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“And what do you think?” I tease Maddoc when he tugs me out of Logan’s hold. I wrap my arms around his neck and sway against him. “Did you know this was happening?”
“No,” he says, gripping the back of my head and kissing me hard. When he lets me come up for air, he smirks, “But I told you that you were good at this, so I’m not surprised.”
Dante snorts. “You were totally surprised.” Then he sways a little. “Fuck, maybe I do need to lay down.”
“Is that an invitation?” I tease him.
He grins. “Always, princess. Fucking always.”
43
RILEY
It takesa couple more days for the guys to get things squared away enough in the organization that they finally feel comfortable bringing Chloe back from the safe house, and when they tell me it’s time, I can barely sit still.
Chloe must feel the same, because the moment we arrive, she barrels out of the house, tackling me almost before I make it out of the Escalade.
“Riley,” she squeals, hugging me tight enough to make the bruise from the bullet my vest took at McKenna’s place ache like a bitch.
I’ll take it. I’ll take anything to have her back with me again, and I squeeze her back just as hard, laughing as we both try to talk at once. We’ve kept in touch as much as it was safe to, but even though she’s up to speed on almost everything that’s happened to me—almost—I suddenly feel like there are a million things I need to share with her.
She’s the same way, and we could probably stay right here in the driveway giggling with each other all day—but then I catch sight of the indulgent smiles on my men’s faces as they bring her bags out of the house, which reminds me what we actually came for.
“Are you ready to come home?” I ask Chloe, tenderly running my hand down her hair.
It’s longer now, and the roots are all grown out.
She looks beautiful.
She grins. “Hell yeah, I am.” Then her smile falters a little, a bashful look coming over her face. “Um, let me just say goodbye?”
“Of course.”
Dante nudges my shoulder as Chloe runs back toward the house, giving me a conspiratorial look that I don’t get at all. “We asked Nathan to stay a few more days and handle some shit in the area for us. He’ll be back in Halston soon.”
“O…kay?” I say, trying to remember if they’ve mentioned what kind of business the Reapers have an interest in way out here. Then I see Chloe saying her goodbyes to Nathan and realize it’s not the business Dante was giving me a heads-up about.
It’s Nathan.
My eyes narrow, my sisterly instincts instantly going on high alert.
Nathan is a young, hard-looking guy I vaguely remember meeting when Chloe left, and have definitely heard a lot about while she’s been out here. Right now though, I’m picking up major vibes between them, and his badass, hard-eyed look has totally softened as he brushes something off her collar and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
I hold my tongue as they hug, and wait until we’re all piled back in the Escalade and on the road back to Halston to ask her about him. Maddoc’s driving with Logan in the passenger seat, and Dante dozes in the middle row, leaving Chloe and I to huddle together in the back.
“So,” I start. “Nathan?”
Chloe’s eyes widen, her cheeks turning cherry red. “Um, what?”
I raise an eyebrow. “What’s going on there?”
“He’s nice,” she says, suddenly extremely interested in the boring scenery out the window.
I laugh. “I doubt it. He’s a Reaper. He’s probably a ruthless gangster who’s tough as shit.”
Chloe turns back to me with a grin. “Okay, he totally is.” She looks down, twisting her hands together in her lap. “But he reallyisnice. I’ve… kind of got a thing for him.”
“Kind of?” I tease gently.
