I’ve fully explained to him my plan to numb him up enough so he can contribute, and I may or may not have threatened to maim him if does anything colossally stupid.
Thankfully he takes that better than I thought he would.
Early the next morning, not sure that I’ll see him again after whatever transpires today, I give him head.
“You never told me what your type is,” I say as we get into my truck for the trip back to Kent.
“I’ve always been a sucker for the easy-going, girl-next-door,” he answers like he’s unsure how to phrase what he looks for in a woman, as he reaches out to hold my hand. “It’s about the full package though. I just can’t figure out why you’re single.”
“Think all the way back to the night at Wolf’s Den,” I tell him rolling my eyes. “That’s the type of man who usually approaches me.”
“No way! Besides, I was getting ready to shoot my shot,” he says and I laugh.
“Bullshit. You’d have sat there giving me sexy eyes until I walked out, then I’d have to make up a story in my head that you were married. Oh, my God, you aren’t married, are you?” I nearly screech at him, suddenly horrified.
“Easy there, Ev. I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life,” he immediately responds, and I can tell he’s serious even though he sounds amused. “And I’m sure not going to start with you.”
We aren’t on the road that long before he nods off and I reach over, turning on his seat warmer to help soothe his muscles.
Bull
I’m out, smoking, on the Pastor’s front porch when a truck with Wyoming plates turns into the drive and I immediately see Rage in the passenger seat smiling at the woman driving.
Considering the frown she’s bestowing on me, I know she has to be the now famous, Everly. While I’m waiting to meet her before making up my mind about her, if my Margo had come after me, like this woman did for Rage, I’d have her turned over my knee and spanked her until I couldn’t feel my hand.
While he hasn’t said it, I’m pretty sure her father feels the same way I do about her recklessness.
Then there’s Thunder. Not only is he so damn grateful that she was able to get to Rage and save him, the fact that his brother was tended to in a veterinarian clinic will go down as his favorite story.
Speak of the Devil, I think, as Thunder comes out the second the truck is rolling to a stop. Going to the driver’s side, Thunder practically engulfs her when she hops out, pausing to say something I can’t hear before waving her toward the house.
She waits for Rage in front of her vehicle, but knowing that I want to talk to her, he just has a quick word with her before pressing his forehead against hers.
I have to bite down on my smile when she stops toe to toe with me. Oh, she’s a fighter alright and right now she has me in her sights.
“You can’t see most of it, but he’s a mass of bruises, burns, and fractures. If you care about him …”
“I do,” I say, not blinking as I hold her glare with one of my own. “You’ve only known he’s existed for a few days, he’sfamilyto me.”
“He won’t stay back, but that doesn't mean he needs to be on the front line,” she instructs me, lowering her voice after a short pause.
“Come inside, Everly,” her dad calls from the doorway and I turn my attention to Rage and Thunder.
“You good?” I ask Rage who quickly nods.
“Give Everly a break, will you? She’s not use to how we do things,” he immediately defends her.
And I get her point, from the little I can see around his new winter clothes, he’s really been put through it. And while I regret the timing, I’m determined to get Rage’s parentage off of my chest, so I light up a smoke and get to it.
“Holy shit,” Rage has said that as least three times, every other time he’s opened his mouth, nothing else has come out. Almost as soon as I started relaying what I knew, he turned his eyes toward the field across the street.
I can’t help but notice that Thunder hasn’t flinched nor spoken a word.
When Rage does turn back to us, he looks up at his big brother and his jaw drops all over again.
“You knew?” he asks, taking a step back and I’m thankful that there’s a post at his back because he’s lost all of his color.
“I found out when they died,” Thunder’s voice is low and filled with emotion. “I just didn’t any of the particulars.”
