Page 120 of Parrish

He said it was overdue.

“Reina?”

My eyes snap open, taking in the weary expression marring his handsome face. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I draw out a breath and force a smile, deciding not to share the small memory. Faking my strength comes as natural as breathing and I’m sure it’s something I’ve done many times in our marriage and that’s okay.

It’s who I am.

It’s what I do.

I protect my husband with smiles knowing if I tell Jack I remembered something small, he’ll hope for more. He’ll lead me through every room in this house, expecting some kind of miracle. He’ll wish for the wife he needs and not the one I currently am.

“Shall we?” I ask hoarsely as I look past him.

He studies me for a beat before reaching for my hand again. We walk inside our home and Jack gently shuts the door behind us. Standing in the foyer, my eyes sweep around, taking in the shoes lined near the door and the various jackets hanging on the wall above them.

I step further inside the house, taking a right and enter the living room. An oversized red sectional fills most of the space and an empty bottle of liquor sits on the coffee table. Aside from the framed Harley Davidson poster on the far right wall, every other one is filled with photographs of family and friends.

There is so much beautiful in those pictures.

So many smiling faces and cherished memories.

I move towards the mantle and my eyes move from one frame to another. If I pull those frames off the hooks, there will be gaping holes behind them manufactured by Jack’s fists. To test the theory, I extend my arms and lift a photo of Danny off the hook it’s attached to. Sure enough, there is a hole in the sheetrock.

“That, you remember,” Jack mutters causing me to spin around. I open my mouth to tell him I remember more than he thinks, more than I can actually process, but three men step out of the kitchen before I can utter a single word.

“Boss, Reina,” Bas greets. I remember him too. I remember caring for his little boy not too long ago and him thanking me for opening my home to his family. “I didn’t know you were being released,” he says.

“Surprise,” I offer, turning to hang the picture back in its rightful spot.

“With everything going on, I made her sign herself out of the hospital,” Jack explains. “Arrow, Tiny, this is my wife, Reina. Reina, I wasn’t expecting you to be home and offered our home to Arrow, Tiny and two of their brothers. They’re part of a club down in Texas—” He pauses, waving his hand. “That don’t matter,” he decides, pressing his palm to his forehead. His brows pinch together in pain and he fights to focus his attention back on Bas. “Any word from Riggs?”

“Not yet,” he replies.

“You call your president?” Jack questions Arrow.

“Scout’s all up to speed.”

His hand drops from his head and he gives the men a curt nod.

“The club is on lockdown, you should head over to Kates. I’m going to get Reina sorted here and when Riggs gets a lead, I’ll take her over there before we roll out.”

“Not leaving you and her here by yourself when we got heat on us,” Bas replies.

“Nico is outside,” Jack supplies. “And in case you forgot, I’m fully equipped to fucking take down an army.”

“I don’t care how much ammo you got stored in your basement, Jack. If it’s all the same, I’ll stay where I am,” Bas says. The two of them share a silent exchange before my husband reluctantly gives the Viking a curt nod. Looking at me, he rubs at his head again.

“Bedroom is upstairs. Third door on the right,” he informs me. “Why don’t you grab a shower and I’ll be up in a few.”

Ignoring his dismissal, I cock my head and study the pained expression he’s trying so hard to mask.

“Is your head bothering you?” I ask.

“Ain’t nothing new,” he mutters. “Got a lot on my plate, Reina. Not really in the mood to play the stranger game with my wife right now. Best if you go grab that shower and give me a minute to get my shit together.”

Feeling as if he’s slapped me across the face, I cross my arms against my chest and remain still.

“You don’t have to be a dick about it, Jack.”

---