Page 79 of Resilience

Athena hadn’t thought of that, but now she felt like a dope. Obviously, the only way to be sure Hunter didn’t report who’d hurt him was if he wasn’t around to tell. Also, he was known to be connected to the Bulls through her, and the Bulls were known to be violent. If he was badly hurt, even if he didn’t tell, his father would look directly at the club first. That she had known; it was her whole rationale for wanting to keep the secret.

Which she had utterly failed at before she gave up trying.

When Dad saw that she’d processed his explanation, he added, “He dies, starlight. I will not let that motherfucker keep breathing. I don’t want you involved in that. I want you safe, and I don’t want it in your head to deal with for the rest of your life.”

She grabbed his hands before he could continue. Then she signed, “Dad. This happened to me. Please don’t push me to the sidelines. I know you want to protect me, but I need to be involved with this. What he did is in my head, and I’m furious. I’m so mad, Dad. I have to be part of the payback. Even if it’s just watching.”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t want you to see me or Sam or anybody who helps do this thing. I’ve worked your whole life to keep this part of the club away from you.”

“Do you really think any of us kids don’t understand? The others overhear a lot, and they share it with everybody else. And we all see things, Dad. Every lockdown, every funeral, what do you think we all think? We know our family.”

Dad looked away, studying the shelves of burner phones, walkie-talkies, bug zappers, and other gear. Again he sighed so big his chest swelled and his shoulders rose and dropped.

“We wanted you to have a normal childhood.”

“Well, that was just plain dumb. You’re a Bull and Mom’s a PI. Where’s the normal?” He laughed, and she grinned. “Besides, normal is boring. I had a great childhood. And I love my family.” She leaned close. “Hunter took my choice away from me. Please don’t do that, too.”

“Okay. Let me think some things out, and talk to your mom, too. We need to handle this sooner than later, but tonight, we’ve got a party. This can wait another day or two. Agreed?”

“Yes, absolutely. One-hundred percent.”

He clasped her face between his meaty palms and kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you to the moon,” he signed when he let her go.

“And back,” she finished. Then she launched herself forward and hugged him as hard as she could.

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~oOo~

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Though the club had just been through more trouble, had had more losses, and Gunner would be in the hospital for quite a while longer, the party that night eventually rolled into the usual wild, rowdy scene. It was reunion and celebration of the end of that trouble, and it was also the celebration of two new patches: Sam and Monty.

Because most of their family was just now learning that they were a couple, and most of their family had been hoping for, or at least joking about, that for a long time, the party was also a sort of sideways celebration of Sam and Athena. For that reason, Sam got off light on the ‘get the newbie as wasted as possible without killing him’ ritual. Every time somebody called Sam and Monty over for a monster shot of something, somebody else made a joke about Sam needing his dick to get hard tonight.

Athena would have been spared from most of those gross jokes except that pretty much everybody remembered to sign while they spoke. At least until they were all too drunk to remember words at all.

If those jokes were the reason Sam wasn’t pass-out drunk on the first night they could actually be together, Athena was willing to pay the price.

She paid careful attention to when the party shifted from an intentional celebration to the usual drunken chaos. Sam was definitely buzzed, but not so drunk he was no longer driving his brain or his body. Even at his patch party, Sam didn’t get sloppy drunk. He was just loose and content.

Athena hated to be drunk, so she was fine.

He was leaning on the bar, talking with Jay, Duncan, Chris, and Monty. She came up and slipped her fingers between his.

“Hey, baby,” he signed at once. “You good?”

“Yep, I’m good.”

“Looks like little Athena’s got some lovin’ on her mind,” Jay signed, because he was a butt like that.

She put on a spicy grin and flipped him off, because he deserved it. Everybody, including Jay, laughed big.

“Back off, asshole,” Sam signed. He was smiling, but Athena saw an edge to it. He looked down at her. “Do you need me?”

“That’s what I’m sayin’,” Jay signed.

Sam whipped around and apparently gave him a warning look, because Jay made the sign for “I’m backing away slowly.” Looking at Athena, he signed, “Sorry, Athena.”

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