Page 71 of Heartless
Freyja came out to join me on the porch, her eyes watching the road, but I didn’t dare hope until I saw him with my own eyes.
And when I did, I burst into tears.
Shadow only had time to park the bike, but left it running as he jumped off. I took one step down the porch, but he closed the distance swiftly, pulling me into his chest with a squeezing, urgent hug.
“I told you I would.” His lips moved over the crown of my head, planting kisses in my hair and wrapping my body in heat. “I’m here, see? I’m back.”
“You are,” I sniffled into his chest, my hands moving over him as if checking to make sure he was really there. “And you’re…” I lifted my head, taking in the state of his leathers for the first time. “…filthy.”
“Yeah,” he laughed, releasing me to turn off the ignition on his bike. Under the porch light, I could see how he was caked in sand and dirt from the road. “It was a rough couple of days coming back.”
“Who came with you?”
“Grudge,” he answered. “He went back to the Sons and I came straight here. We uh,” he sighed, clearly exhausted, “we lost Big G.”
“And Andrea?”
“She made it inside, but…” He shook his head with another sigh. “I should give a full report to Reaper.”
“Of course, but not yet.” I grabbed his hands, pulling him up the porch to the front door. “You should clean up, eat, and rest. We gave you one of the downstairs bedrooms, I hope that’s okay. I brought your stuff over from the B&B, everything’s in there.”
My fourth man smiled wearily at me as he followed my lead into our home. “Thank you, Mari. I’m…”
“Yes?” I closed the front door behind him and whirled around. “Take your boots off here. You’re what, love?”
He just looked at me quietly, my hand still encased in his, rough fingers stroking over my palm.
“I’m so lucky to be yours.”
The next daywas spent spreading the word about Shadow and Grudge’s return, and our housewarming party was rescheduled to that night. Jandro had gotten to know a butcher in town, and arranged to have a roasting pit dug in the backyard for a whole pig to serve that evening.
Reaper invited his father and the governor over early in the afternoon for Shadow’s report, after he’d gotten a long shower and full night of sleep.
“Are you fuckin’ shitting me?” I heard Reaper demand from the kitchen table.
“I wish I was, president,” Shadow answered evenly.
“What the fuck, Big G?”
“I asked myself the same question many times.”
“Has anyone told Tessa?” I popped my head into the doorway.
“I imagine Grudge has,” Shadow said. “Considering they live in the same building.”
“Sugar, make sure she comes over tonight.” Reaper said, unofficially making me part of the meeting.
“I can ask her, but if she wants to be alone, I won’t force her. She was afraid of this happening.”
“Do what you can,” he urged. “She should be around loved ones.”
“I can ask Lis to hang out with her,” Finn offered. “Losing husbands may be an unfortunate thing they have in common.”
“I’m sorry for your lost man.” The governor fiddled with his empty teacup and smiled at me appreciatively as I came to take it away. “It truly is tragic.”
“I can’t say it’s completely unexpected,” Reaper sighed. “I think he just couldn’t pass up the chance to kill some of Tash’s people and didn’t think it through, as usual.”
“Do you think Andrea’s cover is compromised?” Finn asked.
