Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CALVIN
“No, sit,” Ranen says to one of the damn pit bulls from Keegan’s house.
Wylder wasn’t happy that North had piled a slobbery, skittish dog into his Jeep, but North said he couldn’t leave him there.
I’m not sure what happened to the other two, but this sweet boy walked right up to North and wagged his tail, waiting to be taken home before we left Keegan’s house.
Ranen burst into tears when he saw the dog, hugging the fur ball around the neck with one hand while checking him for injuries with the other.
We all sit around North and Ranen’s living room, watching as Ranen tries to teach a dog he just met ten minutes ago how to sit and stay and roll over. It’s actually the kind of adorable that we all need after what happened tonight.
Atlas finally got the revenge he needed to close that chapter of his life. His wife can finally rest in peace, knowing that Atlas did what he had to so he could protect their sons.
It sounds strange as fuck to say it, but I’m proud of all of them. I’ve never seen a family work so well together to complete a mission.
Though Atlas could have done without the fucking injuries.
I’ve checked his arm and it’s a through and through, so I sewed him up.
His thigh is another story. I can’t tell how deep the knife went, so we’re going to the hospital across town to get a doctor to determine that.
For now, we have it wrapped up and it’s stopped bleeding.
That gives me hope that it’s not as bad as I think.
I can’t go back to my hospital. I’ll think Shameka is right around the corner. I’m too raw right now to see those walls, knowing she’ll never walk them again.
“No licking my face,” North says as he pushes the cuddly pup away. “I don’t mind a lot of shit, but that mouth is only for my man.” He shoots Ranen a look. “Do not let this dog kiss you in the mouth.”
Ranen makes a gagging noise. “God, of course not. Dogs’ mouths are cleaner than a human’s, my ass.”
That pulls a chuckle out of everyone.
Everyone except Wylder.
Since we’ve gotten here, other than bitching about having a slobbering dog in his car, he hasn’t said much. I have a feeling that what Atlas did means more to him than his brother and father, but I don’t know him well enough to ask.
Bumping Atlas’s shoulder, I incline my head toward his son and whisper, “He needs you, baby. They both do.”
Atlas sighs and nods. “I know. Keep Ranen and Mateo company?”
“Yeah, sure.”
The father and sons head to the back of the house, and I sit on the floor beside Ranen. Mateo sits in the recliner Wylder vacated. He’s so quiet, so stealthy, I almost forgot he was there.
“What’s your deal?” Mateo asks Ranen. “You cry every time you see a pitt?”
Ranen smiles widely at him, petting the dog on the chest. The dog’s tail thumps hard on the floor and he has a cute little grin on his furry face. “No, but this one is so sweet. Don’t you think so?”
Mateo looks the dog up and down, as if appraising it. “It’s cute. Not cry worthy, though,” he says, looking down at his nails. “Dammit, my paint chipped. I swear to fucking Christ Wylder owes me.”
I check him out while he’s not looking and see just how pretty he is. He looks… soft, like he’s a cute little cinnamon roll, but I know he’ll kill whoever crosses his path. It’s disconcerting that someone as precious as him knows how to kill someone with his pinky finger.
“What will you name him?” I ask Ranen when I turn away from Mateo.
Ranen looks up at the ceiling while petting his dog. The dog tucks his head under Ranens’ chin, like he already knows Ranen is his safe space.
“I should probably talk it over with North, but I’m thinking I’ll name him Bubbles. Bubs for short.”
The dog barks, then tries to lick Ranen’s face. “Guess he likes Bubs,” Ranen laughs, falling to the floor and giggling in a high pitch when the dog licks and sniffles all over him.
I smile as I wrap my arms around my knees and watch the two of them.
We went through hell tonight. For the second time in a week, I’ve shot a man. Thankfully, I didn’t kill him, but when I thought about him hurting Atlas, I would have. And I wouldn’t have lost a moment of sleep because of it.
Am I changing? Am I becoming the monster Atlas feared he was?
“Don’t think about it,” Mateo says, making my head snap over to him. “If you think too much about the shit you’ve done, you’ll lose your mind. What’s done is done. Regret is a useless emotion.”
“Have you ever regretted anything?” I ask, resting my head on my knees.
Mateo is quiet, his eyes drifting to the room where our men are. Well, mine and Ranen’s. Mateo doesn’t even like Wylder. I still haven’t sussed out why they’re even around each other.
Lips down-turned, Mateo shakes his head. “Never.”
I don’t call him out on the lie I hear in his voice. Whatever he regrets is between him and his maker, if he believes in that sort of thing.
