Page 25 of Praying for Thunder

With such disappointment, as if she was hoping for a reason to believe he was a good man, she repeated words he had told her, “My blood.”

He sucked oxygen through his nostrils. “I can’t say much more. Especially here. My hands are tied.”

Ani’s eyes welled and filled with hopelessness. “Then you are, literally, useless to me.” There was so much pain as she turned away from him. There was so much pain for what she had to do.

In the dressing room, Ani set me down on my bed, only to pull clothes over her skimpy costume. She grabbed all her cash from her station, shoved it in her backpack, then swung it over her trembling shoulders.

Moola was in the room with us now, her expression mixed with sorrow and sympathy. She scooped me up and squeezed, begging Ani, “Please, don’t do this.”

Stew stood in the doorway, Dio behind him, watching with worried expressions.

Shedding tears she clearly didn’t want, Anita spoke to the dancers in the room. “I love you all. I will never forget what you’ve done for us.” She hugged Candy and Little Cherry. To Moola, she whispered, “I’m sorry. Thank you for everything.” Then she retrieved me after a strong embrace.

As if building concrete walls around her bleeding heart, she lifted her chin and carried me from the only people I knew.

Keys in hand, Ani ignored Diablo following us as we headed out the back door. “Anita, hear me out.”

She didn’t.

A light sensor lit up the area as I was carried past my swing set and around the back of the freestanding building, until she saw three motorcycles. Two with riders. One without.

Ani hissed, throwing her back against the rear wall to stay out of sight.

Carefully studying her actions, Dio confirmed, “So you are running from a club.”

Her back to the wall, she angrily whispered, “Be quiet!” She instructed me, “Hold tight. Hide your face.”

Without delay, I clung to her, hiding my face in the crook of her neck.

“Wait a fucking minute,” Dio growled. “You’re more worried for him than you!”

Her whisper was terrified. “Please! Be quiet!”

“They’re with me. No danger to you.”

“Pfft!” She rolled her eyes, then pushed off the wall. “Leave me alone.” We rushed toward the car.

“Why do you fear he’s in so much danger?” Diablo refused to give up.

“Because he is not who he is supposed to be.”

“What? What club you runnin’ from? That’s your hang-up with bikers, right?”

Under a parking light sat our car. It was a small, brown, beat-up, four-door. It made odd noises at times, but Anita promised it was how she saved a lot of money. Not that I cared. Fancy cars were not a part of my vocabulary, nor did I possess shallow concerns.

Unlocking a door, she berated, “Keep your men away from us. I have a gun.”

Dio’s tongue pushed against his lip ring. “I assure you, they have more.”

Me in one arm, she shoved at him. “You think you’re fucking funny, you prick?”

While she opened her door and manually unlocked mine in the back, I waved to the two bikers observing us and smoking cigarettes. I was thrilled that they waved back.

“Anita, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. All this,” following her to my door, Dio gestured about, “is new to me.”

She put me in my car seat. “Scaring the shit out of women? Congratulations.” She buckled me up while chastising him. “It’s nothing new to me, hence me getting out of here.” She shut my door.

He followed her to the front seat, trying to explain, “No, I mean giving a damn. I don’t chase women.”