Patriot (Hades Abyss MC 6) - Harley Wylde Page 0,29
a small church on the outskirts of the rougher side of town. Patriot scanned the area before helping me out of the Bronco. With one hand at my waist, and the other free to most likely pull whatever weapons he had on him, he ushered me into the building. A man in dress slacks and button-down shirt greeted us with a smile.
“What can I do for you folks? Interested in joining the church? We can always use more youngsters in here,” he said.
“We actually wanted to ask you about some opportunities to better a few lives this holiday season,” Patriot said. “Assuming you don’t have an issue with me being part of Hades Abyss.”
“We’re all God’s children,” the man said. “I’m Reverend Burson. Now what did you have in mind?”
Patriot nudged me and gave me a slight nod. “I know the local grocery takes up donations of food for families in need, but I wondered if there might be some families who were struggling to give their kids a Christmas this year. Even though there are programs out there to help with that sort of thing, I’m sure not everyone gets the assistance they need.”
“Bless you, angel! You’re the answer to my prayers!” The man lifted his hands. “It just so happens I have three families who come to this church who have fallen on hard times. Each has small children and I know their parents would be grateful for anything you’d like to donate.”
Patriot rubbed his hand up and down my back and I leaned against his side. I was so glad he’d brought me here. With his help, maybe we could make a difference, no matter how small.
“Would you happen to have a list of toys those children might like to see under their trees this year? Or could you get one for us?” I asked.
“Well, I don’t have anything right now, but I could have it for you within the next hour or two. But as for putting presents under the tree, I don’t believe any of those families actually have a tree. It was on my list of things to accomplish. I thought I might be able to get some older fake trees donated, ones that aren’t being used anymore.”
“We’ll do one better, Reverend. We’ll pick up three new pre-lit trees and some ornaments for each. I don’t want to go scaring anyone, and I know people around here don’t always look too kindly on my club. We can bring everything here and you could arrange for them to get everything?” Patriot asked.
The man held up a finger. “You wait right there. Don’t move, and certainly don’t leave!”
He hurried off and I took the time to admire the inside of the church. Stained glass windows lined both sides of the sanctuary. Each was beautiful in its own way and filled the room with a sense of peace. I trailed my fingers over the back of a pew and tried to remember the last time I’d been to church. I breathed in and held it a moment before releasing the air in my lungs, and some of the tension. I didn’t feel like I belonged here anymore, and yet I didn’t exactly want to run away either.
The reverend came back, a piece of paper in his hand. “I spoke with all three families, and they were overjoyed. Each has experienced a hardship in the last few months and they’ve struggled. In fact, two of the mothers started crying. You’ve brought them a Christmas miracle.”
He handed the paper to Patriot and I leaned over to read it along with him. Four boys and five girls were listed on the paper, along with their ages and the top three things on each of their wish lists. At the bottom, the reverend had included some information on the parents as well. A warmth filled me, as well as a sense of purpose. I hadn’t been good for much of anything since Patriot brought me home, but this year I could do something that mattered. No, we could.
I hesitated only a moment. “Reverend, you said they’ve been struggling. Do they need help with other things? Like maybe groceries?”
His eyes lit up and he eagerly nodded. “They do indeed. They’ve gotten what they can from the food pantry, but as you can see there’s a lot of kids on that list between the three couples. Not easy to feed that many mouths.”
I looked up at Patriot and he winked at me. “Guess