Page 86 of Iron Hearts

“Okay, why?” My mom asked. “Why wouldanyoneknow that?”

Striker laughed, and I laughed too and he shook his head.

“I’m a boy who hangs out witha lotof boys – and all of us have been dumb at one time or another. Pretty sure I got a can of it out in my truck – again –don’t ask.”

“You know what?” my mom said. “I’m not going to. I’m just going to say, ‘thank you’ to the both of you, take the win, and say goodnight.”

“Night, Mom,” I murmured and hugged her back as she awkwardly hugged me.

She went to bed, and I was glad that she wasn’t so stressed that she hadn’t eaten, that most of her plate was clear except a little baked potato and the fat from her steak which we saved for the cats as a treat to find in their bowl.

Striker leaned back and looked at me after he’d said his own thanks for the fine meal and that he hoped my mom would get some rest.

We stared at each other for a long minute and he reached out and cupped y cheek, smoothing a thumb over the soft skin and murmuring, “It’s okay if you need to fall apart a minute, baby girl. I’ve got you, now.”

I sniffed and breathed deep and shook my head.

“Maybe after clean up,” I said and he nodded.

“Need a little help?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“No, you go on.”

“Trust me, I’ll get it fixed, even if I have to call King Stormy himself, and all the rest of the Knights of the Round Toilet Bowl.”

I snorted and started laughing. I couldn’t help it.

“The Royal Bastards are we.” He thumped his fist over his heart twice and held it up like some kind of ancient Knight bro code and I lost it into an absolutefitof giggles to the point I had to stuff both hands against my mouth to keep from completely losing my shit and disturbing my mom.

He grinned at me and winked. I couldn’t help but feelmuchbetter about things.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Striker…

I left Rarity to clean up the kitchen from dinner, after holding her for a time and leaving her with a kiss to her forehead at the sink.

This fucking toilet was fixin’ to slayme.I wasn’t going to be able to fix it tonight. I was seriously about to take it out back and smash it with a fuckin’ hammer just for the fuckin’ satisfaction – when it happened. There was a noise, and a pop. When I picked the fucking thing up off its base, there was this goddamned rubber dragon like a rubber ducky for bath time or whatever – but not a duck.

“Motherfucker,” I swore.

“Everything okay?”

“Jesus, princess!” I pressed a hand to my chest after jumping sky high. She was lucky I was in an awkward position with nothing at hand. I could have hurt her.

“Shit, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said.

“Just make some fuckin’ noise or something next time, I’m a vet and we all got some sort of sand demons just looking for an opportunity to ruin us and everything we love if we’re not careful. I would never hurt you on purpose – you know that, butdamn.”

“No, I know!” she said quickly. “I get it, I’m sorry.”

“All good,” I reassured her.

“Whatcha got?” she asked.

I picked up the dragon.

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