“She didn’t,” Obsidian stated. “I did.”
“Before you rip him a new one,” Reidar said, “be mindful of your manners.”
“Fuck you,” Oliver hissed.
“Oliver?” Penelope said softly, hoping to rein her brother in a bit. “I promise, I’ll explain everything when I see you.”
“You’re damn right you will,” he snarled.
Obsidian growled low in his throat and she knew there was no doubt everyone heard it.
“Watch yourself, kid,” Reidar warned. “He’s the most tolerant of them all, but that’s not saying much. Hey, Obsidian, we’ll drop the info on the hotel. See you in a bit.”
“Yep,” Obsidian rumbled before disconnecting the call.
“Who’s Reidar?” she asked when the radio began to play again.
“He’s myladeare. One of the leaders in thefiestreigh.”
“So there’s a hierarchy?”
“You could say that. My brothers and I have a designated assistant, known as alieterra. And when we’re fighting, we rely on theladearesand thelieterrasto coordinate efforts, ensuring we’ve got appropriate backup.”
“Who’s yourlieterra?”
“His name’s Taayin. You’ll meet him at the mansion.”
“And what arefiestreigh?”
“Soldiers. Or more importantly, family.”
Speaking of family…
She gave Obsidian’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry for Oliver.”
“No need to apologize. I get that he’s pissed. I would be, too. Doesn’t give him the right to talk to you that way.”
Well, Obsidian was going to be in for a treat, because Oliver might’ve been her twin, but he had very little respect for her. It had always been that way, though she wasn’t exactly sure why. She did her best to keep the peace between them, but it never seemed to matter to Oliver.
Staring out the window, Penelope did her best to process the information. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to this, but even now, she was getting more comfortable with Obsidian.
She figured that was a good start.
OBSIDIANHADTOADMIT, PENELOPEWASArather decent travel companion. He thought for sure she’d give him shit about his speed, but if she had a problem with it, she’d held her tongue. However, theoh shithandle had undergone some serious grip action for the past three hundred or so miles.
When he pulled the car into the motel parking lot, he thought for a minute Penelope was going to hug the asphalt and send up a silent thank you for getting her here safely. She didn’t, but Obsidian heard her sigh of relief nonetheless.
“Why don’t you go in and grab the keys—ours and Reidar’s. I’ll shoot him a message to let him know we’re here.”
Penelope nodded, then sauntered into the small rental office.
While she chatted up the night clerk, Obsidian sent Reidar a text, letting him know they had arrived. Though they still had a couple of hours of night left, he wasn’t willing to risk the chance of getting pinned down by daylight. Even the thought of leaving Penelope unprotected made his stomach churn.
Penelope returned a few minutes later, holding up two keys, each dangling from a plastic tag. “Bottom floor, the two units at the far end.”
“Perfect.”
He drove through the empty lot, backed into the space directly in front of the last door before climbing out.
