Ky sighed. I recognized it signaled his agreement.
Styx and Mae pulled into the yard on his bike, back from escorting Maddie to church. My sister had found her place within the four white walls of Our Savior Church. She had found peace in a place without judgment and pain. She would sit for hours at the feet of a white marble Christ, protected under the watchful eye of Pastor James. I knew she would not stay at my ceremony long. She was still uncomfortable around people.
Mae approached us, smiling, and bent down to lay a kiss on my head before sitting on Styx’s lap on the rocking chair next to us. Cowboy and Hush were on our other side, talking to Elysia. She and Cowboy were engaged in a conversation about horses and rodeos, Hush unable to keep his eyes off her too, the three of them seemed to have instantly taken to each other. I could not help but giggle at Ky’s overprotective scowl, but adored seeing Sia so happy and relaxed.
My heart fluttered in happiness. I had another sister to love.
“I think they both like her,” I whispered to Ky. “And I think she may like them too.” The look he gave me informed me that he was displeased with that fact.
Laughing at Ky’s narrowed eyes as he watched the three of them talk, I turned to Mae. “How is Maddie? She seemed to enjoy the ceremony.”
“She did,” Mae said. “And she is doing better. Though I am not sure what can be done to truly make her feel happy and safe.”
I sent a silent prayer to the Lord to help Maddie find her path.
“And so the psycho returns!”
I glanced toward a commotion at the entrance of our property. AK and Viking had just pulled into our yard in their truck. Flame jumped out of the back door, his brothers walking over to welcome him back. Flame had been in the hospital recovering from his neck injury this whole time. AK and Viking had been sent to retrieve him, so when he came around from the calming drugs, he was not in the hospital and would not hurt anyone in his path.
Hush and Cowboy jumped to their feet and each slapped him on the back, greeting him home, and the two men made me smile. They were officially staying here with us and had “patched in” with Austin, as Ky had explained. As I glanced to Sia watching them with a blush upon her face, I wondered if we might be seeing more of Sia too.
Tanner, Tank’s friend, had also moved into the compound. He was generally quiet and kept to himself. I always got the sense he was carrying a huge amount of sadness in his heart. Ky told me he had not been fond of the man at first, but after Tanner risked his life to help get me back, he now had his respect.
Flame’s head was twitching from side to side and his black eyes roved the yard like an animal seeking prey. A bottle of beer was thrust into his hand by Viking, but Flame threw it to the ground and continued his search.
Seeing us sitting on the porch, Flame stormed over, his arms and chest muscles bulging under his full body of tattoos. He wore a cut but no shirt with leather pants and heavy black boots. The side of his neck was stitched, red and scarred where my bullet had grazed his neck. Seeing that wound filled me with guilt.
“Where is she?” Flame snapped at Styx before I had a chance to apologize for what I had done to him.
Styx’s eyes narrowed, yet he stayed silent.
Flame next looked to Ky. This time his voice was like broken glass. “Where. Is. She?”
Ky shuffled below me, adjusting my position on his lap, and said, “Calm the fuck down, brother. You only just got back, and it’s my motherfuckin’ wedding day in case you haven’t noticed!”
Flame radiated rage and, face turning red, he screamed, “WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE!”
“Our Savior,” I said quickly. Flame’s tormented eyes bored holes into mine. Sitting forward, I said, “Firstly, Flame, I want to apologize for hurting you. It was never my intent. I was… I was not in a good place.”