Page 86 of Where We Ended

Sasha turned back to me, and then pulled me into a hug. It was a gesture she’d made a thousand times. “Dirk will come for her if she leaves.”

I looked over at her, confused.

“How would he know if I were to just leave…if the deal is struck then wouldn’t he just assume I’m here?”

Simon’s face held pity. Wesley Ryan’s held nothing at all, and Killian looked at me like I was a naïve girl who needed a life lesson.

“Natty, right?” Simon asked, nodding toward me.

I nodded, shifting on my feet. My butt still hurt from the cigarette burn, and while I’d added some ointment to it, it hurt to feel anything rub against it.

Simon glanced at Sasha before replying. “The trade we made wasn’t easily done…Dirk is very possessive over you…the goods we traded cost us nearly one million in an arms deal we could have made. Now, I’m happy to do it because I’m a father myself and I would have done this for my own daughter. You're like a daughter to Sasha…so our protection extends to you, but make no mistake. Dirk will be watching to see if you leave. I’m not trying to scare you, but he's a ruthless son of a bitch. Whatever plans you made, you may need to place on hold until we can get his attention somewhere else.”

Hope evaded me as I nodded in understanding. I’d caught the attention of a disgusting madman. This was my chance at freedom.

“You’ll ride with Killian.” Simon gestured toward the man at his side.

Sasha reached for my hand and squeezed it. There was a silent conversation she was having with me, one full of soothing words and promises that it would be okay, but my chest felt like the war we were trying to avoid arrived regardless. It was tearing through me with bullets and bombs, creating a mess of gory devastation in my heart.

With numb legs, I walked to the bike where Killian sat and climbed on the back. My arms went around Killian’s waist, and then the wind was tearing at my hair as the bikes started back up and the group left the motel behind. The group looped, which meant we passed the motel, and Sasha. I watched her as she stood there, tears visibly streaming down her face as she waved goodbye.

I closed my eyes and tried to pretend my entire life didn’t just implode.

ONE WEEK LATER

SILAS

Me: I’m headed home today, can’t wait to see you.

Natty:

Me: Don’t be mad…this was a good trip, I’ll explain why it was so good when I get there but my dad finally left US soil.

Natty:

Me: Caelum…what the fuck is going on?

Natty:

Me: I’ll see you soon.

I felt like a weight had lifted as I rode back to Pyle, and it disappeared entirely when the gates to the clubhouse opened and I eased inside.

I’d been gone for way too fucking long, but the outcome was worth it. I’d been slowly building the confidence of my father, that I was his willing soldier, there to do his bidding. For years I had built this image, did the most deplorable things, all so I could gain access to his plans.

I wanted to know where his extra homes were. His women. Where he kept his money.

The ability to exploit him was information too tempting to give up. At first it was difficult to keep up the pretense, and the urge to stop everything just so I could be with my wife was right on the surface…and then Christmas arrived, two years ago and my world seemed to unravel.

I knew Natty was upset.

Fuck, it tore me open to leave her alone. I knew it hurt but that year I’d surprised her by not just finding a love story for her but tattooing it to my skin. I wanted her to read what she meant to me and know that there wasn’t a moment when I was gone that I didn’t carry her with me.

But when I arrived, she’d been broken. Sobbing and crying and some part of me knew something had happened. I understood this type of carnage was from regret.

She hadn’t cheated, even I was sane enough to understand what she’d done was innocent enough, but fuck it ripped me open just the same. She even admitted if I had done the same to her, she wasn’t sure she could get past it because an emotional connection with someone ran so much deeper than a physical one.

I knew Alec cared for Natty. He always had, it was why when I first saw him flirting with her, I pushed him off the dock.

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