We were last in the caravan, and Thunder pulled to the side of the road, killing the engine. He faced Grace, holding out his hand for hers. “If it’s gone, I’ll make sure the club gives you a few days to grieve.” Grace nodded. “Then I expect you to get back to work. You’ve never given up, so why should this be any different?” She nodded again, but her lip quivered.
I said nothing, not wanting to ruin the moment as he turned the car back on. Listening to him a second ago, I would never have known he wasn’t the head of this family. He stepped in when Grace needed him the most.
We crested the hill, and I almost wished we would have stayed at the bottom.
Red. Orange.
They sparked amongst the trees, like a fucked-up firework.
As soon as Thunder stopped the car, Grace didn’t hesitate. She jumped out of the car, and I followed right behind her. I tried to grab the back of her shirt, but she was too quick. I stumbled a few steps forward, trying again to reach her, but I caught the fire flickering inside the building. The heat was unbearable, and it made my pajama top stick to my back.
She stopped, bending in half to grip her stomach. Thunder reached her before I did, but when he asked if she was alright, a wail cut through the roar of the fire.
Her knees buckled, and Thunder grabbed her before she hit the asphalt.
“No, no, no.” She let out a sob, burying her face in his chest.
“I know, but this isn’t forever. What did we say?” He was trying to keep her focused, but all I could hear was the anguish. I wanted to reach out and hold her, but I wasn’t the person she needed. I stood next to them, awkwardly patting her back.
I raised my head at the sound of boots hitting the pavement. Sabre and the brothers came running from the back of the building, but as soon as they saw us, they ran directly towards where we stood.
“Mama,” Sabre said as he got close, but an explosion went off. We stood there, horrified as the roof collapsed in on itself. All the arches Meredith had worked hard to open up were gone.
Grace threw her arms around Sabre’s neck, and he held her tight against him.
“I’m so sorry, Mama,” he said to her. “We’ll rebuild.”
I moved closer to Thunder, stealing a little of his warmth, and he slung his arm over my shoulder, pulling me into his body.
Sirens blared as the fire trucks barreled up the driveway. Their lights bathed us in red, and that’s when I saw it clearly. In Sabre’s hand, which was wrapped around Grace’s back, he held a single blood-red rose.
“Drop it.” I wasn’t loud enough over the noise. “Drop it.” I took a step forward.
“Prez, drop the rose.” Thunder stepped in. He was louder.
Sabre threw the rose toward the blacktop. The ribbon burst into flames mid-air.
I was the first one to move, taking each step as if the rose would turn into a fire-breathing dragon, swallowing me whole. The petals were gone, but the ribbon still had small flames dancing at the ends. I hadn’t seen it before, but there was a white card attached.
You only exist because I let you.
El Sombra Roja.
It was the first time I’d ever thought of him as the cartel don and not the man I’d been in love with. It wasn’t physically possible, but my heart hardened further at the mention of him. “You did… this,” I said directly to the flower, like the man himself would show. “This…is…Grace’s. Not the…club’s.”
Thunder wrapped his arm around me, and I slid mine around his waist.
“We end this…now.”
Chapter 27
Burn It All Down
Thunder
I thought Liz was going to hug me, but her fingers slid down to the waistband of my jeans. “Don’t even think about it,” I said. She was reaching for my gun or my phone, and neither would get her the revenge she clearly wanted.
“I can’t…let him…get away with…” She waved her hand around. The sound of glass breaking drowned out whatever else she was going to say. I tucked her further into my body so she wouldn’t have to hear the crackling.
