Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Stormy
“Did you marry him just for protection?” River asks me, and I look at her with as much honesty as I can muster.
“In the beginning, I thought it was all for my protection. Then he told me he loved me. I looked into his eyes, and I believe him. He’s been searching for me so much. I could feel his emotions even when I couldn’t see him.”
She raises a brow. I push my glasses up my nose.
“These aren’t for style or hiding. The explosion I survived detached my retina and damaged my other eye. I needed surgeries, and I couldn’t see. Atlas came to the hospital and questioned me. I knew who I was at the time, but he couldn’t tell it was me because my face was covered in bandages.”
“What happened to you?”
I briefly explain as we change clothes. When she hands me Justice to hold while she changes out of her dress, I feel that familiar awkwardness and realize I haven’t asked Atlas whether he wants kids or not.
By the time we make it out to the common area, the guys all have drinks.
Maisy walks slowly behind me. I stop and turn to her.
“Are you okay?”
She shakes her head. “No. Can you help me?” she whispers softly.
I owe this woman my life. She still hasn’t told me how she found me, but she’s been there with me through so much. I don’t hesitate.
“Anything. You name it.”
“Take me to Alaska with you, but don’t tell Cronus.”
“Okay.” I don’t know how I’m going to tell my new husband, but I’ll make it work.
“Come here, wife.” Atlas’s throaty voice breaks me from my thoughts.
Atlas pulls me down onto his lap, his hand wrapped possessively around my thigh.
Reaper pulls River into his lap after she puts the baby into a travel crib to sleep.
Maisy sits next to Atlas and me on the sofa instead of the open spot beside Cronus.
Hermes walks in, grabs a chair, and flips it backward to sit on.
“Okay, we told you we’d save you. When you married Titan today, you disappeared. Anyone who searches online for you, won’t find you. Just like if someone searched for Titan or me. We’re ghosts.”
“How?” Reaper asks, but I turn to look at my husband. He’s been keeping things from me.
“I know you work for the government,” I say.
“I do. But not just as a hacker.” He turns to his brother before looking back at me. He’s about to begin when Cronus stops him.
“Maybe Maisy should leave the room for this.”
“No,” I say, the firmness in my voice brokers no alternative. “If she can’t know, then I don’t want to hear it. She saved my life that night. I won’t have her cut out of this.”
“But the rules state that only spouses can know, and immediate family.”
“Then she’s my family,” I continue to argue.
Cronus stands up, and that’s when Maisy breaks.
Words spill from her lips. “I was there. I was on that water the night of the explosion. I was there looking for his boat. I knew he was there. I’d finally found him, and I was going to get my revenge.
I was going to make sure he didn’t have any other victims, and then I was going to kill him.
” She’s on her feet standing up to Cronus. “I knew I could do it.”
“Snow—” he says, but she stops him.
“No. You shut up and sit down.”
But he doesn’t. She pokes him in the chest.
“I saw her jump as the explosion happened. Debris hit the boat and the water around me. I burned my arm.” She holds up the arm with the mark I’ve wondered about for months.
“But I didn’t take my eyes off Stormy as her body flew through the air.
She hit so hard I was sure she was dead.
I watched her head snap back from the impact. ”
Maisy pauses, and I stand up, trying to get to her. She turns toward me.
“You’d tried so hard to protect yourself, but it wasn’t enough.
I struggled to hold you up because of the weight of the bulletproof vests on your body.
” We are both back in that moment. “You begged me to let you die and then told me to save myself. I just couldn’t let you die.
I was so dead inside that you cracked me open, and I had to help.
It took me time, and was so hard, but I pulled you up over the side of the boat.
I cut off the vests and dumped them into the water before I took us back to shore.
I think I’m the reason your arm was broken.
I had you over my shoulder and got you to the park, where I tried to lay you down carefully. ”
I wrap my arms around her.
“You saved me. Every day since then, you’ve saved me.”
Another set of arms wraps around us, and I realize it’s River.
“I fought so hard to keep you from them, and I blamed myself every day you were gone. I’m sorry,” River says.
“It’s okay. They told me they wouldn’t hurt you.
I remember watching them beat you. Through the haze of the drugs, I watched it all happen.
You screamed for me. I tried to fight. That night when I stepped onto the dive platform, I knew I could die, but I was trying not to.
I covered myself with everything I could to save myself. ”
We’re pulled apart, and Atlas holds me while Reaper takes River in his arms.
Maisy stands there, facing off with Cronus. “Brock, I can’t and won’t go back to Georgia. You can’t make me. I learned a long time ago that I’m the only one who can save myself. I’m my own person, and I’m an adult.”
“Snow, I have to take you back. Your family misses you.”
A scoff escapes her lips, bitter and full of hatred.
“They miss the money I was going to make them. I’m not going back.” She turns to me. “Tell me later what is said, if you can.”
She stomps off, and I stand there. In that moment, I know it would take an act of God for me to ever forgive Cronus for the pain he’s caused her. She loves him, and he’s treating her like a child.
