Page 132 of Undisputed Player
The shot echoed, sharp and definitive, cutting through the warehouse like a judgment from God. Damon's head snapped back, blood spraying across the concrete wall behind him. His body slumped forward, held upright only by the chains, lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
The silence that followed was deafening. I stood there, gun in my hand, feeling something inside me break and heal at the same time. The rage that had consumed me was gone, replaced by peace.
"It's done.”
Adrian was already cleaning up, placing the severed fingers in a ziplock bag for his fish. Connor wiped down surfaces, erasing our presence with quiet efficiency. We moved like ghosts, leaving no trace except for the corpse chained to the chair.
"Let's take care of the body and go home," Connor rumbled.
I holstered my gun, the barrel still warm against my hip. The rage had cooled, leaving behind peace, justice. The knowledge that the people I loved were truly safe.
I'm coming, princess. I'm coming home.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Estelle
The scent of vanilla and fresh berries filled Sierra’s kitchen, sunlight streaming through the giant windows onto the granite countertops where we sat. Towers of pastries, fruit platters, and ready-made breakfast covered every inch of space.
Toffee snoozed in a sunbeam on the floor, his belly full of the salmon the guys had ordered for him. I felt like I was in a different world, hanging out with my first true friend, and I quite liked it.
Sierra shoved a macaron into her mouth, her legs swinging under the barstool. “You realize they’re trying to fatten us up, right?” she whispered, eyeing the third tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries they’d left us. “Next step: we become Thanksgiving turkeys.”
I laughed into one of the creamy lattes they’d left. “I knew there had to be a catch. This place looks like a gingerbread house with all this food.”
Sierra grinned, licking sugar off her thumb. “Connor would definitely build me a gingerbread house if I asked. And Adrian would decorate it with all kinds of gummies.”
I glanced toward the windows, where Toffee was still stretched out, his paws twitching in his sleep. “At least Toffee’s safe. I don’t think they’d turkey-fy him.”
Sierra’s eyes sparkled. “He’s the real boss around here. Connor pretends he’s in charge, but Toffee decides when it’s bedtime.”
I reached for another pastry, warily eyeing the shiny new phone beside me. I’d found it among all the food, along with a note saying this was apparently my new phone. I barely knew how to use it, so Sierra had helped me call Leo earlier to check on him.
Today felt like a different world compared to yesterday’s chaos. I somehow felt normal having breakfast with a friend, not like a survivor of attempted murder.
Except for the fact that the custody hearing was looming over my head. It wastomorrow.
The front door opened, and the guys filed in, clean, freshly showered, their hair damp. Jax, as always, filled the space with his presence: designer jeans, a crisp white shirt rolled to his elbows, gold rings glinting, blue eyes locked on me.
Adrian was sporting a full-length top today, his tattoos still on full display. Connor was all in black, looking like a storm cloud with arms, fully zeroed in on Sierra.
Jax looked us over briefly, Rolex glinting as he leaned against the doorway. “Ladies,” he greeted, eyes locked on me. “Enjoying breakfast?”
Adrian flopped onto the stool beside Sierra, snagging a strawberry. “More like prepping for their food coma.” His green eyes sparkled, but there was an intensity in the way he watched us, his gaze soft yet assessing.
Connor’s hands came to rest on Sierra’s shoulders, kneading gently. “Sweet girl,” he murmured low. “Jax is stealing Estelle.”
I opened my mouth to object, but Jax didn’t give me the chance. In a flash, he’d lifted me off the stool, and I was scooped in his arms, his mouth brushing my ear. “You’re coming home with me, princess.”
My stomach flipped.
He just grinned, low and sure. “Home, princess. Our home. No arguments.”
I blinked, aware of all the responsibilities waiting for me. It was Sunday, so I didn’t have to get Leo to school, but there was the thought of my grading job, and whether it was worth even doing anymore. During our very hot night with the gun together, I’d desperately agreed to move into his beach house.
Jax Easton in bed made me a different woman.
He set me down, and Sierra hugged me tight before I left. “Don’t let him start marinating you,” she whispered conspiratorially, and then she giggled when Connor pulled her back into his chest.
