Renee stepped away just as some guys excited the clubhouse, women on their arms, their voices loud.

“Thanks for being decent, Weasel.” She knew he didn’t have to be kind to her. Yeah, he’d shown her an asshole side, but then again she knew enough about him and how the club operated that building that wall and pushing people away was what they did and how they stayed safe.

Hell, she’d pushed her brother away.

She made her way to the entrance, her heart thundering, her breath coming in fast, short intervals. She didn’t know how Vengeance would react, or if he’d even open his arms to her and accept her back into his life.

She’d been shitty for pushing him away, and she didn’t want to lose him because she’d been a bitch that didn’t know family came first.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and was assaulted with the smell of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and sweat. The music was ear-splitting, the room was foggy from the smoke, and she could see people grinding up on each other.

She went over to the bar, not knowing where her brother was but needing to see him and make this right.

“Hi, you know where I can find Vengeance?” she shouted to be heard over the music.

He had his back to her and the patch said Prospect. She knew enough from Vengeance that this was a “trial-run” member, someone who had to show their worth to the club before they were a full-fledged member.

He turned around. “What?” he shouted back and eyed her up and down. “Where the hell did you come from? You don’t look like you want deep dicking.”

Renee pulled the edges of her cardigan closer together and glared. “Can you tell me where Vengeance is?”

He tipped his chin toward the back hallway. “He’s probably with his old lady in one of the back rooms.”

She made her way back to where the Prospect gestured, moved around gyrating couples, and tried to figure out which room he was in. A few of the doors were open and she could see he wasn’t in the spaces but two doors were closed.

The sound of moaning came from one and she pushed back her gag relax at the knowledge it might be her brother. But before she could knock on the door and interrupt whoever was in there, another door swung open behind her and a woman’s voice filtered out.

“You’re being so bad, Vengeance.”

Renee turned and saw this gorgeous woman with a scar on one eye come out. She was smiling, and the love on her face was clear.

That had to be Constance, the woman that Vengeance had fallen in love with. She’d never actually seen the woman, but she had heard about her from her brother.

Renee knew how much Vengeance cared about her, and the emotion on the other woman’s face was clear as day.

Once she pushed the door open she immediately saw her brother. Her heart was thundering, her palms sweating, and everything in her had stilled.

“Vengeance,” she said softly, her heart in her throat, her nerves threatening to make her freeze right in her spot.

He turned and faced her, surprise and confusion on his face. “Renee?”

Vengeance stayed by the window, his cut on and the patch in the center of his back like a warning beaming in the night. The Soldiers of Wrath MC were known as being brutal in everything they did. She heard as much when Vengeance first started with the club.

As the moments ticked by, her emotions started to become even more intense. She knew she couldn’t have been able to keep them in check even if she wanted to.

“I’m so sorry,” she finally said, knowing that she shouldn’t beat around the bush, that she just needed to get it out and say what was on her mind. The weight of seeing her brother, of the shit with the ex, of just being here, it all weighed down on her. “I’m sorry about not listening to you, about turning my back on you and thinking I knew what was best. I didn’t. You were right the whole time.” She felt like crying, like just saying fuck everything else and let her brother see that she’d broken down.

Before she knew what Vengeance was doing, he was in front of her and embracing her in a bear hug.

“We’re family, and that means no matter what we stick together. I don’t care if we hadn’t talked for years. You’re my sister, and I’d do anything for you.”

“I just hate that time passed where we didn’t talk.”

He rubbed her back and she felt him nod. “Me too, but you’re here now and that’s all that matters.” He pulled back and smiled down at her. She had to crane her neck back just to look into his face. Her five-foot-seven height had nothing on his over six-foot tall posture.

He wasn’t just her brother. He’d always been her protector and always would be. She knew that.

“I promise everything will be fine.” He pulled her in for another hug, and she breathed out.

Her thoughts were consumed on the future, on what she wanted, how she felt. But she had her family back and right now that was all that mattered.