Page 49 of Eros
Janea’s beautiful smile crossed her face as she stuck her hand out toward my father. “Hi, Axe. I’m Janea Thorne. It’s so nice to meet you.”
My father looked down at her hand, then back at her. “I don’t shake hands with beautiful women, sweetheart,” he said, then pulled her in for a hug. “Welcome to the family.”
Janea pulled away, laughing. “Thank you. I wish we were meeting under different circumstances. But thank you for coming.”
My father shrugged. “Whatever my boy needs.”
He faced me and then pulled me into a hug. He slapped my back a couple of times. “You did good, son. She’s fucking stunning,” he whispered in my ear. “Don’t fuck it up.”
I laughed as we let go of each other. “I don’t plan to. I think she’s the one.”
“Shit, I can see why,” he said, laughing.
“You ready to get this done?” I asked him.
His attention slid back to Janea, and warmth filled his eyes I’d only ever seen happen with his grandson.
“You seem like a sweet girl,” my father said. “You got to be if my son is going through all this for ya. Do you really want to be a part of this?” he asked. “Niko filled me in on everything, but the decision you made will affect you for the rest of your life, darling. My son cares about you, so that means your well-being is something I care about, too. I want you to be sure because this is going to get ugly.”
I asked her over and over again, was she absolutely sure she wanted to be a part of this. I had no problem handling everything, so she didn’t have to. I wanted to spare her from the trauma she would experience because I love her. I didn’t want anything to hurt her. But she assured me she wanted to see it through. For her mother’s sake. I understood. I really did. I just wanted her to be prepared for what would happen, especially the emotional turmoil after everything was done.
Revenge was a sweet thing, but it came at a high price. She would never forget what it felt like taking a life. Some enjoyedthe adrenaline rush, most loathed it. However, taking the life of someone she loved—a parent no less, that shit would stick with her until the day she died. She had to be absolutely sure she wanted to be a part of this because once it was done, there were no take backs. Her father was going to be dead.
A small smile blanketed her face. “I loved my father once, but that man no longer exists. He needs to pay for what he did to my mother. She deserves justice, and this is the only way she’s going to get it.”
My father gazed at her for a moment, then gave her a curt nod. “If you’re ready, I think it’s time to get this over with.”
I wrapped my arm around Janea’s shoulder and pulled her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head against my chest. “Thank you for doing this for me,” she said, her voice muffled against my chest. “I love you, Niko.”
My heart stopped beating inside my chest. I had already confessed my true feelings to her, but I didn’t expect her to say it back anytime soon. But hearing her say those three simple words that carried so much weight made me feel like I was floating on cloud nine.
“I love you, too, sweetheart. Let’s get this done so we can move on with our lives.”
She nodded. “Let’s finish this.”
Falling in love was something I never expected to happen to me. I always thought it would be me, Ambrose, my Pop, and my club. I was prepared to die a single man never really knowing what true love was, then Janea came into my life. And now, I was looking forward to our future together.
“Savage Order! Demons United! Let’s ride!” I shouted. “We got shit to do!”
Cheers erupted around the clubhouse. The boys had been restless, but tonight all that ended. Today marked the beginning of the end for Roger Thorne.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Janea
Iwasn’tsurprisedErosfound the ideal spot to hide my dad away from the city. Though you could hear the far-off drone of traffic and the rumble of planes above, civilization was miles away. Spending time with Eros helped me realize how resourceful he truly was. Even though he presented himself as a biker to the world, he was much more than that.
Since we hadn’t been together for long, we haven’t had the time to sit and really talk about our lives outside of this situation. I hoped all that changed.
We used an old service road partially overgrown with trees and bushes to reach the secluded site. The area was littered with old buildings with broken windows, and covered in graffiti, trees, and overgrown vines. The only sign of civilization were a few motorcycles and SUVs parked out front. Although it looked like no one had been here for years, there was no way Eros had just stumbled on this place.
“Where are we?” I asked when he parked his bike, then killed the engine.
I’d never been on the back of a bike before, but it was one of the most freeing experiences I’d ever had. I understood the draw to riding one especially on the back. Eros promised to take me on a scenic ride once all this died down. I think I’d need that time after I finished this.
“It’s best you don’t know,” Eros said, helping me off the bike.
He was always so secretive about this part of his life, but it was something I had to get used to if we were going to make this thing work after all this was over. There was no point arguing about something I knew wouldn’t change. So, I just nodded and followed without questioning him.
