Chapter 18
18
R eeves hadn’t realized what a tough balancing act it was trying to juggle both his professional and personal life. With the pressure of overdue accounts and task piling up, making time for a simple dinner out with Stormy weighed heavily on him. It was him who asked her to go out that evening, so he couldn’t in good conscience cancel. If he wanted things to work, he had to make sure to value her and make sure the distractions of their lives stayed in their places.
All he needed to do for that to work was carving out a few hours to focus on work. Then he could enjoy the evening without business worries hanging over his head. After cleaning the dust and grime off his body in the hottest shower he could stand to soothe a few aches and pains, he choose to lock himself in the office, determined to focus and push through the work to make sure he could do just that. He needed to find the delicate balance between getting his work done and nurturing the relationship. He could achieve that, Reeves thought as long as he didn’t get sucked into the never-ending tasks. It all gave him a headache.
Walking through the house, things seemed a little too quiet for having three women and an infant in it. He found Stormy right where he should have looked first. She was standing in the kitchen with Whiskey feeding Effie. Things were as it should be. Turning to head back to the office, he heard Stormy say his name.
“Don’t pout,” he teased, his voice low but warm. Stormy shot him a mock glare, her lips curling up slightly despite herself. He had that effect on her—a mixture of charm and confidence that made it hard to stay irritated for long.
Reeves glanced at the baby, Effie still nursing peacefully in her mother’s arms, before looking back at Stormy. “Everything good?” he asked, his eyes softening slightly, a rare vulnerability in his gaze. He was used to being the hard edge, the one everyone depended on for protection, but with her, things softened. He couldn’t help it.
Stormy gave him a half-smile, still slightly flustered. “We’re fine.”
“You look fine, like your walk did you a world of good,” Reeves complimented her, making Stormy smile. If anyone said he didn’t know how to charm a lady, they hadn’t seen him in action. There was also the quick round of sex in the stables that had put some pep in her step.
Stormy noticed his smile didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Reeves, is everything okay?”
He lifted his shoulders, shrugging like it was no big deal. “Had some loose ends to tie up. It’s quiet now. Too quiet, though. I don’t like it.”
Whiskey nuzzled the baby, enjoying the tender moment watching her daughter sleeping in her arms. The softness on her skin, her gentle breathing and warmth of having her cradled against her chest. Breathing in the smell of baby powder and innocence, she raised an eyebrow giving her brother-in-law a stern stare. “Have you spoken to Jackson about your feelings?” It was a valid question.
Reeves kept his attention focused on Effie in Whiskey’s arms. The baby’s soft cooing melted his tough exterior just a little. “I’ll talk to him once I have time.”
Stormy watched him for a second before sighing, moving closer to him. “This is why you need a night out. You’re always shouldering too much.”
Reeves chuckled, low and gravelly. “That’s hitting the nail on the head, sweetheart.”
Knowing when to change the subject, she asked about their plans for the evening. “What time are we heading into town?’ she asked.
Before Reeves could answer the question, Stormy had presented to him Whiskey commented. “Are you two going up to La Familia this evening? Dinner with the family would be great. Maria cooked.”
“Oh… it’s a date night thing,” Stormy said shrugging at her best friend. She could feel her face turn red from the flush of heat washing over her.
Knowing when to duck out, Reeves let Stormy know where he’d be. “I’ll be in the office behind locked doors if you need me.”
“Sounds like you might not have time for a date,” Stormy stated as he took a step towards the door.
“I’ll peek my head out when I’m ready to go into town.”
“I think I can make myself available for you.”
Staring into her eyes Reeves liked the way that sounded. There was something about a gorgeous woman making herself available that he appreciated. Her gaze, steady and unflinching, held his attention, drawing him in deeper than he’d expected. There was something undeniably magnetic about her—something that both intrigued and unsettled him.
She had a way of looking at him that suggested she knew exactly what he was thinking, perhaps even what he wanted before he did. “Then I’ll see you in a few hours.”
Reeves walked out of the kitchen, the sound of Stormy and Whiskey’s voices blending into the background as he made his way down the hall toward his office. The air in the house felt warmer than usual, maybe because of the easy banter, or maybe because of the simmering heat between him and Stormy.
He entered the office, the door clicking shut behind him with a soft, deliberate thud. Taking a seat behind the desk he leaned back in his chair, letting the weight of the day settle on his shoulders. His mind wandered back to Stormy’s face—flushed, her eyes filled with something that looked like both affection and mischief. She was trouble in the best kind of way.
But there was still work to do. Always work.
Reeves cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck to loosen up, then pulled out his phone. He flicked through messages, a few business-related ones, some reminders, but nothing urgent. Just enough to make sure he wasn’t missing anything critical.
When he glanced up, he saw his reflection in the dark window. A man who could disappear into the shadows and never be seen again or stand in the light and make people notice. He was both, and that duality was starting to feel less like an asset and more like a burden. Maybe it was just today, but something felt off, like the calm before a storm.
Reeves leaned back in the desk chair staring towards the window. Hours he’d been tied to the desk. He could see Monroe’s work truck driving across the pasture. Texas longhorns lazily moved out of the way of the lumbering vehicle. With their horns almost as wide as the truck’s grill, he supposed they had nothing to get in a hurry over.
With the sounds of the house becoming busy with everyone moving about he was unable to focus on the work glaring at him. Scooping up the paperwork, Reeves put everything in the drawer and headed for the door. On his way out, he’d let Jackson know he’d be at the restaurant with Stormy.
Before he got a foot into the hallway, he got a call from one of the capos letting him know the Serranos were indeed moving product through the area. By the end of the call, Reeves was pissed off.
Backtracking to Jackson’s office, he knocked on the door and stepped into the room. “Jackson.”
“Reeves?” Jackson was surprised to see Reeves standing in the office. He’d just his brother say that he and Stormy were going to the restaurant to have a dinner date. “I thought you’d be heading out by now.”
“I was on my way out when I got a phone call.” He hated to ruin everyone’s evening, but it was part of life. “There’s definitely Serrano product moving through our territory,” Reeves bit out, knowing he’d be the one to handle the situation. Not that he had a problem handling it.
He didn’t have any reservations about what needed to be done or that he’d have blood on his hands at the end of the day. He regulated himself to what and who he was a long time ago. Still, he hated he had to dive back into the ugliness of his life with Stormy there. She never looked at him like he wasn’t a killer.
“How sure are we on this?”
“One of our capos just called me.” Reeves waited for his marching orders, but they didn’t come. Instead, Jackson told him to go to the restaurant. He’d handle it.
“Call me if you need me,” Reeves said after a brief pause, accepting Jackson’s offer.
“Until we find and deal with Mario watch your back. He’s probably gone underground for now. But sooner than later he’ll surface and when that happens, we’ll take him out.”
Reeves couldn’t agree more. Mario was living on borrowed time.