Page 73 of Heartless
Grudge pointed at Reaper’s whiskey and waggled his eyebrows.
“Drinks first? Yes, absolutely. Follow me, boys.”
He led them through to the kitchen and soon after the party was well underway.
I looked out the kitchen window when I started making a plate of food, ignoring Hades begging for a bite at my side. We had enough room for a small pool in the backyard, and maybe a fire pit. I wanted more concrete out there too, with patio furniture and shady overhangs.
So it could be more like Sheol,I realized.
It would never be exactly the same, but I missed that part of our old home the most—having a place where everyone could gather and just celebrate being alive. The cold kept most people inside at this time of year, but a few kids ran around the backyard playing tag. Jandro talked with some guys over beers by the roasting pit. We had the essence of our old home, it just needed a few touches to make it a true Steel Demons party house.
“Can I have everyone’s attention please!” Reaper called from the living room. “Where the fuck is Larkan?”
I followed the crush of people moving into the living room and promptly groaned. “Reaper, get off the coffee table!”
“It’s fine, babe. She’s sturdy.” He bounced on the balls of his feet to demonstrate, sloshing his whiskey in the process.
I just covered my face with a hand while someone laughed and patted my shoulder sympathetically. If he broke our brand new table, it was on him to fix.
“Gun, get the thing. Where’s Larkan at?”
“Right here, Pres.” The prospect raised a beer from the middle landing of the stairs, his other arm around Noelle’s shoulders.
“Get your grubby mitts off my sister and come down here, boy.”
Larkan took his sweet time, knowing it would irritate Reaper. He polished off his beer and kissed Noelle, deep and full of tongue, to the sounds of cheers and wolf whistles. His smile as he came down the stairs was smug with a hint of curiosity. Surprisingly, Reaper didn’t continue to rib him for it.
Gunner came out of the spare bedroom, carrying the wide, narrow box I saw him with earlier. He couldn’t hold back his grin as he stood next to Reaper, facing Larkan and everyone else.
“I know we have traditions and customs and shit, but I’m drunk and I can’t remember ‘em now,” Reaper began, earning laughs from everyone. “Gun, just open it and give it to ‘im.”
Gunner pulled open the top of the box, revealing a swath of black leather with the Steel Demons’ grinning skull depicted. “Try it on, Lark.”
Larkan’s face had gone blank with shock when he saw the cut. He reached in slowly, with shaking hands, and held it up for everyone to see. It was indeed the cut of a fully patched-in SDMC member, with his name embroidered on the front. He slipped his arms through the holes and the whole house erupted in applause.
“I don’t have fuckin’ road name for ya.” Reaper waved his hand in front of him. “Nor an official job title for you yet, but everyone here knows you deserve this patch. You’ve saved our asses back at the Sandia outpost, and kept my old lady safe in Blakeworth. You’re a Demon, Lark. You always have been, even before today. This is just sealin’ the deal. Thanks for having our backs, brother.”
“Thank you, Reaper,” Larkan said so softly, it was almost a whisper.
My husband jumped down from the table and the two men clapped arms around each other in a rough hug. They clung to each other while everyone cheered, whistled, and applauded. When Larkan pulled away, he immediately turned to the stairs where Noelle beamed at him proudly.
“Baby, can you come here?” He extended a hand out to her.
A soft murmur of,“Awww”rose up from the onlookers as Noelle came down to join him.
“You better not embarrass me, you—”
Her words cut off abruptly when he dropped to one knee.
The“Aww”s turned to gasps and hushed exclamations. Even I sucked in a breath and brought a hand to my chest.
“Marry me, Noelle.” Larkan’s eyes were only on her, his hands wrapped around her fingers. “Ever since you and Mari pulled me out of that wreck, I’ve only wanted two things in life. This cut, and for you to be my old lady.”
“Are you…are you serious?” She stared at him, wide-eyed with disbelief.
“I’ve never been more serious in my life.” He brought her fingers to his lips. “I don’t have a ring yet, ‘cause I wasn’t exactly expecting this.” He looked back at Reaper with a soft laugh. “But I told you, woman, I’d make you officially mine the moment I got a patch.”
“I didn’t think you’d do it so…literally,” Noelle laughed nervously.
