Page 22

Atlas

T yrant and Raiden were first to arrive. That low, throaty, unmistakable rumble of bikes pulling up was never so welcome.

They took charge, waking up Fucker Phil and going through a round of questions that involved him telling them everything or Raiden doing things with a hot poker to Phil that he wasn’t going to like. Of course the fucker is one of those who dishes it out, but can’t take it. He pissed himself just looking at Raiden.

And then Crow arrived, but it wasn’t Crow at all. It was his other personality, Raven, and he was in full on, gleeful torture mode. Crow must have unleashed him on the drive, because the first thing Raven did after getting off his bike was to crack his neck and knuckles and ask where the fuck the party was at.

Most of it was just talk.

Raiden and Tyrant get no delight out of that part of club business. They try to make sure it happens as little as possible. Tyrant is a good Prez and he has the club’s safety and wellbeing at the forefront of his mind at all times. To him, looking after the men who made him their leader and put all their trust in him doesn’t mean picking stupid fights or going to war. Now that we have Lynette as our club’s lawyer, there’s been a big shift to doing things more above board than illegal. The transition is a slow one, but we could all see the benefit in getting out of some of the shit we were doing and transitioning to more passive income, or what we hope will be passive one day.

Wizard, Odin, Grave, Decay, and Gunner rode in maybe ten minutes after Tyrant and Raiden arrived, but Raven had already intimidated Phil into telling them everything.

I had to take Agatha and Willa into the kitchen and make sure they both knew that no one was going to follow through on the threats getting hurled around the room.

Phil might be a class A fucker, but he’s still Agatha’s son and she’s been through enough already.

Before the other guys even set foot in the house, Phil was already agreeing to turn himself into the police and never mention a thing about the club’s involvement. He’d be doing jail time for sure, and they promised him that the thing about jail is that’s where criminals thrive. We actually don’t have that many guys on the inside—thank fuck for that—but of course we know someone who knows someone, who could make sure someone else winds up dead if there’s a fucker who needs to be put to ground.

When the other guys got here, we directed them straight to the already in session faux torture fest, which was pretty much wrapping up, but Wizard stayed. I could tell he had something to say, but he’d been quiet for an eternity.

Willa and Agatha are at the table, holding onto each other’s hands, steaming mugs of sweet tea in front of them that I just made. As soon as Bullet and Lynette get here, I’m going to have them load Willa and Agatha up and take them straight to Archer’s.

Wizard angles himself towards the kitchen window that overlooks the farmyard and the line of chrome and leather bikes parked in a row.

“I’m sorry I sent you here.” His face is a wreck. He’s more than sorry. This is eating him up. “I should have known something was up. I should have been able to tell that the power was cut. I was just so fucking sure that if something was wrong, I would have seen it on the feed, but the bastard snuck up on me. I didn’t see anything before he cut power to the pole.”

“He knew exactly where to go because he was raised here. No one would have thought that Agatha’s own son would be involved.” I keep my voice low enough that I hope Agatha can’t hear me.

Willa can. Her eyes fix on me, and she offers the smallest, shaky smile. I give her one right back, my promise that this is all going to be okay.

We’re going to be okay.

We’re alive and, for the most part, uninjured.

“Christ!” Wizard curses. I don’t realize it’s directed at me until he bends to inspect my neck. “That’s a nasty burn.”

Willa pales, and I quickly pass it off. I’m not going to allow her to feel guilty for something that wasn’t her fault. She did what she had to do in order to keep Phil from killing someone. If she hadn’t done it, he would have shot me or Agatha. I told her it was okay and it is.

“It’s not your fault. You were doing the best job you could. You do, every single day, day in and day out. We need help. You’re doing the work of ten or twenty people and it’s not fair or sustainable. This isn’t on you, brother. Not at all. It’s on no one but Phil.”

“I should have been more careful.” He’s not going to let this go easily either. He’s stubborn like Willa that way. “I know where the money is. That guy Tyrant mentioned… Viking—he can find anyone. He’ll find her and she’ll turn herself in just like Phil is going to do. We’ll make sure that the money gets back to the victims.”

