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“You okay?” Red reached under the table and grabbed my hand, which made my dick perk right up and take notice. Which, under the circumstances, was a welcome distraction. “You’re looking a little green. Overload?”
I shot her a grateful glance. “Little bit.”
Her fingers tightened. Her hand was strong. Reggie leaned forward on the other side of her and smiled, and I saw the resemblance, beyond just their complexions. The smile that lit up her little face. Cute kid. I liked her on sight.
“You’ll meet my daughter Holly tomorrow,” I told Reggie. “She’s about your age.”
“Kat told me,” Reggie said. “She sounds great. She likes the same kind of books as me. I looked through her bookcase. Fantasy adventure. Those are the best.”
I felt my face ache again at the unfamiliar smile. Then Angela leaned over my shoulder. “You’ve hardly eaten anything, honey. Can I get you something else?”
“No, I’m fine,” I assured her. “I’m just not used to this much food anymore. My stomach is confused.”
“Well, it’s just going to have to get used to proper eating, that’s all I have to say about it.” There was a catch in Angela’s voice as she leaned down and pressed a kiss onto the top of my head. She patted Red’s shoulder. “Thanks for bringing him back to us, honey. We were lost without him.”
Red’s smile was luminous. “We rescued each other,” she said. “And you guys got Reggie for me. So I think I’m actually a little behind, in the ledger sheet of favors.”
“Nonsense,” Angela said.
“It’s really romantic,” Reggie observed.
There was a sudden silence, broken by Remy’s chuckle. “That’s for sure.”
Then Angela’s caramelized bread pudding came out, goopy and tender and amazing. I hadn’t tasted anything sweet since my world exploded. It jarred my brain with its intensity. I could only manage a couple of bites.
Reggie was yawning and nodding, eyes half closed. “Think it’s time for you to hit the hay, honey girl,” Red told her.
“Will you come, too?” the little girl asked sleepily.
“I’ll tuck you in, and then I’ll come back out here for a little while, to finish dinner and talk for a bit. But I’ll be back really soon,” Red promised.
“Okay.” Reggie got up, swaying. “G’night,” she said, waving at the room at large.
“The bathroom’s all stocked,” Angela reminded them. “Use anything you need. I laid out pajamas on the bed for you. Holly’s stuff is a little big for her, but it’ll do.”
“Thanks,” Red said gratefully.
I watched, feeling weirdly abandoned, as the two redheads filed out of the room, leaving me staring at my brother, his fiancée, and the Drakes.
Angela brought out a carafe of coffee, and set it in the middle of the table. Cups were poured all around. They stared at me expectantly.
“So,” Remy said. “How did that tiny girl pull off a rescue op on her own?”
“I think she’s some kind of tech genius,” I said. “Ethan and Frey will have to investigate those details. It’s way over my head. Truth is, she hasn’t told me much. We never had time. She found out that Halliwell was having me gassed to death. She switched out the canister with a sedative. Stole my body on the way to the incinerator. She stole a van with an ice sculpture in it. Halliwell’s corporate logo, carved into a half a ton of ice. She booked out of there at high speed, and then brought me back with some ass-kicking upper that made me wake up kicking and screaming.”
“Far-fucking-out,” Darius murmured. “So you were out the whole time? Until the van?”
“Right,” I said.
“And all this in a ball-gown and heels,” Ethan said.
“It was a sight to behold,” I agreed. “And that shit she shot me up with in the van was scary stuff. I went totally nuts. I could have killed her in that state.”
“Yeah, it all sounds extremely dangerous,” Remy said.
“She was hyper-focused on getting her little sister out of Halliwell’s clutches,” I said. “I can relate to that.”
“That looks super-legit,” Amos commented. “The little sister. Cute as a button. Looks just like her. The red hair, the same smile, the tearful reunion. Hard to fake.”
