Page 72 of Devil's Work: Dark

None of it.

Rae uses a cane to help her walk and stand until she gets her energy back. She’s up at the podium we have set up. The mic turned on.

She clears her throat to get everyone’s attention. “I want to thank you all for coming today,” she starts. Her voice is thick with tears. “It’s a hard day for me.” She sniffles. “Dela and I were all each other had for a long time. People came in and left our lives, but we always had one another to count on.” She clears her throat. “Del didn’t always make the best decisions in her life—but at the heart of her, she was a good woman.” When Rae breaks down, I hand Lacy off to Nic and tell Ty to stay next to her, then I get up to jog over to her.

God. Rae is so strong, so to see her crumbling like this is gut-wrenching. I fucking hate this for her. “I’m here, baby,” I whisper in her ear. She presses her face against my chest, gripping my jacket with both hands. Her knees begin to buckle and I’m the only thing keeping her upright.

“My baby sister,” she cries and I hold her with everything in me.

“Mumma.” Ty shouts, sounding like he’s crying again, too.

“She’s just sad, bud,” I call out. Then just to Rae, I ask, “You want the kids up here?” She nods her head, still pressed against my chest. “Come here, Ty,” I call over to him this time. “Nic.” Nicola immediately stands to walk the kids over to me. I take Baby Girl in my arms and Ty wraps his little body around both me and Rae.

Rae takes one more shuddering breath then stands up straight, wipes at her eyes, and turns back to the podium. Her hand falls to Ty’s head. The kid still clings to our legs. “We were all each other had. But then, I got to be the mom to two of the best kids ever. And I met Dark. He gave me all of you. Even without Dela, I’m not alone. I have a whole MC family now and I want you all to know how grateful I am to know you. Dela almost had you too—”

“Fuck that!” Green shoots up from his chair and lets fly the arm holding the bottle of Knob. It hits the podium, smashing all over the place. If Ty had been on only my leg or only Rae’s instead of in the middle, glass and booze would’ve covered him because it’s all on us. I start to rush him, but I’m stopped by Ty and Rae keeping me in my spot while Green gets tackled by way of a pissed-off Reaper.

“Know you’re sad. Know you’re pissed,” he barks at Green. “You don’t take that out on Rae or the kids. Pull that shit again and I end you.” The whole time, Green is thrashing, trying to pull away from Reaper, and Cutter and Rough, who joined Reaper to get Green in line.

The three stronger brothers escort Green to the back of the cemetery.

Rae squares her shoulders. “I know Green loved my sister, and I’m sorry he doesn’t get to see where life would take them together. I’m so, so sorry… Mrs. Smith”—she addresses Winky’s mom—“Dale was a good man.”

Hewasa good man. But he doesn’t really resemble the woman crying over him. At least not that I can tell from her red hair tied in a knot at the top of her head. Can’t see her eyes, face is different. Fuck if I had any idea his name was Dale Smith. Which means fuck if I know, does he look like his dad or could he have been adopted? How the hell does Rae know his name?

Mrs. Smith wails harder.

“He protected me and my kids. He didn’t have to. I know my words mean nothing to you right now, but still, it has to be said. Your son died a hero. Me and my kids are forever indebted to the good, strong, kind, heroic man that you raised.”

That’s all she’s got left in her. “You did brilliant, baby,” I whisper while walking her and the kids, my family, back to the empty seats in the front row left open for us.

We’ve got a lot of healing to do.

Then we’ve got a killer to catch.

21

RAE

“No!” She’s dying. Dela’s dying right in front of my eyes and there’s nothing I can do to stop it from happening. I try to save her. I try and try, but there’s so much blood. She’s so quiet. Not a trace of sound. “Dela!” I shriek her name.

“Rae.” I feel something shaking me and hear Dark’s voice. This isn’t right. Dark isn’t here. It’s just me and Dela and the maniac. “Rae,” he shouts again. My eyes pop open andshit. It’s happened again. Dark and I are in bed. The lights are out. It’s night and I was dreaming again.

“Sorry,” I mumble, feeling incredibly stupid once again.

“Nothing to be sorry about, but we had an agreement.”

“I know. I—” She sighs.

“We agreed that if the dreams didn’t go away on their own, then you had to see somebody. Not having you get hooked on some shit to make yourself feel better. Dusty got the name of this therapist from Dr. Brennan-Ellis. He specializes in this type of trauma, baby. He helped the Lords’ women after their shit went down.”

I nod. “Okay. Does Dusty need to give me a referral?”

“If she does, it’ll be done in the morning. We’re all worried about you. Four months and you’re still having ’em as regular as you were when we first got you back. It scares the kids. You don’t sleep.”

“Dark…” She lets my name say it all.

“Love you baby. Not losing you to memories.”

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