“I figured. Tyrant said that Viking isn’t the patching in sort, or maybe the club isn’t the sort that wants him to be a member, but I hope that he sticks around and can help you. If not, we need to press for someone else, even if that means finding the right prospect and training them. You’re a brilliant man, Wizard, but even brilliant men have their limits, and your limits are that you can’t be in three hundred places at once.”

Wizard swipes a hand over his face. I’ve embarrassed him. He’s touched and he’s trying to hide it. I realize it’s not just me who tries to hide what’s going on inside or put on a different face to the world. My club brothers who all look like they have their lives together are probably dealing with stuff I know shit about.

“I’m still sorry that I walked you straight into a trap.”

“Nah.” I clap Wizard on the back. “We’re good, and because this happened, there are people out there who are going to get their lives back. From what Phil said, this was straight scammer money. The people who lost it were the ones that couldn’t afford to. This will make a huge difference for them. A lot of them are probably older folks, like his own mother.”

I still can’t believe Phil hit his own mother. He truly didn’t care. How does a person even get to that point?

Willa said I was secure enough in my manhood to admit that I wouldn’t mind smelling like strawberries. I’m more than secure enough to admit that I want to get home and hug my parents. Hard. My mom and dad know how much I love them and appreciate them, but there’s one thing I’ve been keeping from them and I want to sit down and tell them. I have the chance to do that. It’s not a burden, it’s a privilege. I’m alive. I’m here. Phil could have shot me. He could have killed me right in front of the woman I love.

It’s amazing what staring down death does to your brain. That deep sense of shame is no longer rooted at the heart of me. I’m just me and I want my family to know all the bits I’ve been hiding from them. I know that they’ll love me for who I am, as I am. They always have.

Lynette’s car creeps down the gravel road silently. It’s only because I’m standing by the window that I see it turn off and come down the driveway.

Raiden told us both when he first got here that Lynette was frantic to see her sister, but they needed to make sure the house was secure and the area safe before they let her come. They’d do the same for any of their old ladies, and there was no way Bullet was going to let her come until he was sure there was absolutely no threat. They haven’t told anyone about the baby that I know of, but he’s got to be just about feral with his prospective instincts right now.

They both knew we were here, and though it was hard to wait those extra few minutes to get the call that they could leave, they both respected Tyrant’s and Raiden’s authority in the club. Good plans and calm heads keep everyone safe.

Willa’s been waiting anxiously for her sister, but she’s done a good job of swallowing it and sitting calmly to try and give Agatha her support as she grapples with the fact that her only son assaulted her, would gladly have killed someone, and is going to be going to prison. Her whole life has changed. Her future. Her legacy. No matter what Phil’s done, she loves him, and this is breaking her heart.

I walk to the table and set my hands on Agatha’s shoulders. “Why don’t we all go outside for a breath? Willa’s sister just got here, and she’d really like to see her, but she’s not going to leave without you.”

Willa doesn’t rocket out of her chair and go racing through the door to see her sister. She remains perfectly composed, though she’s practically vibrating, and her eyes are shiny. She offers her hand for Agatha and together, we help her out of her chair.

We’re not leaving Agatha behind or alone for a second. We’re her family now. She’ll probably never leave this farm, but we’ll find a way to make sure that we’re out here as often as we can be, checking in on her.

Wizard clears his throat like the obvious affection between the three of us makes him uncomfortable.

He’s a bit of a loner, but I always thought it was because he’s so busy with tech and it’s a world unto itself. He has to be apart when he’s doing his work because he needs his phones, cameras, and computers. Ever since I prospected and patched in with the club, he’s been busy enough that he rarely goes out to Patterson’s with the guys or attends social events for more than a few minutes.

Maybe that’s intentional.

“I’m going to go see if I can get those cameras back up, and if not, I brought a bunch of new ones to install. I wasn’t sure how badly the old ones were damaged or if it was just the central power that was cut. Either way, we’ll have the power company come right out to connect you back up if that’s the issue. Uh, ma’am.”

