He heaved a sigh. "You pick up a gun when you know you can use it. When you know that you can hit a target. You didn’t hurt Mom today, but you could have, couldn’t you?"
She bit her lip and tears bubbled in her eyes. "I could have."
"So, when you’re ready, we’re going to go through with gun handling classes." He grunted when I glowered at him. "You can’t do that until you’re eighteen years old, baby. Lodestar had no right to teach you that—"
"Katina knows how to shoot," Cyan muttered.
Jesus Christ.
I rubbed my forehead. "How did the state let her foster anyone? She couldn’t look after a cat!"
Storm winced, but I knew he was in agreement. "The guns in the house are all under lock and key anyway, ladybug, but I don’t want you thinking you can play with them—"
"They’re not toys, Dad," she grumbled. "I know that. But I wasn’t… I mean, when I… I only came out of the safe room when I heard him."
I thought back to the chaos that had gone down in my bedroom and asked Storm, "The second man?"
"Must be. Doc didn’t speak."
"He was the one who said he was going to hurt Mommy."
Storm’s mouth tightened, and I knew he was thinking that he was glad he’d shot the fucker in the throat. The second guy had still been sputtering as he bled out on my nice pale peach carpet.
The thought of sleeping in that house tonight made me want to puke, but the only alternative was the clubhouse.
Could I do it?
Could I stay there?
The MC owned a motel, that would be a better option.
So many deaths today.
So many people lost.
The thought of Jump, of his wife, of the security guard on the gates—they all died because of us.
I knew the threat was gone because brothers had swept the guys who’d broken into the house away, taking them to only God knew where, but could I deal with anyone else being hurt because of us? There’d be a lot more innocents at the motel…
Nervously, I asked, "Storm, is there somewhere for us to sleep at the clubhouse?"
His eyes settled on mine, and I didn’t know why, but he imbued a level of calm in me that made me blink.
He was alive.
I’d thought for sure…
I clenched my jaw at the thought. Of the things I’d heard them say, similar things to what Cyan had, but worse. About her daddy. About how they were going to hurt him. About what they wanted from him.
Even when Kendra had taken such pleasure in slapping me as the guys held me down and taped my hands and feet together, I’d mostly feared for Storm. They wanted back into the Sinners, and they weren’t afraid to kill him to achieve that goal.
By the end of the day, I’d felt certain he’d be the one dying, not me. At least, not until they were done with me.
It hit me hard then. Hit me hard enough to make the breath sough from my lungs, for the panic to overwhelm me. Not even the calm in Storm’s eyes took it away but what worked?
When his hands reached up and he cupped my face.
When he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
And when he said, "You’re safe now."
Would we always be though?
We didn’t live a regular life. Today had proven that. We’d brought chaos to the suburbs.
I wasn’t made for this, but… I blew out a breath. I was made for Storm so that meant we had to wend this path together.
"Your father tells me you don’t want to leave?"
The vet’s words had me jerking in surprise because I hadn’t realized he’d stepped out of the OR.
Cyan nodded. "I want to be here when he wakes up."
"We don’t normally do this, but you’ve had a difficult day, honey. So, would you like to see him?"
"Yes, please!" The eagerness in her voice hurt my soul. The desperate need for her dog to be alive had me praying that he didn’t die.
God, I’d spent half the time bitching about the damn thing that peed everywhere like we were living in a litter box, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to die.
"You need to promise that once you’ve seen him, you’ll go home, though. Fraction doesn’t need you to be sick because you’re so tired. When he’s able to go home, he’ll need a lot of TLC."
Cyan’s head bobbed so fast it was a wonder she didn’t give herself whiplash. "I promise!"
As she darted to her feet, trailing after the veterinarian as he took her to see Fraction, I closed my eyes and shuddered, able to let go now that she wasn’t in the vicinity.
"I’m sorry, baby girl." Storm dropped onto his knees before he slid his arms around me and held me tight.
I swore he was the only thing that kept me together as he allowed me to break down in his embrace.
"You’re safe, you’re both safe," he rumbled, the words triggering a soft vibration in my ear that made me shiver a little. "I’m so sorry you had to do that—"
Swallowing, I whispered, "I’m not pure anymore, Storm."
Was it messed up that that concerned me? He’d always made such a big deal out of it—
His eyes tangled with mine and for the longest time, I felt certain he was going to get up, walk into that room with Cyan and…
Jesus, what?
Take her away from me because I wasn’t a suitable mom anymore?
Storm would never, ever do that.
"You’ll always be my angel," he remarked gently, that penetrative stare making me feel like he was looking into my damn soul.
I’d never felt anything like it. Nothing more invasive but loving all at the same time.
"I’ve never been an angel," I countered, surprised to see a smile dance around his lips.
"Some angels are demons too," he rasped, and those words had a shaky breath escaping me, as if, at long last, I could inhale and exhale to the full extent. I almost sagged on the seat, annoyed at myself by how much those words resonated.
I’d killed a woman who’d made it her life’s mission to destroy me, to steal my husband, to devastate my family, and to decimate my world.
She’d brought enemies into my home, had allowed men who wished to do my family harm to breach our safe place, and had done it all with a smile.
She needed to die.
And I needed to be the one who sent her back to her maker.
That was nothing to be ashamed of, but Storm…
He was so hooked up on my purity.
His hands cupped my face again, and slowly, gently, he pressed his lips to mine. "I want to brand you, Keira."
My eyes flared wide at that. "Huh?"
"You heard me." His chin tipped up. "Do you want that?"
Bemusement, bewilderment, astonishment, each of them encompassed what I felt about his declaration. None of them explained why I felt the most beautiful sense of joy. Of wonder. Of relief.
"Please."
One word.
He dipped his chin.
One reaction.
I was going to be his Old Lady in truth, which was when I accepted how jealous I’d been of my Posse sisters.
They were branded, but I wasn’t.
That was going to change.
I heard a soft sob coming from the room where the vet had taken our daughter, and it brought me back down to earth with a bang. The realization of what had happened, what she’d seen and what she’d done… God, she was a baby who’d experienced a war zone.