That sealed it for me. I wanted to work here. Their mission matched mine exactly—the same one I’d carried with me since leaving Texas.
“When can I start?” I asked.
My stomach growled as I stepped out of the hospital front doors two hours later. Dr. Brooks and Rhonda had given me an extensive tour, even allowing me to visit current patients and other staff. The time flew by and I hurried out when the tour was all done, hoping I hadn’t kept Gunner waiting.
The cold was the first thing that hit me when I stepped outside, a shock to my system after walking back and forth inside for several hours.
Even the landscape looked softer, grayer than this morning. This chill on my morning walk with Reaper had been nothing compared to this. My little flannel jacket didn’t stand a chance. I reached down to hold Freyja for some warmth, but she decided to be uncooperative, twisting out of my arms to stay planted on the ground. No motorcycle was waiting for me out front, so I wrapped my arms around myself as I peered down the street.
“What the…” Something was falling on my face, sticking to my eyelashes. I blinked and looked up, holding my palm out for what seemed to be an impossibility.
“It’s snowing!” I laughed to no one in particular, spinning in a circle just outside the awning of the hospital entrance.
I was freezing my ass off, but didn’t care. Weather patterns had become so unpredictable in recent decades and snow was rare. All my life I’d been used to droughts, freak thunderstorms, flash floods, and even the occasional hurricane in my part of Texas. But snow! I had few precious memories of the magical white stuff.
My laughter and spinning continued until I got dizzy, slowing down as the roar of a motorcycle steadily grew louder as it came down the street. I leaned against a parking sign, my surprise apparent as the leather clad rider approached.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” I said.
Three
REAPER
The morning sun disappeared behind a blanket of clouds, and the warmth with it, as Shadow and I rode to the City Hall building. I zipped my jacket up to my throat, grateful that I’d dressed for the cold.
“Feels like rain,” I remarked as we took up a parking space in front of the building.
“I think it’s snow.” Shadow stretched and curled his gloved fingers, dismounting his ride.
“That’ll be somethin’.” I reached into my jacket pocket for smokes, then remembered it wasn’t allowed inside the building. My hand dropped with a sigh. I had to start getting used to cutting back anyway.
The governor’s assistant, Josh, waited for us in the lobby of the same building where we attended the dinner party last night.
“Morning, gentlemen,” he greeted, hands shoved in the pockets of his pressed slacks. Even inside the building, it wasn’t much warmer than outside. Heat was expensive, a precious resource, and I knew Governor Vance was conscious of budgets. “The governor is just finishing a meeting in his office, then he’ll be at your disposal.”
“We’re waiting for one more anyway,” I said. “Gunner should be on his way back from dropping off our wife at the hospital.”
Josh’s eyebrow twitched at the use of our before he schooled his features again. “Oh, I see. Is Mariposa all right?”
“Fine, just meeting the staff and getting a tour.” I inclined my head. “As we are here.”
“Yes, of course.” Josh clasped his hands in front of him and looked at Shadow. “Did you enjoy the governor’s gift, sir?”
The man’s face froze, his throat working a nervous swallow. “Um, yes. Please thank him for me. It was very much…enjoyed.” He almost appeared to be sweating, despite the cold.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Josh turned to a side table with a coffee press and pastry spread. “Help yourself to anything. I’ll see how much more time the governor needs.” His shiny shoes clacked on the marble floor as he walked away.
“You didn’t mention anything about a gift from the governor,” I muttered, helping myself to a small paper cup of coffee.
Shadow’s eyes flicked to the spread but he didn’t move to grab anything. “When I went home last night, he, um,” his jaw ticked, “he sent a woman to my room.”
“Yeah?” I kept my voice as expressionless as possible while filing this information away. “And did you in fact enjoy his gift? Before or after you put your mouth on my wife?”
“I didn’t,” Shadow insisted, his gaze level on mine. “Nothing happened and I sent her away. She was gone before any of you got home.”
I hid my smile behind a sip of coffee. That was exactly what I’d hoped to hear. “Good man.” I clapped my palm on his shoulder. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of how this works, but while she has all of us, we cannot be with any others.”
“I understand,” Shadow murmured, turning to look blankly at the mostly-empty lobby. “I wouldn’t. I don’t want anyone else. And anyway—” He stopped talking abruptly, busying himself with a cup of coffee.
“Yes?” I implored.
“It’s nothing, president.”
“Shadow.” I turned to him. “If we share a woman, we need to be able to talk about things. That’s the only way this works. If something’s on your mind regarding her, please just spit it out.”
He wrapped his massive hands around the paper cup, staring down into the dark liquid. “I was going to say, I never imagined having a woman I could call mine, let alone one I could share with men I respect.” He swallowed thickly, raising his eyes to me. “I’m not experienced at this, but I’ll do my best, Reaper. I only want to do right by her.”
The man’s odd-colored eyes were starry with daydreams. He cradled his coffee as gently as if it were Mari’s hand. It was all I could do to keep from snickering. Shadow was completely and utterly smitten.
And Mari was too. She tried to play it cool on our walk this morning, but I could tell how excited she felt about him. I was a bit taken aback that she didn’t want to fuck him right away, but it was cute how she wanted to take things slow. Shadow was a different animal than the rest of us, that was certain.
“Hey! You all still waiting?”
Gunner’s voice floated toward us from the entrance, his boots echoing off the high ceiling.
“Governor’s finishing some business,” I muttered.
“Politicians,” Gun scoffed, moving toward the pastry table. “No one’s time matters but theirs.” He helped himself to a cheese Danish, folding the thing in half before shoving it all in his mouth.
“Mari get off okay?”
Gunner stared at me, the muscles in his jaw working as he chewed his pastry. “I didn’t exactly have the opportunity to get her off, but yes, we made it to the hospital and she’s fine.”
“Ass.” I slapped his puffed-out cheek, hoping to make him choke on his food.
The nerves in my stomach that had been twisting all morning remained, despite Gunner’s assurance. Daren’s warning filled my head like a beacon. If something happened at the hospital, would she be alright? Could I get there in time?