Page 61 of Praying for Thunder

Piercer started panting, his eyes darting to no one in particular. “Onus.”

“Now, Piercer.”

Piercer pulled Ani to his chest but wasn’t holding the blade. He was smelling her hair, rubbing his cheek to her head. “Brother, please.”

“There are plenty of men hungry for that VP patch.”

Piercer moaned…

This was it. The end of the road for me and my Ani.

Time slowed. Time became focused.

Crying, she stared at me from Piercer’s panicked embrace. “You are strong.”

Not without you.

“Shut up, bitch,” warned Onus.

Her last moments were going to be her own. “You are hope.”

“Piercer,” growled Onus.

The most beautiful, gracious soul smiled at me. “I regret nothing.”

“Piercer!” roared the President of the Hell Titans. His command, forever to change my life.

Her spirit was freed before her body… “I will pray… for Thunder.”

A blade ripped across her neck.

Silence rang in my ears…

My knees, they gave out. They just gave up.

I dropped to the floor, soon to be covered in blood.

On my knees, no longer being held back by a biker’s grip, I crawled to her.

I held her hand. “I love you, my Ani.”

Her eyes shone…

Her fingers held mine… until her death forced them to let me go.

Everlasting…

My heart shattered into a million pieces. The pain, so paralyzing, I fell to my side and… groaned. It couldn’t be heard, though. Piercer’s wails were drowning out everything except for a call of the wild. It was Dio, inside our connection, sensing his Tiger had been taken from this earth.

I could never let this happen again. Watching someone I love die. I could never face this anguish twice. So, I closed my eyes and told Diablo, once again, to tell Dio I loved him. Then I severed our golden blood tie.

Another roar of pain entered my mind until Diablo’s howl faded away…

I hit my chest that threatened to explode.

I had nothing left to live for.

For my Ani and Dio, I would have done anything… including telling them both goodbye.