Page 37 of Thunder

“Prez, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like—”

Granite silenced him with a look. “We’re talking about you and that woman you put in danger out there. A woman you obviously care about on some level. Why didn’t you just pull out?”

Thunder was on the defensive now. “I did, the minute I saw the shadow.”

“Damn it, you thick-headed son of a… I mean pull out of the situation, not your dick. You should’ve never pursued. You left Andy vulnerable not minutes after you vowed to all of us you’d protect her.”

Granite was right, he usually was. Thunder left her open. The shooter could’ve taken aim and ended her while he’d been knocked on his ass. If he’d just let the first fucker run off into the night, he wouldn’t have been in the path of the other. He wouldn’t have gotten shot, and he would’ve already told Andy what she needed to know.

“You’re right, Prez. I screwed the pooch. It won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t. I’ll send in your girl. I expect her to know the truth by tomorrow night. We’re going after Petty. In case shit goes sideways, I want all our weak spots here until we get her.”

By weak spots, he meant girlfriends, old ladies, hang-arounds, anyone they even remotely gave a shit about.

“Whiskey.” Granite halted his exit. “That includes Caleb. Go get him in a cage, I’ll not have that fucking Vespa parked out there with real sleds.”

Thunder chuckled at Granite’s disgust, but also at the smile he only got when thinking of Caleb. Granite hired Theresa’s kid to clean the garage when he was still in high school. Since then, he’d gone through three scooters and a mountain bike. Each one a little bit better than the one before, but still fucking scooters.

“Didn’t you hear, Prez, he’s riding a Yamaha now? He’s big time.” Thunder and Whiskey laughed; Granite groaned.

“Like that’s any better. I don’t care what it is, take a car. It ain’t coming on property.”

Thunder wondered if Granite was just being stubborn or if he was just that clueless about Caleb. The kid would be a Phantom someday, regardless of all their president’s moaning and groaning. It was obvious his intent was to protect him from the dangers that came with the life. It was also obvious that if Caleb was coming in for lockdown as a weak spot, he was already deep enough. The danger was his, with or without a back patch.

Thunder, however, wasn’t stupid enough to point that out. Once the door closed and Granite was gone, Whiskey commented what Thunder had been thinking. “Not a clue. Not a fucking clue. The man practically adopted that kid years ago and pretends he’s just someone who sweeps the damn floors.” Whiskey shook his head. “Heaven help us all when the kid finally gets a proper sled. I’ll sponsor him in myself if Granite still has his head in the sand about it. I think he’d make a fine addition to the club.”

“Amen, brother. And, he needs to get his shit together and claim Theresa while he’s at it.”

“Ha,” Whiskey scoffed. “You’re a fine one to talk about getting off your ass or claiming an ol’ lady.”

Before Thunder could respond, Andy walked in. She looked beautiful, but worried and tired. The way her face morphed when their eyes clashed chipped away at a barrier another woman had erected.

“Hey, babe,” Thunder greeted. Andy smiled at him and then turned to Whiskey… and threw herself into his arms.

“What the hell? I’m the one who was shot. Where’s my healing love?”

Andy ignored him, but Whiskey held his hands out away from her body as she hung from his neck. He could hear her tears.

“Thank you.”

Simple. Two words. Those two syllables held the weight of his life, by virtue of them being spoken by her, his heart. Thunder decided right then, he was going to make a run at this whole settling down thing. If Andy gave him a chance, them a chance, she would not regret it. He made that mistake once and he wouldn’t do that again.

When she finally released Whiskey and stepped up to his side, he realized that settling down with a woman like her wouldn’t be a bad thing.No, it will be a damn good thing.

“I am so glad you’re okay. Don’t ever scare me like that again. Promise?” Andy’s eyes sparkled with the buds of tears. They still had a lot to figure out together. A lot to learn about each other, but that was ol’ lady behavior if he’d ever seen it.

Thunder smiled. Using the arm that wasn’t throbbing, he cupped her neck and brought his mouth to hers. With their lips touching, he said, “Promise.” Then he kissed her with an emotion and a mindset he hadn’t before. He wasn’t thinking of pleasure. His thoughts were on the connection of a kiss. The intimacy.

This was new to him. In all his years, he’d never put intimacy into a kiss. Not even with Melissa. That admission brought a flood of memories, but also a touch of clarity which led to another piece of his wall coming down. Not that what she’d done to him was justified, but maybe, just maybe some of her actions were partially reactions.

He’d unintentionally ended the kiss, but their lips still touched. A warm tear fell down the side of his cheek. When he realized it belonged to Andy, it felt scalding hot.

Thunder shifted his hand from her neck to wipe her tears away. Her lids slid closed. She burrowed into his touch. Her beauty robbed him of his words.

“There was so much blood,” she breathed barely above a whisper, as if in disbelief. “So much, I thought.” She choked back more tears. “About how I’d never get to tell you that me not remembering the most amazing night of my life had nothing to do with you being inadequate or anything like that.”

“Shush, babe, shush. We have time, I’m fine. ‘Tis but a scratch.” He added with an English accent.

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