Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CALVIN
The four of us stand there, staring at each other, my eyes bouncing from Ranen to North as they both look at me and Atlas.
Ranen is the first one to break the silence, smiling widely and walking over to me. “How did he wear you down for a date?” he asks, opening his arms and wrapping them around me.
“Persistence,” I say into his shoulder, and Ranen laughs in a delighted squeal.
“You two look so good together. You actually make him look young.”
Atlas scoffs. “That’s enough of that.” He gives Ranen a quick hug, then hugs his son. “Why are you two here?”
North eyes me for a moment, then his dad. “We need to talk. About why you called me the other day.”
Atlas wraps his arm around me and pulls me to his side. My hand automatically goes to his belly—his rock-hard abs at fucking fifty—and I sigh as whatever nervous energy bundled inside me when they showed up blows away like leaves in the breeze.
“Calvin knows,” he says.
North’s eyes widen. “Everything? You just… told him?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m right here. And yes, he just told me. I take it you didn’t tell Ranen right away?”
Ranen scoffs with a wide grin. “Oh, God no. He probably wouldn’t have for a while if some crazy man didn’t try to kidnap me or something.”
My eyes widen and I extract myself from Atlas’s arms, walking over to Ranen and taking his hands in mine. “Jesus, you okay? Are you talking to someone? Getting therapy?”
North cuts in. “Can I borrow my dad? You can talk to Ranen or whatever.”
Sliding his eyes up to his boyfriend, Ranen says, “You tryin’ to get rid of me?”
“Never, baby. I just need to discuss things with my dad. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
Atlas grabs me and plants a quick, hard kiss on my lips. “I won’t be long.”
“’Kay.”
I watch as both men leave and wrap my arms around my middle, worried about Atlas being out of my sight.
It’s foolish, really, to worry about a man who kills people for a living, but I learned how Mitchell operated after his arrest. Not only is he smart, but he’s not a gentle man and he doesn’t care about human life.
He plans to kill me, but he’ll hurt me first. If Keegan knows about me, Mitchell knows about Atlas, and Mitchell will kill Atlas just to cause me pain before he finishes me off.
Atlas being anywhere I can’t see him makes my palms sweat and my heart thump erratically. Maybe it’ll be okay if I stand outside with them? Atlas already told me everything, so there’s nothing they can talk about that—
Ranen grabs my hand, snatching me from my thoughts, and pulls me over to the well-loved couch.
Once seated, he peels off his shoes and tucks his feet under him.
“You and Atlas, huh? I really love it. I knew he had a crush on you that first night I was in the hospital. I didn’t know either of you then, but I got the vibe, you know? ”
“Yeah,” I say, looking over my shoulder at the door, wishing I could see through it to make sure Atlas is okay.
Ranen places a soft hand over mine, drawing my attention back to him. “It’ll be okay. They’ll be fine. This whole family is… they’re… resourceful. Nothing will happen to them.”
Sighing, I lean against the couch, trying to relax, even though I’m so wound up. “How can you be sure?”
“Because I’ve seen North… do what they do. And Atlas trained him. If North is good, Atlas is better. He hasn’t made it this far without being able to keep himself safe.”
A half grin tips up my lips. “You keep calling him old. He’s only fifty.”
“Yeah, and I’m twenty-three. Old.”
I bark a laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, okay. I’m thirty-seven. Am I old?”
His cute face scrunches. “Of course not. That’s not old like Atlas.”
A faint smile blooms over my face, but it drops quickly. I stare at Ranen for a few moments, then ask, “Can you tell me now what really landed you in the hospital? Was it someone after North too?”
God, I hope not. That would be creepy as fuck that someone was after both father and son.
Ranen wraps his arms around his knees. “No. That was…” He swallows thickly and stares off into space with a frown as if remembering something terrible.
“My best friend—ex-best friend—was in love with me and beat me up pretty bad. He wanted me to lean on him while I was recovering and fall in love with him.”
“Jesus,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry. That’s… that’s awful. I take it North didn’t take too kindly to that.”
“No. My old friend is on a vacation with Jesus because of it.” I bet. “North protected me. And Atlas will protect you from whatever he has going on.”
