Page 128 of Praying for Thunder

Diesel.

Pushing drying hair from my face, I pulled the burner from a drawer, opened it, and put it to my ear. “Yeah.”

“It’s her eldest brother…” Diesel blew out a stressed breath. “Dead… She’s on her way home to bury him.”

My vision blurred as adrenaline made me her bitch. “How did it happen?”

There was doubt in his tone. “Drowning.”

Oh, Rya.

Wait… “How do you know about this?”

He huffed, “You think I trust the feds with your true Old Lady?”

My head spun as I looked to Tabi. She was full of remorse, mouthing, “I’m sorry.”

Diesel added, “Pup… your girl, she’s heartbroken.”

As if an out-of-body experience, I watched myself lift a hand and wipe my forehead that shouldn’t be sweating… “I know.” Then my sight lifted to see all the silver drawings on the black walls. Symbols, the eagle, lightning bolts… It was as if every nightmare had meaning.

It was one of the most magnificent moments of my life, to truly understand Rya was a very special part of me. Our connection was so much deeper than I first thought. When I was younger, I saw her as my light. As I got older and grew jaded, again I didn’t trust, like I hadn’t with Dio. Somehow, Onus had tricked me into believing Dio wasn’t a special being.

Scratching my hand, I suddenly realized Onus had done it again. This time, with Rya.

Rya…

Fear had kept me from her. I was done with it. I was going to finally have a say over my life and future. I became so focused…

Diesel was still talking, “Shit’s hittin’ the fan. El comprend-o? We’re only hours…” as I hung up, only wanting to hear Rya’s voice. I feel her pain.

Absentmindedly slipping the phone into the front pocket of my jeans, I could barely hear Tabi as she stood in front of me, speaking, “Hellion.”

Rya… I staggered toward the door. She needs me.

Tabi begged, “I couldn’t tell you.”

In a trance, I kept moving. “Couldn’t tell me what?”

“He was the informant.”

Like a tidal wave of the coldest water, I was splashed…

Cranking my neck, I faced her. “I warned you.” I tried to control the rage that was beginning to boil to very dangerous temperatures. “I warned you to leave her out of this.”

Chubs rushed past me and opened the bedroom door to make sure no one had come home and was overhearing what I couldn’t contain.

Tabi swallowed. “That was after we were already working with Bert.”

I prowled toward her. “I’ve been having nightmares for two fucking years about her.” I gestured to the walls, covered with cries of my internal struggles.

“She’s safe. It was a drowning.”

I smirked. “So reliable. Your ‘team’ has been so forthcoming with valuable information.” I shook my head in disgust. “You laid in my bed… nothing but lies.”

“Hellion, that’s not true, but I couldn’t just stop getting intel on a case—”

“A case?” I hissed. “I thought we were past being a case, you and I. I thought we were lost heroes trying to find our way.”