Chapter Thirty-Four
Estelle
The scent of vanilla and fresh berries filled Sierra’s kitchen, sunlight streaming through the giant windows onto the granite countertops where we sat. Towers of pastries, fruit platters, and ready-made breakfast covered every inch of space.
Toffee snoozed in a sunbeam on the floor, his belly full of the salmon the guys had ordered for him. I felt like I was in a different world, hanging out with my first true friend, and I quite liked it.
Sierra shoved a macaron into her mouth, her legs swinging under the barstool. “You realize they’re trying to fatten us up, right?” she whispered, eyeing the third tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries they’d left us. “Next step: we become Thanksgiving turkeys.”
I laughed into one of the creamy lattes they’d left. “I knew there had to be a catch. This place looks like a gingerbread house with all this food.”
Sierra grinned, licking sugar off her thumb. “Connor would definitely build me a gingerbread house if I asked. And Adrian would decorate it with all kinds of gummies. ”
I glanced toward the windows, where Toffee was still stretched out, his paws twitching in his sleep. “At least Toffee’s safe. I don’t think they’d turkey-fy him.”
Sierra’s eyes sparkled. “He’s the real boss around here. Connor pretends he’s in charge, but Toffee decides when it’s bedtime.”
I reached for another pastry, warily eyeing the shiny new phone beside me. I’d found it among all the food, along with a note saying this was apparently my new phone. I barely knew how to use it, so Sierra had helped me call Leo earlier to check on him.
Today felt like a different world compared to yesterday’s chaos. I somehow felt normal having breakfast with a friend, not like a survivor of attempted murder.
Except for the fact that the custody hearing was looming over my head. It was tomorrow .
The front door opened, and the guys filed in, clean, freshly showered, their hair damp. Jax, as always, filled the space with his presence: designer jeans, a crisp white shirt rolled to his elbows, gold rings glinting, blue eyes locked on me.
Adrian was sporting a full-length top today, his tattoos still on full display. Connor was all in black, looking like a storm cloud with arms, fully zeroed in on Sierra.
Jax looked us over briefly, Rolex glinting as he leaned against the doorway. “Ladies,” he greeted, eyes locked on me. “Enjoying breakfast?”
Adrian flopped onto the stool beside Sierra, snagging a strawberry. “More like prepping for their food coma.” His green eyes sparkled, but there was an intensity in the way he watched us, his gaze soft yet assessing.
Connor’s hands came to rest on Sierra’s shoulders, kneading gently. “Sweet girl,” he murmured low. “Jax is stealing Estelle.”
I opened my mouth to object, but Jax didn’t give me the chance. In a flash, he’d lifted me off the stool, and I was scooped in his arms, his mouth brushing my ear. “You’re coming home with me, princess.”
My stomach flipped .
He just grinned, low and sure. “ Home , princess. Our home. No arguments.”
I blinked, aware of all the responsibilities waiting for me.
It was Sunday, so I didn’t have to get Leo to school, but there was the thought of my grading job, and whether it was worth even doing anymore.
During our very hot night with the gun together, I’d desperately agreed to move into his beach house.
Jax Easton in bed made me a different woman.
He set me down, and Sierra hugged me tight before I left. “Don’t let him start marinating you,” she whispered conspiratorially, and then she giggled when Connor pulled her back into his chest.
We stopped at Jovie’s on the way. I was excited to see Leo and hear all about how his sleepover went. Having him in my arms made every fear I ever had disappear.
Jovie opened the door before we could knock, Avery bouncing at her side in a cloud of pink tulle.
“Ms. Estelle!” she shrieked, launching herself at my legs. I hugged her, laughing, before scanning the hallway for Leo.
He appeared sleepy and rumpled, but by the roundness of his little tummy, it seemed like he’d had a hearty breakfast, just like me.
I dropped to my knees, pulling him into a fierce hug, checking him over for bruises or scrapes, running my hands through his hair to reassure myself he was real and safe. He hugged me back, his little arms tight around my neck.
“Elle! I missed you,” He smiled, hugging me even tighter. I felt tears prick at my eyes. He was safe and he was happy .
Jovie appeared in the doorway, her blonde bob perfectly styled, a diamond-studded tumbler in hand. “He was wonderful,” she said softly, her gaze knowing. “You focus on taking care of yourself, okay?”
I swallowed, tears making me blink quickly. “Yes, thank you. For everything.”
She hugged me, squeezing tight. “You’re family. You don’t have to do this alone. ”
Family. I truly did have a family now, a large and wonderful family from untouchable luxury and unshakable loyalty.
