Atlas: I’ll be there in about an hour.
Natalie: Okay, be safe.
Atlas: That’s my line.
After placing my phone down, I finish making the pesto chicken pasta and clean up the kitchen, finishing just as he arrives. He steps in as soon as I open the door for him, and pulls me into his arms. “What a shit show of a day.”
“Bear okay?”
He nods. “Yeah, he will be. But some of the members of the FC have changed sides again and are helping Marko. I don’t know what he offered them, but it worked, and now CJ is scrambling, thinking he will lose the leadership before he even got it.”
“What is CJ going to do?”
“I don’t know, but I told him he should ditch the FC and join the Knights of Fury,” he says, cupping my face in his hands and giving me a quick kiss.
“If he does that now, then the members will definitely go back to Marko,” I point out. “CJ should hold that spot as leader for now, even if he doesn’t intend on keeping it.”
“You’re right. My smart girl,” he whispers, kissing my forehead. “Speaking of smart, do you carry?”
I look up at him in confusion until I realize he’s talking about a gun. “I have one, but I don’t carry it on me.”
“Why not?”
“With my job, I’m in and out of police stations and courthouses. It became an annoyance.”
“Would you carry a Taser?”
“You don’t think it’ll come to that, do you?” I ask, my comment sounding silly to my own ears. I’ve seen what’s been going on; anything is possible.
“If someone comes after you, you need to protect yourself.”
For the first time, I’m scared. If Atlas thinks I need to protect myself, then maybe I need to take this threat a little more seriously. I know Marko is dangerous, but maybe I’ve been living in a fantasy world. My whole life has been about danger and being cautious, but I guess I just assumed I’d be fine and my father would always take care of us. And that feeling has always followed me in life.
But now, talking about Marko, whom I represented for a short time and who wants Rhett dead, it’s all getting real.
I look up at Atlas. “He’s not going to stop until he kills us all,” I say with realization.
Atlas steps in and gives me a hug.
“I think the reality of the situation just set in,” I sniff.
“Will you take the Taser?”
I sigh. “Okay, I’ll take the Taser.”
“Really?” he asks, sounding surprised.
“Yes, I know you just want to protect me, and I appreciate that.”
“That doesn’t sound like you at all.” He grins.
I roll my eyes and lead him by the hand to the kitchen. “I cooked dinner.”
“Smells delicious.”
I serve us two bowls and we both sit in front of the TV, eating, pretending we are a normal, boring couple having dinner after a hard day of work.
“Jaxon is letting another firm represent Marko,” I tell him. “So he’s not connected to us in any way, shape or form anymore.”