Page 202 of Lost Lyrebird

I promise the women I’m working with in Veno’s circle that, for now, this is for the best.Having the HOCs on their side won’t just improve our chances of surviving—it’ll make them more likely to help long-term, to offer real protection when it counts.

To give the women something now, a taste of justice, we take out one of the Thirteen Devils’ major warehouses—one stocked with product that puts them deep in cartel debt.I let two of the girls play lookout while I fire at the propane tanks outside.They’re sensitive enough to blow from heat alone, and they do just that—the first one goes when my bullet hits, then the other.

We wait.

We watch.

From the roof of a nearby building, we grin as half a dozen Thirteens scramble to escape the flames.Just when they think they’ve made it out, the bomb we planted the night before goes off.They try to run, but the blast is massive, and few, if any, survive.

It’s the cherry on top of a slice of revenge that has me grinning on the inside for days—and leaves behind a deep, unshakable satisfaction.

I also hand over part of the contents of the suitcase Deeds gave me to the women.Over the next few days, they distribute it to the others on the street and in Veno’s warehouse, where he ran his sex trafficking operation.The men who visit at night start getting sicker and sicker.When the poison kicks in, sex is the last thing on their minds.

The visits dry up.

The girls get a sliver of peace.

And the end finally comes into view.

My plan—no matter how ugly or soaked in darkness—is being carried out for the right reasons.The tattoo I’ve been planning for my right ribcage will mark the occasion.It says it all:

Be the hand of fate, if fate needs an angel to fly the Devil back to hell.

It’s not a beautiful bird.It’s a vengeful angel with black wings, surrounded by sparks of pink sky, gray clouds, and lightning.It’s the only kind of angel I’d ever consider myself to be.One that shouldn’t be fucked with anymore.

It’ll take a long time to complete, but time is one thing I have in abundance.And it gives me an excuse to get closer to the best tattoo artist in New Mexico—Taz.

Who also happens to be the most unhinged HOC and the last man I need to test to see where his real loyalties lie.

CHAPTER 56

Don’t let go of the memories that changed you, even if they hurt to revisit.

Today we’re reliving one of the memories that has fallen into a black hole, lost somewhere in the tangled mess of Finn’s mind.It saddens me that so many pieces of our past are scattered, like fragments of a life we once had.But I hold on to the fact that he’s here, now, and at least we have this—this chance to recreate those memories.

The tram rises slowly up the mountainside, and Finn stands behind me, his strong arms wrapped around me, his chin resting on my shoulder.My hands clutch onto his forearms, feeling the familiar warmth of his skin through the soft cotton of his t-shirt.His scent, a blend of leather, sandalwood, and the faintest trace of cologne, fills my senses, grounding me in this moment.

I turn my head to take in the view.The sprawling world below looks so small from up here, like a toy town, everything miniature and colorful.I’d forgotten about that, how small everything looks from this height.

The little boy next to us tugs on his dad’s hand and points to where he thinks his house is.I smile and feel Finn pull back and look down at me.His breath is warm against my ear as he speaks.“Do you want that, baby?”

I half-turn in his arms, meeting his gaze.His blue eyes search mine, gentle and filled with curiosity.

“What?”

He jerks his chin toward the family, his eyes flicking back to the little boy and his father.I follow his gaze, watching the scene unfold—the child’s giddy excitement, the father’s patient smile.It’s a beautiful picture, one that used to feel distant to me, like some foreign and unknown thing.

I’ve never felt like motherhood was in the cards for me.For a long time, it was because I could barely keep myself on solid ground, so there was no way I could provide for another or feel qualified to keep them safe.Nor did I lead the kind of life that had space for a child.Way back when Finn and I had first been an item, I’d been too young to consider it.My life, for the most part, has been a selfish one, purely about my wants, needs, and my own survival.But like before, Finn changes things.Him being in my life shifts the future, along with my feelings on the matter, and there are definitely little secret hopes budding to life.So yeah, the possibility lingers.

I give him honesty, what I’ll always give him.“I don’t know.”He analyzes my features and nods.

“Do you?”

He thinks a moment.His gaze veers to some far-off place as if he’s lost to the same thoughts.“Same.I don’t know.Feels like things are too heavy right now to even think about it.”

“Yeah,” I nod, “But maybe someday.”

He tightens his hold on me, swaying us gently as the tram continues its ascent.“Maybe someday sounds good, baby.We’ve got time to figure it out.”