Page 74 of Praying for Thunder

I hadn’t been asked such a question in years. It was like having my first Christmas wish list since Ani and Dio. My heart tightened with hope, so excited to have an answered prayer. “Can I have a pair of shoes?”

Yes, the bare footprints in the dirt and dust at the church were also mine. Once I outgrew my sneakers, they had never been replaced.

Her face twitched as she fought the tears forming in her eyes. I guess she wasn’t sure if that was allowed because she then looked to Onus from over her shoulder.

He exhaled heavily, pushing his plate away.

The rest? Every other man or older teenager in the room? They all looked to Piercer. The man who had just kicked a kid who didn’t even own a pair of shoes.

⚡⚡⚡

The club girl did return with items for me, but she left the bags outside the door and never returned. That’s okay. It means one club girl had smartened up, most likely saving herself from a life many didn’t survive at the Hell Titans.

“Umm… Dad?”

He was tapping on his cell phone screen. “Yeah.”

My nose twitched like a nervous bunny, making me think of Rya. “I have a friend.”

His dark eyes lifted. “Where?”

“At Grandma’s.”

His sight went back to his phone. “Not no more.”

My toes wiggled in my new shoes. “Actually… it’s the type that, uh, don’t end.”

Brows lifted. “Is that so?”

I nodded. “Yeah. You ever have one?”

With a smirk, he huffed, “No.” From the couch, he crossed his arms. “All relationships have an end. Tell me how yours is different.”

Loving that I had his attention, I quickly sat at the edge of the big leather chair next to him. “Her name is Rya—”

He rolled his eyes. “A fucking girl?”

I stilled. “Uh, yes, but not just any girl.”

“Huh, Hellion. Those are very rare.”

“Right? How lucky am I?”

Shockingly, there was a smile. “You were telling the truth. You weren’t running away.”

“I don’t lie, sir. Not unless Ani told me to.”

There was so much happening in his eyes. It was almost as if he was pleased with what he was learning about me. “Tell me more.”

“See, I found her at a church, praying to Jesus—”

“And it’s over before it began.”

That was a confusing statement. “What do you mean?”

He tossed his cell next to him so he could rub his face. “The ones that believe in God are impossible.”

“Really?”