Page 104 of Queen of Spades

“I will be.” Cas nods and groans. “Do we have any ice? My head is killing me.”

“I’ll grab some.” Kane strides off.

“You were magnificent.” Ward smiles at me. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, still really unsure of how I’m truly feeling.

“You need a shower,” Ward says. “I’ll stay with Cas.”

“Come on.” Grady comes to my side and holds out an arm. “We need to pack up and get the fuck out of here.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Grady

This is not my idea of a party. We may be headed to a family reunion, but everyone seems subdued and a little glum. We all survived, so I can’t seem to figure out why everyone is so off.

Cas may have a goose egg on his forehead, but we made it out better than expected. They had those SUVs packed with a kill squad.

I didn’t count the bodies individually or anything, but I’m thinking it was close to thirty guys. If they had caught us unaware, it could have gone differently. Which is why I’m still confused.

Why isn’t everyone as pumped and filled with euphoria as I am?

In general, I’m grateful my system doesn’t allow me to feel fear. But I don’t think I experience empathy, either, so it’s difficult to know how to support my omega.

I want to comfort her.

I know she’s anxious.

I’m just not sure how to alleviate that terror. And I’m fairly sure all four of them are equally unsettled.

Seriously, I think they’re overreacting.

Ranger obviously doesn’t want Annika dead. He might not have planned for her to have built herself a merry band of psychos, but if he’s in a fuck around and find out kind of mood, then we can adjust and handle that too.

“How are you doing, Anni Girl?” I ask, stretching closer in the back seat.

“God, I kinda feel like I’m gonna puke,” she grunts, resting her head on my shoulder.

I slide a hand under the bottom of her dress and up to rub her stomach. She moans, leaning closer and nuzzling her cheek to the material of my T-shirt. I’d bet she’s trying to find where my scent is strongest.

“Are you still having cramps?” My fingers dip into the band of her panties. “We can try a little all-natural pain relief.”

“Grady…”

I chuckle. “Yeah, baby?”

“The bleeding has mostly stopped, but there’s no guarantee…”

“You know I don’t give a fuck about that.”

“There’s nowhere to wash your hands.” She tilts her head, smiling up at me. “I’ve got to say, though. The way you popped around that corner…” She bites her lip. “It was the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve never seen someone move so fast or take a shot with such conviction.”

I tease my fingers down her pelvis and brush her clit. “You weren’t worried I’d miss?”

Honestly, I was shocked she didn’t bitch the two of us out.

It was the most dangerous shot I’ve ever taken, but that’s because Annika was involved.

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