Page 53 of Golden Atonement

“I ran to Max.”

“That’s right. You could have gone anywhere, but you followed your heart and it led you to the man you trusted above all others. And I think on some level you still do. Loving a man with darkness inside of them isn’t easy. There are many things that Solomon has yet to tell me, but I don’t push. He will tell me his story when he’s ready. But you and Max share the same story. You know every one of his secrets, all the horrors, every demon. He’s been honest with you from the beginning. All he’s ever wanted was to protect you. To give you the life he believes you deserve, free of the torment you suffered.”

“I only wanted him,” I whispered as a tear fell down my cheek.

“There is nothing Max won’t do for you, Remi. Both of you have been through so much already, but I know for a fact the one thing he would never do is betray you. He would destroy the world if it meant keeping you safe.”

“He didn’t trust me, Sunny. He could have told me the truth and I would have supported him. Stood beside him.”

“Would you have?”

I looked at her, confused.

“I know the whole story, Sis. We all do. Massacre told us. I know your birth father gave you away to my parents just days after your birth. Then a man named Sergio Pavlov found you and handed you over to Petrovitch, who placed you with afamily within theSociety, where you suffered unspeakable acts of depravity, until you escaped on your own. While Max tried to protect you, he learned that a man he trusted took you and gave you back to one of your tormentors, who then handed you over to the head of the Bratva. But do you know something? Max never stopped looking for you until he found you in Louisiana. Your husband slaughtered the entire chapter down there, just so you could have peace of mind that those bastards were dead. Everything Max has done was to give you peace of mind, Remi, and my gut is telling me he’s not done yet.”

“It’s not just that.”

“Yes, it is. Only you are too damn stubborn to see it. From the moment you took your first breath, every man who was supposed to love you and protect you, abandoned you. Your birth father gave you away. My father couldn’t protect you. Hellhound let his greed take root. Even Montana and Maxim Fedorov, who manipulated your marriage to get what they wanted. The only one who stayed true to you was Max. Max didn’t abandon you, Remi. He is out there right now, still keeping his promise to you.”

I slowly raised my head and whispered, “He promised to keep the demons away.”

“Every threat to you, Max has removed. The only threat left is you.”

Not every threat, but she was right about one thing.

There was no Remi without Max.

We were one and the same. We shared the same soul. As dark as it was, it was ours and we prospered, survived to live a life we both wanted. It wasn’t pretty. Not by a long shot, but it was ours. Of our own making.

I was as much to blame as he was because I believed the lie.

Deep down I knew he would never betray me. Not after what we both survived. It wasn’t in his nature. All he ever wanted wasto see me happy. To love me regardless of what time we had left on this earth. And what did I do? I shot him.

I tried to kill the man who gave me everything.

Closing my eyes, I cringed.

How could I not see it?

Why was I so blind?

“Fear is fickle, Remi. It can creep up on you without any warning. Don’t let fear stop you from having the life you deserve because I know Max won’t stop until every threat to you is gone. Maybe it’s like Valhalla said.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Golden Skulls treat us differently. They shield us from the truth. Maybe that’s why you are in the predicament you are in. I know Max probably thinks he was protecting you, but all he did was make things worse.”

“You think I should insert myself into club business?”

“Only where Max is concerned.”

“Sunny, Max is the President of the club. Everything concerns him.”

“Marriage is fifty-fifty, right? Give and take. You both swore an oath before God, just like Solomon and I did. Solomon doesn’t keep much from me. He’s learning to talk to me. I don’t push him, but if I ask him a question, I know he will tell me the truth. Maybe you should start asking questions.”

“But who do I ask?”

“Start with me.”

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