Saving You Losing Me

Chapter 45

CHAPTER 45

CLARA

I never intended on unburdening my soul, but it felt like the perfect time.

I have waited ten years to tell Atom the truth. He deserves it and he can do what he wants with the information. I have nothing left to give him. I want to marry him. I always did and if in doing so I lose him forever, at least my greatest wish would have come true.

When I bared my soul to him, the devastation in his eyes was heartbreaking.

He never knew.

It’s obvious.

He thought I had chosen Michael over him because I was shallow, self-centered, and hung up on material things and social standing. He was wrong.

He is struggling with the truth as I knew he would and yet standing here, caged in his arms is where I want to be. It’s my happy place, it always was and now it’s up to him to do what he wants with the information.

“Clara.” His tortured voice says my name as if a million questions hang off it. He is shaken and confused and I smile sadly.

“As I said, I’m sorry. I should have been honest rather than end it. I wanted you to hate me. I believed it would make it easier for you to get over me. To move on and be happy. It’s all I ever wanted.”

He pulls me close against his chest, burying his face in my hair, his heart pounding against my cheek, his breathing erratic.

I almost can’t breathe as he clings onto me hard and, as his familiar scent fills my senses, I am intoxicated by him.

He is all I have ever wanted, and I betrayed him. But I didn’t. I would never betray this man because I have loved him for longer than I can remember.

A loud gunshot punches through the silence and Atom pulls quickly away, his attention diverted to something occurring outside.

“What’s happening?” My voice shakes as more shots accompany it and Atom yells, “Go to your apartment, Clara! Protect the girls. Lock the door and only open it to me.”

I don’t even hesitate because the thought of anything happening to my girls causes adrenalin to explode inside me.

I run so fast it’s as if I am the wind as all around me hell breaks loose. I meet Candy in the hallway as she stumbles from her apartment, torn from her sleep.

“Clara, what’s happening? Diesel just raced off.”

“In my apartment, quickly.”

I drag her through the door and lock it behind us, immediately racing to the girl’s rooms.

When I see them sleeping peacefully, their arms wrapped around their teddy bears, I breathe a huge sigh of relief.

I close the door quietly and meet Candy in the kitchen and whisper, “Someone is shooting outside. Atom told me to lock myself in here and only come out if he was on the other side.”

“Atom said that but–”

Candy is confused, and I shrug. “I was talking to him in the bar when we heard the shots.”

“But it’s gone three am.” Her eyes widen. “You mean–”

“No, Candy. It means I couldn’t sleep and went to fix myself a drink and he was there. We talked and then this happened.”

She edges toward the window and peers through it from behind the drapes.

“Fuck!”

Her low curse causes my heart to leap.

“What is it?”

“Emilio D’Angelo and his men. I think it’s them.” She gasps and her hand covers her mouth.

“What is it?”

“There’s a body—on the ground.”

A sharp pain slices through my heart as I cry, “Atom?”

“No.”

I exhale with relief.

“I can’t make it out, but he’s not wearing a club jacket.”

She jumps away from the window and says in horror, “They are leaving.”

The sound of car tires squealing from the yard is my cue to join her, and I stare at the scene beneath my window in shock.

Atom steps toward the body and bends down and as he holds the man’s head in his arms, he yells something and three more of his men come and surround it.

We watch as they carry the body inside the clubhouse, and Candy’s voice shakes as she whispers, “This isn’t good. It’s a declaration of war and the only possible outcome is a whole heap of trouble for The Dark Angels.”