Chapter 4 Storm #2
Shit, do I tell her all Raven found out about Benjamin ‘Halo’ Dawson?
I wasn’t going to go to our technology sister but couldn’t resist it.
Seems like he’s a decorated war hero many times over.
Well, until the last mission, but from what the records state, it wasn’t his fault.
Somewhere along the line, a higher-up made a really bad call.
The rest is history, though I think some of that is what is haunting him, including being a prisoner of war for thirty-seven months.
It makes sense now why he’s comfortable around Panther, Avalanche, and the rest of the guys.
They also were prisoners of war, a different branch of military though.
Benji and Avalanche seem to be the tightest, and I get it.
Panther is like an empath, which makes him seem like the one to choose, except he’s paired off with the lunatic who is Shadow.
Or that’s what folks think until they get to know her personally.
Dallas, Chicago, Jersey, and George I don’t really know that well.
Well, Dallas and Chicago are a riot, especially when we are all drinking and just hanging out.
I’ve gotten to know those two since Shadow has had both Spirit and me out at Panther’s stud ranch a few times.
My sister clears her throat, so I take a gulp of my drink then turn to face her.
“First, don’t repeat anything I tell you, pinky promise.
I had Raven do a check on him since he doesn’t share anything.
His name is Benjamin but he only goes by Halo, though he told me I can call him Benji.
He served in the military. Something really bad happened when he was serving in the Delta Force section of the Army.
Dani, I looked it up and it said that only the best of the best people are chosen, based on certain skill sets.
He was a prisoner of war in the Middle East for over three years, give or take.
I know he is seeing a therapist at the sanctuary as I’ve seen Avalanche or Dallas driving him when I was coming out after one of my sessions.
When I saw Avalanche the other night, I asked him about Halo.
He point-blank told me he wasn’t breaking the trust of a brother, no matter what.
Then he whispered to me the brother is drowning in his own sorrows and to be careful. So that’s what I know about him, Dani.”
My sister thinks for a bit then lifts her head, looking at me, her face serious as can be.
“Be careful, Dottie, please. I’m not sure what it is but I have a very bad feeling in my gut, and you know I always follow those feelings.
Not sure if it’s Halo or something else, but that feeling is always there.
Be alert and don’t fall for anything or anyone.
Not even him. Make sure to check with Tink, as I’m sure Noodles knows more than anyone since he works with Ollie and his crew at the Blue Sky Sanctuary.
Yeah, I get it, can’t get into all that happens in therapy, but the other stuff that comes up in daily life should be fair game.
So that’s out of the way, what are you doing the rest of the night?
Taz and Enforcer invited everyone over for a barbecue.
I want to go but not alone, so are you going to go? ”
Son of a bitch, forgot all about that. Not feeling it but looking at Dani’s face, she really wants to go, probably to hang out with the kids and bust their asses at their video games, which she is a master at.
For someone so shy, my sister can kick ass on all of those games.
I lean forward, grabbing on to her shoulders, squeezing lightly.
“No, I had not planned on going, but seeing your face, yeah, I’ll go, but just for a little bit.”
She jumps up, doing her crazy-ass happy dance, which entails her shaking her ass and throwing her arms in the air like little Teddy does.
Then she turns, jumps on the couch, and hugs me.
Glad I can make someone happy, I think to myself.
Dani tells me we have like an hour and a half to get ready and go into town to pick something up to take to this barbecue.
She told me it’s kind of a pick-me-up for Atlas’s parents.
They are both struggling since they were kidnapped and brutalized.
More so Athena, Atlas’s mom, than his dad, Apollo.
We found them and took them back to town.
Their physical wounds have healed; it’s their emotional and mental ones they are currently working on.
Leave it to Taz to realize that bringing everyone together would help Atlas’s parents.
Especially since they are just about done building their home not too far from Taz and Enforcer, thanks to Tink, who sold a piece of the ranch to them after their ordeal.
Getting up, I head toward my bedroom so I can jump in the shower real fast, then find something to wear, dry my hair, and figure out what to bring.
In the back of my mind, I am half thinking of inviting Benji, though know I won’t.
This is more of a chosen family gathering and since he doesn’t even know all of my club sisters, let alone their significant others, figured this is one he can miss.
It dawns on me that I’m kind of thinking like someone in a relationship, which I definitely am not in.
I just feel bad for him, or that’s what I keep telling myself so I don’t have to face those feelings that scare the shit out of me.
Just pray I’m not putting too much faith in an absolute stranger.