Page 136 of Saxon

Saxon

Jean-Paul's super fancy private jet lands at Harry Reid airport and taxis us to a private area. I was expecting maybe Inez in one of the G-Wagens, not the whole crew.

But there they all are, arms on waists and hand in hand, coupled up—except Lash and Inez, who stand alone, and Solomon, who is absent.

Terra hides behind me at the top of the stairs. "That's a lot of new people, holy shit."

I laugh. "I'll introduce you. Come on."

She shakes her head. "No."

I sigh. "Terra. They're my people. They came to meet you."

She shakes her head—I feel it against my back. "I know I seem like a tough, in-your-face bitch, and I am, but deep down I'm actually kinda shy. Top secret info I'm giving you, here."

I toss a crutch off the stairs and it's caught by Rev, followed by the second one. I brace my weight on the handrails and swing-hop down the stairs, ready to accept my crutches back, but instead, I’m assaulted.

Well, hugged, but still. All at once. By everyone. Silas is first, slamming into me.

"Oof—fuck, bro, ease off. Ribs are still healing," I wheeze. "I'm good. I'm okay”

"Suck it up, buttercup. You were shot, I'm allowed a single fuckin' bro hug." Silas scrubs my hair and slaps me on the back.

I laugh. "Okay, so who's—"

I'm interrupted by a giant pair of pythonic arms wrapping around me and lifting my ass clear off the ground. "Sax, my man," Chance's rumble shakes my chest. "Glad you're alive. Had us worried. I was about to come after you."

"I had it handled," I mutter. "Mostly."

Rev comes in and slings his arms under Chance's, and then Kane, and I smell Lash's cologne and feel his mustache against the back of my neck.

"Jesus, you fuckin' guys. I'm good. I didn't even almost die."

"Yes you did, you dick," Terra says, finally coming down from the airplane door opening. "I had to tourniquet your leg with your own fuckin' shoelaces."

"Inez won't tell us anything," Chance grumbles. "You gotta tell us what really happened." He quite literally towers over Terra—seven feet over five-three. "This dick will lie and omit like a motherfucker, so you gotta fill us in, Sprite."

Terra stares way, way up at him. "Jesus fucking Christ on a bicycle, you're enormous."

Chance shrugs. "Yeah, but I’m a teddy bear. Just ask Nik." He reaches out a huge arm and hauls Annika over. "This is my girl, Annika. I'm Chance."

"Hi, nice to meet you. Terra." She eyes him. "Why Sprite?"

"Like the tiny fictional faerie creatures? Not the soda."

She laughs. "Oh, right." I can see her nerves, though, despite her bravado. "So…everyone else?"

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lean on her, holding my crutches in the other hand, gesturing with them. "My dude with the mohawk is Rev, the hot blond with him is Myka. Next to Myka is Kane, and his girl Anjalee. This douchebag is my brother Silas." I skip his new girlfriend. "Her I haven't met yet. Mustache man is Lash, and scary viper lady is Inez." I don't think, I just do—I bend down and kiss Terra on the temple. "Everyone, this is Terra."

Stares—stunned, and silent.