Page 50 of The Red Rider
While I was working on that, Leif and his team were vaccinating Florida while Dice and Aeron worked on pulling things from the shelves at Costco. It only took me one day to paint the horse, but Dice didn’t want to see it until takeoff. He wanted it to be a surprise.
After I finished, I didn’t know where I should be. I wandered over to Leif’s set up where people were getting their vaccinations, but Leif had an entire team helping him. There were just as many people helping here as there were in Mexico. The only difference was Leif didn’t have a massive stack of gifts behind him.
I was watching him from a distance when someone snuck up behind me and spoke.
“He’s something, isn’t he? We’re celebrating the vaccine and the planes by slaughtering one of the cows. We’re having burgers and barbeque. Jana and George are mass making buns, and we have plenty of veggies for toppings. Dice and Leif brought back some condiments from wherever y’all are finding all these supplies from.”
We couldn’t exactly tell anyone we were stealing supplies from a Costco way the fuck in New Jersey without people asking how we got there. Plenty of people in Mexico knew there was something supernatural and Leif and Aeron, but everyone here thought they were just really massive humans who knew their shit.
“I’d be there with them, but Dice asked me to paint his plane.”
I realized it was Stephanie behind me, the lady who made that fantastic strawberry beer our first day. She was so sweet, and she was running a brewery out of one of the restaurants outside the theme park.
“I’ve seen you painting. You’re amazing.”
“Not as good as your beer.”
Stephanie bowed her head.
“I’m debuting an apple ale tonight, and I’ve had some homemade whiskey aging in a barrel I was saving for the right occasion. This is definitely it. Dice says you’ll all be leaving soon, and hopefully soon, there will be a new government working to rebuild.”
I was so glad Dice didn’t promise a definite. I was also glad no one here knew the President was my father because everyone here seemed to hate him. Some of the drawings were crude, but people were drawing him and using him for target practice with arrows. I didn’t even have to ask. I knew they all had swords, but I’d bet money Dice taught people how to hunt with bows.
“That sounds amazing, Stephanie.”
“So, are you with all three of them?”
I let out this little growl. Was she stepping in on my men? I’d hate to kill her because she made excellent beer, and I wanted some of that whiskey.
“Yes, I am. Why?”
“Woah, girl. I was just asking. They are cute, but I’m not going to step on your toes. Plenty of women wanted Dice, but after his friends showed up, he wouldn’t take anyone for a lover, male or female. I guess he was waiting for you to get here.”
Dice waited for me? I knew why Leif and Aeron did. We’d gotten to know each other over chat, and we were technically dating. But Dice? I didn’t particularly want to know about them, but I just assumed he’d taken lovers here before he got to Mexico and met me. That fucker waited. I was going to have to kiss him when I saw him again. Did he wait this entire time because of my painting?
“Dice seriously acted like a monk until I got here?”
Stephanie just laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“Much to the chagrin of every woman here. We didn’t see him much. If he wasn’t in his workshop, he was on his laptop looking for something. We never knew what it was, but when he found it, we had this gigantic party.”
Me. I knew Dice was the one that finally found me. He threw a fucking party, even though he’d never even met me.
He might not let everyone see it, but the Horseman of War was a big softy.
Chapter 27
A
eron and I had a system at Costco, but Dice and Aeron appeared to have shopped for the best burgers and steak seasonings and condiments possible while I was off painting. I totally wasn’t complaining. I made a graceful exit when it was time to slaughter the cow and focused on my artwork, but I was definitely enjoying the spoils now.
There were burgers and steaks at the cookout. There wasn’t enough for everyone to get their preferred cut of meat, but when someone told me they saved me a steak, I shut up and thanked them.
The apple ale was terrific and so was the whiskey. The company was even better. I was trying to forget that in the morning, a lot of us would be boarding planes and dropping bombs. I didn’t hear what Dice said on his radio show because he did it at Costco, but he seemed convinced most people would stay inside.
“I wish you were in my plane,” Aeron grumped.
“Me too,” Leif said.
