Page 140 of Lethal Attraction

Our family occupies the biggest table in the room, and unfortunately, they’re the loudest. Atlas lets out a piercing whistle that could probably summon wildlife from three counties over. “LET’S GOOOOO!” he shouts, pumping both fists.

Addison glares at him as she pulls Sophia closer to her chest, rocking the newborn as she snoozes. Loxley smacks the back of her husband’s head, shushing him.

“There he is!” Theo shouts with a smile. “I would give you a hug, Reed, but by the looks of it, I’ll have to drown myself in sanitizer afterwards.”

My lips thin as I nod. “It’s the thought that counts, right?”

Dom tips his beer in our direction as Alana waves us over to her side of the table. We skirt wide around everyone, taking our seats and trying to hide our embarrassment. Thalia glances at me out of the corner of her eye, and we both lose it, our laughter becoming swallowed by the conversation around us as we settle against each other with love-drunk eyes.

Connor lifts his beer high, proposing a toast. “Here’s to officially having the family together tomorrow!”

Taryn and Emma will be moving onto the compound tomorrow, and it makes my chest warm to know these people, our found family, have accepted them with open arms.

Everyone raises their glasses high, slamming them together in a loud clink.

Little Sophia releases a high-pitched squeak before settling and falling back asleep as Addison coos at her. Rowan slings his arm around his wife, staring down at his niece fondly as he pulls them closer.

“You know,” Addison says quietly, “I wouldn’t mind if this was our life…”

Rowan’s eyes widen. “You mean—”

His wife bites her bottom lip as she nods.

He addresses the table with a stern expression. “Okay, starting tomorrow, we’re on vacation. I’m putting Reed in charge.”

“What the fuck?” Atlas complains over his beer.

“Yeah, why does he get to be in charge?” Theo asks.

“Because he’s one of the few people at this table who isn’t a felon and is not currently busy with other things,” Rowan shrugs.

I lift a finger. “Actually…”

All eyes snap to me.

“I killed Brooks. I suffocated him in the hospital.”

Thalia smiles with pride as a stunned silence spreads over the table. Some of our family blink in disbelief.

“Well, fuck me sideways,” Rowan mutters.

Connor slaps a hand on the table. “I told you he’s a natural!”

Laughter erupts before easy conversation flows. The topic of Bailey gets brought up organically, and a few people seem to tense. Addison and Rowan glance at each other the same way Thalia and I do.

“How’s she doing?” Loxley asks, peering around the table.

“Better now,” Alana supplies. “She went back home and worked things out with Liam.”

Addison’s shoulders drop as she releases a quiet breath—almost like she’s disappointed.

Theo’s jaw twinges before he slaps a hand over the table. “I’m going to get another beer.” He pushes out his chair, stalking away before anyone can say anything.

Dom is tense, his shoulders rigid as he stares at the table with his bottle in his hand. He’s frozen—the vision of a man who can’t pull himself out of a day terror. As if Alana’s words alone set him off.

But no one else seems to notice the duo’s mood shift as Loxley continues.

“The wedding has been pushed back more times than I can even count,” she says, resting her elbow on the table and placing her chin in her hand.