At least that gives Agatha a little bit of color back in her face and some punch back in her punchiness. “The ma’aming isn’t necessary, but thank you for your hard work. All of you. It’s appreciated.”

Wizard nods and trails off towards the living room, probably to confer with Tyrant and Raiden about the security situation.

I wrap my arm around Willa’s shoulders, and she clutches Agatha’s hand tight. We just about run right into Bullet and Lynette as we open the front door.

He steps back, but Lynette throws herself at Willa, her hands hovering around her face, and dropping to her shoulders, then clenching her hands tightly in one of hers while she uses her free arm to wrangle Agatha in.

“We’re okay,” Willa whispers over and over again, but I can tell she’s trying to convince herself and Agatha as well. She keeps saying it until her voice finds some strength and she can look Lynette in the eye and mean it. “We’re okay, Lynette. Really.”

A little cry tears out of Lynette and she throws herself against her sister, wrapping her up so tight that Willa is pretty much crushed into her with the height difference.

After the hug goes on, Lynette can’t help but look Willa over like a mother does to her toddler who just fell down on the sidewalk. She’s not really checking for scrapes and bruises, but that’s what it appears. I know that Lynette is looking deeper, trying to gauge just what okay really means.

Willa pulls back and lets Lynette hug Agatha. We share a private look, and I dip my head in acknowledgement. Willa threads her hand through mine and gravitates into my side, leaving one hand protectively on Agatha’s arm.

Bullet brackets Lynette’s shoulders protectively. She might have been an ice queen in the past, but now she wears her emotion freely and it’s plain to us how rattled she is. She looks up at Bullet, her face softening with love at his silent support. The crazy thing is watching how his scarred face shifts and suffuses with strong emotion.

Yeah. That’s what love does to people.

There’s never been a point where that’s freaked me out. I was never running from it, just from myself and my own truths and worthiness.

“We have something we want to tell you.” Willa’s voice never wavers despite her obvious emotion. There’s so much of it in her expression that it would be impossible to separate out just one thing. Willa doesn’t do one feeling at a time. She does it all, all at once, to her fullest capability.

It’s extraordinary.

She’s extraordinary.

“We’re… Atlas and I… we’ve made the decision that we’d like to date. That is… we… umm… didn’t decide it lightly or right now. It’s been a work in process….” After struggling to find the right words, she gives up on diplomacy. “Ahh, shit, that’s not me. All of that is true, but what I’m really trying to say is that I love him. I love him so freaking much and I hope that’s okay. Even if it’s not, it’s not going to change my mind about him, but I’d try and give you a respectful amount of time to come to terms with it.”

I wait for the crashing and the crushing, the bomb to drop and take Bullet and Lynette’s faces with it. For the hardening and the steeling, the shuttering off and closing down. The stern looks from Bullet and the doubtful reproach from Lynette.

“I love her,” I add, unable to keep a sappy grin from spreading over my face. “As my best friend and as my partner and the joy of my soul.” That’s still not enough. “I don’t just love her. I’m in love with her.”

Lynette shifts so she and Bullet can exchange another look. Whatever they’re silently communicating, it happens fast.

Lynette folds her hands in front of her while Bullet runs his down her arms. “We know,” she says. She’s not furious. She’s not disappointed. She’s not reproachful or cautious. She looks… happy.

Willa’s mouth actually goes slack as she studies her sister and then flicks her eyes to Bullet’s face like she didn’t hear her correctly.

“You know? No. You always thought we were fooling around, but love?”

Lynette reaches for Willa’s hand and brings it up to her heart. “You’re the sister of my heart, Wills . I know you used to think that I was trying to run your life, and you were right about me being too pushy, even though I only wanted what was best for you. I still do, and I meant what I said about giving you the freedom to make your own decisions. I also know you. I know you as well as know yourself. I love you so much and that’s never going to change. I believed you when you said that you and Atlas were just friends, but I could clearly see how much you adored him and how that turned into something deeper. You look at him the way I look at Bullet.”

“So you’re not going to attempt to crush Atlas or pound him into oblivion for setting his hands on me?” Willa directs that at Bullet.

