“You know I can’t say. It’s not my creation. Mercy makes that call.”
“Precisely. It’s his gig. I get that. Think you can set up a meet?”
“Sure. I can find out if he’s planning to come this way soon.”
“Good. Appreciate it, brother.”
“I know.” Tugging on my beard, I was deep in thought. “Ghosts are all over the U.S. We never know the identity of one another. That’s how the setup works. Mercy is the liaison. Not sure how he’s gonna take to this but it’s worth a shot.”
Grim let out a slow breath and leaned back in his chair. “He know what we are?”
“I gave full disclosure when I signed on. So yeah.”
“Then he can’t be disappointed with the idea of having a dozen more Reapers to take on the abusers and rapists of the world. Fuck. We’re already knee deep in the shit with the Black Market Railroad. This business move makes sense. I hope he can see it that way.”
“You never know,” I agreed. “It would be a wise move for Mercy. Hope’s Refuge could use all the help it can get.”
“I’m gonna present this in Church. Don’t be late.”
I rose to my feet, ticking my head in his direction. “I’ll swing by my club when I’m ready.”
“Fucker,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Always a smartass.”
“You know it,” I called over my shoulder, chuckling as I walked away.
A couple of hours later I stood on the front porch of the Parker house, balancing a pizza box in one hand and a few grocery bags in the other that contained salad mix, a 2-liter of soda, and beer. Couldn’t have the pizza without the beer. That shit wasn’t right. Preferred skipping the rabbit food too but women usually liked the stuff, and I was all about giving Bess what she wanted, whether she knew it or not.
I managed to ring the doorbell and heard running footsteps followed by a squeal when Noah peeked out the window before opening the door. Smart kid.
“Let me in, son. I brought dinner.”
Noah threw the door open wide as Bess gasped and I strode in, greeting them both with a booming “hello.”
“Pizza!” he exclaimed excitedly.
With one booted foot, I kicked the door shut behind me and ticked my head toward the dining room table. “Let’s eat,” I announced. “I’m starving.”
Bess looked a little taken aback but she didn’t refuse. Good.
“Go grab some plates and forks, Noah.”
He helped his mother set the table as I tried to clean off my boots before I walked further into the house. I noticed how clean it was the last time I was here. Little knickknacks and shit were scattered around along with vases of flowers and splashes of color. Fuck. I lived pretty plain, and dark compared to this.
It wasn’t long before we were eating, and I noticed there was something this house was missing.
Clearing my throat, I chased my bite of pizza with a long pull from my beer. Bess was chewing on her own slice but also had a salad in front of her. Noah was eating both as well. Obviously, I was the only one with an aversion to the veggies.
I sat back, watching them both with a contentment that was hard to ignore. “There’s some place I’d like to take you both after we eat.”
Bess’s eyebrows lifted. “Where?”
I winked at Noah. “It’s a surprise.”
He smiled, pizza sauce dripping down his chin.
“Wipe your face, Noah.” Bess handed him a napkin before directing a question my way. “I don’t know about this, Jayce.”
Leaning forward, I cupped my hand to block Bess from seeing my mouth move like I was about to tell Noah a secret. “I don’t think she understands what a surprise is.”