Page 22 of Golden Atonement

The surf was angry tonight. Like a storm was brewing off in the distance. I couldn’t see it, but I knew it was there, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

The second they told me he lived, I ran from the room.

I couldn’t listen to any more.

But nothing could drown out their voices as they continued to argue. Even outside, under the cover of night, I could still hear them clearly.

“Well, don’t keep us waiting. What the fuck did you fucknuts leave out?” Dakota roared.

“The truth about that night and much more,” Maxim Fedorov clearly admitted when no one else would speak up.

“The truth about what?” Angelica asked.

Even I had to admit, I was curious. What more could there be? Was I some long-lost heiress? Was my mother the fucking Queen of England? What more could they possibly say that I didn’t know?

“The truth about who she is.”

Ah. Damn, I hated it when I was right.

Taking a seat on one of the lounge chairs, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as I listened to their conversation.

This ought to be good.

“As Remi’s therapist, I’m going to need a little more than that. I will not allow any of you to upset the tentative balance I’ve made with her.”

“What Doc said,” Dakota growled.

“Dakota, this is serious,” Montana groaned.

“Always is with you. Stop fucking around and just tell us why you’re really here.”

“CliffsNotes version. We made a deal with Reaper before the Golden Wedding to protect Remi while we took down theSociety.”

“Why?”

“Because Remi is my daughter,” Vladmir Ivenok said. “We were trying to protect her.”

Why would he say that again?

It made no sense.

He already told everyone he was my father.

What more was he hiding?

“And how did that work out for you?” Dakota snipped angrily.

“Hey, it’s not all on us. Reaper couldn’t wait. He forced our hand,” Montana added.

I smirked at that. I fucking knew what that meant.

He never was a patient man.

Could have told them that if they’d ever asked.

Dakota growled. “What the fuck did you do?”

“We promised Reaper,” Fedorov said, trying to ease the tension.

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