on me.His jaw tightened, and something in his expression set alarm bells ringing in my head.

“So are you going to claim my mom as your old lady for real?”he asked, his voice slicing through the room’s comfort like a blade.

Exactly what I’d been wondering too.Her request had blindsided me, and I still wasn’t able to wrap my head around it.Did I want to claim her and the boys?Start a family?Hell, I already had one, but this was different.

The sudden silence was deafening.Aura’s eyes widened to saucers, her mouth forming a perfect “O” of shock.Sam muttered “oh shit” under his breath, setting down his beer with exaggerated care.Levi froze mid-bite, a slice of pizza suspended halfway to his mouth.

Amelia paled, her gaze dropping to her lap, where her fingers twisted together in a white-knuckled grip.“Chase,” she said softly, a warning and a plea wrapped in a single word.

The kid didn’t back down, gaze still locked on mine.“I want to know what’s happening.You brought us here for protection, but I need to understand the terms.”

Terms.Like his mother was a contract to be negotiated.Like she was a transaction.The implication sent a flare of anger through me before I caught the undercurrent in his tone -- fear, protectiveness, a desperate need to make sense of the chaos his life had become.

My jaw tightened as I set down my own plate.The room felt suddenly airless, all eyes on me, waiting for my response.How the hell had a simple pizza night devolved so quickly?But I knew the answer.Nothing about this situation was simple.Nothing about Amelia’s desperate offer or my conflicted response could be wrapped up neatly like a Hollywood ending.

“Amelia,” I said, my voice rougher than I’d intended.“Think we should talk.Outside.”

She nodded, rising from the couch with forced composure.Her chin lifted slightly, pride straightening her spine despite the embarrassment staining her cheeks.Without a word, she followed me through the kitchen toward the back door.

Behind us, I heard Aura’s stunned voice: “What the actual fuck did I miss?”

The screen door swung shut behind us, cutting off Sam’s low response.The night air was cool against my face as we stepped onto the back porch.The compound spread out before us, security lights illuminating patches of ground while leaving others in shadow.Somewhere in the distance, a motorcycle engine revved.

I turned to face Amelia, knowing whatever I said next would change things between us.Knowing her sons were probably pressed against the windows, watching.Knowing my own kids were likely doing the same.

The time for avoiding had passed.Now, we needed to talk.

Chapter Ten

Hammer

I leaned against the porch railing, the weathered wood creaking under my weight.Amelia stood a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest, moonlight catching the strands of her hair as she waited for me to speak.The question her boy had thrown out hung between us like smoke -- thick, suffocating, impossible to ignore.

Crickets chirped in the darkness beyond the porch light’s reach.The familiar sounds of the compound at night should have been comforting, but everything felt off-kilter since Amelia had made her desperate proposition.

“Your boy doesn’t pull punches,” I finally said, breaking the silence.

Amelia sighed, her shoulders drooping slightly.“Chase has been the man of the house for years.Mostly because his father was just an abusive asshole.He’s protective.”She stepped closer, her voice dropping.“I’m sorry he put you on the spot like that.”

“Don’t apologize for him looking out for you.”I straightened, turning to face her fully.“But we do need to talk about what you proposed earlier.”

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