Page 23 of Soul of a Woman

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“We’re not giving the guns up,” Adam stated. Broni understood; she wasn’t sure if it would be any safer leaving them unarmed anyway.

“If they’re searching for her, give her to them. Maybe they’ll leave us alone and go.” Layla stood behind the counter with a knife in her hand, and Broni kept her eyes trained on her.

“I agree,” Rucker said, pointing his gun at Broni. “I don’t want them to eat me.” Broni’s mouth dropped open. “How do I know you all aren’t going to go crazy and eat me?” His gun swept the crowd threateningly.

“You jackass, no one is going to get eaten,” Rhys said, moving away from the gun pointed at him.

“The whole country has gone fucking crazy. Are you crazy?”

“If I was crazy, I would have already taken that gun away and shoved it up your ass,” Rhys threatened Rucker who gradually pointed his gun downward. If they didn’t remain calm, then panic could be as dangerous as the Drearien trying to get in the clubhouse.

Rucker looked around the crowded room. “I’m giving everyone fair warning that if you go crazy and try to eat me, I’m going to put a bullet in your brain.”

Rucker gave her a suspicious look when he heard her laugh, however Broni stifled her laughter at Adam’s and Rhys’s irritated expressions.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, looking at the gun in his hand.

Rhys’s sudden laugh brought the first smile to her lips since she had become separated from her family.

“It won’t make a difference if you give me to them or not, the Apocalypse has started. They will come for Rhys regardless.”

“Rhys?” Layla turned her attention to him.

“You said they will have come for me regardless of you, why?” Rhys gave her a worried look.

“Rhys, this isn’t your first life, you’ve had past lives. This makes you a target for Mother’s enemies to prevent her from calling you to battle.”

Rhys laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I never was much of a fighter, even when I was younger and forty pounds heavier.”

“Oh, yes, you were. You were a force to be reckoned with. You still would be if Mother calls for you. Your name used to inspire fear in the Gods—it still does. Do not fool yourself that this is what you were meant to be. This,” she waved her hand at his body, “is what you’ve allowed yourself to become.”

“It’s what I deserve.” When his jaw clenched, Broni could sense his pain was as sharp now as it had been five years ago.

“No, it’s not. It wasn’t your fault that one man did something terrible, driving another to an unforgivable act. You weren’t the one at fault, as much as you want to blame yourself.”

“I accepted his case, knowing he was guilty,” Rhys argued.

“Yes, you did. It is in your human law to provide a defense against all crimes, even the Gods are allowed to argue for themselves in much the same way. The only crime you have committed is what you have done to yourself since then. Your wife and children would not want to see you this way.”

“Shut up. I don’t want to talk about it any more.”

“I didn’t think you would; you’ve been running from it for years.” Broni couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice.

“You had kids?” Broni couldn’t believe the insensitive comment from Layla. Every time the woman opened her mouth, she wanted to strangle her.

“Two sons. She was pregnant with my daughter.” He didn’t look up from his glass as he lifted the bottle to refill it.

“Jesus,” Adam said.

“According to Broni, you should say Mother,” Rhys said sarcastically.

“Rhys, be careful. You don’t want to piss her off,” Broni warned.

“How could she possibly fuck my life up more than it already is?” She had to admit, he had a point.

“So how do we kill these Drearien?” Adam asked.

“Just like any man. They aren’t immortal; they can’t come back to life.”


Tags: Jamie Begley Paranormal