Page 33 of Wrecker

Susan shot him an exasperated look before she asked, “Can I steal Peyton for a second?”

“Sure,” Reid replied.

She transferred back to her chair, then her husband dropped the bag onto her lap, and she motioned me to follow her as she rolled toward the kitchen.

When we stopped near the fridge, Susan took my hand.

“I know that look,” she said softly. “You’re worried about him.”

“I want him to stop hurting.” My voice cracked. “And not just because he saved me too.”

She shook her head with a deep sigh. “He doesn’t see it, but Reid gave me back a life that turned out even better than I ever dreamed.”

“I wish he saw it that way.”

She squeezed my fingers. “Now it’s your turn to save him, Peyton. You have to be the one to pull him out of the emotional rubble he buried himself in.”

My throat closed, but I nodded. “I will.”

After helping her put away the groceries and make a pot of herbal tea for us and coffee for the guys, I followed Susan back into the living room.

We chatted for a little while, mostly Susan sharing what had been going on in her life besides her big news. When her husband was in the kitchen, putting our mugs in the sink, her hand drifted to her stomach. “We decided that if it’s a boy, we’re naming him Reid.”

He froze, the impact of her words hitting someplace deep.

“Don’t argue with me,” Susan added with a smile. “It’s already decided. And not because you owe me anything, but because you don’t. You gave me this life, and I wouldn’t change a single part of it.”

Reid didn’t speak, but I saw the change in his expression. How the sharp edges softened, even if just for a moment. Getting to his feet, he leaned down and hugged her again, holding her tighter this time.

We said our goodbyes not long after, and the drive back to Old Bridge passed in quiet comfort. His hand found mine again, resting between us on the console like it belonged there. Because it did.

I kept thinking about Susan’s words and the way Reid had looked at her when she told him about the baby. There was somuch pain still buried inside him, but I saw something else too—a flicker of peace. Maybe even hope.

The late afternoon sun dipped lower as we turned onto the familiar road leading to the Iron Rogues compound. Reid eased the truck past the gates, and I glanced over at him with a teasing smile.

“I guess Reid Jr. isn’t a possibility for us if Susan already claimed the name.”

His knuckles whitened around the wheel. “Us?”

“Hypothetically. Someday.” My cheeks filled with heat as I remembered how he’d taken me without anything between us. And how often he talked about filling me up with his come. “Maybe sooner than later, considering you haven’t used a single condom any of the times we’ve had sex.”

A low growl rumbled from his chest, and his hand slid from the console to my thigh, fingers gripping with unmistakable possession.

“Damn fucking straight.” A sensual shiver raced down my spine as the truck rolled to a stop. “And when I get you back to my room, I’m gonna do it again.”

13

PEYTON

Afew of the guys and their old ladies were hanging out in the lounge area of the clubhouse when Reid practically dragged me into the building. I didn’t miss their smirks when he ignored their greetings, and the laughter as he tossed me over his shoulder and growled, “You’re movin’ too slow, baby.”

Hanging upside down over his shoulder, I gave Gemma a little wave while we passed her. My lips curved into a satisfied smile when she murmured, “Guess you guys don’t need to worry about Wrecker being in a bad mood today.”

“Finally found the woman who brings him peace,” Hawk agreed.

My smile was huge when Reid finally dropped me on the bed.

“You look like the cat that ate the canary, baby,” he drawled as he slid his cut off his shoulders and hung it off the back of his chair.

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