Chapter 41
JACE
Parker’s living room has been transformed into a makeshift war room—her coffee table covered in laptops, tablets, files spread across the couch, empty coffee mugs forming a small collection on the side table.
We’ve been at this for three hours, going through quarterly reports, analyzing territory disputes, building the intelligence brief Charles needs for his meeting with the other families next week.
It’s boring as hell.
But it’s also comfortable in a way I didn’t expect.
Parker curled up on one end of the couch in leggings and an oversized sweater, her hair in a messy bun, glasses perched on her nose as she frowns at her laptop screen.
Me on the other end, feet propped on the coffee table, working through security assessments while trying not to get distracted by the way she bites her lower lip when she’s concentrating.
Charles is out with Cal and Silas—meeting with some of the old guard, smoothing over territorial concerns, doing the political dance that keeps the organization running smoothly. Which means I’m here, technically working from Parker’s place instead of headquarters.
Technically being the operative word.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Parker mutters, squinting at her screen. “The Ramirez numbers show a fifteen percent increase in revenue, but their expense reports are flat. Either they’re cooking the books or they’ve found some miracle efficiency I need to know about.”
“Probably cooking the books,” I say without looking up from my tablet. “Maria’s smart, but she’s also creative with accounting when it suits her.”
“Should I flag it for Charles?”
“Yeah. He’ll want to address it before it becomes a problem.”
She makes a note, her fingers flying across the keyboard. I watch her work for a moment—the way her brow furrows, the way she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, the way she’s completely in her element analyzing data and building strategy.
She’s good at this. Better than she probably realizes. The organization is lucky to have her, even if she didn’t choose this life.
My phone buzzes. A text from Cal.
Meeting running long. Won’t be back until after lunch. You good?
Fine. Working from Parker’s.
Working. Sure. That’s what we’re calling it now.
Fuck off.
Make sure you actually get some work done instead of just staring at her like a creep.
I don’t dignify that with a response, mostly because he’s not wrong.
“Everything okay?” Parker asks, glancing up from her laptop.
“Yeah. Just Cal being Cal.”
She smiles, shaking her head, then goes back to her analysis.
We work in comfortable silence for another twenty minutes before I hear it—the sound of a car pulling into the driveway, doors opening, children’s voices approaching the house.
Parker’s head snaps up. “The boys.”
“I thought they were with Sienna until after lunch?”
“They were supposed to be.” She’s already closing her laptop, straightening papers, trying to make the living room look less like a crime family headquarters and more like a normal workspace.
The front door opens—Parker gave Sienna a key weeks ago—and suddenly the quiet house is filled with noise and energy.
“Mom! Mom, we’re back!” Noah’s voice, excited and breathless.
“We saw three dogs at the main house and Uncle Charles let us pet them!” Liam adds, his words tumbling over each other.
Parker stands just as the boys come barreling into the living room, followed by Sienna carrying a laughing Lottie on her hip, with Jimmy trailing behind looking slightly more composed but equally energetic.
“Hi babies,” Parker says, opening her arms. Noah and Liam crash into her, both talking at once about the dogs and breakfast and something about Mom teaching them a card game.
I stay on the couch, trying to look professional and uninvolved, like I’m just a colleague who happens to be working from her house.
“Uncle Jace!” Noah spots me, his face lighting up. “You’re here!”
So much for professional distance.
“Hey, buddy.” I set aside my tablet. “How was the sleepover?”
“It was awesome! We stayed up super late and watched movies and Jimmy taught us how to—” He stops abruptly, glancing at Parker. “Um. Something we’re probably not supposed to do.”
“Uh huh.” Parker’s eyebrow raises. “We’ll talk about that later.”
Sienna appears in the doorway, looking entirely too amused by the whole situation. “Sorry for the early return. The boys were getting restless, and I figured you might want them back.”
“It’s fine,” Parker says, even though I can see her mentally calculating how much work we’re not going to get done now. “Thanks for taking them.”
“Of course.” Sienna’s eyes flick between me and Parker, that knowing smirk firmly in place. “I see you’re hard at work.”
“Quarterly reports,” I say blandly.
“Mmm. Riveting.”
Liam tugs on Parker’s sleeve. “Mom, can we go to the park? Please? Auntie Sienna said we could if you said yes.”
“Yeah, please please please?” Noah adds, bouncing on his toes. “We’ve been inside all morning and we have so much energy and—”
“And if we don’t run around we’re going to explode,” Liam finishes.
Parker laughs, the sound warm and genuine. “I don’t know, guys. I’ve got a lot of work to finish and—”
“I’ll take them,” Sienna offers. “Lottie and Jimmy want to go too. We’ll make it a whole thing.”
