Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
I t’s late, and the cabin is finally quiet.
Grace fell asleep about an hour ago, her soft breathing the only sound that filled the room after a long, chaotic day of her personal brand of Christmas chaos.
Teddy made the request for a late-night meeting. Well, it was more like a demand. It’s always Teddy pulling the strings, but I’m not complaining. He’s the one who keeps us all in line. After all, he is the mastermind behind every plan that’s saved our asses more times than I can count.
I walk in to join Atlas who’s already at the minibar, towering over it like some kind of dark, brooding Christmas tree. The way he moves is pure predator, all smooth muscle and barely contained power, but when it comes to Grace, he’s a damn teddy bear. I love watching that juxtaposition.
Teddy strolls in last, as calm and collected as ever. His blonde hair is still damp from the shower, and he’s got that calculating look in his eyes like he’s already ten steps ahead of us. He pours himself a drink, something dark and smooth–probably bourbon–swirling the glass in his hand.
I take a sip from my own glass, I lean back against the minibar, letting the ice clink in the silence as I watch him move. He stops in front of the fireplace, his back to us, staring into the flames like they’ve got some kind of answer hidden in them. That always means something big is coming. Atlas sprawls himself across the couch, a hulking figure of silent anticipation. He hasn’t asked Teddy what’s going on yet, but I can see the question written in his eyes every time he glances at him.
Teddy’s been quiet, too quiet, and now we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Spit it out already, Ted,” I say, the silence getting on my nerves. “What’s this about?”
Teddy doesn’t move for a second, still watching the fire. Finally, he turns, eyes locking with mine, then flicking to Atlas. He doesn’t sit, doesn’t get comfortable. Instead, he takes a deep breath, his hands tightening around the glass in his hand like he’s steadying himself.
“It’s about Grace,” he says, his voice calm, but heavy with the weight of what he’s about to say.
Atlas sits up a little straighter, his expression sharpening. “What about her?”
Teddy holds our gaze, and I know he’s about to drop a bomb. “We need to make a decision about her. And by decision , I mean we either make her a permanent part of this...or we don’t.”
There’s no hesitation in me. None. I don’t need time to think, and neither does Atlas, from the look of it.
“We’re keeping her,” Atlas says immediately, his voice low and gruff, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Which it is.
I grin, knocking back my bourbon before answering. “No shit. She’s ours. That’s not even up for debate.”
Teddy nods, like he expected nothing less, but there’s still something weighing him down. “I figured as much, but I need you both to understand this isn’t just us playing house or pretending she’ll stay with us because it’s convenient for now. She’s different. This is real. This is forever.”
“Forever,” Atlas echoes, his voice resolute. “She’s not going anywhere.”
“And neither are we,” I add, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. “We don’t half-ass anything, especially not this.”
Teddy watches us for a moment, like he’s weighing our words, but I can see it in his eyes–he’s already in, just like we are. This was never about convincing us; it was about making sure we were all on the same page.
“We’re hitmen,” Teddy says, his voice lowering like he’s trying to force the reality of it into the conversation. “Our lives aren’t exactly safe. She’s not like us–she didn’t choose this life. Are you ready for that?”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Come on, Teddy. She’s tougher than half the guys we’ve worked with. Yeah, she’s got this whole sweet, sunshine exterior, but there’s steel under there. She kicked–what is it now– three sets of balls since we’ve been here? And one of those sets was yours . That’s not the move of someone who’s fragile.”
Atlas growls, nodding. “She’s got more fight in her than we give her credit for. And she’s not naive. She knows what we are, and she’s still here.”
Teddy smirks, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “I know. But once we tell her she’s ours, once we make that official, we don’t get to change our minds. This is it.”
I give him a look. “We’re not changing our minds.”
Atlas grunts in agreement, and I can feel the same ironclad certainty in the air between us. We’ve danced around this long enough, but we’ve known for a while now–Grace is more than just a fling or a passing phase. She’s it. The endgame.
“Grace is ours,” Atlas says, his voice filled with the same finality I’m feeling. “And we protect what’s ours.”
Teddy takes a long sip from his glass, his eyes flicking toward the hallway where Grace is sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of this little pow-wow we’re having. “Then it’s settled. We make sure she knows she’s not just some temporary thing.”
I grin. “Oh, she knows. But I’m all for making it official.”
Atlas’s lips twitch, but he nods, his face softening. “She’s good for us.”
“Way too fucking good.” I raise my glass, grinning. “To Sugar.”
Atlas reaches for his drink, raising it alongside mine. “To my little Nutcracker.”
Teddy’s smirk widens, and he lifts his glass. “To Little One.”
The glasses clink softly, the sound echoing in the quiet room, but there’s nothing soft about the decision we’ve made tonight. It’s ironclad. Unbreakable.
We drink, the warmth of the bourbon burning down my throat, but all I can think about is what’s coming next. Grace is sleeping, blissfully unaware that her life is about to change–forever. And if I have anything to say about it, it’s going to be the best damn change she’s ever had.
“Alright,” I say, setting my glass down with a final thud. “Now that that’s sorted, I’ve got some ideas for how to make this...official. I’m thinking something festive, maybe some strategically placed mistletoe, a few well-timed kisses right on her pu-”
Atlas groans, cutting me off, but there’s a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “You’re impossible.”
I shrug, flashing him a grin. “Hey, you signed up for this.”
Teddy chuckles, shaking his head. “Let’s take it one step at a time, Key. We’ll have plenty of chances to overwhelm her with your ridiculous charm.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, standing and stretching. “Alright, boys, I’m out. Got big plans tomorrow that involve convincing our girl to bake some brownies or make me some fudge.”
Atlas grunts, standing and finishing his drink in one gulp. “I’ll take first watch.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re really gonna do a watch still? We’re snowed in–look at that storm. No one’s getting in or out of here.”
Atlas just crosses his arms and gives me a look that says don’t argue. “Watch.”
“Fine, fine,” I mutter, raising my hands in surrender. “But don’t expect me to join you. I’m sleeping in tomorrow.”
Teddy snorts, heading toward the hallway. “You’ll be up the second she starts baking.”
I can’t argue with that. Grace’s cooking is like crack.
As I head to the room, I glance back at Teddy and Atlas. We’ve made our decision, and it feels damn good. Grace is ours, and there’s no turning back.
Tomorrow, we’ll make sure she knows that too.
Because the three of us? We’re in this for good. Forever.