hesitation when you told me the first time,” Vance nodded at Reaper. “But after that day in the conference room, and now with what happened to your sweet wife and VP,” he shook his head. “Four Corners needs the Steel Demons. The house is yours. My trust is yours. And still, it feels like too little for what you’ve given us.”
Reaper looked down at Mari, his arm around her shoulders. “What do you think, sugar?”
“It’s a beautiful house.” She leaned her cheek on his chest. “Let’s take it.”
“Gun?” Reaper lifted his gaze to me.
I shrugged, but couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face. Hell fucking yeah, I was ready to leave the B&B and actually live somewhere.
“Whatever the wifey wants.”
Mari’s excited giggle was drowned out by Finn’s laughter as he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.
“Congratulations, son,” he said on my shoulder. “Happy to have you in the family.”
“Thank you.” I returned his hug, leaning into probably the only display of fatherly affection I’d ever received. “Thank you, sir.”
“None of that sir business,” he chided, pulling away. “Well, maybe only when we’re at work,” he added with a wink.
“We’ll throw a housewarming party soon,” Reaper said, releasing Mari so she could hug me. “Invite the whole club. Hell, we’ll have Larkan’s patching in ceremony at the same time.”
“Oh, finally!” she declared, her cheek nuzzled against my chest.
“We gotta tell Jandro when he’s not all doped up,” I said, rubbing warmth into her back.
“And Shadow.” Mari’s eyes widened like she had mistakenly said that out loud, but didn’t take it back as Reaper and I sandwiched her between us.
“Something you want to tell us, sugar?” His tone had finally lightened, arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind as he kissed the top of her head.
Mari held on to his forearm across her chest. “I want Shadow to move in with us,” she said, her voice firm.
Reaper and I exchanged a fast look. “Okay,” he said. “Does that mean…?”
“He’s mine,” she answered, gripping his forearm tighter. “I’m keeping him. I…love him.”
“Alright then.” Reaper squeezed her against his chest, planting another kiss in her hair. “He’s moving in and picking a room.”
“Baby girl.” I teased her nickname with a hint of warning, hooking my fingers in the belt loops of her jeans. “You know what I’m gonna say.”
Her eyes narrowed at me in warning. “What, Gunner?”
I leaned in close and whispered, “What if his dick is small?”
“You asshole!” she shrieked, swatting me. “Don’t be like that!”
“Sorry, I had to!” I laughed, blocking her blows with my arms.
“And anyway,” she grinned smugly. “I already know what his dick looks like.”
“Oh, right,” I said sheepishly. “I forgot that…that happened.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of this cold,” Reaper huffed, dragging Mari back to the car. “And celebrate our last night sleeping in the B&B.”
“Works for me.” I followed them after stealing one more glance back at the house.
Our house.
Seventeen
SHADOW
For the first time ever, my workout felt lonely without an audience.
I set the barbell down after my last deadlift, slightly mystified that I didn’t have a cat wrapping around my ankles to watch out for, or the sneaky glances of a woman from the window.
My woman. The thought bubbled up inside me before quickly bursting. Don’t get ahead of yourself. She could still decide that she doesn’t want you.
The night after their meeting with the governor, Mari came back to the hospital in the morning to check on Jandro. She told me to head back to the B&B to rest, and that she’d brief me on what they talked about later. I came back and got a few hours of sleep in my room, then woke up to the whole place being empty. I had no tattoo appointments or anything pressing, so I started my day with a workout like usual.
I could name this feeling now, this tugging in my chest when Mari wasn’t around and I couldn’t get her out of my head. It meant I missed her.
Getting closer to her only made the sensation stronger.
People being around me used to be an intrusion, their noise poking holes in the shield I wrapped around myself. I couldn’t pinpoint when the shift started, it must have happened so gradually, but I started finding myself more comfortable in the company of others. People that weren’t her, nor those closest to me in the Steel Demons. I could walk into a room full of strangers and feel…okay. Not good by any stretch of