Heartless (Steel Demons MC #6) - Crystal Ash Page 0,31

remember to check him out through Horus at some point.

"Hey, Gun." Reaper clapped a hand down on my shoulder, the two of us the last ones in the room. "I gotta tell you something, and I don't want you to be upset."

"What?" I sighed. "The Sons are waiting on me."

My president seemed nervous, a rare look for him. "We're having breakfast at my parents' house tomorrow, so they can meet Mari and, you know, get together as a family and shit."

"Cool, I won't hit the booze too hard tonight," I said absently. "Just let me know when we're riding out."

"Um, that's the thing." Reaper sucked in a breath. "We don't want to overwhelm my mom with too many people because she's grieving Daren. Don’t want to put too much pressure on her as a hostess, you know?"

"Oh, that's cool. I get it. So what, it's just you, Mari, and Noelle then? With the rest of the introductions to be made later?"

"Well." He looked more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. "Jandro is coming too, because my folks knew him from back then. He's like another son, you see. And Noelle is dead-set on bringing Larkan, even though I tried my damndest to talk her out of it."

The pieces finally clicked into place. "So I'm the only one excluded?"

"No, Shadow's not coming either. And we're not excluding you, it's just—"

"Shadrow isn't even Mari's," I cut in, my annoyance itching.

Reaper rolled his eyes. "We all know he's going to be, so might as well treat him like he is."

"Does your dad even know you share her with me?"

"Yes," Reaper insisted. "You are part of my family, Gunner. He wants to get to know you. It's just a lot of people at once, okay? I promise you that's the only reason."

"Okay, so when? When can it be just us three and Mari with them?"

Reaper spread his hands out and raised his shoulders in a shrug. "I dunno. How does next week sound?"

"Works great." I still sounded bitter but didn't care. Shit like this was why I didn't want to get involved with this group thing in the first place. Not that I regretted sharing Mari, I actually loved it. But it fucking sucked I had to be the odd one out because of logistical reasons.

"For what it's worth," Reaper fished out his cigarettes and offered me one as we left the building together, "Mari's pissed on your behalf."

"Is she now?" Despite myself, I smiled into my first drag.

"She says you have more of a right to be there than Lark, which is absolutely true. But try telling fuckin' Noelle that."

"Fuckin' families, man." I straddled my bike and made her roar to life, wishing I was going home to my woman instead of talking more battle tactics with dudes.

"I hear ya," Reaper sympathized, sitting astride his own bike as he zipped his jacket up to his chin. "In some ways, you're lucky you don't talk to yours anymore."

"Yeah. I'll see ya later." I pulled out of the lot and rumbled down the road.

He wasn't wrong about that. Leaving the Youngblood life was the best decision I ever made, next to choosing Mari. The Steel Demons had been the only real family I ever had.

I had fended for myself for years and didn't need parents as an adult. Mine had been utterly useless at parenting when I was a child, anyway.

While Reaper's upbringing was far from perfect, he did have the kind of family I always envied. His parents seemed to have a love like my grandparents did, like what I hoped Mari and I had. Something that would withstand the years, growing stronger, deeper over time, rather than fading away.

So it stung, feeling cut out, despite Reaper assuring me that it wasn't the case.

I had to hold on to what mattered—that Mari loved me. She was my wife too, and nothing changed that.

Nine

MARIPOSA

Gunner came to bed late that night, long after Jandro and Reaper started snoring. When I asked about where he was, Reaper muttered something about discussing strategy with the Sons of Odin.

I didn’t think much of it. My own day had been a long one at the hospital, demonstrating field medic techniques to trainees. Reaper, Jandro, Shadow, and I all had dinner together, and while it was nice to see Shadow feeling naturally included among my men, Gunner’s presence was noticeably absent.

My guys didn’t seem worried, so I tried not to dwell on it. But after Shadow and I kissed goodnight,