Page 61 of Painless
“You been rotating shifts?” I blew smoke out through my nose.
“Yeah, as much as I can. Problem is, we just don’t have enough people for a compound this big. I can’t exactly have guards twenty-four seven, then give ‘em a week off for R&R.”
“Reaper being extremely selective about who joins has only been good for the club,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, I get it. This place is just kinda big for our britches, don’tcha think? We’ve got like what, ten empty houses? Mari’s office was just a storage closet before Reaper made it a mission to get a medic.”
“It’s what we got. We’d be fools to give this place up.” I took another drag. “Me and Shadow don’t run into each other at home if we don’t have to. I even got room for my chickens.”
Gunner huffed out a dry laugh, exhaling smoke. “You and those damn chickens.”
“They’re great, dude. Low-maintenance care, free eggs. They walk around like funky little dinosaurs. Chela even jumped into my lap the other day.”
“They make a great snack for falcons,” he grinned.
“You keep that damn bird away from my girls. Plenty of ground squirrels and shit for Horus to eat.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I flicked ash off the end of my cig. “So how are things?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Whatthingsare you referring to?”
“You know, things in general.” I blew out more smoke. “With the new woman in your life, for instance.”
“She hasn’t told you everything?” His voice revealed some surprise.
“Nah. Mari tends to keep the one-on-one stuff private. Noteverythinghas to be shared, you know.”
Gunner turned a thoughtful gaze to the horizon. “I guess I didn’t really think about that part.”
“I didn’t either, ‘til just now, really. Lots of things to learn and discover about sharing a woman.” Now finished with my smoke, I stubbed it out on the rock wall. “So howareyou handling it?”
He didn’t answer for a time, just smoked pensively while watching the horizon like some damn romantic cowboy. “Good,” he answered finally. “Like, I’m kind of amazed at just how good and easy it is to be with her.”
“See?” I nudged his arm. “I told you, dude. It’s not always easy, of course. Especially now that she has three of us to consider. But she’s got a way of making you feel like the only man in her life, right?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “That whole day we spent together, I kept feeling like I had to hold onto it. To savor being alone with her because it would come about so rarely.”
“Nah. Even when we’re all together, her connection with each of us is pretty special. It takes getting used to, but it’s worth it.”
“I’m starting to see that.” He barked out a laugh as he tossed his cigarette butt. “Listen to us fucking saps. I’m glad I told my guys to go away.”
I looked over both shoulders to make sure no one was in earshot, but still lowered my voice. “Now, be honest. What did you think of the whole group bedroom scenario?”
“Huh, I forgot you were in the shower so you missed the ending.” He rubbed a hand down his face to hide his smirk. “Honestly, it was fucking hot, man. She wanted to watch me finish myself off, so I got closer to her. Reaper was pounding her and, well…I made a fucking mess of myself.”
“Atta boy.” I slapped his back. “Other dicks in the bedroom don’t have to be weird, if you don’t let them.”
“Guess not,” he chuckled before a stern mask took over his face. “Be right back,” he muttered, then his eyes rolled back until only the whites were visible.
“Aw, fuck,” I grumbled, grabbing his arm to prevent him from tumbling over the wall. “This can’t be good.” I looked up in search of Horus, knowing Gunner was looking through the falcon at that very moment.
His blue irises rolled back into view less than a minute later, as did the control of his body. “We need guns and gas masks,” he hissed, climbing down the wall. “We’re about to be attacked.”
In disbelief, I looked out at the empty, silent desert beyond our walls. “Gunner, what the fuck?”
But he was already running along the perimeter, whistling loudly and yelling to the guards, “Rifles up, fuckers! Goggle and mask up! This is not a drill! Our enemy is airborne!”