“Are you sure?” Parker looks torn between wanting to finish the work and wanting to give her kids what they’re asking for.
“Positive. You’ve been cooped up working all morning anyway.” Sienna’s smile is innocent, but her eyes are calculating. “A break would do you good.”
Noah and Liam turn their attention to me, twin pairs of sea-glass eyes—so much like their mother’s—looking up at me hopefully.
“Uncle Jace, will you come too?” Liam asks.
“Yeah! You can play baseball with us!” Noah adds. “Uncle Silas taught us how to throw properly but we need someone to catch!”
I glance at Parker, trying to read her expression. Is she okay with this? With me going to the park with her kids, essentially playing dad when we’re trying to keep this relationship quiet?
“If it’s okay with your mom,” I say carefully, “I’d be happy to help out.”
Parker’s expression softens. “Are you sure? You’ve got your own work to do.”
“It can wait.” I stand, setting my tablet aside. “Besides, they’re right. If we stay cooped up much longer, someone’s going to explode. Probably me.”
Sienna’s smirk widens. “See? Perfect. Parker, you should come too. You need a break from staring at spreadsheets.”
“I really should finish—”
“Mom, please?” Both boys, in unison, with those eyes that are absolutely lethal.
Parker sighs, but she’s smiling. “Okay, okay. Let me change into something more park-appropriate and we’ll go.”
The boys cheer, Jimmy pumps his fist, and Lottie claps her hands from Sienna’s hip.
Ten minutes later, we’re all piled into two cars—Sienna’s SUV with Lottie, Jimmy, and the boys, and my vehicle with Parker riding shotgun.
“You didn’t have to come,” Parker says quietly as I pull out of the driveway, following Sienna.
“I wanted to.” I glance at her. “Is this okay? Me being there with them? I know we’re trying to keep things quiet and—”
“Jace.” She reaches over, her hand resting on my thigh. “It’s fine. They think you’re Uncle Jace, one of their Uncle Charles’s friends who happens to be around a lot. They’re five. They’re not reading anything into it.”
“And Sienna?”
Parker laughs. “Sienna knows everything and is clearly enjoying watching this play out.”
Well, shit.
The park is relatively empty when we arrive—a Wednesday morning, most kids are in school, most adults are at work. We have the baseball diamond to ourselves, which is perfect.
Sienna produces a bat, a ball, and gloves from her trunk like she planned this all along. Which, knowing Sienna, she probably did.
“Okay, who wants to bat first?” she asks.
“Me! Me!” All three boys—Noah, Liam, and Jimmy—raise their hands.
“How about we do teams?” I suggest. “Boys versus girls?”
“Yeah!” The boys cheer.
Parker looks at me skeptically. “You sure you want to challenge us to baseball? I played softball all through high school.”
“Did you now?” I respond as if I don’t know everything about her.
“County champions, two years running.”
“This is going to be fun,” Sienna says, grinning.
We set up—boys in the outfield, girls up to bat first. Parker takes the pitcher’s mound while I crouch behind home plate to catch. Noah, Liam, and Jimmy spread out in the field, their small forms looking adorable in their determination.
Lottie is up first, Sienna helping her hold the bat. Parker pitches underhand, gentle, and Lottie makes contact with a satisfying thwack. The ball rolls toward third base.
“Run, Lottie!” Sienna cheers, and the little girl takes off, her legs pumping as fast as they can.
Liam scoops up the ball—sort of—and throws it in the general direction of first base. It goes wide. Noah chases it down, picks it up, throws to Jimmy at first.
Too late. Lottie’s safe, jumping up and down with excitement.
“Good job!” Parker calls, grinning.
Sienna’s up next. She takes the bat with the confidence of someone who knows what she’s doing.
“Oh no,” I mutter.
Parker pitches. Sienna connects solidly, sending the ball sailing over the boys’ heads into the outfield. She makes it to second base easily while Noah, Liam, and Jimmy chase down the ball, all three of them trying to grab it at once.
“This is a disaster,” I call to the boys. “You’re getting destroyed by girls!”
“We’re trying!” Noah yells back, finally getting the ball and throwing it to me.
“Hey!” Sienna shouts, “Don’t be that guy!”
Parker’s up. She takes the bat, gives me a look that says you’re going down, and settles into her stance.
I pitch—not hard, but not soft either. She deserves the real thing.
She connects beautifully, the ball arcing high and far. The boys chase it, but it’s clear before they even start running that Parker’s going to make it home.