Page 10 of Aftershock's Fury

“I’m trained better than most of these men,” I say. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. Daddy made sure I could protect him and myself. The only reason I didn’t help him fight was because he shoved me into the safe room before I had the chance. I can shoot. I’m not afraid to kill if I have to.”

I stand up to my full height. With the four-inch heels, I’m nearly five ten.

“I’m getting a job and finishing my degree. I’ve studied too hard to throw that away. Daddy wouldn’t have wanted me to giveit up. Besides, where have you been the last ten years? Oh yeah, here, partying.” I wave my hand around the room.

I watch as the brow, which I don’t remember having a scar through it, drops and Rylan slowly stands from his chair. He’s so much bigger than I remember. So is Crue, but Rylan is even taller. He’s got to be almost a foot taller than me in my heels.

“You’re lucky, sister, that you are the princess. You’re very lucky I’ve become a calmer man. For ten years, I’ve been away from my family, unsure of where they were, and fighting the man who put a price on their heads. I’ve been here building an empire that our father never lived to see. His MC is not only feared but one of the richest in the area. I mean legally rich too, as in money reported to the tax men every year. I don’t party. This bar makes our organization money.”

He moves around the table toward me. Men push their chairs forward, afraid of him, and that’s when I no longer see my big brother but a determined, angry man.

“I’ve missed you very much,” he says, stunning me. “I didn’t get to be there to pound the boys I knew must have been chasing after your ass.”

We both turn when we hear the deep grumble, and I realize it’s Crue.

“You promised me, Shock,” my brother says.

“I know.” He steps back, and I’m bereft for some reason.

“I’ll let you get a job and go to school, but you will have my men on you until I put Aaronov in the ground.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I’ll put him in the ground. I watched his men torture our father.” Tears build up behind my eyes, and I blink them away. “I watched what they did to him. I watched them cut his throat. I saw them put that bullet between his eyes when he refused to give them access to me. I will watch the life drain from his eyes for that. Only then will I finally rest.”

I hear the rustling as the men sit up straighter at my words. Even though my father hasn’t led these men in years, he’s still respected. Hearing how he died, along with what I witnessed, doesn’t sit well with them.

Crue steps close to me and places his hand on my shoulder. But I’m so far in my head that I don’t think. I react.

Gripping his hand, I spin and flip him onto his back onto the floor.

“Holy fuck, that was hot,” one of the guys says.

Crue is up and on him in a flash. He grabs him and slams him against the wall.

“Hold on, Aftershock. Don’t blow up on me because your girl is hot as fuck kicking your ass.” The man has long hair, a full beard, and wears glasses pushed up to the top of his head, holding his hair back. He’s the epitome of a biker—until you notice the nerdy glasses. It’s a complete contradiction.

“Vortex, remember she is mine.” Crue turns to look at me, then walks over. “If I hadn’t promised your brother, you’d already be over my shoulder and on your way to my room.” He steps back, and I turn to Rylan.

“Rylan, please.”

“Compromise,” he says. “You’ll take the guards, and I’ll decide on the rest later.”

“Deal.” I hold out my hand to shake his, but he wraps his large, callused hand around mine and pulls me into his body.

“Welcome home, Low Low,” he says.

I sink into the hug as tears flow from my eyes. Fezzik shifts and presses into my side. I hear shuffling around us, but I ignore it. I just feel the love from my brother and the pain of losing our father.

The memories I locked up for years flash behind my eyes of him being the best big brother a little sister could ask for.

“It’s okay. I got you now.” His arms tighten around me, and I don’t know how long we stand like that.

When I finally pull away, Crue hands me some tissue, and I blow my nose and then take another to carefully wipe my eyes.

“This whole time, I thought you didn’t care,” I say to Rylan.

“I care. Father said I wasn’t allowed to see you or contact you, that Aaronov would find you if I did.”

“He never told me that.”

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