As night falls and rain pours outside, I receive a call from Jake. The familiar ringtone cuts through the quiet of our home where Kevin and Alex are already asleep. My heart skips a beat – it's late, even for him.

The line crackles as I answer, and I can hear the distant sounds of a casino in the background – chips clinking,低沉的男声交谈, faint music. His deep voice comes through,带着一丝不耐烦却又努力掩饰的温柔.

"What's up? Is everything alright, baby?" he asks, and I can picture him sitting at a table surrounded by his men, black shirt stretched tight across his muscular chest, tattoos visible where the fabric gapes open at his neck.

I glance at the clock – nearly midnight. The boys were asking for him at dinner again. "Everything's fine here," I reply, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. "The boys missed you at dinner. Kevin drew a picture of 'daddy at work' today."

There's a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a heavy sigh. I can almost see him running a hand through his short blonde hair, those light blue eyes narrowing with what might be guilt or frustration – it's always hard to tell with Jake.

"I'll be home soon," he says finally, his voice softening. "Tell them I'll check on them when I get in. And... I have something for you too, baby."

Before I can respond, I hear a muffled voice in the background. Jake mutters something unintelligible, then says quickly, "I have to go. I love you." The line goes dead, leaving me staring at my phone, wondering what dangerous business has interrupted our call this time.