CHAPTER 13
HONOR
After the heavy news that Axle and Luca laid on us, the next few days are wrought with tension and worry.
My party for becoming an Ol’ Lady is put on hold. Not that I mind. Parties are the last thing on my mind. Luca did give me my cut, and we’ll have a party once we put this Irish thing to bed.
It pisses me off that our lives have been put on hold again. They’ve taken so much from us already, and now this? Luca was looking into them, but so far hadn’t found anything that tied them to the family that had put a hit out on Angel’s father.
Jake hadn’t held anything back; he’d shared everything that he had from the case when he’d been protecting Angel.
There was no connection that anyone could find. But like Luca said, he didn’t believe in coincidence, especially when Mulally now also refused to meet with the club at a different location.
Not that I was going to let it stop us living because then he’d win. Angel, Siera, and Fern have agreed. The men want to wrap us up in bubble wrap, and none of us are having any of that.
The only one who understood, is Jake.
But then he’d been a Marshal for many years; he understood how being on the run affects lives.
The night we’d called the meeting and had the family dinner that Angel and I had cooked, was the night I realised not only how strong Angel was, but how much she’d suffered.
She’d laid it out for them in a way they could understand.
“Look, I understand you all want to keep us safe. And you will. We’ll all work together to make sure we’re as safe as we can be.
But, you have to understand that I lived years on the run from these motherfuckers.
They’ve taken enough from me. I lost my man, my daughter, and my mother.
They’re not taking anything else. Who knows how long this will take.
I’ve got faith in all of you.” She paused, and looks around the table at each of the men.
“You need to have faith in us. We’ll take being followed by brothers or prospects.
We’ll be armed and we’ll stay alert. But I’m not changing the way we live.
If we do, then they win, and I’m fucked if I’m letting them win. ”
Her speech settled everyone down. My heart ached though. She’d been through so much, at no fault of her own. When she slipped out a few minutes later, I followed, finding her on the porch arms wrapped around herself, shoulders shaking, head bowed.
My heart broke, seeing her like this. I hadn’t been able to help myself; walking up behind her, I wrapped my arms around her. She jerked, then relaxed when I whispered, “I’m sorry you’re hurting.”
Angel straightened and patted my hands at her waist before she wiped at her cheeks. “Thank you, sweetheart. I needed a minute. It all hit me at once.”
She turned and smiled up at me. She’s smiling, but there’s so much sadness in her eyes that it’s hard to meet them. It hits me how truly alike we are. It’s like looking into a mirror. I’m much taller than her, but our faces are so alike it’s uncanny.
That little piece that I’d been holding back crumbled and fell. I’d grown up with wonderful parents because Angel had made sure that I would. I may never call her Mom, but she was my mom. And she loved me. A lot.
Lowering my head, I rested my forehead on her shoulder, “Thank you,” I whispered. I don’t have to explain. She knew. Angel’s arms circled me and she ran a hand over my head.
“You never have to thank me for looking after you. I loved you when you were a small pea inside me, I loved you with every kick, and I loved you when I placed you in Hannah’s arms knowing that I was making the right choice. To keep you safe, I’d do it all again. That’s how much I love you.”
My breath hitched and I started to cry. Tears streamed down my cheeks in rivers soaking into Angel’s shoulder. My shoulder’s just as damp. I’m not sure how long we stand like that. We purged all the grief and pain of the past. It was exhausting.
When we could breathe again without crying, we moved to the swing on the porch curling up together. I dragged the blanket from the back over us. We talked. About everything and anything. It was needed. It was cleansing and it made us stronger.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to call you Mom,” I admitted softly. Angel pressed her lips to my head.
“You had a mom sweetheart, and she was an amazing one. I knew Hannah would be the best mom the day I met her. I’m thrilled for you that she was. I don’t need to be called Mom. You call me whatever you want.”
I sighed and curled up deeper into Angel's embrace. Lowering a foot, I pushed at the porch floor with my toe, and set the swing into motion as I thought about what she’s said.
“Angel,” I stated, tilting my head back to look at her. “You were aptly named when they named you that.”
She blinked hard then smiled. “Angel it is.”
“Thank you,” I said softly. She inhaled a shaky breath and a tear dripped onto my hand. Lifting my hand, I used my jumper to wipe her cheeks. “No more crying.”
She sniffed and gave a sharp nod. “No more crying,” she agreed. “And we don’t let these fuckers take this away from us.”
“Agreed.”
That’s where Luca and Axle find us twenty minutes later, still talking softly.
We are both lighter for clearing the air. And I have no doubt that if anyone tried to fuck with me, Angel would go mama bear on their ass.
Same as if they messed with Mason and Reed, they’d have me to contend with.
And there was nobody as ferocious as a mother on the rampage.