Chapter 19
Roman/Rage POV?
My sister went on a single date. Somehow, that turned into a whole family event, as if we were all expected to act like normal, functioning adults.
Not happening.
Cleo walked into the clubhouse the way she always did now, as she belonged there. I was still getting used to it, even if I acted like I wasn’t. Tommy and Lola disappeared as soon as she came in.
Smart kids.
Skylar came in a little slower, sketchbook under her arm like always. Mom was making coffee, dad pretended to read the paper. I leaned back in my chair and grinned.
“Morning, sis.”
Cleo narrowed her eyes instantly. “Don’t.”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“You were about to.”
“Probably.”
Dad muttered without looking up. “You’re always about to.”
“Rude.”
Mom laughed into her mug.
I pointed at Cleo.
“So.”
“No.”
“So.”
“No.”
“How was the date?”
Cleo sighed, like I was wearing her out. “Fine.”
I stared at her. “Fine?”
“Yes.”
“Roman,” Dad said, still not looking up. I ignored him. Cleo was what mattered.
“Four hours.”
“What about four hours?”
“You were gone for four hours.” I smirked.
“And?”
“Nobody spends four hours having a fine time.”
Dad coughed into his paperwork, and mom suddenly got very interested in the counter.
Traitors.
“Rage.”
The second the word left Cleo’s mouth, everything changed. Mom burst out laughing. Dad looked up and smiled. “Oh, she’s definitely my daughter.”
Cleo frowned. “What?”
Mom pointed at me. “You only call him Rage when he’s annoying you.”
Dad nodded. “Same as me.”
I stared at all of them, smiling. “I hate this family. You all fucking suck.”
“Language,” Mom said automatically.
“Sorry, Mom.”
Chains walked in just then, perfect timing. I smiled immediately. “Morning, Chains.”
He didn’t even slow down. “Rage.”
I sat up straighter.
“Oh no,” Cleo said.
Cleo sat there looking way too innocent for someone who just walked into a war zone. Chains came over and sat next to her, no hesitation, no space between them. Like it was the most normal thing in the world. Then it happened.
----
Cleo POV
My mouth moved before my brain did.
“Morning, Gabe.”
As soon as I said it, I felt the change. The silence. The thing I couldn’t take back. Chains went still beside me, not tense, just still, like he was holding the moment in place. I didn’t look at anyone. I couldn’t.
Then I finally made myself look at him. His expression had changed, it was softer, unguarded, and a small smile appeared.
“Morning,” he said quietly.
That was it. Simple, but it hit harder than it should have.
Somewhere behind us, I heard Roman trying not to laugh, of course, he noticed. Dad didn’t react at all, which somehow made it worse.
Mom was definitely watching me, though. I could feel it.
I immediately shifted in my seat. Chains leaned slightly closer. “You okay?”
I nodded too quickly. “Yeah.”
Then a voice called out.
“Chains!”
Tommy came flying in like a missile, not caring about timing, space, or anyone’s feelings. He didn’t slow down or hesitate. He just threw himself right into the middle of everything. Chains caught him right away.
“Easy,” he muttered.
Tommy grinned up at him. “I forgot to ask you something.”
Chains raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“How was dinner?” The question was so simple it almost made me laugh. Almost.
“It was good,” Chains said.
Tommy nodded, as if this were the most important intelligence report of the day.
“Did you eat the bread?”
A pause.
Then Chains nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
Just like that, Tommy ran off again, as if nothing had changed in the room. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The tension eased a little. Not gone, just quieter.
Chains stayed next to me, and that was starting to feel like a problem because it seemed like he belonged there.
Across the room, I could feel Roman watching me again. He wasn’t joking or teasing now, just watching, and that told me more than anything else. Something had changed, and I didn’t think I understood it yet.
----
The noise in the room slowly picked up again, but it didn’t feel the same. Something had shifted, and I could still feel it.
“Dad,” Roman said suddenly. Not loud, not joking. Dad looked up from where he’d finally returned to his chair.
Roman didn’t smile. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
That alone changed the mood in the room. Dad didn’t question it, he just stood up, and the two of them walked toward the hallway without another word. Mom stayed put, but I noticed her attention kept drifting back to me. Chains hadn’t moved from my side. He just stayed there.
Quiet. Steady. Next to me. That mattered more than I wanted to admit.
I took a breath and tried to let the moment settle. That’s when I felt it.
Eyes on me. I looked up and met Peaches’ gaze. She was still behind the bar, still cleaning glasses that didn’t need it, but now she was watching me, not Chains. I frowned before I could stop myself.
Peaches didn’t look away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly. Then she spoke, not loud but clear enough to cut through the space between us.
“You know he doesn’t do relationships.”
Silence didn’t come all at once. It crept in. Chains shifted a little beside me, suddenly alert. Peaches glanced at him for a moment, then looked back at me.
“He doesn’t stick around,” she added.
It wasn’t an insult or an attack. It was just a statement, like she was reminding me of something I should already know. My chest tightened, not with fear but with understanding.
History. Not mine, hers. The room felt smaller. I kept my voice steady. “You don’t know what this is.”
Peaches gave a small, humorless smile. “I know what he is.”
That hit harder, not because it was true, but because she believed it. Chains finally spoke, calm and controlled.
“Peaches.”
Just saying her name was a warning, even though he didn’t raise his voice. She didn’t look at him this time. She kept watching me, still holding the space.
Then Roman came back into the room, not loud but immediate. Dad followed a second later. Both of them moved in at the same time, and I knew before Roman even spoke that he’d seen and heard enough.
“You got a problem?” he said sharply.
Peaches didn’t flinch. “I’m not the one making it one.”
Roman laughed once. Cold. Unamused. “That’s not what it looked like.”
Dad stepped in behind him. “Rage,” he warned quietly, but Roman didn’t move. Chains shifted slightly closer to me again, beside me.
“I’ve seen how this ends,” she said quietly.
Chains didn’t respond straight away. When he did, his voice was steady.
“You haven’t seen this one.” A pause. Then he added, quieter.
“I’ve found my woman.”
The room changed again. Not loudly or dramatically, just enough. Even Roman went still for a second.
Peaches finally looked away from me and back at Chains. Something changed in her face. She wasn’t angry now. It was something older, something like hurt.
Chains didn’t look away from Peaches when he said it.
“I’m not doing this halfway,” he continued.
He glanced at me for a moment, his expression softened and settled. “I’m not guessing.”
A pause. Then, quieter still. “I’ve already decided.”
His hand hovered close to mine. He didn’t grab or claim, just stayed there, grounding me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
That was it. No show, no warning. Just certainty.
Peaches looked away first. A small, sharp exhale left her.
“Whatever,” she muttered, turning back to the bar. The tension didn’t explode. It just broke, slowly, like something finally letting go.
Dad exhaled. “Enough,” he said quietly.
Roman still looked ready to say or do more, but then I moved and wrapped my arms around him. He froze right away.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Breathe.”
His shoulders tightened for a second. Then, it slowly eased.
“I’m fine,” I added. “I’ve got this.”
He pulled back just enough to look at me, and something in his face changed. The anger faded, and something else showed through.
Pride.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “You do.”
Behind him, Chains was still watching me. He wasn’t being protective or reactive now, just steady. It was like he’d already chosen his place and wasn’t moving.