Maybe I’d tell her how he became something of a friend in my darkest hours. How, in what I was sure were my final days, I learned about the kind of man I didn’t want to be. I saw what built-up anger could do to a person, the type of monster it could turn a person into.
I wouldn’t mourn his loss, but I would remember the lessons he’d taught me at my lowest. Vengeance and protection were two completely separate things. A person could only choose one.
I chose her.
I chose family.
Celia pulled the straps back up on her dress and straightened it. “Maybe once everyone goes home, we could go skinny dipping in the pond again. Now, come on, they’re waiting on us.”
We joined hands and stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine, squinting against the brightness as if we’d never seen the light.
Olivia had moved up onto Wolverine’s lap, entrusting him with her fishing pole while she dozed open-mouthed on his shoulder.
Zane said something to Mikey, their laughs carrying across the breeze. Lauren and Dakota worked on setting the large picnic table that Mikey and I built together, while Lauren’s Abuelita and Little Ricky provided direction. Torch and Lou stood with Lucy, the three of them admiring something in Celia’s flowerbeds.
Nate was sitting on a lawn chair by the paddling pool with Kate on his lap and their feet in the water, neither complaining as Thor pretended to be a shark and splashed them. Charlie was still working on Hazel’s arms, their little heads bent together under the shade of a pecan tree.
Bear’s bike was parked near mine, but he and Molly were nowhere to be seen. Probably making use of the open bathroom.
“It’s what you wanted,” I said, more to myself, as I took it all in.
Celia’s head popped up. “How’d you know?”
I exhaled a soft laugh. “It’s what I always imagined family looked like, what I wanted more than anything.”
“Me too,” she mused, tightening her hold on me. “They say you don’t know the value of a moment until it’s a memory, but this right here?” She mashed her lips together. “This is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
“Hey, Mama,” I said, looking at the life we’d built. “We did it. Now, what do you say we take those little ones for a spin on the old bike before dinner?”
I used to think that if I had a chance to do it all over, I would’ve found her sooner, that I would’ve tried to be someone else. I’d lived my life in scenarios, always wondering how much better things would’ve been had I made different choices.
It struck me now, that even with the mistakes I’d made, I still had this. I’d taken all the wrong paths only to find that they all led me home.
They’d led me to my family.
Keep reading for a special bonus chapter…
Bonus Chapter
Angel
I spluttered as a stream of water hit me in the face before sitting up with a sharp gasp, suddenly wide awake. The sprinkler began moving away from me, and I patted along my chest, taking stock of my injuries.
My t-shirt was white, not a trace of blood anywhere. I poked two fingers into my chest, waiting for the inevitable sting of pain, but felt nothing.
“Hey, Charlie. Took a bit of spill, did you?”
I looked across the lawn and toward the small brownstone in confusion. Nobody had called me by my given name since Mary.
The man stood on his front stoop, hand held up in a wave. He was wearing a vintage bowling shirt and khaki shorts that were rolled up his thigh to the point of being obscene. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, but there wasn’t an ounce of suspicion in his eyes.
“You know me?” I ran my fingers over my kutte, surprised to find the leather firm as if I hadn’t been wearing the damn thing for the past fifty years.
He exhaled a stream of smoke and pointed at me with a wide grin. “Is this another one of your practical jokes? Careful now, the sprinkler’s coming back your way.”
Convinced I was dreaming, I patted the lawn, letting the blades of grass tickle my palms. When that failed to wake me up, I got to my feet and stumbled over to the sidewalk.
“Oh, I get it. You’re still trying to guess how I get it so green. It’s nothing more than a little elbow grease, you know?”
I nodded along, not really paying attention as I studied the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda parked in his driveway. Damn thing looked practically new. “You restore this yourself?”
He chuckled and exhaled a puff of smoke. “Now, I know you’re pulling my leg. What’s gotten into you? Been hitting the Mary Jane a bit early today?”
“Somethin’ like that,” I mumbled, looking at the vintage cars lining the street. Only they all seemed to be brand new. I rubbed my eyes, but everything stayed the same.
If it was a dream, it was the most vivid one I’d ever had.
The longer I stared, the more familiar everything seemed as if I’d been on this street before. Without saying goodbye, I moved on, headed straight for the Rambler wagon parked in front of a bungalow I’d recognize anywhere.
The last time I’d seen this place, weeds had sprouted up between the cracks in the sidewalk before taking over the lawn entirely. The old screen door had been hanging on by a single hinge, and the windows had all been boarded up.
That wasn’t the house I was looking at now.
I was greeted by the sight of a well-manicured lawn and a house that had obviously had a fresh coat of paint recently. Whoever was living here had put a lot of work into the place to make it shine. Even in the early days, it had never looked this good.
I didn’t know how long I stood admiring the old place before realizing how it must’ve looked. Neighbors were probably already calling the cops about the elderly vagrant casing the joint.
