Page 34 of Heartless
“I’ll have to pull over and fuck you on the side of the road, that’s what.”
“And ruin my dress right before I meet your parents? You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
“Hey!” Jandro waved his arms. “Are we goin’ or what?”
Reaper pulled up alongside him, and I fought the urge to grind into the vibrations and bumps in the road. Tempting as his threat was, I really didn’t need to look like we stopped for a roadside quickie. At least Gunner had left me looking mostly presentable.
“Where’s Noelle and Larkan?” I yelled in my husband’s ear.
“She left early to help them set up,” he answered. “Finally came to her senses and left her boy toy behind.”
“Well, that’s good.” Hopefully that would make Gunner feel a little less left out. In the same breath, I slapped Reaper’s arm. “When are you gonna patch him in so they can be official? The Blakeworth mission was over a week ago.”
He gave me a sideways glance over his shoulder. “That’s a conversation for another day, sugar.”
I dropped it, keeping silent until we pulled up to a charming ranch-style home. It didn’t look brand-new, so must have been one of the few structures left undamaged after the Collapse.
Reaper parked next to Noelle’s dirt bike in the driveway, and Jandro next to him. “Need help with those?” I asked, climbing out of Reaper’s seat to lean over Jandro’s saddlebags.
“Nope.” His tone was cheerful as he removed many layers of blankets and padding to reach the gift we brought. “Safe as can be. I got it, babe.”
Reaper took my hand, positioning me in the middle as we approached the front door. “Don’t be nervous,” he said with a brush of his lips to my temple.
I wasn’t, until he said that.
He raised his fist to knock and I pulled in a breath, trying to channel Gunner’s easy confidence and the strength he saw in me.
Noelle opened the door, a drink resembling a bloody Mary already in her hand. “Finally you all made it. I thought my breakfast was gonna be a liquid diet.”
“Nice to see you’ve been useful,” Reaper teased as he led us inside.
“You’rehilarious,brother.” Noelle closed the door after us and waved us through. “They’re in the den, we’ve got a fire going. Looking cute, Mari! Guess the cold’s not gettin’ to you, huh?”
I only had a leather jacket on over my dress and bare legs. Gunner had left me so flushed and satisfied, I didn’t even notice the cold.
“Guess not,” I said sheepishly, following her down the hall.
We came to a room filled with cozy warmth, the air thick with aromatic spices. Low couches and armchairs were filled with blankets and pillows. A coffee bar looked especially inviting next to a roaring fire with a cast-iron kettle set inside the flames. Rising from their seats were a beautiful couple in their fifties, one of which was the woman from the jeweler’s table downtown.
“Oh my…Rory!” She practically flew at Reaper, and would have slid to the floor had he not swept her up in a tight hug.
“It’s me, Ma,” he said in an awed whisper. “I’m really here.”
She released him slowly, hands skimming over his clothes and face in disbelief before turning to the man at his side. “And is this Jandro? My littleJandrito?”
“Hey, Mama Lis,” he grinned, wrapping her in a loose hug. “You’re still as beautiful as I remember.”
While Reaper’s mother fawned over the two men, his father turned to me. His face was strikingly similar to his son’s, except for brown eyes instead of green, and the white hair that dominated the few remaining dark strands. Finn Daley was also powerfully built, clearly in fantastic shape for a man his age. I guess he had to be, after a long career in the Air Force and now as a general.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mariposa,” he said kindly with a warm smile. Right away I noticed he smiled more easily than his son, with no hint of Reaper’s signature scowl.
“Call me Mari, please,” I returned. “And the pleasure is mine. Thank you for inviting me to your home.”
Reaper’s mother turned to me at that point. “Hello again.” She smiled sweetly, only her green eyes showing traces of sadness as she reached out for my hands. “So I was right, your husband does have excellent taste.”
“In jewelry, at least,” I laughed humbly. “I’m so glad to meet you properly, Alisa.”
