Page 15 of His Atonement

Allie giggles. "Yeah, well, after walking in on you that way more times than any of us can count, I totally understand why."

"Thanks for being here, Al.” I whisper as I wrap her in a hug. "For coming back and helping me, for having my back through all this chaos. And for pushing me to move, to shake things up when I needed it most."

She hugs me hard. "Anything for you, Frank. You know that. And it's not like I'd do anything differently anyway, I get something out of this deal too."

I smile and let go, then start us toward the living room. "Yeah, you get my pain in the ass self on the daily for the first time in almost twenty years. Pretty sure you got the short end of the stick."

“Hardly." She snorts. "I get to have my sister with me everyday, get to have all my best friends, all my family in one place, and that makes me happy as fuck."

Guess I can scratch that off my bucket list.

Making sure Allie is happy and living her best life was my number one, and if having my dumbass around does that, so be it.

"You sure you don't want Andrej to ride your bike back to Ashland? Or maybe have him load it in the moving truck?"

I shake my head, and grab my backpack and GoPro from next to the door. "If I get tired I'll let you know, but I'm going to enjoy the ten hours with nothing but the open road, the wind in my hair and my camera to record it all. I'll be fine."

"Ok, but I think you're nuts."

With another laugh, I shrug. "Maybe I am, but one thing life has taught me so far is to enjoy every moment and don't take the little things for granted. If I'm going to make life my bitch, then I need to get on that."

Here's hoping I don't have any muscle spasms or ticks while I drive my motorcycle up the coast. Lord knows I'm prepared to die, I'd just rather not do it in a blaze of road rash glory.

Puff Puff, But Don’t You Dare Pass

"Oh! Oh! Oh gods, yes! Yes, Your Majesty, yes!" I moan, each word hitting a new octave as my voice rises, my satisfied shouts echoing through the living room.

"Son of a bitch!" Kai growls as he whips his controller at the TV. "I swear to the gods, you fucking cheat!"

I give him my best maniacal laugh as I slump against the couch, and rest my own controller on my chest. "No, Your Highness, I'm just that fucking good.” I lift a blunt to my lips, crack my gold lighter, and inhale deep. "Soverygood."

Kai rumbles a deep laugh and shoves me. "Shut the fuck up, demon. It's bad enough you make your victories sound as though you're having an insane orgasm. No need to make the entire thing sexual in nature as well."

"Isn't it, though?" I blow out my smoke and grin. "Ipoundyou so good until you're nothing but a lifeless mess on the ground, much like I do when—"

"Stop!" Kai laughs. "Jesus, you're worse than Casey."

"What's this about my mate?" an exhausted Milos asks on a yawn as he enters, then flops down on the couch by his brother.

"This asshole turns even the simplest things into raunchy, X-rated nonsense just as your Casey does."

Milos’s tired eyes go a tad dreamy. "She does, doesn't she?" Then he smirks. "She is fantastic that way."

With another long drag, I motion toward the twat. "See, at least someone can appreciate my flair for the dramatic."

Kai shakes his head with a grin but ignores me. "What brings you downstairs at this hour, brother? It isn't Opal, is it?"

Milos sighs, and shakes his head. "No. The apple of my eyes sleeps peacefully next to my mate, the two of them successfully kicking me out of my own bed, that's all."

Kai and I both arch a brow, something my sweet Cora hates because it irritates her to no end the way I've begun speaking theirunspoken face languageas she puts it.

"And I have difficulty sleeping when Andrej is away,” he grunts reluctantly. "I rest much easier knowing our entire clan is accounted for."

We both nod as Kai claps him on the back. "Soon. Andrej texted a few hours ago to say they had stopped for gas and to stretch their legs, alluded to trying to convince Frankie to load the Triumph into the moving truck in order to finish out the remainder of the drive. I anticipate their arrival soon.”

Ah, yes, this mysteriousFrankieI've heard more and more about these past few days. Apparently, he will be joining us here at the compound indefinitely, another stray the king agreed to take in.

He is the reason I assisted Hank and Karel in cleaning out the last vacant cabin on the grounds. Gutted the fucker and left nothing but the skeleton of a full-sized bed, a beat-to-hell table and single chair, a very lumpy couch, and one sad little bookshelf.