He does give me a hard, cold stare down, but then his eyes crinkle at the corners and I know that he approves. “He’s my club brother. There are rules about beating the shit out of each other, but even if there wasn’t, it’s not gonna happen. I know that he’ll treat you right and anyone can see he’s crazy about you.”

“We’re happy for both of you,” Lynette says, stressing the both . “We’re overjoyed to have you as our family not just through the club, but because you’re together.”

“You’re not going to threaten that he should treat me right or you’ll break every bone in his body?” This time, it’s unclear who Willa’s asking.

Bullet and Lynette both shake their heads.

“You’re an adult, I can’t tell you who you can and can’t love, when Bullet and I have found so much happiness together,” Lynette says, going googly eyed for Bullet. “We know that with anything, there’s always danger and some risk. It’s more than worth it. Just like when you came to me and said you didn’t want to go to college, you wanted to run your own store, and you were surprised that I told you to go for it, this is me telling you to do what feels right. Both of you.”

I know my parents and siblings will be overjoyed when I tell them that we’re dating, but I was genuinely worried about what Bullet and Lynette would say. It’s not that I didn’t trust them, but love can cause people to react in funny ways. I would have taken a beating and then some, more than gladly, if it meant that I could be with Willa in the end.

“We’re excited to grow together.” Lynette clenches Bullet’s hand hard. “And we’re beyond thrilled to see how love transforms you both.”

“Me too!” Willa throws herself at Lynette, hugging her again, and then, she gives Bullet a quick hug. “Thank you for coming. I know it’s rude to just dash out of here and you’re worried, but I need to get Atlas and Agatha over to the clinic. I want Archer to check them both out.”

Bullet just now notices the burn on my neck. His mouth settles into a hard line, and he nods, giving Willa the go ahead to drive, even though I thought he’d make a big fuss over it.

There’s been plenty of surprises today.

I’m sure there will be plenty more before this is all over.

Willa wants to take care of me. It’s about time that I stop protesting and just let her. I can’t expect to take care of her and not let her do anything for me in return. If going to Archer will put her mind at ease, then I’ll gladly do it.

Besides, if I don’t go, I know there’s no moving Agatha.

She’s looking at me now, giving me a good dose of hairy side eye, waiting to see if she should kick up a fuss about this Archer person she’s never met.

“I think that’s for the best. Besides…” I wink at Agatha, ready to sweeten the deal. “If you’re okay with letting him make sure you’re all good, I’m sure I can wrangle someone up to take you for a ride we promised you a while back. You might not be in the mood right now, but sometimes a ride is just the thing to clear your head and make everything look better. Once my parents know that we’re back in town, they’ll want to have us over for dinner, so a homecooked meal that you don’t have to make yourself is also on the table.”

“Ooh, Willa, you’ve got yourself a smooth-talker.” Agatha cackles, which makes Bullet roar with laughter because it’s such a wild sound. “He’s a man who knows his way to the heart of a woman. How could I turn down home cooking and good company?”

“You can’t.” Willa gives me such a look of pure, unfiltered adoration that I swear my heart leaps out of my chest. “You can’t resist falling in love with him. I certainly couldn’t.”

“Well then.” Agatha slaps a toothy grin into place and starts steering Willa over to the truck. “We had best get togging then. In no time at all, I’m going to be powerful hungry, and we’ve still got a long drive ahead of us. We have a lot to get done before dark so I can get my ride in.”

“Don’t worry,” I tell her as I help her up onto the running board and into truck’s back seat. “Riding at night is the most fun there is.”

Willa pokes me in the ribs. “I can’t wait to give that a try myself.”

I know I should have more control, but I just can’t help myself. I close Agatha’s door, sweep Willa up and kiss her long and hard, right there where everyone can see. They can watch all they like. I have nothing to hide. Willa never did. She’s always given me all of herself. It’s obvious in the way she kisses me back with enough passion to fuel another sun for the foreseeable future, that she doesn’t mind people watching us declare our love.

She doesn’t mind it at all.