Page 44 of Thunder

“Seriously, Thunder, you can’t just mention some mystery woman and then go silent like that. Get her here now,” Maddy says. “We need to meet her.”

“And judge her,” Eliza adds.

“That’s a given,” Maddy says.

“Fine, fine, just go easy, all right?” I say. Then I head outside, pull my phone from my pocket and dial Lia's number.

"Hello?" Her voice sounds through the phone. It’s tired, worn, afraid.

More than ever, I want her by my side. Even if just to hold her in my arms and make her feel safe. I don’t know how the fuck she’s managing showing up to work every day, now that we know just the tip of the iceberg about the vile shit that the development company, SSR, is willing to do just to get its way. I never knew engineers could be so brave.

"You all right?"

“I’m fine,” she answers, sounding absolutely not fine.

“Yeah?”

“It’s been a long few days and I’ve had a lot on my mind. What’s going on, Marcus? Is there a reason you’re calling me this close to midnight? Because some of us have to work in the morning and… Sorry. Sorry. It’s been hard.”

“Look, you sound like you need to forget about whatever’s on your mind. There's a party going on at our shop, Reid's Repairs. We’re celebrating Owen joining the Steel Reapers. I know it might seem a bit out of the blue, but I really want you to be here with us. With me."

"Marcus, I don't know…" she hesitates, worry clear in her tone. "Your friends only know me as someone who works forMar y Tierra. They might see me as an enemy."

Might?

No, they definitely see her as the enemy.

But I’ll stand between her and them just to have her here. Especially now, hearing how she sounds over the phone.

"Trust me, Lia. They'll like you. I want you here, and they'll understand that. Please come."

"Okay," she agrees after a moment, her voice still tinged with uncertainty. "I'll come."

"Thank you," I say, relief washing over me. "See you soon."

The minutes tick by as I return to the party and we all continue to eat, drink, and laugh together, but I can't help glancing toward the door every so often, eager for Lia's arrival. When she finally steps into the room, my heart leaps in my chest—it's as if everything suddenly feels more alive. With her dark hair cascading down her back, eyes shining like the ocean, and a smile that makes an equal one on my lips; she's everything I've ever wanted and more.

"Hey, everyone," Lia says hesitantly, offering a small smile. "Marcus invited me. I hope that's okay."

“Thunder, what the fuck is she doing here?” Bullet says.

Owen doesn’t speak. He simply leaps to his feet so fast it’s only Natalie’s quick thinking, and even quicker reactions, that stop him; her hand darts out and seizes him by the arm. “Bro, don’t.”

“I’ll kill her. She’s one of them. Is this some kind of sick joke, Thunder?” Owen shouts.

I step up and stand between them and her. Every one of them—Natalie, Owen, Bullet, Eliza, Maddy—I look right in the eyes. Unwavering. Unflinching. Unafraid. Whatever it takes to get them to understand.

“She’s not one of them. She’s one of us.”

“Thunder…” Bullet starts.

I raise a finger, cutting him off. “Don’t start. She’s helping us from the inside. I care about her, Bullet. Deeply. You know me, since when have I said that about any woman? You know what that means.”

The rage in his eyes stills, as does the anger in Maddy’s. Eliza lets out a sigh of relief and sits down.

But Owen stays standing, fists clenched, eyes on fire.

I lock eyes with him. “Sit down. You know I care about your grandmother, too, and you know I would kill anyone that’d do anything to hurt her. But Lia had nothing to do with that. She’s a good person. She’s on our side.” Owen relaxes, just a little, and sits down. I turn away from him and move to Lia, slipping an arm around her waist. "Welcome to the party, Lia."

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