Chapter Twenty-Nine
Estelle
The private jet loomed on the tarmac like something from a movie, all sleek lines and polished chrome, the boxing logo on the side in gold.
I stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs, clutching my phone to my chest. The designer outfit Jax had insisted I wear this morning was comfortable and perfectly fitted.
The cashmere sweater and tailored pants were soft in a way my thrift store clothes never were.
I felt different, not like the poor girl from the slums.
“Princess,” Jax called from the top of the stairs, designer sunglasses perched on his styled blond hair and gold rings reflecting the morning light. “You coming or are you planning to admire the jet all day?”
Before I could answer, Adrian appeared beside him, a crop top displaying his heavily tattooed torso and a fancy cat carrier clutched in his inked arms. “Star!” he shouted, waving enthusiastically. “Get up here! Toffee’s getting impatient!”
I blinked, momentarily confused by the unfamiliar nickname. “Star?” That was new .
Sierra appeared at my elbow, her petite frame dwarfed by Connor, who loomed protectively behind her like a dark shadow. "Don't worry about the nickname," she whispered with a knowing smile. “They give everyone one. I've been 'Bee' for months now."
“Does it mean something?” I asked, taking a tentative step toward the stairs.
“With Adrian? Who knows?” she laughed, tugging me forward. “But they grow on you.”
Connor's hand settled briefly on Sierra's lower back before he moved ahead to carry both our bags, the casual possessiveness of the gesture striking me. They all moved together like a unit forged in something deeper than friendship.
"Wait," I called to Jax, stopping suddenly. "I need to call Leo."
Jax's expression immediately softened, that cocky smile melting into something tender. "Of course, princess. Take your time." He stayed put, though, watching me with that cocky swagger the entire time.
I dialed Jovie's number, my stomach twisting with familiar guilt. How many times had I left Leo in the past few weeks? We'd never been apart this much before, and the weight of it pressed against my chest.
“Elle!” Leo's voice burst through the phone, bright and excited. "Guess what? Avery and I built a fort in the living room, and Elsie made us pancakes shaped like dinosaurs again!”
"That sounds amazing, buddy,” I cheered, my throat tight. "I'm about to get on the plane. Are you sure you're okay with me being gone?"
“Yes, Elle,” Leo's voice was incredulous. "You're going to watch Mr. Lion fight. That's so cool, Avery said there's gonna be cameras and everything!"
"But I've been leaving you a lot lately?—"
“Elle,” Leo interrupted, his voice taking on that serious tone that made him sound older than his years. "You never do fun stuff. I’m happy you're finally doing something awesome. "
The simple honesty in his voice made my eyes burn. "I love you, Leo."
“I love you too. Have fun and tell Mr. Lion to punch the bad guy really hard.”
I laughed despite the tears threatening to spill. "I will. Be good for Ms. Jovie."
"I will,” he answered warmly, and I would do anything just to gather his little self in my arms right now and squeeze him.
As I climbed the stairs, I could hear Adrian cooing into the cat carrier. "We're going on an adventure, sweet prince. Yes, we are. Who's Daddy's handsome boy?"
"Stop traumatizing the cat," Jax drawled, holding out his hand to help me up the remaining steps. His grip was firm, warm, his thumb brushing across my knuckles.
"Welcome aboard, princess. The little man okay?"
“Yeah,” I replied, surprised by how much lighter I felt. "Better than okay, actually."
The interior of the jet was even more luxurious than I'd imagined. It had buttery leather seats, polished wood tables, and a bar stocked with crystal that cost more than I could imagine. Sierra moved with the ease of someone who belonged, attempting to sit down before being immediately pulled into Connor’s massive lap.
"Absolutely not," Connor rumbled, his arms wrapping around her possessively. "You sit here."
I bit back a laugh—Sierra gave me a shy smile, rolling her eyes as Connor placed a pastry into her hand.
Jax guided me to a seat with gentle pressure on the small of my back, and Adrian flopped into the seat across from us, carefully setting the cat carrier on his lap and unzipping it. A big brown cat emerged, stretching leisurely before settling on Adrian's massive thighs like a king on his throne.
“Star, Toffee. Toffee, Star,” Adrian said seriously, as if performing an official introduction. “I know you already met, but she's new to our little family, so be nice. ”
There was that nickname again. “Why Star?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Adrian looked genuinely surprised. “Because that's what your name means, duh.” He scratched under Toffee's chin, earning a loud purr. “Estelle. French for star. Didn't you know?”
I shook my head, oddly touched that he'd bothered to learn the meaning of my name.
