Heartless (Steel Demons MC #6) - Crystal Ash Page 0,18

twelve and I was fourteen. But it was Carter, Noelle's father, who stood like a mountain even when the other two had met their limit.

Never in my life had I heard Carter moan about being in pain. My dads were all roughly the same age, and I remembered Nolan and Finn bitching about aching joints and sore backs when I was a preteen. Carter would just snort and tell them to stop being pussies. They always ran in the early mornings and worked out together, with Carter always pushing himself the hardest.

I looked to Hades, sitting regally on the lawn next to us with his paws stretched out in front of him. His ear flicked in my direction, head tilting to acknowledge the question in my mind.

Carter Daley is at rest, the omniscient voice echoed through me. A brief summation, but one that comforted the agitated churning in my stomach.

"I always thought he'd last the longest, of all of us." Dad nodded, echoing my thoughts while giving no indication that he heard the voice.

"How'd you and Mom make it to Four Corners then?" I asked

"The bunker hideout got attacked by another militia," he laughed drily. "These fucking Patriots thought the Collapse was God calling them to take over, but oh no. It never occurred to them there'd be bigger fish out there. So they were getting their asses handed to them and demanded all hands on deck. Guess they wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. So I grabbed a rifle and made it look like I was headed to the front lines. Instead, I grabbed your mom, stole a motorbike, and floored it in the opposite direction."

"You on a motorbike?" I laughed. "Shit, Dad. Want a cut and a patch? You've earned it."

"Hell nah. I ride like a grandpa now that I'm not running for my life."

"So then what happened?" I asked. "You just headed east 'til you ran out of gas?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Ran out of gas maybe fifteen miles or so outside of the border. We kept walking until we saw armed guards and almost ended up running the other direction. But our feet were bleeding, we were starving, dehydrated. Figured we'd either get shot or die out in the desert anyway, so we decided to take our chances."

"And how'd you end up as a general?"

"Well, after a few weeks of recuperating in the hospital, Vance came to see us. Four Corners was a lot smaller then, so the governor liked to personally meet all the refugees. We told him our stories and it turned out he was an Airman too, back in the day. Didn't stay in as long as me, but he knew where I was coming from. Said he needed a leader for his army. Not to fight and conquer like everyone else, but to keep people safe. I told him I was done fighting other people's wars, but I could whip some brats into shape. Five years later, and here we are."

"How do you feel about a war that's likely to still come?" I asked. "Especially with the territory being so prosperous, and now with taking Vance's daughter back from Blakeworth. Tash and that bastard up north have to have eyes on us."

"Oh, we're ready for it, " Dad said with a soft growl. "We're not looking for war, but those seven years opened my eyes, son. People with just an ounce of power are doing terrible things out there, and the less fortunate are suffering for it. We were damn lucky to make it to Four Corners, but not everyone is. How many people do you think collapsed out there in the desert, running from the exact same thing we were?"

"Hundreds," I mused. "Maybe even thousands."

"Exactly. So yeah, I'll take up arms for those who couldn’t. And everyone else is just trying to live free in a safe place for their families." His face softened, lips pulling into a smile. "So you're trying to make me a grandpa, huh?"

"Afterward," I said. "When we win, and I can sleep at night without all this shit running through my head."

"I hear you, son." He clapped me on the shoulder, looking out over the lake, which was starting to sparkle from the sun peeking out from the clouds. "We'll get there. Maybe not in my lifetime, but hopefully in yours."

"Better be in yours," I huffed. "Who am I gonna pass my spawn off to when I want to fuck my old lady into