Page 38 of Thunder

That earned him a laugh.

“Be serious,” she scolded with no pepper. “I thought I had lost you when I never even really had you.”

Fuck, I’m done for.She was trying to comfort him when what he’d said had been uncalled for. It should be him trying to make up for that night. And he would make up for it. They hadn’t professed their undying love for each other or anything that traditional. But there she stood, open and raw. Maybe she could accept this ol’ lady thing better than he thought. He hoped, anyway.

“You’ve got me. I’m not going anywhere.”

18

ANDREA

Whiskey wanted to monitor Thunder, at least until the pain meds he’d given him wore off. He’d muscled a recliner over so she could stay close to Thunder while he slept it off.

“How long do you think he’ll be out?” As much as she wanted him to wake up so they could talk, she also didn’t want him in pain. Flesh wound or not, having a hot bullet slice a path through skin had to hurt.

“At least another four hours. If you haven’t noticed, your man is stubborn as shit. If he’s awake, he’s going to be flailing about and that’s not good for the stitches. So, I double dosed him.” Whiskey’s smile was blinding.

“He’s not my man, but yeah. I have noticed the stubborn streak. It’s kinda hard to miss.”

A rich, deep laugh cut through the stillness of the room. “I like you, Andy. If that fucker doesn’t get his shit together, they’ll be lined up to take his place, me included. You ever hear of the Moirai?”

“The sisters of fate from mythology?”

“Damn, all that and brains too, yeah, the sisters. Anyway, my abuela, who wasn’t Hispanic, by the way.” Whiskey looked her way shocked and held his hand against his chest. “I know, right? Because I am the picture of a Mexican god, but no. No one in our family knows fuckall about her actual heritage, but that’s not important. Anyway, she used to tell me the story of the three sisters. The spinner, the allotter, and the inflexible.”

Andy hung on his every word. “You can wiki all that if you want, but what you can’t wiki is my abuela’s version. She used to tell me, Mateo, what others tell is only half the story. One of the sisters, but I can’t tell you which, Mijo. Well, she fell in love with a mortal, one who wasn’t long for the world. They met in secret, and despite everything, she made a deal with the other sisters. A deal that bargained for him to find a mortal love with his short time, but at a price.”

Andy gasped.

“She loved him so much, she traded something valuable for his happiness.”

She’d never know that depth of love.

“Anyway, the sisters broke the rules and intervened, doing as the sister wanted. The gods were not happy with their interference, and well, because gods are dicks, they crave ultimate power, and like to fuck with the life of mortals.”

Andy giggled. “Oh, did I not mention my abuela has a foul mouth and a nasty temper?”

Andy hung on his every word. “The gods were unable to stop the sisters once they learned how to manipulate the fate of love, and because of the bargain struck between them. Which my abuela never told me what that was.”

Andy turned her head toward Thunder when he tossed his head side to side before settling. Whiskey rose to check on him.

“So, where was I? Oh, yes, gods pissed. Anyway, since they couldn’t stop the sisters, they run interference. Now, when they look down upon us mortals and see a pair of fated lovers with a connection as strong as the genesis couple of the sisters’ meddling, they step in. Fuck with the pairing to stick it to the sisters. Take something away or cause massive chaos and interference. So, I guess I wondered if you’d lost something? Something that changed the trajectory of your future?”

Andy was a skeptic and non-believer of most things she couldn’t see, hear, taste, or touch, but she had goose bumps so bad she shivered. Whiskey must’ve noticed her rubbing her arms because he grabbed a blanket and pillow from the cabinet. Once he had her settled and cozy, he reclined the chair back for her.

“I didn’t mean to freak you out. I have that effect on people when I talk about my grandmother. I’ll tell you a secret, her shit freaks me out too, but they’re just stories to pass the time. You looked like you could use a distraction. Anyway, he will wake up soon. Please, push that button over there. It’s a direct intercom to my room. I’ll come and walk him back to his room. His legs might be a bit wobbly, and he’s a big fucker. Get some sleep yourself, alright?”

She nodded.

“Good. ‘Night, sister.”

Whiskey dropped a kiss on her forehead and gave her shoulder a firm squeeze before he walked out of the room.

As much as she wanted to sleep, Whiskey’s story kept her awake. Again, she was not someone who bought into that kind of bullshit, but damn if his abuela’s tale didn’t hit close to home. Shehadlost something. Something huge.

She studied Thunder in his drug-induced sleep. It was déjà vu all over again. Instead of staring at him like a creep or sleeping like any sane person would’ve, she texted Lexi.

ANDY: Please, take good care of Fern, she’s probably lonely without me.

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