Page 162 of Reaper

And if I need to go hunting.

Pushing that thought away, I slip my arm through hers. “How about you stash the bag in your room and we’ll go eat some cake and do whatever the hell you guys have all planned for today,” I say and then shake my head at the sly look that comes over Miracle’s face, “and then later we can all have a journal round table.”

Chapter 60

Lark

Ilosemyselfinthought as I pack the last of my things. We extended our stay here by another day to help clean up and repair things after the attack, but that’s not what’s on my mind.

It’s the meeting I have later today.

Meeting Chris and Julie for the first time as Anthony’s fiancée.

While, yes, I’m nervous about meeting Chris after texting with him a lot these last few months, it’s his mom, Julie, that I’m more worried about.

I don’t know how she’ll take meeting me and what she’ll say or do when she finds out I’m engaged to her brother. Or that we have a party planned for Chris and that he’s asked me to teach him how to carve as well as how to shoot a bow.

A throat clears, and I startle. Turning toward the door only to find Loki leaning against the frame.

“It’s going to be okay, Lark.”

I give him a tight smile and nod as I turn, placing the last of my stuff in my bag and zipping it up. “I know, it’s just… I keepremembering all the times I’ve seen them both at the supper club or around town, and every time, something has always seemed, I don’t know… off to me.” I sit on the bed next to my bag and lean forward, resting my forearms on my knees.

Loki pushes off the door frame and comes over, sitting down next to me. “Well, we’ll find out more later. I have a feeling she’s going to get a wakeup call today now that Chris is eighteen and she can’t control him anymore.”

The way he says that has me frowning as I look over at him. He smiles, but otherwise says nothing more on the matter. Did he have another vision? Or is he speaking from experience of having known Julie before she cut off contact after the accident?

He bumps his shoulder against mine. “Come on. The faster we get on the road, the faster we can set everything up at the clubhouse and you can finally meet Chris in person. I know Reaper’s chomping at the bit even though he won’t say anything.”

I chuckle softly and nod before standing. Loki grabs my bags before I can stop him and with a shake of my head, I follow after him.

When I get downstairs, I bite my lip to keep from smiling but judging by Anthony’s scowl, I don’t think I’m successful. He’s pacing and damn near vibrating with need to see Chris after three years. I know he’d scoff at me if I said anything in front of the others, but I love seeing him this excited. It’s also why I was okay with waking up at the ass crack of dawn to head back home.

“What the fuck, Reaper? Did you drink three pots of coffee or something?” Miracle grouses as she comes out of her bedroom with her bag slung over her shoulder, barely able to keep her eyes open. Her hair is up in a messy bun and she’s wearing an old college sweatshirt, leggings, and fake fur-lined slipper boots. I ignore the double take Anthony and Loki give her becausethey’ve always seen her with a full face of makeup before compared to now where she’s not wearing a lick of makeup.

I shake my head at her grumpiness, used to this side of her after all of these years. Taking her coffee thermos out of her hands, I walk over to the coffee pot, all the while ignoring Loki’s roaring laughter behind me. I know exactly what look she pinned me with, but it lost its effect on me years ago.

“Fuck, the glare she just gave you, Lark, could castrate some men.”

I shrug as he continues to laugh and I pour her coffee, doctoring it up the way she likes it. “Yeah, but if she were to try and pour coffee right now, she’d just end up burning herself.” Turning, I hand her the coffee mug. “Now take a drink of your go-go juice and become the Miracle I know and love rather than a zombie gremlin.”

She scowls at me but does as I ask and she hums. “And this is why I love you. You put up with my pre go-go juice self and my crazy ass.”

Loki and Anthony stare at her in shock and I frown. They’ve seen her these past few days before coffee and after coffee, what’s so different this time?

“Fuck, I can’t get over how night and day it is before you have your go-go juice as you call it. Also, drink more coffee because, yeah, just drink more,” Loki says cryptically as he clears his throat and picks up Miracle’s bags, taking hers and mine outside to Anthony’s truck.

I stare after him, trying to figure out what the fuck he meant when Miracle passes me and tops off her mug before following him outside.

Shaking my head, I fill my own thermos with coffee and turn to find Anthony leaning against the counter, smirking as he looks out the window.

“What did Loki mean by that?”

Anthony’s smirk deepens when he looks over at me. “Let’s just say, that morning voice of hers is going to fucking kill two very specific people if they hear it. And it will be fucking hilarious if we ever get to see her take them on before having her coffee.”

“Ohhhh,” I drawl out as my gaze goes to the window and I bite my lip to keep from laughing when I can hear Miracle bitching out someone from here.

Anthony snags my hand and leads me outside where we find Miracle tearing into Cannon, who is just standing there, arms crossed as he lets her go on her tirade. Atlas stands off to the side, his gaze bouncing between Cannon and Miracle. I frown when I realize both of them are wearing a look on their faces that I can’t quite describe.