“Shit.” Gunner rocked back on his heels, looking around in all directions. “She wanted me to come get her, but I don’t wanna miss this meeting.”
“Shadow,” I angled my head toward the large, silent man. “Why don’t you pick her up?”
“Me?” His eyes widened. “But if she asked for Gunner—”
“Yeah, go, man.” Gunner slapped his arm. “You’re her shiny new toy.”
Shadow looked between us both as if wondering if this was a test, or a trick. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Gunner gave him a playful shove. “She didn’t want to hurt my feelings, but it was really you she wanted anyway. Go.”
“Unless you’re just dying to listen in on military strategy,” I chuckled, pulling out a cigarette.
“Ah, okay. I’ll...I’ll pick her up from the hospital.”
“Don’t look so excited,” Gunner ribbed. “Get goin’. We’ll fill you in on who to assassinate later.”
Without another word Shadow turned, walking quickly across the small bridge. I daresay the guy had a spring in his step. The anxiety in my stomach eased just a little. Gunner was a great shot and more than capable of protecting Mari, but Shadow would make a swift kill before the enemy even knew he was there. Our woman was in good hands with him.
“He’s, uh,” Josh cleared his throat politely. “A bit of an odd one, isn’t he?”
“You get used to it,” I said, lighting up and taking a deep drag. “He’s had it rough but he’s good, loyal. And the most efficient killer the Steel Demons has ever had.”
“Ah. Good, good.” Josh smiled politely but paled a little, swiftly looking away. “Oh, there’s General Bray now,” he said, sounding relieved.
Gunner and I turned in the direction he looked, spotting the man decked out in a camouflage uniform marching toward us. I squinted through my smoke, feeling an eerie sense of familiarity in the general’s posture and the way he walked.
I’ve seen this man before, I realized. More than that. I knew this man, but from where?
“Gun.” I leaned toward him, lowering my voice. “Does he look familiar to you?”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “No, Reap. Can’t say he does.”
“I know him,” I growled under my breath. “But fuck if I can remember how.”
“Do I need to draw?” His hand was already drifting toward one of his guns.
“Not yet.” The general’s face was shaded under the brim of his hat, but the width of his shoulders, the mouth set in a firm line--they were all features that poked at long-buried memories.
“General.” Vance outstretched his hand. “So good of you to join us. This is Reaper, president of the Steel Demons MC, and his captain of the guard, Gunner.”
“It’s a pleasure, gentleme—”
General Bray turned to me, his hand outstretched in greeting and his face now clear to me. But it was his voice that finally clicked all the pieces into place.
Both of us froze in disbelief as we stared at each other. His beard was gone, but that was definitely his mouth. The brown eyes and bridge of his nose were exactly the same, if a bit more tan than before. He took off his hat with a shaking hand, his dark brown hair speckled with far more gray than I remembered.
He spoke first, a barely audible whisper. “Rory?”
Somehow, I found my voice in the wrangled knot that my throat became.
“Dad?”
Four
SHADOW
I could see Mariposa from up the road, twirling around in front of the hospital, arms out like wings and her mouth open with laughter. A light dusting of snow had just started falling, quickly melting and turning to mush when it hit the ground. But she kicked and danced underneath it like a girl from a Christmas movie.
She slowed her twirling as I approached, leaning heavily on a metal pole outside the hospital. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” Her cheeks were flushed from her spinning but she hugged her arms close, her flannel shirt doing little against the cold.
“Gunner asked me to come,” I said. “He and Reaper were waiting on the general.”
Mari smiled, looking down at her shoes as she rubbed her arms faster. “That Gunner. I should have known.”
“Are you cold?” I shrugged off my cut before she could answer, then unzipped my hoodie and peeled it off my arms. “Here, wear this.” I held my sweatshirt out to her.
She stared at my arm extended out to her, and then to my face. “Are you sure?”
My throat tightened with the familiar fear of wondering if I’d done something wrong. I’d seen old ladies wear their men’s shirts and hoodies all the time. Mari wasn’t mine yet, as far as I understood. Was I being too presumptuous in offering my clothing?
But even if I was, who gave a fuck if I had a jacket and she was cold?
“I’m sure. Take it before you freeze.”
“What about you?”
My breath stuttered for a moment at the stark reminder that she cared enough about me to ask. “I’ll be fine. Cold doesn’t bother me.”
She finally accepted the sweater from me and fed her arms through the sleeves. I looked away for a moment to pull my cut back on over my T-shirt. When I glanced at her again, it was all I could do to keep from laughing.
“What’s that look for?” she demanded.
“Nothing.”
“Shadow.”
“Really, it’s nothing! I just didn’t realize it would be so big on you.”
She was swimming in the fabric. Her head floated above the hood at the top like she was treading water, and her legs stuck out of the bottom like skinny trunks on a tree. In the middle, her body was lost in the black circus tent of my hoodie. It was a comical sight, but not in the least bit unattractive. I wanted to pull her to me and warm her up better than any article of clothing could.
“Come on.” I scooted back as far as I could and patted the seat in front of me. “Do you know what you want for lunch?”
Mari approached the side of my bike and threw a leg over, settling in front of me until her ass brushed against my crotch. Fuck me. She’d be warmer in front, but maybe for my own sanity I should have told her to sit behind me.
“Can we explore the town for a place to eat?” Her head touched the center of my chest and she looked straight up to talk to me. “We haven’t seen all it has to offer yet, and I want to support the locals.”
“Sure.” I dropped a kiss to her forehead before I could overthink it.
She turned to look over her shoulder in response, lips landing softly on my mouth. I halted my gasp as I returned her kiss, my body still reacting with shock to her affection. It lessened every time though, giving way to that warm, melted feeling that took over whenever she touched me.
The kiss ended slowly, her soft mouth dragging over my beard as she resumed facing forward. Freyja had jumped into her lap and was now cocooning inside my hoodie. “Anything you in the mood for?” she asked, her voice slightly breathy.
You. Always you.
“I dunno.” I returned my grip to the handlebars, caging her between my arms. “Just not soup.”