Zac - POV
I laid Riley down on the bed, her body limp from the weight of her grief. The tears had drained her completely. As I stood over her, I couldn’t help but see the contradiction—the fragility of a woman who wept until she collapsed, yet carried a strength that could defy anything thrown at her. It’s unsettling. There’s always something new lurking beneath her surface, something I can’t quite grasp but should’ve seen coming.
Jax was supposed to update me about Nick’s arrival—whether he’d come hidden behind a mask or not. But with Riley here, that plan’s already unraveling. Jax isn’t stupid. He’ll have questions, questions I’m not prepared to answer yet. The fact that Riley is my new ally hasn’t been disclosed to him. Not yet.
I checked my watch—plenty of time. I needed it. My t-sh
