ready to go. I was about to see a new territory, spend time with new friends, without my men hovering. And Reaper was right—it would be so much sweeter after some time away.
The Steel Demons president had the Sons of Odin, Larkan, and Shadow in some kind of group huddle. I couldn’t hear him over the bikes, but it sounded like he was barking instructions. Or threats. Probably both.
T-Bone caught me watching and winked over Reaper’s shoulder. When the group broke up, Reaper turned with his back ramrod straight and chin high. I smirked as he approached and grabbed me around the waist for a final, final kiss.
“What did you tell them?”
“That I’ll skin every one of them alive and let Hades feast on their organs if you get so much as a scratch on you.”
“Figured it was something like that.” I pressed my hands to the sides of his face. “I will come back to you. My place is at your side, love.”
“I know you will.” His palms squeezed around my shoulders. “I need you with me, sugar.”
We parted slowly, our hands the last to disconnect. As I walked up to the men waiting by their bikes, Larkan came over to me with his chest puffed out.
“Mrs. President,” he declared. “It would be my honor if you rode with me at the start of our trip.”
I smiled, catching the glances of the other guys. T-Bone and the Sons were trying, and failing, to hold in their laughter. Shadow glanced over quickly but looked away, preoccupied with tying something down on his bike. I had intended to ask if I could ride with him, but Larkan beat me to the punch, and he looked so hopeful.
“Larkan, the honor is mine.” I accepted his outstretched hand.
“Fuck,” Dyno spat. “I owe you a beer, Grudge.”
His silent, long-haired comrade grinned smugly as he snapped dark goggles over his eyes.
Freyja jumped into my backpack just as I got my helmet on and settled into Larkan’s seat. With a final look back at everyone as we took off, I realized this was the second time I rode off on a man’s bike to somewhere unknown.
Hopefully it would turn out just as successful as the first time.
The landscape became greener, lush with dense trees and rolling hills as we rode north. Instead of desert heat and sand blasting my face, cool, damp air made my skin dewy.
The Sons of Odin led the way, followed by Larkan and I, then Shadow bringing up the rear. I stared at him shamelessly in Larkan’s mirrors, now that I couldn’t be caught.
It baffled me that Shadow had no idea how hot he was. He always hid part of his face, but now the wind whipping his hair back showed a strong jaw and prominent cheekbones. The scar cut through his eyebrow and part of the beard on his left cheek, and the presence of it only made me want to touch his face and kiss him there. Freyja’s words echoed in my mind. He has wounds only love can heal.
At this rate, Shadow would be confident enough to talk to any woman soon. Maybe he would find love in Four Corners, or wherever we ended up.
The closer and friendlier we became, the more I wanted that person to be me.
A few hours into the ride, the road took us from smooth asphalt to potholes and gravel. Every bounce of Larkan’s tires felt like Reaper’s hands on my sore ass all over again.
Thanks a lot, Reap. Your spanking did what you intended.
I gritted my teeth and didn’t realize I was clutching harder around Larkan’s waist until he tapped my fingers.
Reaper. My protective, ruthless husband. How would he feel about something developing between me and Shadow? I was also surprised Jandro hadn’t said anything to me yet, considering how close the two of them were. He got an eyeful of Shadow doing my second tattoo, and had to know we were closer than before.
We stopped twice briefly for piss breaks during the day, then made our final stop for the night once the sun began dipping over the trees. Larkan, Shadow, and I all found our own spots to put our things down, but the Sons worked together as a single unit, like they’d done this hundreds of times before.
Grudge dug out a fire pit and began setting up logs and kindling. Dyno set up their bedrolls and shared tent, and T-Bone checked all his weapons.
“What do y’all Demons want for dinner?”