“Will you be back to visit?” Ranen asks Mateo. “We didn’t get a chance to talk much.”
Mateo looks a little shocked. “You want to talk to me?”
Ranen smiles, something he does a lot and it’s fucking contagious. He’s always so happy, so pleasant to be around. It gives me a warm feeling, staving off the chill of tonight and the past few weeks. He’s just a cute ball of positive energy.
“Of course I do. It’ll be nice to see you when Wylder comes back.”
“Yeah, no.” Mateo stands up, running his palms down his pants. “I won’t be back. Wylder will owe me a favor, then he’s out of my hair.” He flings his lush ponytail back, the tight curls bouncing. If I wanted longer hair, I’d be envious. “Nice to meet y’all, or whatever. Wylder, let’s fucking go!”
A few moments later, the three men leave the room, looking lighter than when they entered. Atlas meets my eyes and nods, relief in his gaze. I’ll ask for specifics when we get home.
Wylder says his goodbyes to his father, brother, and Ranen, then stops in front of me. “Take care of him, okay?”
“I will.” I look over at Atlas, watching a sweet smile bloom across his face as he meets my gaze. “He takes care of me too.”
“That’s… that’s good.” He pats me on the shoulder, then he and Mateo leave.
Atlas comes over and tucks me under his arm, kissing the top of my head. “We’d best be going too. North, call me later.”
“Okay, Dad.” He holds Ranen close, Bubs resting at their feet looking up at his new owners. It’s a fucking Hallmark moment that makes my heart clench.
We take our leave and drive to the hospital in a comfortable silence. There’s so much I want to ask, so much I want to say, but I can’t sort through anything right now. I’m just glad that we all came out of this ordeal alive, even though we’re not unscathed.
“I love you,” I whisper, bringing his hand to my mouth so I can kiss the back.
“Not as much as I love you, sweetheart.”
The emergency room was busy as fuck, but we were taken back immediately once I explained that Atlas fell on something at his construction site and, as a nurse, I couldn’t accurately assess the damage. I guess being a medical professional has its perks.
His stab wound isn’t deep, but it’s a long cut, so he had to get sutures and antibiotics. By the time we get home, we’re both worn out and want nothing more than to sleep. But a shower is on the books before we climb into our clean bed.
I force Atlas to stay still while I wash him, making sure I don’t get water on his suture sites. He grumbles, but does what I ask—only after I give him a long, no-nonsense look.
Once we’re clean, I dress Atlas in some pajamas and tuck him into bed. He smiles at me as I lie beside him, resting on my side so I can see him. “Guess it’s your turn to take care of me, huh?”
“I’ll always take care of you, Atlas. How do you feel?”
He sighs, his eyes taking on a faraway quality. “Yeah. I… there was a void inside me, here.” He points to his chest. “I think it’s filled now.”
“Wylder and North? Did you talk to them?”
Atlas nods. “We had a good conversation, brief as it was. I just wanted to know how they felt about tonight, how they’ll move forward.
They assured me they’d be fine, but I think it’ll be easier for North than Wylder.
He was in the car with Julia, so he has more trauma than North, though North suffered without his mom. ”
I place my hand on his cheek. “You did right by them, Atlas. Not many people would have been able to do as well as you did with two boys who like to murder in their spare time.”
Atlas told me he saw what kind of people North and Wylder would turn out to be, since he saw himself in his boys. So he trained them up so they could be safe, and most importantly, alive.
He breathes a laugh, then his eyes drift closed. “Thank you, Calvin.” They flick open and he stares at me with so much love that I get choked up. “If you hadn’t been there—”
“If I hadn’t been there, you still would have killed Keegan.”
He shakes his head. “Maybe not. Your aim is really good.”
I grin, preening under the unexpected compliment. “I practiced a lot. Never thought I’d have to use that training, though.”
Leaning forward, Atlas presses a soft, sweet kiss to my lips. “I love you.”
“Love you back. Get some rest. Tonight was… heavy.”
He nods and slides closer to me, resting his forehead against mine.
After another long sigh, he drifts off to sleep, and I follow right behind him.
I thought the hardest day of my life was when I uprooted everything and left it all behind after all the shit that went down with Mitchell.
But I didn’t know how hard it would be to see Shameka’s husband break down when he was giving her eulogy. I couldn’t stop the tears, and it was made even worse because I knew I was the reason she was in the casket.
Atlas tried to comfort me, telling me it wasn’t my fault, but we both knew it was. If she hadn’t been so nice, so welcoming, Mitchell wouldn’t have targeted her to get to me.