Page 38 of Painless
"I told Gun I'd come home with him," I answered sheepishly. "I haven't actually been inside his place, or had any one-on-one time with—"
"You don't have to explain it." He released my ass, rubbing up my back as he kissed my temple. But I already felt the distance in his touch, heard the shift of emotion in his voice.
"I can tell him another time," I said. "If you really want me home, I—"
"Nah, it's fine, sugar." He cupped under my chin and pressed a lingering, sensual kiss to my mouth. "I get you every night. I'm just greedy," he smirked.
I frowned. He was being sweet, but his actions still felt forced. He was disappointed, but would never admit it at this point. Wasthisthe first sign of Noelle’s warning? Would he leave me over not making enough time for him?
Fucking hell. I started to wish she’d never told me.
"You're sure?"
"Do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you to Gun's place?" he laughed. "Youshouldhave alone time with him. He'll open up to you more than with us around. You'll know for sure if he's got any issues with the sharing aspect."
"You think he still does? After being there with all of us and saying he's all in?"
"I think he's being genuine about that," Reaper paused, scratching his jaw, "but he's going to have more lingering insecurities than me or Jandro. We love it when your attention is focused on us, but me and ‘Dro are solid, babe. We trust you when you're not with us. Gunner will try, but this doesn't come naturally to him. He might need a little more reassurance."
I nodded my understanding, reaching on tip-toes as I wound my arms around his neck. "Tomorrow night," I murmured against his lips. "Just you and me."
His smile touched mine as his hands molded to the small of my back. "I'm gonna hold you to that," he said in a playful warning.
"Wouldn't miss it for a damn thing, Mr. President."
Thirteen
REAPER
Talk about getting a taste of my own fucking medicine.
As Hades and I took off out of the garage, I had to remember what I told Jandro only yesterday. So what if Mari was spending time with Gunner? It didn’t mean she didn’t have room for me.
He was part of us now, and a new, shiny fixture for Mari. It was normal for her to spend the day and night with him. And what I told her was true—he would need more assurance from her than me or Jandro.
In other words, I had to stop being a pussy. My woman would miss me and come back to me. She always did.
Slick, Big G, and Dallas fell in line behind me as we tore out of Sheol. I had to keep my focus, stay at least one step ahead of General Tash. Unfortunately for me, I was completely blind as to what step he was on. He could be plotting world domination for all I knew.
The dipshits of Razor Wire MC and us only had one thing in common—the general used us like pawns in an elaborate chess game. We couldn’t have been the only clubs, not for the grand scheme of things he was planning.
An alliance with Razor Wire was out of the question, considering they attacked us at the entrance to our own home. I gave every Steel Demon the authority to shoot a Razor Wire on sight, that’s how fucking done I was with them. But not every MC was as slimy as those assholes. There had to be others like us, who lived by a code.
For years I’d heard rumors of just such a club, who called themselves the Sons of Odin. At first I’d written them off as white supremacist fuckheads parading around under a Norse flag, but apparently I was wrong. These guys guarded an area of the northern border, near where the Four Corners used to be—the spot where the old borders of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado all intersected at perfect ninety-degree angles.
That was definitely an area Tash would be interested in, especially if he was successful in stampeding over Gunner’s uncle in Jerriton. I’d never heard whispers of the Sons of Odin making trouble for anyone else, so I figured they were worth a visit. I respected any club that handled their shit and kept a tight lid on any drama.
My boys and I went hard on our bikes, kicking up clouds of pale dust as we raced across the landscape. Hades stayed just ahead of me, his running pace leisurely despite our speeds.
Lately it was getting harder for me to obey him without question. Now, especially with Freyja in the mix, I felt the burning need for answers. What was he, and why was he sticking with me? What Mari said about Freyja helping with Tessa’s delivery couldn’t be a coincidence. Horus being able to hold my two-hundred pound ass from falling off a cliff couldn’t be a coincidence. I wasn’t ready to believe Noelle’s dreams about Daren, but Hades especially had some kind of link with the dead.
That voice he spoke to me with sounded more than ancient. It sounded eternal. And nothing else had scared the living shit out of me more.
Two hours into the ride, Hades threw his head back in a howl as he ran. A chill ran over my skin. No, it went deeper than my skin. I felt an eerie coldness in my bones.
We’re too late.
Somehow I already knew, even before the remains of the clubhouse became visible on the horizon.
