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“I’ll hold you to it.”

No one wanted to be indebted to a Reaper. I’d make good on that promise.

I skipped my shirt and shrugged on my cut, following Rael outdoors. “I need caffeine for this conversation.”

“Then get your ass on your fucking bike, man. Let’s move.”

In the bright afternoon sunshine, it was freaky as fuck to see him straddling his motorcycle, wearing a black shirt, jeans, his Graven Bastards MC cut, black leather gloves, and face paint. Rael liked to wear black and white skull-themed makeup. Every day. All day.

Halloween was year fucking round with this crazy fucker.

I loved it.

It certainly complimented my costumes.

Chapter 7 Katrina

“Ouch!” I shouted, pulling back my hand from the edge of the cookie sheet, wincing as I felt the heat on my finger and the resulting burn. Rushing to the sink, I turned on the faucet and let the cold water sluice over the skin. “Dammit. I just wanted a chicken quesadilla.”

I glanced at the offending metal pan, sighing as I heard a knock on my front door. Turning off the water, I shook off my finger, trying to ignore the throbbing pain. A second knock, slightly more persistent, followed the first.

Cuckoo. It had to be. I wasn’t expecting anyone else.

I didn’t bother looking through the peephole, reaching for the knob, and opening the door with a smile. It faded when I noticed the guy in a white polo with a gas company logo on the left above his heart. He held a clipboard and wore aviator sunglasses. I couldn’t see his eyes because of the mirrored, reflective surface.

“Hi, sorry to bother you this evening, but we’re checking all the houses on this street for potential meter usage errors. I’d like to take a quick peek at yours if that’s okay.”

Uh. Okay? I nodded my head. “Sure.”

“Thanks. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

I watched the guy spin around and walk down the steps, turning to the right as he disappeared around the corner.

Weird. I didn’t think they worked after six in the evening.

I closed the door and returned to the kitchen, plating my dinner and adding sour cream and salsa for dipping. Just as I stuck the cookie sheet in the sink to wash, I heard a knock and figured the gas company service technician was letting me know what he found.

When I opened the door, I found Cuckoo. He stood with a dopey grin on his face. Unlike earlier today, when we met, he wore a costume with his leather vest. Blinking, I slid my gaze over the brown leather chaps he wore over his jeans, the gun holster stuffed with pistols, and the mismatched shirt he wore underneath. It was one of those gag shirts you can buy at places like Spencer Gifts, where an image was pressed on the front. In this case, it was a bare, muscled chest with tufts of dark hair, a black bowtie, and pierced nipples.

The funny part? It molded to his chiseled body like a second skin. It made me wonder what he looked like underneath. Did Cuckoo have as much ink on his chest as he did on his arms?

“Hey,” I greeted him with a smirk. “Nice outfit.”

“I thought you’d appreciate it.”

Oh, I did. “Come on in. You hungry? I just made a chicken quesadilla and am willing to share.”

He held up one of his hands, clutching a large white paper bag. “I go you In-N-Out Burger.”

My palm slapped over my heart. “I love you.”

His lips curled into a grin so wide I saw the dimple in his left cheek pop. “Someday, you’ll mean it.” He winked before joining me inside.

I let his comment go unanswered, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t affected by it. My heart rate picked up speed, and I swallowed loudly, focusing on the food instead of my reaction.

He remembered how much I loved my fast-food burgers, fries, and chocolate shakes, but only from In-N-Out. Growing up, we didn’t get to indulge often, but whenever he had a few extra bucks in his pocket, Rain would treat me. It became our favorite place to eat.

I still couldn’t drive by one of the restaurants without thinking of him. Knowing he never forgot filled my chest with warmth. My foster brother turned out to be full of surprises butalso a creature of habit. Just knowing he still wore costumes outside of Halloween made me smile.