Page 50 of Heartless
Jandro, Gunner and Shadow rushed over the moment they got the news at the B&B, but not before telling Noelle and Larkan. And course, Reaper’s mom rushed over as soon as she got word about Finn. While it wasn’t exactly how we wanted Reaper’s parents to meet the rest of the guys, all of them being here made me feel supported in light of what happened.
The information sat like a brick in my stomach. Someone had tried to kill the leaders of the Four Corners territory.
“I keep turning it over in my head,” Finn sighed, his IV-arm wrapped around his wife who’d climbed into the hospital bed with him. “Fuck, how many meetings had he sat in on? How much did he know and supply to whoever he was working for?”
“Was there any sign of him being a spy?” Gunner asked. “Anything at all?”
“Gun, maybe now’s not the time,” I said. “They need to rest.”
“It’s okay, Mari.” Finn offered me a weak smile before answering the question. “But no, there was none. I checked his paperwork, like I do all my recruits. No signs of him being pro-Blakeworth regime, and no reason for him to be. He freaking escaped by getting pushed out the back door while his home was raided. Either he’s hidden his support for a dictator who ordered the execution of his family or,” Finn paused to take in a shaky breath, “or he was indoctrinated here in Four Corners.”
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until Shadow rubbed my back, encouraging me to release the air.
“How could any pro-Blakeworth people get in here?” Noelle demanded, leaning into Larkan who wrapped around her protectively.
“The checks at the borders are thorough, but they aren’t perfect,” her father said. “And you have to remember the relationship between Vance and Blake wasn’t outright hostile until they took Kyrie. I wouldn’t call it friendly, but the two territories were cordial. There may be some pro-Blakeworth stragglers laying low.”
“We have to assume there’s more in the territory,” Jandro said. “Plotting in secret, fucking cloak and dagger bastards. That kid definitely wasn’t working alone.”
“We have to find out who gave him the order,” Reaper agreed, shifting in his hospital bed.
“I’ll get with the Sons and start keeping eyes out,” Shadow offered with a low growl.
“I’ll alert Demon guards too, but listen. Are we certain it’s Blakeworth?” Gunner resumed his pacing, despite my telling him not to. “And not Tash? I mean, he stabbed you two first. Tash has wanted Reaper’s head on a stick since the Sandia outpost.” Reaper’s mom shuddered and Gunner immediately froze. “Shit I’m sorry, Mrs. Daley. I’ll watch what I say.”
“It’s no secret that I’m wanted.” Reaper shrugged. “But Governor Vance was the most important person in that room. I think he was just trying to get Dad and I out of the way to get to him.” He looked to his father for confirmation.
Finn nodded. “If your biker gang is as notorious as you say it is, I think he would have made sure to finish you off you if you were the main target.”
Poor Alisa was looking more and more distraught the more her husband and son discussed.
“Alright, guys.” I clapped my hands and rose to my feet. “We’ll see about discharging you in the morning, and you can discuss the next move then. But right now it’s time for the patients to rest.” I forced a grin. “By orders of the SDMC medic and president’s old lady.”
“Are you coming home with us?” Shadow asked hopefully. “Or staying?”
I leaned over to push his hair back and kiss the scar on his eyebrow, and then his lips. “I’m staying here to oversee all the patients’ care. I’ll be home tomorrow though.”
“Good.” His mouth lingered on mine, hands brushing my waist as he stood up. “You make sure to get some rest too.”
I reached on tiptoes, arms stretching up to wind around his shoulders. “I will.”
“I’ll take you home, Lis.” Jandro helped Reaper’s mom out of Finn’s hospital bed. “And bring you straight back here in the morning, okay?”
“Thank you, son,” she said wearily before turning around to kiss her husband goodbye.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” I assured her. “I’ll be here and I’ll have these guys checked on round the clock.”
She surprised me by pulling me into a hug. “Thank you, Mari. We’re so lucky to have you watching them over them. I leave my boys in your capable hands.”
I returned her affectionate squeeze before saying my goodbyes to Jandro and Gunner. The room quickly emptied and Finn fell asleep almost immediately. His injuries weren’t as bad, but he was older, and would likely need more time to recover than his son.
Reaper, on the other hand, was wide awake and staring at the ceiling. He barely took notice of me crawling into the hospital bed with him, much like his mother did with his father.
“What’s on your mind, president?” I whispered with a small kiss to his shoulder.
“Hades told me to kill him,” he replied flatly. “He told me to, and I hesitated. Everyone in that room got hurt because I was slow to act.”
“Oh Reaper,” I sighed. “Please don’t turn this into another situation where you’re blaming yourself.”
