Page 117 of Reacher
I shrugged. “Tastes similar. I don’t care. If you can’t have it, then I’m off it too.”
“Tastes like shit, is what it fucking is.”
“What happened downstairs?”
He sighed. “Ice lost it. I guess it was to be expected his first time back. He insisted on attending, even though I thought he should still be resting.”
I never saw that coming.
“What set him off? Why was he pissed?”
“Apparently we’re ‘babying him’, and uh… what was it? ‘Diluting his worth’ by training others up. He told his prospective students that they can suck his cock, if they want to learn from him. Jesus… I thought maybe he’d stay quiet for a bit, but I don’t know. There’s so much anger in him. I don’t know if it was always there, or him being off the drugs is letting out a side of him we just don’t recognise.”
“It could be anything. He probably just needs time.”
“Yeah, tell that to Has. He punched him.”
I blinked, nearly spilling my crappy coffee. I was lying, by the way. It really does taste like shit.
“He punched Has? Why?”
“Because Has doesn’t take his shit, even though for some reason he’s been at the hospital more than anyone, he loves to wind him up. I guess things are back to normal with the two of them, and of course Has is one of the guys who opted to learn from him, so it was bound to happen.”
What an extra load of crap for Reacher to deal with.
“And Stitch?”
He rested his chin on his fist.
“He was too quiet. Barely spoke up, barely seemed to even pay attention to what was going on. I know he doesn’t want the guys to know he’s sick, but this is… it’s a dead giveaway.”
“I’m so sorry, Reacher. I’m so sorry that there’s more crap going on, and you’re having to deal with it. It’s the worst possible time for your VP to be out of commission.”
And worst of all, for as long as there is so much going on, what is the possibility of them revisiting the idea of me as his old lady? I can’t help him in any official capacity, because the club hasn’t even accepted me.
Reacher
IfnotforAlly,I’d happily go back six months, to when things were quieter, settled, because since then it’s been one thing after another. Ryder, and that whole mess with Tori. Ice’s descent into fucking oblivion, and his attack. Ally, and all of theshit that happened to her, and now of course, my VP looking down the barrel of a fucking gun, because if it’s cancer, then maybe I’m gonna lose him, and that thought is destroying me.
Before Ally, he was the closest thing to family that I had, and he still is, but I have her now, and I really wished he had someone too. An old lady. A steadying force. A comforting body to curl up with. A reassuring presence in his day to day life. Someone to help him fight what’s coming. Of course I’ll be there for him, but it’s not the same. He needs a partner in life. Someone who lives through everything with him.
I was sitting in my office, a day after the meltdown in Church, preparing myself for the fallout from my next meeting, because Ice was due in, and I was about to lay down the law. I was just waiting for Stitch.
When my phone rang, I picked it up without looking, because it’d be a brother, it always was.
“Reacher? Rossi here.” Oh hell. My gut churned at his unexpected contact. He’d done us a few favours lately, and I really hoped he wasn’t about to call them all in.
“Mr Rossi, what can I do for you?” Please say nothing.
“Call me Massimo. Listen, Reacher, we need to talk about my daughter. I appreciate that she’s uh… shacked up… with your club member, but we need to talk about their future.”
Holy hell. I rubbed a hand over my face, hearing a knock on the door. Ice peered inside, and I waved him in, pointing to the seat opposite my desk.
“Massimo… I’m not sure what there is to discuss about their future. As far as club rules are concerned, they’re married now, and I don’t think that’s about to change.”
Ice raised his eyebrows as he sat down, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“Thing is, Reacher, that’s not appropriate as far as I’m concerned. Married by club law means nothing in my world, orthe real world, in fact. If they plan on staying together, he has to put a ring on her finger. He needs to make it official. She’s the daughter of the head of the family, and I can’t have her, dammit… she’s living in sin. It has to be resolved as a matter of urgency.”
