That sobered the room a little. We all knew how this worked. Charges didn’t always mean convictions. Bellerose had slipped through cracks before.
Harmony crossed her arms. “This time feels different.”
Elyna nodded slowly. “It has to be.” She looked down at her baby, her expression softening. “People deserve to be safe from him.”
The room settled into a strange rhythm after that. Relief mixed with caution. Hope tangled with old wounds. I leaned against the counter, watching my family. For the first time in a while, it felt like we were all breathing the same air again. Even Dad looked lighter somehow. Sandy touched his arm gently. He covered her hand with his own. I felt my chest loosen. The roomstayed tense for a few minutes after the news replay finished. No one quite knew what to say. We had spent so many years chasing Marcel Bellerose that seeing his face on the screen in handcuffs didn’t feel real yet.
I checked the time on my phone and pushed back from the table. “I’ve got to get to training,” I said.
Phoenix nodded. “Fight’s coming up fast.”
“Day after tomorrow,” I replied. Everything in my life seemed to be moving at once. Claire not knowing if she’s pregnant. I was feeling things I’d never felt before. I was scared to tell her I was crazy in love with her.
Becket slipped his phone into his pocket. “I’m heading to the station,” he said. “They’ll want reports on this.”
Eric clapped him on the shoulder. “Call if you hear anything new.”
Harmony grabbed her bag from the chair. “I need to get to the bakery before the lunch rush.” Eric kissed her temple as they headed for the door together.
Elyna carefully lifted Oli from the carrier while Phoenix gathered the diaper bag.
“Time for us to head home too,” he said.
The baby stirred, letting out a small sleepy sound as Elyna settled him against her shoulder.
Dad watched everyone move around the kitchen, the tension in his face slowly easing. “Maybe this time it sticks,” he murmured.
No one answered that. We had all thought that before. I grabbed my keys from the counter.
“See you tonight,” I said.
Phoenix gave a small nod. “Train smart.”
“Always do,” I assured.
The drive to the gym cleared my head. It was down to crunch time now. Every moment had to go into sharpening my skillsinstead of worrying. Still, the news sat in the back of my mind. I forced the thought aside and focused on what mattered right now. The fight.
By the time I finished training, my muscles burned and sweat soaked through my shirt. I stayed longer than usual, working combinations on the heavy bag until my arms shook. Then I went for a quick swim.
As I was swimming laps, Claire entered my mind. The night we bumped into each other here. She had slowly crept her way into my heart, and now she may be carrying my baby. A part of me wanted to have an answer before the fight, but it wasn’t up to me.
After swimming, I got out and showered, then headed back to Maple Valley. Claire should be finishing her shift by now. I called, and she answered on the second ring.
“Hey,” she said, a little breathless.
“Are you done for today?” I asked.
“Just finished.”
“Did you see the news?” I asked, knowing the arrest of Marcel meant something important to her too.
She let out a small sigh. “I’ve been getting alerts all afternoon.”
My chest tightened slightly. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Marcel Bellerose and half his crew,” she said. “Including Nico Mercier.”
Hearing the name out loud made my jaw tighten.