Titan
I settle back in the chair with my wife on my lap, ready to tell my brother and her the truth. Cronus and Hermes hang back. I don’t know what’s going on with Cronus, but I can’t believe he treated Maisy that way. She begged him not to send her back, and he basically told her he didn’t care.
“I was twenty-two when my life changed,” I say. “Klay was deployed, and he wouldn’t respond to me. I needed to make sure he was okay. I’m the oldest. It’s my job to protect him. I’d done it all his life before then. I just didn’t realize it would change everything.”
I pause, and Klay sits up straighter, his grip on his wife tightening.
“I hacked the Pentagon and the Department of Army Secretary of Defense, or whatever their fucking title is. I was busted before I even logged out.”
“What the fuck, A? How could you?”
“I needed to make sure you were safe. It’s just like everything I’ve done for Stormy. My life is a moot point next to you two. I’ll do anything for my family.”
“Atlas.” Stormy holds my face in her palms. “Your life isn’t moot. It’s now a part of mine. Forever.” She leans into me, and I kiss her softly.
Pulling away from her lips, I give them the rest of my story. “What I say next can’t leave this room. No one can know.”
They all promise not to say anything. I’ll talk to Stormy later about telling Maisy.
“I was on the verge of going to a federal prison when Cronus stepped in. I’m sworn to him and to our mission for the rest of my life.
But it’s a mission I take gladly. I still get to work on computers.
I work for him.” I point at Cronus. “One of my best friends. And we police politicians, billionaires, and anyone who thinks they’re above the law.
It’s the other reason I was hellbent on your case.
I figured it out, and now you will see.”
I take Stormy’s soft face in my big, tattooed hands.
“The man who purchased you, Andrus Ahriman, thinks he’s above the law. He’s been supplying people to very powerful men in exchange for favors,” I say, and her eyes go wide with panic. “I didn’t know he was your buyer until we ended up in that club. Diego confirmed it.”
“Andrus is the same man you’re after.”
“Yes. But there’s more. The Drago Defiance MC is our cover. Any of the guys with Greek or Roman god names are part of the unit. By telling you this, all of their lives are in your hands. We go on missions, and we fight to preserve what we can.”
“Where do I sign up?” Klay says.
“No, wait, Klay. We have a family now. You can’t just run off.”
“And you don’t, baby?” He holds her tighter. “Every time you and the Handmaidens take off, I have to sit back and worry. I won’t go undercover. But I want to help.”
“I’ll have to see,” Cronus says. “You need to understand that yes, he goes on missions, and there will be times he has to go to Tennessee for a bit, but mostly he’ll be based in Alaska with the new club.
When he comes to Tennessee, Poison, you’ll be able to come with him.
Hermes goes wherever Titan is. Hermes makes sure he doesn’t run.
I never doubted him running except for twice, when Reaper was going through his shit with Jinx and Snake, but also you.
” He points at Stormy. “There were many times he wanted to go off the reservation and search for you on his own. That trip to Seattle was one of them.”
“Okay, but I came back.” I defend myself.
“Look, baby, I can’t always tell you everything, but I’ll be as honest as I can with you.
As for Ahriman, we’re going to get him. For now, you are safe.
You basically have been erased, just like all of the men in our unit.
I have alerts on your name and facial rec software.
You can’t run from me, and he can’t find you without me knowing. ”
“I’m safe?” she asks, and I see the hope in her eyes. “I can go home. Is my family safe?”
“Yes, to all of it. When I erased your file, I put alerts on the family too. I’ve always had alerts on K and R, but now it’s even more secure.”
She wraps her arms around me, and I wrap mine around her.
After explaining more to my brother why I did what I did and why I’ve kept it a secret from him, I take my wife to our apartment and make love to her.
She and I discuss our ideas for the future, and she tells me she doesn’t really care to have children right away, if ever. I concur, and we fall asleep wrapped around each other.
There’s a loud boom before our bedroom door is busted open. Stormy screams, and I come up naked with a gun in my hand. Gurgi is growling and standing between me and the intruder, ready to attack.
“Drop it,” Cronus bellows. “It’s just me. Where is she?”
Cronus tries to push around me to get to Stormy. I know what he’s talking about. I faked that I was asleep when I heard the girls talking early this morning. My lovely wife doesn’t know that yet, though.
“I have no idea,” Stormy deadpans without batting an eye. I turn to see her on the other side of the bed, the sheet wrapped around her body. “Now get out.”
“Don’t make me regret letting you in on our secrets,” Cronus says sharply, and I stand up to him.
“Don’t make me make a choice, brother.”
“I’m just worried about her.”
“Then you shouldn’t have tried to force her back to the people who sold her to Andrus.” Stormy shrugs and walks to the bathroom after dropping that bomb in the room.
“What?” Cronus moves to follow her, but I hold a hand up to stop him.
“Don’t even think about it, Cronus.”
He storms out, bumping into Klay as he goes.
“Everything good?” my brother asks.
“Yep. Maisy took off.”
“Shit. Don’t blame her, though. He’s been an ass to her.” Klay turns and walks away, and I chuckle because he’s right.