Her eyes widened. "We are?"
I didn’t need to ask if she was okay with that. She looked more excited than when I’d told her we were going back to West Orange for her birthday.
"We are," I confirmed, sucking in a breath as I opened the back door to the SUV to shepherd her in before I climbed into the passenger seat.
As she talked about what the vet had told her, I reached for my phone which I’d left in the glove compartment, then winced when I saw a couple hundred messages from the Posse.
Giulia: What the hell is going on down there, Keira? I heard Nyx telling Rex about something Storm had said.
Indy: Sounds like a game of telephone to me.
Lily: You’re not supposed to listen in to their conversations.
Giulia: Stop being such a goody two shoes.
Lily: I’m not! The last time I did it, I got the completely wrong story.
Giulia: I know when Nyx is concerned or not.
Indy: Yeah, seeing as you concern him the most.
I rolled my eyes at that, then scrolled down, seeing the women’s worry with my own two eyes and feeling it, really feeling it. It was good to be included. Five hundred miles away, and they still considered me a part of it.
Me: Posse, I’m fine. I’ll talk to you in the morning though. Things were crazy today, but Storm, Cyan, and I, we’re all safe and well. Thank you for caring. <3
I saw the little dots as they started to reply, but I needed to message Lodestar first.
Me: Lodestar? You and I need to have a conversation about what you’ve taught my daughter.
It took barely five seconds for her to reply.
Lodestar: I apparently taught her just enough to keep herself safe.
Me: She almost shot me.
Lodestar: ALMOST is the key word there.
Fuming, I growled under my breath.
Me: You had no right to teach her that!
Lodestar: I didn’t teach her. I taught Katina. Cyan watched. I would never impose lessons upon another person’s daughter, but upon my own, that’s different. I want Katina to know how to handle a weapon.
Me: She’s a baby!
Lodestar: Babies don’t stay babies for long in this world. And I’m not just talking about the MC world either. In general.
Lodestar: I was raised in an unorthodox way, but I had security all around me. Someone still got to my mom, and to this day, I regret not knowing how to fire a gun. Not knowing how to protect myself and her, because if I’d known, I’d have been able to save her.
I felt the truth in her words, felt them resonating inside me like the ringing noise of a tuning fork as it whistled in my ears.
She meant it.
Her mom had been murdered.
If she’d been able to fire a gun, she could have saved her.
I accepted that kids saw things differently than adults, but Lodestar truly believed what she was saying.
Me: I’m sorry.
Lodestar: Don’t be. Happened a long time ago.
Me: I’m still sorry that you lost your mom.
Lodestar: I’m glad you’re alive.
A soft laugh escaped me.
Me: Me too.
Me: Don’t expect Storm to be as easily persuaded as me about this.
Lodestar: I’m prepared to butt heads with him. Don’t worry.
Grimacing as I expected him to come away with more bruises than her, I just typed out:
Me: Don’t be too hard on him. She nearly took ten years off both our lives.
When she didn’t reply, I turned to my other chats.
As much as the others had drawn me into their gang, I was a part of my own growing Posse down here. Maybe it was just a two-woman thing right now, but after today, after Darla had paid the ultimate price, I felt obligated to her, obligated to do something. To be more at ease with the Old Ladies, to seek their acceptance.
She’d died for me.
Sure, she hadn’t meant to, but that didn’t take away from her sacrifice.
Her kid was going to grow up without a mom and a dad now.
Because of us.
The thought had tears pricking my eyes as I read MC’s chat:
MC: You need anything, K, I’m there. Okay?
MC: I can’t believe that Kendra bitch.
MC: Digger says she’s dead. I’m really glad.
MC: I’m here if you need me.
MC: If Fraction dies, I’m going to ask Digger where he’s keeping those SOBs so I can stab them myself.
I replied:
Me: I’m fine, MC. Please, don’t worry. Good news re. Fraction. The vet seemed hopeful about him making it through the night.
MC: Phew! I’m so glad, K. Cyan didn’t need that on top of everything else.
Thanking God that only Storm and I knew about what had gone down in my bedroom, I just replied:
Me: We’re going to stay at the clubhouse for a few days. Tell me if you have a problem with Kelly. He might be better off at the clubhouse, too, with friends and family around.
MC: He cried himself to sleep. I tried to help but he wouldn’t let me.
Me: Understandable.
MC: I know, but I just wish there were something I could do.
Me: I’m so relieved you weren’t there, MaryCat. I don’t know what I’d do if you’d gotten hurt as well.
MC: <3 I hope you know I feel the same way. These past months have been bearable because of you and Cyan. You’ve both helped me so much. You didn’t have to take me in as much as you did.
Me: Hush. We moms have to stick together.
MC: I guess we do. <3
MC: What a crazy day.
Me: That about sums it up. I gtg but talk later.
MC: Night, K xox
The second I finished that convo, another text chat popped up.
Link.
A smile danced around my lips.
Link: Heard someone took out the trash tonight.
Me: Well, you guys didn’t leave me much choice.
Me: Typical men… always forgetting the basic chores.
Link: Lol. I’ll accept that. Proud of you, sweetheart. So fucking proud of you.
Me: Link, Storm offered to brand me.
Link: Wow, that’s awesome, honey!! I’m so glad.
Link: Maybe now he’ll figure shit out in his head. Not saying you don’t have a beautiful soul, Keira, but babe, the dude thought you walked on fucking water. Shit got creepy years ago.
Me: It feels good not to be on a pedestal anymore.
Link: I’ll bet.
Me: GTG, Link. Thank you for always being there.
Link: Honor’s all mine. I always will be, Keira. Now Storm’s there, and Lily’s here, that don’t change our friendship.
Oddly relieved, a sigh whispered from my lips.
Me: I’m glad.
I thought back to that day after Rene’s death. When the brother who hung around the house sometimes, who never left dirty dishes on the coffee table and brought them into the kitchen to help me out, had turned into a friend.
Me: Never want to lose you as a friend, Link.
Link: And you never will. Give Cyan a kiss from me, yeah?
Me: Will do. xo
"Mom?"
Realizing she’d stopped talking about Fraction, I cast Cyan a look in the backseat. "Yes, baby?"
"You and Dad… you’re not going to send me away, are you?"
My brow furrowed. "Why on Earth would you think that, sweetheart?"
"I don’t know. I just… I don’t want to go anywhere. I-I, please, don’t send me away. I know I’m trouble. I know I’m bad, but please, I don’t want to—please, I can’t—"