Jack leaned back against the wall, the cold concrete biting through the fabric of his hoodie. The streetlights flickered overhead, casting an eerie glow over the darkened alley. London was always buzzing, but tonight, it felt different—like the calm before a storm. Reece had fucked up. Big time.

It wasn’t just any mistake; he’d gone and cheated on Gemma, his missus, with a girl from down the pub. Word had spread fast, as it always did in their circle. The boys weren’t shy when it came to gossip, and Jack had heard everything from the usual suspects—the ones who knew and couldn’t keep their mouths shut.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, his thoughts spinning. He was pissed at Reece, but more than that, he was pissed off at the way Reece had been acting lately. The betrayal wasn’t just towards Gemma, but to Jack too. They’d been mates for years. This was a whole different level of disrespect.

“Oi, Jack, you hear?” It was Daz, Reece’s boy, who stepped up beside him, out of breath like he’d just run the length of the block.

“What, mate?” Jack’s voice was low, dangerous, like it always was when things were about to go sideways.

“They’ve all found out about Reece. Gemma don’t know yet, but it’s only a matter of time. And I reckon Reece’s gonna do fuck all about it.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “So, what? You lot think it’s funny, yeah? Laughing behind his back?”

Daz shrugged. “It is what it is. We can’t cover for him forever. It’s his mess now, not ours.”

Jack clenched his jaw. He hated weak men, and Reece had just proven he was one of them. It wasn’t even the cheating that got to Jack—it was the fact that Reece thought he could get away with it without anyone finding out. Jack had seen the way Gemma looked at him, the way she trusted him. And now? Now, Jack was gonna take advantage of that.

Gemma deserved better, and Jack could give her that. Reece had messed up, and Jack wasn’t about to let his mate’s mess go to waste.

“I’ll take care of it,” Jack muttered, already stepping out of the alley, his eyes cold. This wasn’t about loyalty anymore. This was about opportunity.

Gemma wouldn’t know the truth for now. And by the time she did, Jack was going to make sure she’d forgotten Reece’s name entirely.