Page 65 of The Wild Charge

It was. They read the message standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the monitor, and Fox chuckled, low and dark. “Well, would you look at that.”

Seventeen

Luis demanded a shower, first, and something hot to eat. He did so with his head tilted back against the rusted steel of the trailer, a spark coming into his gaze. Self-satisfied, Reese thought. As if he believed he was back in control again.

A self-satisfaction that melted quickly when Mercy tore down the shower curtain and braced a big shoulder in the open doorframe. “I’m not doing it while you watch, you fucking perv,” Luis spat, half out of his crusted clothes and contemplating them with a mix of disgust and horror.

Mercy shrugged, unbothered, his grin slow and pleased in a way that brought to mind a tiger lazing in a sun patch. “It’s this way, or no way at all. Can’t risk you cutting your pretty little wrists all alone in here.”

“There’s not even a razor!”

“You might be creative. Who knows. Get going before Ghost rethinks the offer. Be sure to wash behind your ears.”

Luis huffed and sputtered, but finally cranked on the water and finished undressing.

Mercy turned sideways, so he could see him from the corner of one eye, and tossed Reese a friendly look. “How you been, kid? We don’t catch up anymore.”

Reese tried and failed to recall the last time he’d wound up in Mercy’s back yard after dark, adrift, needing a nudge in the human direction. It was so much, sometimes, being him, an alien amidst humans, and Mercy was very good at helping him untangle whatever knots something as simple as a movie night or a dinner with Kris and Roman had snarled in his brain. He never laughed or grew awkward when Reese wanted to understand some basic social custom.

But he’d not sought Mercy’s guidance lately. Not with Tenny always there, with an elbow in his ribs, and ayou stupid tit, and a sigh – sighs that were, Reese now knew, more fond than anything.I love you.

Whatever his face did, it had Mercy’s smile sharpening.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I was just curious. You’ve been busy lately.”

“Yes. Busy.”

Mercy’s grin became a smirk, and he tapped the side of his own neck. “Real busy, looks like.”

Reese’s hand twitched, but he restrained the urge to clap it over the mark on his throat. It was faint, just a hint of a bruise, a souvenir from Tenny, when he’d roused Reese in the small hours and urged him over onto his back so he could ride him, lips and teeth attacking his throat the whole time.

Mercy chuckled. “Good for you. Guess you guys worked things out.”

“We…” Reese’s insides went cold at the idea of talking about…whatever it was he had with Tenny. It had been Tenny who’d expressed nerves before, about being together in an outlaw MC like this, and Reese who’d reassured him that it didn’t matter – but standing here, now, with Mercy acknowledging it–

“Breathe, kid,” Mercy said, nudging Reese’s boot with the toe of his own. “You’re fine.”

He nodded, breath leaving his lungs in a rush.

“Hey,” Tenny said behind him, leaning into the spare dorm where they’d dragged Luis, “what’s taking so long?”

Mercy said, “Luis’s gotta make sure he’s squeaky clean.” He turned toward the shower. “You need me to wash your back, Luis?”

Tenny snickered.

The water shut off, and Luis stood sopping wet, scowling, pushing his hair off his face with one hand and shielding his crotch with the other.

“You don’t gotta hide that,” Mercy said. “There’s not even that much to hide, really.”

“Can I at least have a towel?” Luis snapped.

“Nah. Shake off like a dog.”

But a towel was proffered; clean, borrowed clothes were offered, and the three of them marched a less-smelly Luis down the hall to the common room.

Every Dog who’d been able to get away from work for a few minutes was ranged around the room, on barstools, or leaning back against the bar, or sitting on the tabletops, feet in chairs. Ghost stood by an empty table, arms folded, stern-faced, waiting. That was where they deposited Luis; Mercy shoved him roughly down into a chair and squeezed his shoulders so hard he winced.

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