Knowing it wouldn’t be long before I either woke up or got picked up by a badge, I ran my hand reverently over the old Rambler, remembering how good it had felt to drive it with my girl by my side.
When I caught sight of my reflection, I froze and brought my hand up to my cheek, stroking the jet black hair on my beard in awe.
The gray hairs and deep lines that had been on my face longer than I could remember were gone. I looked just like I had in the seventies.
I glanced back at the old cars lining the street and then back to the Rambler underneath my palm.
If it was still here…
Before I had a chance to lose my nerve, I strode up the stone path and knocked on the screen door.
Initially, I didn’t see anyone when it opened until I caught movement in the bottom corner of my eye. A dark-haired boy no older than three stood watching me, clad only in a pair of shorts similar to ones I’d seen Jamie wear as a boy.
I opened my mouth to apologize when I was struck by his eyes. An almost electric blue that rendered me speechless.
“Who is it?”
At the sound of her voice, I reached out and gripped the doorframe in my hand, fighting to stay in what I now knew had to be a dream.
The little boy stayed silent, but his eyes held a certain curiosity to them as if he was waiting to see what I did next.
“It’s me, Mare,” I said hoarsely.
She came around the corner, wiping her hands on the frilly apron tied around her waist. “We’ve been waiting on you, Charlie,” she said with a grin. “Supper’s almost ready.”
I covered my mouth to hide my sobs.
It felt real.
So fucking real.
When I stayed where I was, she approached me with a shake of her head, taking my left hand in hers. “You’re soaked. Took a nap on the lawn again, did you?”
“I—I—” I pointed helplessly to the little boy. “Who’s this?”
Mary stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to my jaw, whispering, “Are you telling me that you don’t recognize your own son, Charlie Stewart?”
I looked into his eyes again and knew she was telling the truth. I’d gotten shot and ended up in some alternate reality w
here my entire world hadn’t been ripped away from me.
She squeezed my hand and spun the simple gold band on my ring finger. “Did you forget me too?”
“Not one day,” I breathed, touching the ring on her finger; something I’d never seen her wear before. A piece of jewelry that hadn’t been tainted by Donald Quinn.
“Daddy?” The little boy asked, stretching his arms out to me. “Up?”
“Remind me what we named him, baby?” I asked as I lifted him onto my hip, keeping my other arm around her waist.
She threw her head back and laughed. “Charles, your daddy is being silly today, isn’t he?”
“Silly,” my son repeated.
My son.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and held on tighter. “I’m gonna make you so happy, Mary. Both of you.”
Her blonde curls settled against the crook of my neck as she pressed another soft kiss to my face. “You already do, Charlie. Now, let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Charles squirmed out my grasp and tugged my hand toward the kitchen. “C’mon, Daddy.”
With one last look at the sidewalk, I closed the door behind me and let my son lead me to the table.
It had taken thirty-seven years of atonement for me to find my way home.
The End.
* * *
Need another biker fix? Keep reading for a sneak peek of Through The Woods, book one of the Fairest series.
Want to know what’s next for me? Here’s a hint, it involves The Little Mermaid and baseball. Click here to get a sneak peek of Through The Water, the next installment in the Fairest series.
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Quinn Family Tree
Savior Playlist
Seven Devils- Florence + The Machine
Gimme Shelter- The Rolling Stones
Broken Crown- Mumford & Sons
Rx (Medicate)- Theory of a Deadman
Flux- Ellie Goulding
Ride- Lana Del Rey
Basic Instinct- The Acid
The Sound of Silence- Disturbed
Heavy- Linkin Park & Kiiara
The Knowing- The Weeknd
Blood In The Cut- K. Flay
Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd
Simple Man- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Nobody’s Home- Clint Black
Heaven- Kane Brown
Poison & Wine- The Civil Wars
River- Bishop Briggs
Way Down We Go- Kaleo
Ride- Chase Rice & Macy Maloy
Eyes Closed- Halsey
H.O.L.Y.- Florida Georgia Line
Hail to the King- Avenged Sevenfold
Can’t Stop- Red Hot Chili Peppers
A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall- Walk Off the Earth
Paralyzed- NF
lovely- Billie Eilish & Khalid
Knocked Up- Kings of Leon
Lay My Body Down- Rag’n’Bone Man
Mother’s Daughter- Miley Cyrus
Dream- Imagine Dragons
Over The Love- Florence + The Machine
Immigrant Song- Led Zeppelin
White Flag- Bishop Briggs
Love Is Madness- Thirty Seconds To Mars & Halsey
Monsters- Shinedown
Pray For Me- The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar
I Found- Amber Run
Never Say Never- The Fray
Beautiful War- Kings of Leon
My Kind of Crazy- Andrew Hyatt
Holy Water- Big & Rich
ocean eyes- Billie Eilish
Listen on Spotify
Acknowledgments
A writer is only as good as the people behind her. I’m lucky enough to have an entire city.
