Page 138 of Falcon’s Forever

Falcon almost smiles. “He’s going to love you.”

“He already does.”

“He’ll deny it,” Falcon says.

"Obviously." I step closer, close enough that I decide I want to touch him and put my arms around him instead of just standing there. He freezes for half a second before his arms relax around me, carefully. I press my face against his chest, and his heart's going faster than it should be.

"I'm coming back," I whisper.

His arms tighten slightly, not enough to hold me there. "Don't promise what you can't control."

I pull back, surprised. He catches himself. "Apparently I've been listening."

I touch his cheek. “Then I’ll do everything I can to come back.”

“That I can live with,” Falcon says.

His hand covers mine. He waits, giving me time to pull away, but I leave it there. Then he turns his head and kisses my knuckles.

My breath catches, there’s no question needed for that one.

“Go,” he says quietly.

“Still bossy,” I tell him.

“It’s a strong suggestion.”

“Better.”

I climb into the back of the SUV. Ice Pick waits until my seat belt clicks before pulling away.

Maggie turns in the front seat to look at me. “So?”

“No.”

Her eyes widen innocently. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I was going to ask if you’re comfortable.” She smiles at me.

“Liar,” I say.

She laughs. Sarah leans toward me. "He kissed your hand."

I close my eyes. "You two are unbearable."

"Let’s go," Ice Pick’s mouth twitches in the mirror.

The laughter helps, though it doesn't touch the fear underneath it, and I don't think it's supposed to. Fear has a purpose. It's telling me something is important.

Twenty minutes later Ice Pick turns onto a quiet residential road, and the house at the end of it is almost aggressively ordinary. Pale siding, two trees in the front yard, no bikes, no club markings, no men standing outside. I understand immediately why it might work.

"Bear's old house," Ice Pick says, unlocking the door and letting us in first. "Club's owned it for six years since his mother died. Nobody's lived here since."

"Any neighbors?" Maggie asks.

"Older couple one side. Family with teenagers on the other."