“Elle,” Leo murmured into my neck. “Are we going home now?”
Tears prickled again. “We’re going together. Just with a new place to sleep.” I brushed a hand through his curls, then held him tighter. “Somewhere safe, somewhere really special. You’ll like it, I promise.”
Jax knelt beside us, watching with that tenderness in his eyes. He didn’t crowd Leo, didn’t rush it. Just waited.
“Hey, champ,” he said finally, his voice that perfect mix of warmth and edge that made grown men cautious, but made Leo peer curiously over my shoulder.
Leo turned, face open and curious. He always seemed to look at Jax like he truly was a lion, golden and majestic with the power to make things happen.
And truthfully, whenever Jax was around, Leo got thoroughly spoiled and knew not to worry about me.
“Can I bring my dinos?” Leo asked seriously, his little brow furrowed under all that wild hair. “And is there space to play games?”
Jax smiled like the sun, warm and hot . “We’ve got a giant game room, all stocked up. And if it’s missing anything, you and I will handle that tomorrow.”
Leo blinked. “You have your own game room? Wait, does Elle mean your house? We’re living in your beach house?”
I had to bite back a laugh. I was still just as shocked as him, but he clearly loved the idea.
“Don’t let it scare you,” Jax soothed, leaning in close. “It’s missing a boss. I was thinking you might take over.”
Leo’s eyes widened, and I watched wonder bloom across his face like sunlight. Then he turned to me, checking. His voice was small. “Can I?”
I looked up at Jax, who was doing nothing but waiting. Not assuming, not taking. Just letting Leo decide.
“Yes,” I answered softly. “If you want to.”
Leo didn’t hesitate after that. He leaned toward Jax, and Jax scooped him right up into a one-armed hug, letting Leo climb and settle onto his lap like he’d always fit there.
A new shape, the right one.
Inside the beach house, everything was marble and glass like before, sunlight pouring through the floor, to the ceiling windows, gold patterns rippling over floors that cost more than my entire childhood. If I’d been dropped here a month ago, I would have felt so small, out of place, and invisible.
But with Jax’s palm resting with casual possession at the small of my back and Leo in the hall, the vastness didn’t seem so intimidating anymore. It felt like safety.
He took us on a small tour through the different rooms, and every piece of furniture looked too expensive to actually sit on. I watched Leo’s small hand fit into Jax’s much larger one as they walked ahead of me, and my whole heart wanted to burst with emotion.
Leo’s eyes were bright, darting everywhere, but he held himself with the same carefulness he had in fairly new places, especially ones so different from our tiny apartment.
Still, there was excitement in his steps—the quick, silent glances at closet doors, the huge smile at every new room Jax opened for him to see.
Jax paused at the first door next to his— our —master suite and swung it wide with a practiced flourish.
The room was painted a soft blue that reminded me of the ocean at dusk.
A long window faced the water, and a large bed was against the wall.
Leo stepped inside, running his fingers along the wood in awe.
“You can have this one, if you like,” Jax offered, letting Leo absorb the space at his own pace. There was no pressure, just an open invitation, something Leo had rarely been given in life. “Or we can look at another. This one is closest to our room.”
Leo was silent, thoughtful. His gaze flicked to the next room, a slightly smaller one with built-in shelves and a desk tucked into a sunny nook. Hesitantly, he slipped from Jax’s grasp and wandered in, brushing a hand over the neat, empty workspace.
I lingered in the doorway, letting him explore. Jax watched Leo with a gentleness that he rarely let anyone else see, one hand resting lightly on my back.
“Do you like this room?” I asked, my voice soft.
Leo’s small shoulders straightened. “Can I… use my dino blankets?” His face was earnest, almost shy.
Jax knelt to his level, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Leo, you can have whatever you want in here. Paint the ceiling with dinosaurs, put up posters, fill the shelves with your books. This one’s yours if you want it to be.”
An adorable flush colored Leo’s cheeks, and he nodded brightly. “Really? Thank you!”
I swallowed back emotion as Jax clapped his hands together. “Alright. Let’s make a list, little man. After dinner, we’ll hit the store and get whatever you want.”
Leo offered a huge smile, reserved only for the people he trusted most. He scanned his new space once more, already imagining it as his.
I walked into the center of the room, kneeling beside Leo. “It’s yours, buddy. Really yours.” My hand brushed his hair, and I felt a new hope settling in my chest.
This odd, beautiful, luxurious place was starting to feel less like someone else’s dream and more like home.
When I looked up, Jax’s eyes were fixed on the two of us, pride and longing mingling in the blue depths. He wasn’t looking at his house. He was looking at his family.