Epilogue
Dice
Sara’s laughter carried through the main house, light and warm, like it had always belonged here.
Two days ago, that sound hadn’t existed. Two days ago, she’d been frozen, terrified, convinced she wasn’t worth saving.
Now, she stood with Lily and Hailey in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, flour streaking her cheek as she worked dough with careful hands. A smile tugged at her mouth.
My chest tightened.
My woman was safe. She wasn’t running anymore. And she wasn’t alone.
I lingered in the doorway a beat longer, soaking it in, then turned toward the low murmur coming from Jacob’s office.
Jacob, Diesel, Jax, Fox, Flapjack, and Bear were gathered around the big oak table. A county map lay open, pins marking roads and safe houses, notes in Jacob’s precise hand. The air in here was different. It was sharp and tense, like metal pulled too tight.
“—can’t afford to be sloppy,” Diesel said, jaw set, voice clipped. “Whoever’s feeding them information knows too much about our routes.”
Jax nodded once, eyes on the map. “Could be someone we know. Bandito has known our every move.”
Bear swore under his breath. “If it’s an inside man, I want a name, Jacob. Soon.”
Jacob didn’t answer right away. His gaze moved over the pins, then over us. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet as a blade. “This family holds. We don’t let outsiders break us. Not now. Not ever.”
He tapped a corner of the map. “I’ve hired a sketch artist to help Hailey put a face to Bandito. With luck, that gives us a clean lead.”
“Why not use the one in town?” Fox asked from the windowsill, arms crossed, face hard. “That would be faster.”
“I don’t trust anyone outside this family,” Jacob said, lifting his head. “Using a local might tip our hand. Might be a setup.”
The words hit me square in the chest. I’d only been here a short time, but I understood exactly what he meant.
Flapjack rubbed a thumb along the map’s edge. “If the leak’s anywhere near town, running it through town is how you get burned.”
Jax folded his arms. “You think it’s someone we know that close?” He nodded at the sweep of pins across the county.
“I think,” Jacob said, eyes moving from man to man, “trust is earned. And right now, mine ends at this table.”
Bear’s fists tightened. “Then we move before anyone else gets hurt.”
“We will,” Jacob said. “But tonight, we hold the line.”
Then his gaze landed on me and stayed there. “That includes you, Dice.”
I swallowed. Honored. Aware that whatever war they were gearing up to fight was bigger than I’d imagined. “Whatever you need.”
Jacob gave a single nod. “Close the door. We’ve got a lot to catch you up on.”
The last thing I saw before I shut that door was Sara across the hall, laughing at something Lily said. The sound was a promise of what I’d fight for, no matter what darkness waited on the other side of this room.