Page 118 of Grim

Grim stepped aside.

The club entered with respect, the kind of reverence reserved for someone who’d survived hell.

Sophia sat curled on the couch, blanket around her shoulders, eyes red and tired. She looked up when they entered, and Grim saw the panic flicker, then fade when she recognized them.

Havoc crouched first, slow, careful, hands visible.

“Hey, chica,” he said softly. “Rough day?”

Sophia blinked. “Havoc…”

He nodded once, expression gentler than his reputation allowed. “We all get hit like that sometimes. Doesn’t mean you’re going backwards.”

Rook lowered himself onto the arm of a chair, giving her space but staying close enough to matter. “Healing’s a bitch,” he said quietly. “Hits when you least expect it.”

Havoc huffed. “Understatement of the year.”

Ledger stepped closer, voice steady, grounding. “You don’t have to pretend with us. Not today. Not ever.”

Fish didn’t approach. He stayed near the wall, arms crossed, eyes sharp and assessing, not at her, but at the room, the exits, the shadows. He was scanning for threats she couldn’t see.

Sophia noticed. Her voice was small. “Fish?”

He nodded once. “You’re safe.”

Two words. Simple. But coming from Fish, they carried weight.

Stone sat in the chair across from her, elbows on his knees. “You don’t have to talk,” he said. “We just wanted you to know you’re not alone. You’re allowed to have a bad day.”

Sophia’s eyes filled. “I’m trying.”

Stone nodded. “We know. That’s why we’re here.”

Havoc’s expression softened, something rare, something real. “You’re family. And family doesn’t let you drown alone.”

Rook huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. “A dysfunctional family,” he muttered, “but still counts.”

Sophia let out a tiny, broken laugh. It was the first sound Grim had heard from her all day that wasn’t pain.

Ledger finally spoke again, voice low. “If you need anything — anything — you call.”

Sophia nodded, swallowing hard.

The club stayed for a while, not talking about the cage, not talking about the Reapers, not talking about anything heavy. They talked about Havoc’s bike leaking oil again. About Rook losing a bet to Fish. About Ledger hacking the clubhouse thermostat so it stopped “mysteriously” resetting to sixty-two degrees.

Sophia even smiled, small, fragile, but real.

Grim felt something in his chest loosen.

When the club finally stood to leave, Stone paused beside Sophia, lowering his voice.

“You call if you need us,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what time.”

Sophia nodded, eyes shining. “I will.”

Havoc squeezed her shoulder, slow and careful, following the others out.

Fish was the last to move. He paused in the doorway, meeting Sophia’s eyes.