Page 27 of Praying for Thunder

“Who is ‘them’?”

Her strained hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Please, stop with the games!”

“I’ve never been so serious in my life.”

Not lifting her head, she stared at him for a moment. “I want to believe you, but you don’t understand. I must know he’s safe.”

“I’ll help you see he is as long as you can understand that I can only say so much.”

Sinking into her seat, her energy was draining right before our eyes, but she nodded in agreeance. “Tell me what you can.”

“I have a, uh… talent. You could call it a strong intuition. Umm… Powerful emotions come to me through…”

Slowly, her head lifted. “Through blood.”

He exhaled. “That’s right. Whatever happened that night with you and Rosa, I wasn’t there. Nor were my brothers. We have no idea who you are or what club has you on the run. But I got strong glimpses through…” his head bobbed as if no need to keep repeating what was draining from Ani’s paling skin.

She wanted someone truly in her corner. She wanted a teammate—a partner. She wanted her loneliness to end. But… “Diablo.”

“I swear, I’m right here. For you.”

Tears dripped as she groaned, “You don’t even know me.”

His smile was full of empathy. “With what I just told you—what I’m capable of, don’t you think your heart blew through me? That I may know your kindness, your loyalty, every good part about you, better than anyone?” He hated seeing her despair. Tucking hair behind her ear, he vowed, “Like right now. Your agony is calling out to me.”

Pitiful tears dripped from her trembling chin. “This is so crazy.”

Ani daring to believe any of this, I believe was due to my mother. Her spiritual understanding was guiding Anita from the grave.

“Is it?” The back of his fingers tried to wipe away tears. “Or is it… just what you need?”

Tears may be silent, but that night, I learned pain can be heard. Anita’s was wailing… for mercy.

Mercy is what she found.

In awe, she said, “Your eyes.”

Dio’s head tilted. “What about them?”

A shaky hand hovered over her mouth. “They’re hazel again.”

His dimpled smile reappeared. “I can honestly say, they only do that for you.”

A sob, that had been contained for years, finally escaped her. “Diablo, I can’t afford a mistake.”

“I know.” Those hazel eyes looked at me. “She did, too.”

⚡⚡⚡

Anita not being in any shape to drive after such an emotional upheaval, Dio had her crawl to the passenger seat while he got under the hood to fix what had been tampered with. I watched as she tiredly buckled herself in. She stared out her passenger window while I asked, “Do I have a name, Ani?”

She didn’t seem to have the energy to move. Her voice was worn and scratchy. “Do you want one, Niño?”

“I think so.”

We didn’t talk about it anymore because Dio got in the car, then drove us over to his parked brothers. Besides Stew, I’d never been in a car with a male driving. Dio in front of me, driving me forward, was like an omen; a calm period in my life was to come.

As he talked to his friends about someone retrieving his bike, I stared at the back of his head. When needed most, this man had entered my world.