I push Natalie’s hair off her face, and stare into her beautiful green eyes. “Why did you do that? Promise me you will never do anything like that again.”
She forces a smile and closes her eyes. “I wanted to try to protect you for once, protect everyone that I love.”
“That’s not your burden to carry.”
We hear sirens in the distance and gear up for an all-nighter with the cops.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Natalie
After about four hours of being questioned, Atlas takes me back to his clubhouse, and we have a long, hot shower together and then he tucks me in bed. I know how badly I’ve fucked up. I know how silently angry he is, and he has every right to be. I was supposed to come out of this the hero, saving everyone. Instead I had to be saved myself and I put my sister in danger, too.
I’m a total idiot, and I regret ever coming up with this plan.
“I’m sorry, Atlas,” I say again as he lies next to me in bed. “You were right—it was a terrible plan and I never should have brought Cara into it, and I never should have done anything behind your back. I regret it. I am so, so sorry. I’m never going to get that involved in club business again.”
He sighs, and I think I’d rather he just yell at me and get it over with instead of him being all quiet and disappointed.
“At least you’re okay,” he finally says.
“That’s it?” I say quietly. “I know that you’re hurt—”
“Iamhurt,” he says, sitting up on the pillows. “We spoke about being honest with each other and trust, and you purposely went behind my back to put yourself in danger, knowing I hated the idea. And knowing I just lost two other people I loved. Do you know how scared I was? What if I lost you, too? How do I know you won’t pull something like this again?”
I open my mouth, and then close it. “Sometimes I’m going to make decisions on my own, but I promise you that I won’t do anything like this again without you knowing about it. Anything to do with the club, I will always come to you first. I truly am sorry, Atlas.”
He slides back down into the sheets and rolls over to face me. “Do you know how scared I was when Rhett called me? Marko could have killed you both.”
His phone rings and he looks at the name, and then answers it. “Hey, Felix.”
“Fox admitted to killing Marko,” he says.
“It was self-defense,” I say, listening in. “I’ll testify to that if needed.”
“No need. No one is beaten up that Marko is dead, and with Cara’s and Natty’s statements, he’ll be fine.”
This was the best-case scenario. Marko is dead, and none of the blood is on any of our hands. Not even Fox’s.
“Thanks, Felix,” Atlas says, and ends the call. “It’s all over now,” he whispers, turning to me and relaxing his shoulders in relief. “Finally.”
“I’m glad,” I reply, scooting closer to him and resting my head on his chest. “Now we can all relax a little, and I know how much better Rhett must be feeling now.”
Although I don’t know what Rhett did about Sledge. I’ll have to ask Cara about that tomorrow.
“When I found out Marko had you, I heard Aries’s voice in my head. He was guiding me. He’s still here with me.”
“He will always be with you, Atlas. He’s a part of you,” I whisper, kissing his cheek.
We both fall asleep, cuddling each other like always, but I know that he’s still upset.
I just hope that I can make it up to him.
The first sign that Atlas isn’t himself is that he wakes up before me, so I’m alone in bed as I open my eyes. I can’t fault him for being upset. It wasn’t a small thing that I did yesterday. It was a whole shit show of bad decisions.
I get ready for the day and head out to find him. He’s in the gym, beating the shit out of a bag, and I stand and watch him from the outside for a little while.
Temper comes and stands next to me. “He’ll come around.”