Page 12 of Painless
"Not in the bedroom, you don't." Reaper brought my feet into his lap, his hands sweeping over my ankles and calves in a way that turned me to jelly. "But we're yours, sugar. Utterly and completely. I hope you know that."
"I dunno," I joked, despite his words turning me to mush. "Rub my arches a little more and maybe you'll convince me."
He proceeded to lift my foot and close his teeth around my big toe, making me shriek and kick like a madwoman. The two of them found it totally hilarious. I barely noticed Jandro taking my wine so I wouldn't spill it.
By the time we settled down, Hades took up the love seat across from us. Reaper usually didn't want him on the furniture, but I noticed him growing more relaxed with his dog in recent weeks.
"Oh, Dallas said that Andrea finished the prospect's cut," Reaper said over me to Jandro, his hands now back to treating my feet properly. "We're all set for tomorrow."
"Good." I could hear the grin in the VP’s voice. "I can't fucking wait to see what he thinks of his road name."
I tilted my head back on his chest to look up at him. "You didn't let him pick his own name?"
"All his ideas sucked." Jandro dropped a kiss on my forehead. "The one I picked for him is perfect."
"Can I have a hint?"
He caressed my jaw, grinning down at me. "Nope."
I pouted and he kissed my lower lip.
"He ain't sayin' shit. Not even I know what it is." Reaper's massage moved up to my calves and shins.
I slid down Jandro's torso, snuggling under his arm. "I'm just proud of Stephan, honestly." I refused to call himprospect. "After all you've put him through, he deserves some respect and recognition."
"He's a good kid," Reaper agreed. "Smart, and loyal down to his bones. He'll make a fine Demon."
Jandro's arm squeezed around my waist. "You're gonna be part of the ceremony, you know."
"Me? Why?"
"You're the president's old lady," Reaper grinned. "You're just gonna put the cut on him when I say to. Not much more to it than that."
"Then we're gonna fuckin' party!" Jandro raised a fist in the air. 'Cause fuck knows we all deserve one."
I rolled my eyes. "Like you guys ever need a reason to party."
Stephan’s patchingceremony was held right after breakfast the next morning. Everyone gathered in front of the front gate where a crudely-assembled platform, similar to the one at Python’s execution, was set up to provide a stage.
I stood off to the side where Stephan’s cut draped over my arm. The Steel Demons skull grinned up at me from the back, freshly sewn on by Andrea, Dallas’s wife. Jandro instructed me not to peek at the front, where Stephan’s new road name was embroidered. I resisted, tempting as it was.
Reaper and Jandro stood on the rickety, wooden stage together, both trying to hide elated grins. They waited for everyone to gather and quiet down before Reaper addressed them.
“The Steel Demons recently lost a member,” he began. “But we’re about to gain one who is ten times the man Python was.”
I stole a glance at Bones, who kept his eyes trained on the president with no change in expression. Reaper, and my guess, Hades, had determined Bones’s innocence, and allowed him to stay in the club with no repercussions.
“Admittance into this club isnothanded out lightly,” Reaper continued. “We are demanding. We are harsh. We don’t tolerate bullshit. And that’s exactly why we’ve survived for this long, while other clubs have eaten dust.”
A low murmur of agreements and nodding heads came back from the crowd.
“But once you’ve earned my trust and respect,” he placed a hand over his heart, “Once you’ve proved your loyalty, the Demons will never turn their back on you. You become part of our family and we always take care of our own.” His hand lowered again to his side. “Today we’re making someone an official part of our family.”
Reaper took a step back and allowed Jandro to step forward. “Stephan, come on up.”
The young man, his face already pink from the warm morning sun, slid through the crowd to join his president and VP on the stage. Jandro directed him to face Reaper, who began asking him a series of questions.
“Stephan, do you swear to obey and uphold all laws of the Steel Demons MC, current and future?”
