Page 89 of Senseless
“They’ll be happy,” he assured me before returning both hands to his grips.
I had hoped seeing familiar faces like Rhonda and Dr. Brooks would ease me into being ready to see Reaper again later. But I had no such luck.
The moment we walked through the hospital front doors, the front desk clerk jerked her head up. “Mari! You’re back!”
“Hey Natalie,” I greeted as she grabbed her handheld radio—the best way to communicate over distances these days—and reported into it. “Dr. B, we’ve got Mari and Shadow back, if you can believe it! Same symptoms, blood from the ears.”
Dr. Brooks’ voice crackled over the speaker a moment later. “Thanks, Nat. Send ‘em in.”
“Exam room five, Mari,” Natalie relayed to me.
I thanked her and led Shadow down the hall that way, noting that it was one of the biggest exam rooms in the hospital. Knocking at the door to announce us, I walked in, unsurprised to see Reaper, Jandro, and Gunner, all having their ears examined by Dr. Brooks and two medics.
Hades and Freyja were in the room too, sitting calmly against the far wall.
“Mari, welcome back!” Dr. Brooks beamed at me as he pulled the otoscope from Reaper’s ear and threw the disposable tip away. “Your sabbatical was enjoyable, I hope?”
“Uh…”
I couldn’t pull my gaze away from Reaper, who stared at me wide-eyed, like I was a ghost. The Steel Demons president was still strikingly handsome but looked…awful. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. His cheeks looked more sunken in, like he’d lost weight. And the smell of his clove cigarettes filled the room.
Jandro unfroze from his stupor first, pulling away from the medic to approach me and wrap me in a crushing hug.
I slid my arms around his broad back, letting myself lean into his strength. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, only for him to squeeze me tighter.
“I’m so glad you’re back, so glad you’re okay,” he rapidly muttered, his breaths tight. “Thank the gods, all of them. Jesus, him too.”
Jandro’s grip finally loosened on me with my tired laugh, and he immediately attacked Shadow with a violent, leaping bear hug that sent Shadow stumbling back a few steps.
“And holy shit it’s good to see you again, big guy.”
Shadow not only humored him with a returned hug, but actually lifted Jandro off the floor with a throaty chuckle. “Missed you too, Jandro.”
“Okay, now you’re just embarrassing me. Put me down, asshole.”
Dr. Brooks turned to me with a sheepish grin as Shadow placed Jandro back on the floor. “Should I leave you all alone for a bit?”
“Yeah, if you could, thanks.” I pointed to my ear. “I think we’re okay, but just to be sure—“
“Haven’t found anything alarming yet, but we’ll come back when you’re ready.” The doctor patted my arm and left the room, the medics following after him.
The door clicked softly closed and I was left alone with my men.
Allof my men.
Shadow’s presence at my back was like a shield, impenetrable and safe, while it was Reaper in front of me who I still felt unsure of. Fortunately for me, he looked just as unsure, and seemed content to hang back and say nothing.
I approached him first, slowly, as I would a cornered wild animal. He remained frozen stiff as I opened my arms to the sides and placed them around him in a loose hug. The contact seemed to shock life into him, a gasping breath leaving his lungs as his hands tentatively rested on my back.
I hugged him a little closer and he returned my gentle squeeze, thankfully not escalating to anything more. I wasn’t sure if I could handle a kiss or an ass-grab from him yet. Before Shadow and I walked into this room, I wasn’t sure if I still wanted to see him at all.
But the hug felt good, and the ache in my chest loosened. It was a first step I was willing to take, as long as he was respectful of my pace.
Reaper’s cheek brushed against mine, seeking permission for a kiss. I took that as a cue to end the hug, stepping off to the side until he and Shadow faced each other head-on.
Reaper didn’t look wounded at my rejection and released me without issue. A few tense seconds passed while the two men stared each other down, the Steel Demons president and the man he exiled. This time it was Shadow waiting to see how Reaper would react, the tension palpable on both of them.
Finally Reaper stepped forward, extending his hand. “I owe you one hell of an apology.”
