Serpent King's Bride: A Dark Mafia Romance Trilogy

He was hunched over in the booth and looking at his phone, though that did nothing to make him look less dangerous. Jack was a tall, lean guy, with an athletic build and blue eyes that darted up toward us as we walked closer. At the sight of us, Jack stood up, his imposing figure outlined by the dim light. His face split into a grin when he saw me, and we clasped hands and bumped shoulders like we had for years.

“Good to see you, man,” he said, clapping my back before turning his attention to Abby.

“This is Abby,” I introduced her, watching Jack extend his hand to her with a respectful nod.

“And you must be the mysterious contact,” she responded with a firm handshake, smiling.

“Wow—very cloak and dagger, Nate,” Jack chuckled. “Jack Kensington, at your service.”

Abby smiled. “It’s great to meet you. So…how do you two know each other?”

“Old friends,” I began. “Our dads used to work together, back when the Serpents were washing money for the Sinners down in San Diego.”

Understanding lit Abby’s eyes—the Sinners had a more public profile than we did, and she had to have recognized the name. For her, this must have been like meeting mafia royalty.

“Is it okay for you guys to meet like this?” Abby glanced between us, curiosity written all over her face.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” I assured her, slipping into the booth. “As long as we keep it quiet. Plus…we don’t really have much of a choice.”

I signaled the server, and we ordered drinks without even glancing at the menu. Once our drinks were in hand and the usual pleasantries were over, Jack’s eyes, sharp as ever, were on me, reading my face.

“Alright, Nathan. What’s this all about?” Jack leaned in, his gaze never leaving mine.

I leaned forward as well, feeling Abby press close beside me; her presence was a comforting warmth against the tension that had coiled inside me since dinner. “Jack,” I started, keeping my voice low, “I might need to get my whole family out from under my father.”

“Jesus, Nathan,” Jack muttered, shifting in his seat as if the weight of my words physically pushed him back. “That’s…that’s a dangerous proposition. You know that, right?” His fingers wrapped around his glass, but he didn’t take a drink. “And asking me to get involved is risky.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the cold edge of the glass against my lips as I took a sip of the whiskey. The burn did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. I set the glass down with a soft clink.

“Jack, listen to me,” I said, trying to keep the urgency from my voice. “I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t desperate.” I locked eyes with him, and there was no mistaking the seriousness in my gaze. “You know how bad things can get with our fathers. I’m calling in one last favor.”

Jack’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, it looked like he might argue. But then he exhaled slowly, the lines of his face softening just a fraction—an unspoken signal of his reluctant agreement. Abby gave my hand another reassuring squeeze, her silent strength grounding me.

“Alright, I can start working on something,” Jack finally conceded, his eyes darting to the side as if expecting shadows in the corners to come alive. He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “But I need to get out of San Francisco, like…yesterday. This place,” he gestured vaguely around us, “it feels like the walls have ears. Like someone is always watching.”

I nodded, understanding the paranoia that came with our line of work. The sense of being observed was almost second nature to me now. But there was one more thing I needed to know, one more piece to this convoluted puzzle before we could disappear into the night.

“Jack,” I started, pausing briefly to ensure no one else was eavesdropping. “There’s something else I need to ask.”

He eyed me warily, “What’s up?”

“Have you heard anything about the Sun family? About them plotting against the Zhous?” I asked, watching his reaction closely.

Jack shook his head, a frown creasing his forehead. “No, man, I haven’t heard a thing about that.” He leaned back in the booth, looking troubled. The weight of my gaze must have felt heavy because he quickly added, “I swear, Nathan, if there was any buzz, it would’ve reached my ears.”

“Listen,” I said, leaning forward, dropping my voice to barely above a whisper, “some serious shit’s going down with the Golden Serpents. There’s gonna be a power vacuum here, and it’s going to ripple all the way down to San Diego.” My gut twisted with the thought of it, the implications for all of us—my family, Abby, Jack.

“Damn.” Jack rubbed at his temple as if trying to ward off an oncoming headache. “What kind of shit are we talking about?”

“Can’t share details right now,” I admitted, feeling the frustration gnaw at me. “But you need to be safe, alright? And that means getting the hell out of dodge while you still can.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed, assessing, considering the gravity of my words. Then he nodded once, sharply. “Alright, I’ll get my crew on it. We’ll lay low, see how this plays out.” His expression was grim, but resolute.

“Good,” I replied, relief flooding through me despite the danger that still loomed overhead. For now, Jack understood the urgency, and that was enough. “We should all get out of here,” I suggested, glancing around Neon, suddenly eager to leave the smoky haze and pulsing lights behind.

“Agreed,” Jack muttered, standing up to leave. “You two take care of yourselves, okay?”

We stood as well, and Abby reached out her hand to take Jack’s. “Jack—it was great to meet you.”