“Whatever we have going on. Atlas and I are a team now.”
Ranen places his hand on his heart, his eyes misty. “I love that. Same with me and North. I love him so much. More than I thought I could love anyone. He’s absolutely perfect. Not on the right side of the law, but he treats me well and that’s all that matters.”
I wonder, if Mitchell had told me what he was involved in, whether I would have stayed with him. I let what Atlas does roll off my back like water on a duck, but would I have been okay with Mitchell’s lifestyle?
No, I don’t think I would have. Atlas said he only kills people who deserve it.
Mitchell sold drugs wholesale indiscriminately, killed his competition and anyone who crossed him, no matter if they were man, woman, or child.
He’s an evil man and I don’t think I would have wanted to be a part of that.
Atlas isn’t evil. Even that first night when I caught him in Ranen’s hospital room, I didn’t feel malice rolling off him.
Not like I did when I visited Mitchell for the first time, and he showed me who he really was.
For most of our lives, he kept up a facade, showing me what he wanted me to see.
When I saw the real him, I felt cold and sick.
When I’m around Atlas, I feel nothing but loved and protected.
He doesn’t have to drop his guard to show me who he is—he’s been showing me since the day we met.
He might have kept the secret of his life from me, but it wasn’t malicious, like it was with Mitchell.
It was actually the opposite. Before things got more serious between us, Atlas told me.
But I’d had to find out the hard way who my ex-husband was.
Blowing out a long breath, I look at Ranen and whisper, “I’m scared. For him, for us. What if what’s going on comes between us?”
Ranen’s eyes are soft as he grabs my hand. “Oh, Calvin, that won’t happen.”
“How do you know?”
My insecurities are peeking through and I’m not even the least bit embarrassed. Even if they’re false platitudes, I need to hear someone say everything will work out. That some kind of karma is due to me because of Mitchell, and the man of my dreams and I will live happily ever after.
Smiling, Ranen says, “Because North and Atlas aren’t the type of men who let the men they love go. Shit might get bumpy and it’ll be a little rough, but he won’t let you go. It sounds ominous, but it’s hot as fuck. They’re obsessive, our men. And they’ll show you. Every day.”
My cheeks flame as I think about Atlas showing me how obsessed he was just a few hours ago. Yeah, I can see how it’s hot.
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling better about our situation.
We’re quiet for a beat, then Ranen asks, “Are you in trouble?”
“Kinda.” Since he told me his story, it’s only right that I tell him mine.
Pulling in a deep breath, I start from the beginning, telling him about Mitchell, how we met, how we fell easily into a relationship and got married.
Then I tell him how I thought my life was great until I saw my husband being led out of his firm in handcuffs.
Finally, I tell him all I learned at his trial, realizing I didn’t know the man I’d married at all.
When I finish, Ranen is pale, a horrified expression on his face. “Holy fuck, that’s a lot to unpack. You okay?”
“No, but I will be. I have Atlas now, so I’ll be good.”
“You’re a strong man, Calvin. You and Atlas will get through this, I know it. The man is too stubborn for shit not to work out for him.” I chuckle in agreement. “I hope we can be friends. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to about the shit my man gets up to.”
“God, yes. I can’t talk to my best friend about my man being a contract killer.”
Ranen giggles behind his hand, something out of place while I’m talking about murder. “Atlas is mostly retired, so it won’t be too much. North calls him sometimes, though. He has a hard time letting people who bother me live.”
I stare at Ranen to see if he’s joking, but he doesn’t crack a smile. Yeah, I’m not going to ask. I don’t need to know any more than I already do.
What I need to do is focus on Atlas and try to formulate a plan for us to shut down both Mitchell and Keegan.
Like Atlas said, he can’t turn them over to the police.
Both will have to die. If Mitchell gets away, he’ll find some way to get to me, whether he does it himself or hires someone.
I’m sure the only reason he hasn’t done it yet is because he wants me afraid, looking over my shoulder, not knowing when he’s coming at me.
Whatever we do, it’ll have to be for good. I’m not letting anyone get to Atlas.
They’ll have to get through me first.