Page 34 of Spook’s Honor

Honor slides off her stool and goes to Angel. Wrapping her arms around her, she hugs her tight. “Stop that,” she tells Angel fiercely. “It’s not your fault! This all started when you were a baby. You had no control, and you’ve lost plenty because of it. Axle and Luca are right. We don’t have enough information yet. In the meantime, we’ll be careful.”

Angel inhales a shaky breath; she squeezes Honor, then sits up and wipes the tears from her cheeks.

“You’re right. They’ve taken enough.” She turns her attention to me. “Find out what you can.”

Honor comes back to my side, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders pulling her close to me. “I will. In the meantime, I’d like you all to wear trackers, and we’ll also track your phones.”

“Whatever you need,” Angel agrees without hesitation. I peer down at Honor when she nods.

“Told you honey, I’ll do whatever it is you need me to. You want to track me. Go right ahead. It would make me feel better if you did. I’m assuming you track the boys?”

“Yeah, baby, I do.”

“Good, now how about we all take a breath. You guys contact Jake. Have everyone come here tonight. Angel and I’ll cook dinner and then we can make plans.” She looks over at Axle and Angel before continuing. “As a family.”

Emotion flashes over Axle’s face at her words. He closes his eyes, and his lips tighten. Only when he’s back in control, does he open his eyes. The happiness in them is a stark comparison to the earlier anguish.

Angel lets out a small sob that she bites back before she smiles a blinding smile. “As a family,” she agrees. Clearing her throat, she stands. “I’ll go and empty our fridge and bring over what I’ve got. Between us we’ll make something.” She stands on tiptoe, kissing Axle’s cheek. “Love you, Garrett.”

His eyes soften as he looks down at his Ol’ Lady. “Love you too, darlin’. I’ll be over shortly to give you a hand to carry the groceries over.”

Angel gives him a small nod before walking out of the kitchen with quick steps. None of us miss the way her shoulders are shaking.

Axle walks around the breakfast bar, wrapping Honor in his arms. “Thank you sweetheart. You don’t know what you calling us family means to me and Angel.”

“Fuck,” I mouth as emotion hits my eyes, and I turn away. I can’t imagine how it must feel to Axle and Angel to get this chance with Honor. I hate how much of her life they missed. I’d make it my priority that they wouldn’t miss a second more.

“My mom and dad always said, you could never have enough family,” Honor smiles mistily up at Axle. “They’d be happy I found you.”

Axle kisses her forehead. “I wish I could have met them. They sound like wonderful people. They must have been, because you’re a pretty fantastic person.”

Honor’s smile widens as Axle steps back. “Thank you, Axle.”

I move closer when Honor reaches for me. Axle’s eyes move from me to her. He exhales slowly, clearing his throat. “I’ll go and help Angel pack the groceries, and I’ll call Jake if she hasn’t already.”

“Sounds good. We’ll make a plan,” I reassure him. “Our families will be kept safe.”

“Damn right, we will,” Honor says, her voice calm but resolute. “I’m not letting anyone interfere with what we’re building.”

She’s not wrong. Nobody would be touching them not if they didn’t want to find themselves dead and buried.

That resolve is only firmed later that night when I look at all the people milling around my house. Until this moment, I hadn’t realised what having family meant. I hadn’t grown up in a normal, loving one. The closest I had, was Maverick and his family.

The Mondes were something else. None had batted an eye when we’d filled them in on the situation. Just battened down and made plans to keep everyone safe. The love they felt for each other was clear. Not all were related by blood. That meant nothing to them.

I’d been a teenager when I realised that blood did not necessarily mean family.

Loyalty, having each other’s backs, and being willing to die for one another. That was family. I’d include my MC brothers in that. None of us were related in any way, but we’d lay down and die for each other.

If Milo Mulally was a threat, he’d soon find out that I didn’t play nice with those who wanted to harm what I considered mine.

CHAPTER 13

HONOR

After the heavy news that Axle and Luca laid on us, the next few days are wrought with tension and worry.

My party for becoming an Ol’ Lady is put on hold. Not that I mind. Parties are the last thing on my mind. Luca did give me my cut, and we’ll have a party once we put this Irish thing to bed.