Page 143 of Praying for Thunder

Mr. Stannon must have sensed his end was unavoidable. He sneered his last words, “It’s not like she’s my blood daughter.”

Every ounce of my sanity, my rage, my self-control drifted into the night.

Calmer than I have ever been, I said, “Men who fuck children must die,” then I pulled the trigger.

I thought my very first kill would be Piercer. It turns out, it was Rya’s father.

⚡⚡⚡

There were so many unanswered questions that, if I thought for too long, I worried I’d go mad. But, if I’ve learned anything through all this, it’s that patience is truly a virtue. Answers would come…

That night being more than most can handle is the only reason Onus was alive by the end of it. After an intense clean-up, Steel Stallions headed home, and the Redemption Ryders were about to do the same, taking Onus with them. Diesel assured me the Titan President would be kept ‘safe’ until I was ready to deal with him.

Wincing, I gently touched Tabi’s face. “I’m sorry he got a hold of you.”

She tried to smile, but her lip was too swollen. “Nowhere you haven’t been.”

I held her face, thinking about how I had laid by this woman, fought to survive with this woman, and I was now easily letting her go. “I shouldn’t have said what I said.”

“Hellion, she was in a bad way. Getting to her was all you could see.”

“That’s not fair to you though.”

She placed her hands on my hips. “We always knew where we stood with each other. And I always knew who stood between us. She has owned your heart since before I ever even knew who you were.”

I sighed and didn’t argue. I wasn’t a liar.

Head-gesturing to Diesel, who was waiting, I said, “Rollin’ with this club, huh?”

“Yeah, I know it will be hard for you to believe, but I pissed off some people at work.”

Laughing, I yanked her in for a hug. Laying my head on top of hers, I rocked her, silently saying thank you and… goodbye. “Very hard to believe.”

She quietly told me, “Besides, Diesel has a biker with scars that’s hot as fuck.”

Now I howled laughter. “Could you at least pretend you’re pining over me?”

She leaned back, placing the back of her hand to her head as if fainting. “How will I ever live without you?”

So proud of her strength, I kissed her bloody mouth. “Keep fightin’.”

Her eyes welled. “You too.”

I hugged my blood brother and thanked him for saving Rya’s life. I promised to make it up to him someday.

I hugged my father and told him I’d see him soon.

Of course, he shoved a wad of cash in my pocket and told me not to take too long, but he understood I had Rya to take care of.

He was right. No one else was getting my attention until we buried her brother.

⚡⚡⚡

It was a very small and private funeral. The people who lived in Wilmington, and knew this family, understood and asked no questions about why Mr. Stannon had ‘disappeared’, needing a ‘hiatus’ after losing a son.

Rya’s living brothers, being grown and having their own homes, had no arguments when I stayed with Rya in their childhood home until she was ready to leave with me. They said we’d work out all the logistics—horses and finances—later.

Alone, she and I stood at her bedroom window while she pointed to some trees. “I used to be able to see ya home.” As rain fell from the sky, she told me, “This is where I would be when I prayed for Thunder.”