Page 118 of Undisputed Player
"He also bribes the bartender," Sierra added helpfully.
"That's called networking," Adrian protested.
"That's called cheating," all three of them said in unison.
I burst out laughing at their synchronized response. "How long have you been doing that?"
"Too long," Connor muttered, but his lips twitched what was definitely a rare smile.
“Since we were kids," Jax answered, his expression softening. "Dad used to say we shared a brain cell."
"Still do," Adrian confirmed cheerfully. "We take turns. It's Connor's day today."
"Explains why you're being extra stupid," Connor shot back.
"Rude. But accurate."
Sierra caught my eye, her smile warm and knowing. "See what I mean? Family."
The word settled around me like a warm blanket, unexpected but welcome. Family. Not like Leo—nothing could ever be like the fierce protectiveness I felt for him. But something close. Something I hadn't realized I'd been missing.
As the jet engines roared to life and we began to taxi down the runway, Jax's arm wrapped around my belly, steadying me through the unfamiliar sensation of takeoff. My stomach dropped as we lifted, and I gripped his fingers tightly.
"First time flying?" Sierra asked gently.
I nodded, not trusting my voice as the ground fell away beneath us.
"It gets easier," she promised. "The landing's the worst part."
"Thanks for the pep talk," I managed, making her laugh.
On the other side of the cabin, Adrian was giving Toffee a detailed explanation of aerodynamics while the cat ignored him completely, and Connor watched Sierra with quiet devotion as he held her book.
Family.Different, unconventional, slightly terrifying, but my own.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Estelle
The dry Los Angeles heat pressed against my skin like an oven as Mara guided me through the venue's back entrance. Sierra had already disappeared inside, the heavy service door propped open behind her as she waited in the cool shadow of the threshold.
The early crowd's chatter vibrated through the concrete walls, a distant thunder that did nothing to ease the tension coiling in my chest. The guys had taken the front entrance since Jax was technically running late, his usual apparently.
"They'll be fine," Sierra called from the doorway as she adjusted Toffee's thousand-dollar carrier on her back. "Jax is really good.”
I nodded, phone in one hand. The venue's back alley stretched wide and sun-baked before me. Security personnel in black gear flanked the entrance, their eyes scanning shadows with focus.
A security guard who was on the plane with us, Mara, kept her hand near her holstered weapon, her posture rigid as steel. She looked fierce and strong, but when she sometimes glanced at Sierra and me, her eyes softened.
“I just need a minute,” I said, breaking away toward a sliver of relative quiet near a loading dock. “To check on Leo.”
"Don't wander far," Mara's voice carried warning, her hand resting on her holster. "We’re moving fast."
I stepped only a few feet away from the cluster of security, pressing my phone to my ear. Each ring felt endless, stretching like hours.
Jovie answered on the second one, her voice bright and familiar in the oppressive heat:
“Estelle! Everything okay?”
