For years, I’d believed if I died ridding the earth of that monster and his mob, it would be worth it, and on some level, that belief remained.
But now, everything had changed.
I’d promised to come home.
Ineededto come home.
And I wasn’t a man who went back on his promises, and the truth was, the only thing I wanted was to come home to Brinley because I finally understood what home really meant.
“Good,” I ground out, then I swallowed around the nails in my throat.
“No matter what happens tonight, I’m fucking proud of every single one of you. Proud of what you do and who you are. The commitment and sacrifice you’ve made. The fact that you came into this MC thinking it was one thing and you stayed when you realized the true mission. You might be brutal. Wrought with rage. But you’ve proven who you really are, and I’m honored to get to be your leader.”
Fists pounded on the table and the walls, the low toll of their voices echoing through the hollow chamber of the room. “Born in chaos. Forged by iron. Sworn to vengeance.”
“Then let’s fucking do this,” I growled on a shout.
Everyone flew to their feet and piled out of Church and down the hall. The normal raucous they exuded was bated and contained. Saved up for the fight that was to come.
We poured out through the bar and into the fading light, darkness creeping in to consume the last vestiges of pinks and blues.
A single star blinked through a break in the trees.
My chest compressed and swelled. True hope hitting me for the very first time. A blossoming of faith and burgeoning of commitment.
I wanted to turn on my boots and hike a path back to the house so I could hug my family. Hold Kai and hug Elena and Meems and kiss the fuck out of Brinley before I went.
But I didn’t have time to get distracted right then. Only thing I could do was pull out my phone and shoot off a text to Fuse, one of my most skilled Crows who was heading the detail assigned to keeping our compound safe while we were away.
Me
Confirm that Brinley is back at the house with the rest of my family.
It took him all of two seconds to reply.
Fuse
Hours ago. Pyke and Colby saw her go back to the house just before noon.
I didn’t know what it was about it that took me aback. What set my already twisted stomach into a tumble.
A slick of dread that slipped like ice down my spine.
Me
Who’s watching the house?
Fuse
Colby is there now.
My fingers flew as I typed out a message to Colby.
Me
Confirm everyone is in the house. My grandmother, Elena, Kai, Brinley.
Colby
