“I’ll use your fountain pen for doodling.” I stabbed my finger in the air at her.
She stopped as if she’d smacked into the door. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would.” I pulled the cap off the end, reached down slowly, and got her empty legal pad. “I’m going to write my name all over this. In swirls and hearts and curlicues and angles and flowers and –”
She shoved the hostage cupcakes into my arms, grabbed her pen. “Give me that, you terrorist.”
I smiled serenely as she looked back up at me. “Don’t steal my cupcakes.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Touch my pen again and die a slow gruesome death.”
I shook my head. “You might want to get a psychological evaluation concerning your obsession with pens and office supplies.”
She smirked. “You might want to shut up.”
We stared at each other in silence for a long moment. Then we burst into laughter at the same time.
“Glad to see you’re both feeling good,” Rafe said as he walked in. “I’ve come to check on your legs, Will.”
I straightened and walked around the coffee table. Still slow, but, man, did it feel good not to have to use someone’s arm to help me stay upright.
“Well, fuck. I was kinda hoping he was wrong,” Rafe said.
I rolled my eyes. “Why do you guys hate Ryker? He saved my life.” I just didn’t get it. Were they seeing something I wasn’t? Did the man wear more than one mask? I knew he wanted in my pants, but I didn’t really see that as threatening. He hadn’t touched me when I was unconscious. I doubted he was going to force me.
Rafe heaved a sigh. “I don’t really hate him, to be honest. I just don’t like his attitude.”
I burst into more laughter. “He reminds me of you and your brothers. Seriously, he could be an Amatucci if he weren’t so white.”
Rafe glowered at me. “No. Yes, he’s white, but he doesn’t have what it takes to be an Amatucci. Too soft.”
I raised a brow. “And it’s bad that he doesn’t travel the same roads you do why?”
Rafe clutched at his heart dramatically. “Willow, baby, that stings.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I can see that you’re mortally wounded. You’d probably think the Punisher was soft.”
Rafe tipped his head to the side as he considered it. Shook his head. “No. He does what needs doing. He’d be a good Amatucci.”
I chuckled. “Figures you’d be on the Anti-Hero’s side. Until he proves me wrong, Ryker is my friend. You guys need to be nicer to him.”
Rafe’s eyes widened. “You can’t be his friend, Will. He wants in your pants. As soon as he gets in them, he’s going to be out of your life faster than you can yell at Dom.”
I shrugged. “He’s already told me he wants in my pants. But I’ve already told him that he’s not invited. He can be my friend, or he can not be in my life. Those are his options.”
Rafe and Tali looked at each other for a long moment.
Tali looked back at me, back to Rafe. “I’ve got a hundo on our girl.” She stuck her hand out.
I smirked, crossed my arms. Looked at Rafe with one eyebrow raised.
He snorted, looked at his sister. “I’ll take that action.” They slapped their palms together and shook on it. He looked over at me, his expression darkened. “But if he hurts you, you don’t get a say in how we deal with him.”
I opened my mouth to argue. Decided there was no point. I wasn’t sleeping with Ryker. The end. I nodded. “Deal.”
Rafe came over, his hand stuck out for me to shake.
I put my hand in his, shook it. After we dropped our hands, I stepped over to the kitchen island, set down my rescued cupcakes. “Well, now that that’s done, I need to get to frosting these cupcakes. Once I get them done, I’m going to go down to the shop, get started on Natalie’s birthday cake.”
Rafe sat down next to his sister on the couch and they put their heads together, chatting about something involving the Foundation.
I tuned them out as I got the buttercream frosting base ready. I was going for easy and simple. Not some big extravagant gesture or anything else. Just one friend saying thank you to another friend.
Calling him in the middle of the night had been a bad move. But, last night, when I’d gotten up to pee, the need to talk to him, hear his voice, kept