Page 41 of Powerless
"Don't mention it," he said softly. "I'm always here for the ones that matter to me." A warm beat of silence passed between us before I pressed my mug back into his hand. "Thanks for the coffee. I'll get everything packed up. You do what you need to get this show on the road."
"Mmkay. Let me know if you need any help." He leaned over and kissed the edge of my cheekbone before walking off.
I watched him for a few paces, reaching up to touch where his lips made contact with my skin for a fraction of a second. He did it so casually, like it was the most normal thing to do.
And maybe it was. Cheek kisses were common displays of affection between platonic friends and even family members in Latin cultures. I wasn't sure when that barrier broke or whether itwascompletely platonic. But as I watched his broad shoulders swagger away, I realized it didn't matter. Kisses, coffee, a listening ear, or a gentle tease—all gestures that were Jandro's way of showing he cared.
I broke down his tent, watching as he paused to talk with Shadow, giving the big man a slap on the shoulder before moving on. Something else occurred to me then. Jandro wasn't just a caring guy, but the club's caretaker.
While Reaper barked orders and grumbled like a hungover bear, Jandro went around like the club dad and made sure everything got done. Shadow always stayed closest to him, like a son would hover near his father. The dynamic was so clear to me now, I couldn't believe I didn't notice earlier.
Reaper ignored me all morning, as expected. It still stung but not as badly as before. I'd probably have another good cry or two before it stopped hurting, but at least I wasn't completely alone anymore.
The whole club packed up and was on the road again within an hour. I leaned unabashedly against Jandro on his bike this time, even running my hands across his chest and abs. We played a game where I tried to tweak his nipple before he stopped me. He'd get me back by reaching behind to poke or tickle me.
On the last leg of the ride, the final stretch before reaching home, we stopped with the games. Everyone was exhausted and dying to sleep in their own beds. Jandro occasionally ran his hand down the side of my leg. When I massaged his chest, he brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them. After debating it for the last hundred miles, I placed a kiss on the back of his neck. His heart sped up under my hand.
I didn't know if this would lead anywhere but in the meantime, it was a fun distraction. Whatever the outcome, I knew Jandro wouldn't lash out at me like Reaper had.
The sky exploded into a brilliant sunset display—pinks, purples and oranges like it was on fire. I was enthralled by the view when Jandro squeezed my thigh to get my attention.
"Home sweet home!" he yelled over the engines, pointing straight ahead on the horizon.
I squinted and could just barely make out the tall, wrought-iron gate surrounding the community of Sheol. A tiny speck hovering in the distance, the black flag with the Steel Demons emblem flapped as if beckoning us home.
"SKREEEEEK! SKREEK! SKREEK!"
"Whoa, Horus!" I almost pulled Jandro and I off balance with how closely Gunner's falcon screeched in my ear.
He flew right alongside us, so close I could reach out and stroke his wing. And the screeching never stopped. He almost sounded panicked.
"What is it?" I asked the bird. Dread pooled in my stomach. Something wasn't right.
Horus cut away, angling like a fighter jet as he shot upward in a straight line, until he became a tiny dark speck in the sky.
"Jandro, I think something’s—“
"Whoa, Hades!"
He braked as he turned sharply, drifting a few feet to miss Reaper's dog who ran straight in front of us. Hades sprinted to our left, while Horus had taken off to the right. What the fuck were the animals doing? The whole club slowed to a stop in the middle of the empty road.
"Reaper, what's gotten into Hades?" someone asked.
"He senses danger, but I have no clue." Reaper squinted in the direction his furry beast ran off to. "Someone get me a pair of binoculars."
I looked in the opposite direction and found the dark dot in the sky that was Horus. He hovered at a high altitude, almost directly above us from our perspective.
Then he divebombed.
The adorable little bird of prey turned into a missile, hurtling toward the earth almost too fast for my eyes to follow. I almost screamed. He was going to splat against the ground!
But in the last few seconds, his wings stretched out and his claws extended. Gunner's bird was hunting. And when he hit his target, I could see his prey was much bigger than him.
There were several of them and they were coming straight for us. I could barely make out shapes in the distance but they were definitely person-sized.
A low, constant rumble made me turn my head to the left. Hades' prey was much closer and approaching fast. Men on motorcycles formed one dark line on the horizon.
"J-Jandro," I whispered, clutching his shoulders.
