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“Only the most serene chats,” I assure her, hoping to God she never learns what truly happens beyond those padded walls.

I lean close, my voice a warm whisper that only she can hear. “You know, Bella, if you want a quiet place to clear your head in the new house, I’ll build you a meditation room.” The words slip out with a playful undertone, but there’s earnestness stitched into every syllable.

“Really?” Her eyes, those deep pools of blue, light up like the night sky on the Fourth of July. “That would be… amazing.”

“Anything for you,” I say, and I mean it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to carve out a pocket of peace in our tempestuous world for her.

“I can’t wait to move in,” she says wistfully. “Getting the house across the street from Vapor’s was a miracle.”

“It sure was,” I say, catching Vapor’s eye and giving him a subtle nod. Isabella won’t ever find out what we had to do to get the homeowner to sell. We didn’t have to rough him up, but we did bribe him with a ridiculous amount of money. She doesn’t need to know about any of it. Consider it club business.

“Are you excited about starting your online cooking show?” Blue asks Isabella.

“I can’t wait. The first episode will be how to cook myabeula’s pozole.”

“Yum! Let me know if you want a sous chef.”

“Babet bought me a fancy contraption that chops veggies. It also slices and does all kinds of other things. I need to read the manual.”

“Nah,” I wave away the idea. “Just hit buttons until it works.”

“Exactly,” Bones says.

“We actuallyreadmanuals so we know how to work stuff.” Blue rolls her eyes before turning her gaze back to Isabella. “I’d be happy to come help."

“I’d love that," Isabella says, graciously.

“Now that the housing situation is settled, do you need help with the wedding stuff, Ice?” Fang asks. “I’m pretty handy with planning—got spreadsheets for everything.”

“Appreciate it, brother, but all I need is Bella,” I say, feeling a warmth that has nothing to do with the Louisiana heat spread through me. Isabella’s hand tightens in mine, a silent vow echoing louder than any spoken promise.

“We’re going to do a backyard wedding like Vapor and Blue’s. I watched the video with Blue the other day. It was magical,” Isabella says wistfully.

“Then that’s what you’ll get,” I say.

“Speaking of magic stuff,” Fang nudges his glasses up, giving Isabella a respectful nod. “If you want some high-tech security for peace of mind, just say the word.”

“We’ll definitely take you up on that,” I tell him. “Want to come by tomorrow?”

Fang pulls his phone out and checks his calendar app. “Yeah, that works.”

“Oh, by the way,” Vapor says. “Church tomorrow at noon. My place.”

“Something up?” I frown because I haven’t heard about any new issues.

“Nothing to worry about right now.”

“Just some shit I found online,” Fang says.

“About Juan?” Isabella asks, shifting in her chair.

“No. He’s probably dead,” Vapor says. “Still keeping an eye out though, just in case.”

“Thank you. For everything.” She gives him a soft smile.

“Hate to eat and run, but we’ve got some shopping to do. Curtains and shit for the new house.”

“Look at Ice, all domesticated and shit,” Bones teases.