Page 39 of Haunted By the Storm
Eric's eyes find mine one last time, a mixture of anger and what looks like fear flickering in their depths. "This isn't over, Camryn."
And then they're gone, the door closing behind them with a loud bang. I hear Ace on the phone with one of the prospects, growling and cursing at them for letting Eric and the other men into the compound.
I'm rooted to the spot, my legs suddenly weak with the aftermath of adrenaline. Storm turns to me, his expression a mixture of concern and barely contained rage.
"You okay?" he asks softly, for my ears only.
I nod, not trusting my voice. He steps closer, his hand coming to rest at the small of my back, steadying me.
"They're gone," he assures me. "They won't be back tonight."
"But they will be back," I say, finding my voice at last. "As long as Eric owes this Cantlay person money, they'll keep coming."
Storm's expression hardens. "We'll handle Cantlay. I promise you, this ends now."
Before I can respond, Emily comes running back into the room, her butterfly wings slightly askew from her hasty exit. "Mommy! Are the bad men gone?"
I crouch down to her level, checking her over instinctively though I know she's fine. "Yes, baby. The men are gone. Everything's okay now."
"Were they the ones making you scared?" she asks with the direct perception of a child. "The ones Storm is protecting us from?"
I hesitate, caught between the truth and the desire to shield her from it. "Something like that," I finally say. "But you don't need to worry about them. We're safe here."
She nods, accepting this with a trust that makes my heart ache. "Can we dance again? Sera and I were practicing our butterfly dance."
I glance at Storm, who gives a slight nod. "Go ahead," he says. "I'll make sure everything is secure."
As he moves away to speak with his brothers, the music slowly returns, though at a lower volume than before. The children, resilient as ever, resume their dancing and games,though the adults maintain a heightened vigilance, eyes regularly sweeping the room and checking the exits.
I watch Emily rejoin Sera, their butterfly and biker costumes creating an odd but somehow perfect pairing as they twirl together. Despite everything, despite the lingering fear and uncertainty, I feel a strange sort of peace settling over me.
For eight years, I've lived with the threat of Eric hanging over me, the fear that he might someday return and try to take Emily from me. Tonight, that fear materialized, and was faced down not just by me, but by an entire community of people who, for reasons I'm still trying to understand, have decided that Emily and I are worth protecting.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Storm's voice breaks through my reverie as he returns to my side.
"Just thinking about how strange life is," I say honestly. "A month ago, I would never have imagined being at a biker clubhouse Halloween party, dressed as a night butterfly."
"Regrets?" he asks, his tone deliberately light but his eyes serious.
I look at Emily, happily dancing with her new friends, then back at Storm. "No," I say, surprising myself with how much I mean it. "No regrets."
A slow smile spreads across his face, transforming his features from intimidating to handsome in a way that still takes my breath away. "Good. Because neither do I."
The music shifts to something slower, and he holds out his hand to me. "Dance with me?"
I hesitate only a moment before placing my hand in his, allowing him to lead me to the edge of the dance floor. His arm encircles my waist, pulling me close but not too close, respectful of the public setting and the children nearby.
"Storm?" I say as we begin to sway to the music. "Thank you for what you did tonight. For everything you've been doing."
His hand tightens slightly at my waist. "You don't need to thank me for that. Ever."
"I know," I say, meeting his gaze directly. "But I want to. I've spent so long handling everything on my own, being strong for Emily, not letting anyone help… it's still hard for me to accept that I don't have to do it alone anymore."
Something shifts in his expression, a softening around his eyes. "You're still handling it, Camryn. Still being strong for Emily. Letting people help doesn't change that."
The wisdom in his words surprises me, though perhaps it shouldn't. Storm may be a man of few words, but when he speaks, he tends to cut straight to the heart of things.
"When did you get so smart?" I tease, trying to lighten the moment.
