“Because—” JJ looks frustrated. “The Sanctum is going to be after me. I’ll be putting you two in danger.”
“They can’t track you through your enchantments anymore,” Cass counters. “And you heard Ez. She locked this place down tighter than—well, probably tighter than the Sanctum itself. We might have to curtail our food truck visits for a few weeks, but we’re safe here.”
JJ sets his jaw. “But this isn’t yourhome,Cass. It’s just your safe house. You shouldn’t have to live here full time because of me.”
Cass raises his eyebrows. “JJ, I bought this place because I like it. Sure, it’s a bit smaller than my other house, but that also means less work to clean it.” He shrugs one shoulder. “Plus, it’s honestly a relief to live somewhere the Chain doesn’t know about. Fewer nosy demons poking around my personal business.”
“I—” There’s something fragile behind JJ’s eyes. “I don’t have any work history. And I have a high school diploma equivalent, but not a college degree. I wouldn’t be able to get a good job—not right away, at least.”
Cass almost scoffs. “Who said anything about getting a job? You thinkIhave a job? Absolutely not. I learned how to play the stock market back when it was first invented, Jackson. We’re not hurting for money.”
JJ scowls. “I’m not going to mooch off you, Cass.”
Cass leans forward, eyes narrowed. “First of all, you’re not a mooch. If I know you at all—and I think I do at this point—you’re going to stubbornly help around the house even if I don’t ask you to.” He gestures at Desi drooling on JJ’s shirt. “See? You distracted Desi while I made breakfast and everything. You’re already making yourself useful.”
“But that’s not?—”
“You make Desi happy,” Cass blurts out, and he takes a deep breath, forcing down the last shreds of his dignity. “And—and you make me happy, too. That’s reason enough for you to stay.”
JJ’s expression shifts. “Cass, I?—”
“The spare bedroom is yours,” Cass cuts in quickly, “for as long as you want it. And we can make this place feel like home for you, too. We’ll pick up clothes, toiletries, books, electronics—anything you need. Anything youwant.We can get a nice desk for your room, and we can—” Pushing himself to his feet, Cass strides to the corner of the living room, measuring out a space with his arms. “And we can put a punching bag right here. Even set up a whole workout nook, if you want. This place might not be my old house, but it can beourhome. Yours and mine and Desi’s, too.”
JJ hesitates. Glances down at Desi in his arms. “Cass?—”
“Stay,” Cass says impulsively, and he fights back a wince when JJ’s eyes snap up to meet his. “Desi wants you to stay. And—and so do I. Please.”
For what feels like an eternity, silence stretches between them. Cass holds his breath. He knows that JJ is fiercely independent, that he isn’t used to relying on anyone, that he doesn’t usually let other people take care of him, but?—
But Cass is desperately hoping JJ will make an exception this time.
For Cass, and for Desi, and for this little family they’ve managed to build together.
Slowly, JJ nods. “Okay,” he whispers, and Cass’s shoulders almost slump with relief. “Yeah. I’ll stay. Thank you, Cass.”
Cass’s heart twirls. “My pleasure.”
“But, uh.” JJ smiles awkwardly. “I don’t think I’ll need a punching bag anymore. No more powers, remember? I’m—I’m a civilian now.”
Cass arches an eyebrow. “But did you enjoy training? Martial arts, self-defense? Escrima?”
JJ looks away. “I loved it, actually,” he admits. “Sure, it was part of my job description, but—but it was also part ofme,you know? I spent years training and sparring and perfecting my technique. I liked the rhythm of it, thechallengeof it. And I especially loved escrima drills. They were relaxing. Almost meditative.”
Cass can’t resist a smile. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he says, and he snaps open a pocket dimension, reaches inside, and pulls out JJ’s escrima sticks with a flourish.
JJ’s breath shudders out of him, eyes widening. “How did you?—?”
“I asked Roma to take a detour on the way to the prison,” Cass says, walking back over to show JJ up close. “We found them in the weapons room. I figured you might want them back someday.”
And he also took the liberty of having Roma wrap some spare fabric around their ends. He’s already dealt with far too many corrosion burns over the past few months.
“Sawyer got them for me.” JJ’s smile is small and fond. “Bought them with her own money. Chester got an ornate pair with carvings along the sides, but—but I liked the simple ones better.”
“Probably because you actually know what you’re doing,” Cass drawls. “I presume Locke was just posturing.”
JJ laughs. “He wasn’tthatbad,” he says, his eyes dancing, “but he stopped training as much once he became an interrogator. His skillsmayhave slipped a bit.”
“Well, we certainly can’t let that happen to you,” Cass says, and he holds out the sticks. “Here. They’re yours.”