“See, this is why we need him around,” Sierra said, leaning forward to accept a glass of champagne from a stewardess. “He's like Google, but specifically for romance novel plots and random facts.”
“Don't forget cat facts,” Connor rumbled, his deep voice carrying across the cabin. “Tell her about the hairball incident.”
Adrian's face lit up. “Oh! Did you know cats can?—”
“Not before I've had my drink,” Jax interrupted, accepting a tumbler of amber liquid. He turned to me, holding out a glass of what looked like white wine. “For you, princess. Courage for your first flight with these idiots.”
He glanced at Sierra, throwing her a wink. “Not you, bee.”
If it were anyone else, I may have felt jealous, but Sierra was so completely claimed, I was more afraid Connor would beat Jax up than anything else.
And then Jax tugged me into his own lap, letting my legs dangle over one thick thigh as he rubbed my back. “There. The princess sits on her throne.”
The casual way he did these things sent flutters through my stomach. He'd been doing this since we met. Learning me, watching me, providing things I hadn't even realized I wanted until they were in front of me.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, taking the glass and leaning back into his strong arm. The wine was cool and light on my tongue, expensive in a way I could taste.
“So, Star,” Adrian called, his green eyes bright with mischief. “Truth or dare?”
“What are you, twelve?” Connor scoffed .
“Mentally? Totally,” Adrian confirmed cheerfully.“Physically? Well...” He flexed one huge, tattooed bicep dramatically. “The evidence suggests otherwise.”
I couldn't help laughing, and any lingering stress eased. “Truth, I guess?”
“Rookie mistake,” Jax chided beside me, holding me just a bit tighter in his lap. “Adrian's truths are brutal.”
“Have you seen Jax’s ass?” Adrian asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
I choked on my wine, heat flooding my face. “What?”
Sierra reached across to smack Adrian's arm. “Behave! It's her first time being stuck with us.”
“That's why I'm asking!” Adrian protested, completely unrepentant. “He literally did a photoshoot with his ass out! We all know what it looks like, and Star doesn’t! That’s messed up!”
“It’s not,” Jax said smoothly, his hand settling on my knee with casual possession. “It was a shoot for a women’s brand. Not for you .”
All three men looked at me then, their expressions varying degrees of amusement and intensity. The air in the cabin suddenly felt charged, like the moment before lightning strikes.
I realized that for all their joking and teasing, these men operated on a different level, like predators playing at being civilized.
“Maybe,” I finally answered, lifting my chin. I remembered whose lap I was on—who I could be in Jax’s presence. “But a lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Adrian clutched his chest dramatically. “Oh, she's perfect! Jax, I'm stealing her."
"Over my dead body," Jax growled, but he was grinning.
“He’d shoot you,” Connor said dryly, not looking up from the book Sierra pulled from their bag. "Adrian, did you bring the files?"
The shift was subtle but unmistakable, the playfulness in Adrian's expression receding, replaced by something sharper. “Already sent it to you. Everything Bee and Star need to know about the security protocols at the arena.”
I blinked, surprised by both the sudden topic change and my inclusion. “Security protocols?”
Sierra gave me another little smile. “High-profile fights draw all kinds of attention. The guys are just… cautious.”
“Cautious is Adrian checking under the bed for monsters,” Jax scoffed, his tone light but his eyes hard. “We're thorough.”
“Paranoid, you mean,” Sierra teased, but there was understanding in her eyes. “They're overprotective, but you get used to it.”
“Like hell we are,” Connor muttered, but his lips quirked in a way that suggested this was an old, familiar argument. “Adrian, show the girls the box seats.”
Adrian produced an iPad, swiping through to a blueprint of what seemed like a luxury box-thing. “You'll watch the fight here,” he instructed, pointing to a section marked in red.
“It has a private entrance, bulletproof glass, and security at all access points.” He looked up at me, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Nothing gets to you.”
“Or near you,” Jax added, pressing his lips to my hair.
The possessiveness chafed against all the years I'd spent fighting for independence, for control over my own life and Leo's. But it felt a weight lifted from my chest. Now, I wasn’t alone.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, meeting each of their gazes in turn—Connor's steady intensity, Adrian's unexpected depth, and Jax's confident assurance. “For including me.”
“Don't thank us yet,” Jax grinned wickedly. “Wait until you've seen us at the after-party. Adrian has a tradition of challenging the losing team to a tequila contest.”
“Which I always win,” Adrian interjected proudly, stroking Toffee's fur.
“Only because you cheat,” Connor countered.
Adrian gasped in mock offense. “I do not cheat! I strategically ensure victory through creative methods.”
“You switch your glasses with water,” Jax deadpanned.
“Creative. Methods. ”
"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.