a Car

ky was a bruised shade

tacked beside me. That was it. My enti

pull

in the black SUV-the one he used for "business." Th

ir was messy, his shirt unbuttone

?" he demanded, marching up the

ping my voice steady. "My

t getting

tch

d grabbed my wrist. His g

't enrolled. You really did this? You real

m your future, Jax. T

rm back, brea

y emergency contact. I scrubbed you

like a physical

t paperwork. It was a blood oath almost as binding as marriage. I

brat," he hissed

ate, tires screeched

SUV. She jumped out, looking perfectly put t

th panic. "My dad called. The rival crew... th

e fabrication glinting in her eyes. She needed to snap

rotect, ingrained in him since b

at me, t

e hollow. "Go save he

finger at me,

think you can come crawling back

won

urned and got into his car with Catalina. H

aillights disappeared.

d one la

Old

ssive, ancient sentinel where generations of made men and t

heart pounding a s

o the trunk. There, weathered by

. +

elve. A blood oath of sorts. A p

acked it. I gouged the metal deep into the wood, scrapin

dalism," a

un a

ourse they had. He couldn't let me go

the hood of the SUV. "Look, Jax. She's

ng my work. "You should carve my init

ith cold, dead eyes. "You're

I spat, dropping my

ands were shaking so ha

closer to me, i

" she whispered. "T

she sh

mbled back, my bad knee buck

the same dark, stagnant water syste

l bac

ime in a week. But this part of the pond

anchoring me down. I struggled, thr

gasping for air, wipin

tanding o

reach out a hand. Clo

me struggling

ina, who was laughing-a

hands in h

voice carrying effortlessly over the

s arm around Catalina's should

ed them

e in the f

e sludge. I dug my fingers into the muddy ban

shivering, covered

in that moment. Love is a stubborn

hope

colder, harder, and infinite

too

ook back a

a trail of muddy footprints

ing to N

never co