Rebecca Pau- Bex, here it is. The HEA you’ve demanded for Mike and Grey. It only took two years to get here. Thank you for redesigning the covers for this series until they fit the story and for being so invested in my characters.
Beta Readers- Guys, we did it. End of the line for the Quinn family. Thank you for the feedback, even if that feedback was sometimes that you hated me.
Wander- Thank you for shooting the most perfect cover for this story. You captured everything I wanted this story to convey. Best ever!
Dani- Thank you for taking me on as a last-minute client and keeping me sane. You made it so all I had to focus on was the writing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Give Me Books- Thank you for your graciousness in taking on a five book series and for working around my personal life when I missed my deadline. You guys have taken the headache out of this process and made my life simple.
Ellie- Even though I’m the princess and you’re the rebel, we just make it work. Thank you for not blocking me on social media and for continuing to talk to me, even when I screw up on deadlines.
Readers- Thank you for loving these characters and demanding a fitting end to the series. I bled for this book and I hope that comes through on every page.
Jen- Thank you for taking this book on for editing/proofing at the last possible second. And for correctly guessing the villain back in July and backing it up with a very convincing argument. You deserve all the awards.
Jenni- Thank you for giving me the inspiration to create a HEA for Angel, however unconventional it may be.
Laura- Bunny, we did it. I can be a normal psycho again, instead of a psycho on a deadline. I hope that this book makes you cry your eyes out. No, seriously, I hope it does. Cap can’t be the only thing that gets the old tear ducts flowing.
Lily- Thank you for questioning everything, even when I compare you to Zach. You keep me constantly striving to work harder and write better. #GreedyforGrey
Wendi- Thank you for always checking in on me, and pulling me out of my writer’s cave to get sun every now and then. Now, that the series is complete, let’s do it more often.
Zach- We did it. End of an era, you might say. I remember it like it was only yesterday when Mike Sullivan whispered naughty things in my ear and demanded a book. You push me to dig deeper with every chapter and keep me motivated when I’m all about that nap life. I love you, and I’m excited to see where we go next. #TeamMyers
Also by Shannon Myers
From This Day Forward Duet
(David & Elizabeth’s Story)
From This Day Forward
Forsaking All Others
Standalone Novels
(Travis & Katya’s Story)
You Save Me
Operation Series
(Dakota & Zane’s Story)
Operation Fit-ish
(Kate and Nate’s Story)
Operation Annulment
Silent Phoenix MC Series
(Mike & Lauren’s Story)
Renegade (Book One)
Traitor (Book Two)
(Grey & Celia’s Story)
Deserter (Book Three)
Protector (Book Four)
Savior (Book Five)
Fairest Series
(Charm & Neve’s Story)
Through The Woods
Fictioned Series
(Hayden & Jake’s Story)
Protagonized
PREVIEW OF THROUGH THE WOODS
CHAPTER ONE
ABOUT THE BOOK
Once there was a princess...
Forced to run from her drug-dealing boyfriend, Neve ends up injured and alone in the middle of the Colorado wilderness. She never planned on being rescued by seven bikers and brought to their clubhouse. While the other bikers welcome a female presence, their leader, Charm, is not impressed. As Neve recuperates, she begins to see that there's much more to this club president than she thought possible. However, while she might've run, she can't stay hidden forever.
This is book one of the Fairest series, but all books are complete standalones.
Through The Woods is available for purchase now. Simply tap on the title.
* * *
One Year Ago…Age 21
My eyes fluttered open to piercing red and blue lights flashing all around me. Men’s voices carried from nearby as they yelled to each other, amid sirens screaming in the distance.
I had no idea where I was.
“Miss? Can you hear me?” A yellow man asked, as he knelt next to me, concern marring his features. I was disoriented—exhaustion threatening to pull me back into blissful oblivion. He obviously wasn’t yellow, just wearing a suit that color.
Aramid fibers, my brain urged, and I struggled to remember how I knew that.
“Miss?”
I began coughing until my eyes watered, but I couldn’t get a full breath. My chest felt as if it would crack open from the strain.
The outer shell usually consisted of a Kevlar type material…what was it called?
Someone else knelt down on the other side of me, shining a small light into my eyes. Mouths moved, but I only heard the rush of blood in my ears. I turned my head ever so slightly to the left and that was when I saw it.
An inferno.
Incidentally, that was when I remembered that the material was NOMEX, but instead of being relieved, I was left with more questions than answers. I felt the moisture on my cheek as a tear escaped, before being lifted onto a stretcher and driven away from the devastation.
I wanted to wail and scream, but I’d caused this.
Not so very long ago, the sirens wailed loudly and the world that I’d known ceased to exist.
Savior: Silent Phoenix MC Series: Book Five Page 36
