She walked toward the headstones with Buzzard beside her. Snipe and Buzzard had only met Charity and Lane once. They’d had leave and she’d convinced the guys to visit Honey Creek. Snipe adored it because he’d grown up on a ranch. He loved workingon the property, and if he wasn’t in jeans and his cut, then he was in jeans, cowboy boots, a shirt, and cowboy hat.
Mace stopped them by the headstones, tugging a lighter from his pocket. He offered it to Daydream first, letting her light the torch on Lane’s headstone. Then Mace and Axel held the lighter together, lighting the one on Charity’s.
Mace’s lips quivered and he wiped his mouth. He usually started the night, but Raven wasn’t sure he could.
She stepped forward. “I would give just about anything to have Charity walk across that field and say, ‘I’ve got this great idea.’ And then after she told us, Daydream would tell Lane what we were planning. He’d roll his eyes but tell her to give him fifteen minutes to call support in.”
Laughter had Raven pausing, though her eyes were already filling with tears. “Her insistence that we never say goodbye. We could say, ‘See you later’ or ‘After a while’ or ‘Catch you on the flip side.’ If we accidentally slipped in high school, she’d knuckle punch us on the arm. For being on the shorter side, she could pack a punch. I always figured it was growing up with Mace and Axel picking on her.”
“You got that right. Mom and Dad had to step in when she got mad at Mace and nut punched him. They’d allow the knuckle punch on the arm but nowhere else,” Axel said, tears dripping down his face, his arm around Daydream.
“Oh my, and the morning after one of our get-togethers at Daydream’s house. Lane would walk down the stairs with this tray he built. It had little cubbies to hold painmeds, anti-nausea medication, along with the coffee pot, mugs, and bottles of water. He’d quietly visit each of us, placing the items. Of course, he’d already placed the puke buckets by us hours ago. Oh my gosh, I still remember how much Daydream blushed when he personalized them with our names painted on them and made hers bigger than everyone’s,” Hoax said, sniffling.
Daydream laughed. “I missed the bucket one time. Just once because someone knocked into me as I bent over to puke,” Daydream said, glaring at Fury, who shrugged. “Oh, he teased me about that so much. But he was the one that if it had been too long between our get-togethers, he’d put a reminder on our calendar to have me call and set one up. He was my high school sweetheart and my first love. I misshim every day, especially his arms wrapping around me immediately after he got home from work. And the smell of his cologne.”
Raven stood wishing she could take away this pain, but the pain also served a purpose. It reminded each of them why they did what they did so that at some point, no one else would be going through what they did.
“When I couldn’t get any answers about their deaths and neither could Quicksilver, I remember walking in the door of our house. Hoax was at the stove, stirring something. I threw down my briefcase and said I was done with the bureau. She turned around, hugged me, and asked, ‘Well then, what are you going to do?’ I told her my idea. Within half an hour, she contacted each of you and had the meeting set. When I outlined my idea, none of you were againstit. Instead, you all offered ideas on how we could make this work. Then when we talked to the parents, it became something more. With each person we find and get information from, we get closer to taking down the organization,” Mace said, pausing. Raven could understand being choked up because her throat was tight and full too.
“We knew when we started this that it could take years. We also agreed to give everyone the chance once a year to either renew with the group or leave with no hard feelings. I personally think with the security measures we’ve put in place that we can keep everyone, including the kids and parents, safe, so I sayMy Vow to the Honey Creek Badgers MC stays true. Even if you decide you can’t keep your vow, you’ll always be a friend,” Axel said.
Their group, each one by one, renewed their vows. When it came to her, Raven looked around at her family, her friends, and the people she loved and wanted to keep safe.
“My Vow to the Honey Creek Badgers MC stays true,” Raven said.
As the last person said their vows, Axel stepped forward. The first year it hadn’t been planned but Axel had sung a song about loss. They’d all joined in. Each year, he’d chosen a different song. His voice singing the first notes toFriends We Won’t Forgethad more tears streaming from her eyes.
Buzzard wiped his nose beside her as he sang. As the last note floated through the night wind, she put her mask back on and walked silently to her bike. They’d ride back to the bar and have a drink inLane and Charity’s honor with anyone who showed up. Last year, most of the town had dropped in. Their parents would join them along with the kids.
As she rode in the darkened evening, she thought about how much Charity would have loved how the town’s Halloween celebration had grown in her honor. People came from miles around to watch or participate in the parade. The Honey Creek Badgers MC kicked off the parade, riding their motorcycles down the parade route.
Honoring her wouldn’t bring her back, but it might make a difference for someone else’s best friend or loved one.
Chapter Seven
Twist waited for Maureen and Compass to come back downstairs and sit down at the table. He wanted to run out to the car when they drove in and force them to tell him right away. He and Dex had been back a couple hours. The waiting had been excruciating, with Dex finally leaving the house to go to the barn. Twist’s pacing and nervously drumming his fingers on the table had gotten on Dex’s nerves.
When Maureen and Compass had walked in, they’d said to give them a couple minutes to freshen up. Twist hoped it was because they needed to make a pit stop. He hopedthey weren’t having sex, but after Booker had told the story of walking in on them when Booker and Lexi had come home early, Twist didn’t discount anything.
Maureen walked in with Compass following. She squeezed his arm and winked as she walked to the refrigerator.
“Something to drink?” she asked.
“I’d like some iced tea,” Compass said, sitting down at the table. Twist joined him.
“No, thank you, Maureen,” he said.
Compass waited until Maureen joined them.
“Maureen and I have walked around that town and spoken with the people extensively,” Compass said.
Was his chest pounding? Twist wondered if he was having a heart attack. He could feel his heart beating in his chest and needed to know what Compass would say next.
“It’s a small town that seems to support each other,” Compass said.
“Seems?” Twist said, the fact Compass chose that word setting off his spidey senses.
“Maureen,” Compass said.
