Page 30 of Lawless
Everyone seemed happy. The air felt upbeat and positive. We had a good run. Gunner negotiated a hell of a deal with General Tash and the exchange went smoothly, with both sides delivering exactly as promised. And most importantly, we didn't lose anyone.
I fished a beer out of the bucket next to me and cracked it open, taking long pulls as I people-watched. Dallas and Andrea kissed, staring at each other all googly-eyed while their kids chased each other around the fire pit. Big G played Marco Polo in the pool with his kids. Even Shadow was saying a few words, by the looks of it.
Something cold and wet nudged the edge of my palm, and I looked down to see Hades nuzzling me. I scratched his ears as he rested his head on my knee, looking up at me with those impossibly dark eyes.
"How long's it gonna last, boy?" I asked, moving the scratches down to his neck. "How long can I keep these people safe from what's out there?"
He licked my hand with a soft yip, then lifted his head from my leg to look behind him. Right at Mariposa, sitting between Noelle and Tessa.
The one place I refused to look.
With a sigh, I followed my dog's gaze. My eyes traveled up her legs, whose shape I could still make out in those loose harem pants, to the dipping curves of her waist. I was biting inside my cheek during that massage earlier, wrestling the urge to see just how well my hands would fit in those sweet curves.
As my eyes moved up, relishing in the swells of her tits and her long, graceful neck, her eyes jerked away from mine right before our gazes met. She suddenly appeared very interested in the conversation Noelle and Tessa were having.
I adjusted my dick and polished off my beer, then rose to grab a steak to throw on the grill for Gunner. As soon as the meat began sizzling, I grabbed another beer and meandered to where the women sat.
"Get enough to eat?"
Mariposa jumped at the sound of my voice. A whole lot of good that massage did, jumpy and tense as she was. Not that I would mind touching her again, preferably with less clothing on.
"Yes," she said carefully, watching me sit on the couch next to her. "And it was delicious, thank you."
"We've gone from threatening escape to thanking me," I noted. "Not bad progress for your first day here."
She bristled, her hands clenched in her lap. "I'll never be ungrateful for a good meal. No matter who it comes from."
"Splendid. You just may learn how to live in a post-Collapse society after all." I stood again to check Gunner's steak. The moment I turned my back, Hades stuck his face between her knees and turned up the puppy dog eyes.
"Why the hell does my dog like you so much?" The question had been on my mind since I watched him sit on his ass for a treat from her.
"I don't know." She massaged his face with her thumbs. "Dogs can sense things people can't. I had a veterinarian friend say they can smell your emotional state. Whether you're afraid, angry, or happy."
"Hades definitely smells fear." I flipped Gunner's steak. "But his normal reaction is to get his teeth in their face and turn that fear into terror, not ask for pets."
"Well, maybe he knows something else about me."
"Like what?"
"I'm not sure." Her eyes lifted to me again. "Maybe he knows all I try to do is help people."
"Huh," I scoffed. "Gunner! Come get your fucking steak!"
"Why, thank you, boss." His hair now fluffy like newborn chick feathers, he marched over to me with a shit-eating grin and his chest puffed out. "It better be medium-rare or you're gonna have to cook me another one."
"Don't push your luck, bimbo." I passed over the meat on a plate, noticing his eyebrows lift with curiosity at me sitting so close to Mariposa.
I ignored him and went back to sit down, her last sentence mulling around in my head.
"So if I or any of my men were badly injured," I mused, "you'd still try to save us?"
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "It's my duty as a medic to protect life. I swore an oath upon completing nursing school."
"Huh," I scoffed again, almost choking on my beer. "Oaths are meaningless."
Her expression didn't change. "Not if you take them to heart. I've never gone against my oath to save lives."
"Really?" I leaned in closer to her. "You're telling me if Garold Richardson was lying at your feet right now, bleeding to death, you'd do everything in your power to save his life?"
