Page 94 of Praying for Thunder

Both my friends made an O shape that grew into a smile…

Entering the Stallions’ camp area, the girl still holding my hand, so many eyes fell on me. Even though they were keeping with present conversations, they kept staring at me in disbelief, like they were witnessing some sort of phenomenon.

As if on display at a zoo, Roam asked me, “Do you recognize these people?”

Speaking Spanish again felt like Ani was touching my shoulder, guiding me to where I needed to be. “No. I’ve never met any Stallion, that I know of. I only met a few Bastards, too.”

Chub’s body, even though walking, was still. Maybe even rigid. I think his age made it easier to understand these people were suspecting they found a stolen child. “Hellion, I think these men have been searching for you all this time.”

Like I was four again, my bottom lip began to tremble. “He never gave up.”

The girl leading me peered over her shoulder, her eyes full of compassion.

Roam rested a hand on my shoulder. “You have the dream, kid. Someone who loves you.”

Chubs wasn’t as happy for me. He was reading postures and the messages they were sending.

Deeper into the campsite, where the tents were, no pretend conversations were happening. It was quiet. Men on high alert and studying their surroundings. They were giving nods and closing in wherever I had just walked, as if wanting my trail to disappear.

Chubs told us, “I’ve seen this before. It was when Onus took on his father.”

That made Roam nervous. “Hellion—”

Kindly, I explained, “I’m not Hellion here.” I could already sense who I was getting closer to.

The girl stopped and faced me. Squeezing my hand, she promised, “Elle never lies.”

I gave a nod.

Gesturing for me to stay, she backed away. “Keep trusting that heart of yours.”

Three men got in front of us and motioned for us to lift our arms.

Lifting my chin, willing to face the devil if it meant seeing the only true father figure I’d ever had, my arms raised into to the air, ready to be patted down. I told my boys, “You don’t have to choose Thunder over the Titans. I love you both either way.”

Roam was Piercer’s son. Him walking away and ratting me out would have been completely understandable.

At my sides, they peered over my head to stare at each other.

Surprisingly, the Stallions waited. They seemed to understand a serious decision had to be made by the boys in Titan cuts.

Staring at Roam, so much being said without a word, Chubs started lifting his arms.

Roam broke into an emotional smile, but teased, “How the hell did this little fucker get to us?”

Chubs laughed. “You know how much I love trainwrecks.” He told the Stallions, “I’m loaded down. Let’s do this.”

As he was stripped of a gazillion weapons, I bitched, “And I have one knife?”

Guns were being taken from Roam as he said, “Would you offer weapons to the enemy?”

And there it was. The truth. Onus never saw me as anything but a threat. Now I needed to know why. And why the fuck I was still alive.

Now without weapons, we were guided to a tent.

At the entrance, Elle was waiting for me. She was like angel wings amid Hell’s fire. And Hell would show fury to protect her.

With her gentle smile, she said, “Thank you for trusting me.”