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It’s a slow parade and an intimidating sight. Over a hundred men are here to honor his memory. Still, I can’t help wondering what he would make of me in a Dullahan’s jacket. The headless rider on a Harley with the words‘Headless Riders’proclaiming I’m the president of the Dullahan motorcycle club fills me with pride. I hope dad would feel the same.
We park at the entrance to the cemetery on the outskirts of Boston. The crowd is so large the cemetery grounds are the only place that can accommodate the hundreds of people that have come to pay their respect.
I meet Caine. The O’Connors are present in force. The men look amazing in their black suits and Tawny’s wearing a black cocktail dress with oversized shades. She looks like a bored movie star. Guess the O’Connor family has a different dress code than the Dullahans.
Tawny takes my hands between hers and squeezes. “Sorry about your Da.”
“Thank you.”
Jacob, Killian, and Theo seem to have nothing to say. They’re just here because it’s expected of them as our new allies. Caine puts his hand on my lower back and escorts me in.
We’re seated in the front. It’s a long walk from the back. But up here I can’t see the outside of the cemetery. All that’s visible is row upon row of graves and the trees planted to make it a peaceful place rather than a depressing one. Liam is already there in a wheelchair.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispers.
I clasp his hand in mine.
The minister conducts the ceremony with a somber air. Dad was a member of his congregation his entire life, and he sounds genuinely moved by dad’s death. Or maybe he’s just nervous that the new leadership is going to take a hard look at the generous donations dad used to make, trying to buy his way into heaven. If I live through the day, I’m sure I can find a use for minister Johnson. Having close ties to a minister only helps fuel the illusion the Dullahans are a legitimate motorbike club and not outlaws.
Then it’s my turn to give a speech. Liam has deferred that to me as well. Liam might be the big bad biker, but I’m still his older sister and the current president. There are some responsibilities I must bear for us both.
I step up to the podium. My eyes drift away from Liam in the crowd and toward Caine. His expression is stonier than ever and a part of me wonders if he’s expecting trouble, but I draw strength from his presence.
Oh, shit. I’m getting in too deep with him. Are you allowed to catch feelings for the guy that kidnapped you? But when has anything in my life been normal? It’s not like we’re still on uneven footing. We worked out a real alliance. One that gives me the freedom and power I need to run the Dulllahans. And Caine? He’s more than I expected. More than I ever thought he would be. He makes me feel safe even when the world is falling apart around me. That’s got to be rare, right?
The minister clears his throat. That brings me crashing back to reality.
“I want to start by thanking everyone who came out today to honor my father. It means a lot to me and my brother Liam to see so many faces here. Dad was -”
A gunshot cuts through the silence, deafening everything else. I freeze, unsure if it was a gunshot. It could be a car backfiring. Four more gunshots ring out, snapping me out of my shock. I yelp and duck behind the podium. The crowd explodes into chaos.
“Aurora!” Caine roars. “Stay down!”
“Protect Liam!” I shout back.
I peek around the podium. Gus has tackled Liam to the ground. Gus covers Liam, using himself as a human shield to protect his VP.
What must be fifty men march down the aisle. Carrying machine guns. Several others flank the outside of the cemetery.
The Bratva. Shit, we’d known dad’s funeral was a security risk. It’s a target rich environment, but I’d hoped they would respect the old world traditions of funerals. But Caine? He’d known the Bratva would come.
Chapter 28
Aurora
I hide behind the podium, catching only glimpses as the chaos unfolds. Killian pulls Tawny down next to him. She crouches next to Liam while Killian and Gus fire off rounds.
Caine is stalking toward me. I crawl toward the minister and shove him down behind the podium, and then I dart behind one of the bigger tombstones.
“Stay down!” I call to him.
I have a gun in my thigh holster, but I have no idea how to use the thing. I only wore it because I felt like as the Dullahans’ leader I should have a gun on me.
Still, I pull out my gun just as Caine reaches me. He puts his arm around my shoulder. “Follow me, lass. And put the safety back on.”
I follow him toward the edge of the stage. We stay low to the ground.
“I could know how to shoot,” I grumble even if now isn’t the time.
