Page 18 of Golden Atonement

They moved tentatively into the room.

I would too if I were them. Because of them, my wife thought I was the Devil. For that, I would never forgive them.

I’d waited for this day for months.

I knew time was on my side, and if they knew what was good for them, they better had kept their promise, because God wouldn’t be able to save them if they hadn’t.

They asked me to do the unthinkable, and now they had to deal with the aftermath. A creation of their own making. They wanted, needed a soulless man. Well, they got one, because I didn’t give a fuck about anything anymore. Only her. Because of them, I’d lost the one person who centered me on this earth.

My family, my brothers, my club, none of it mattered anymore.

Only the love of my life.

I warned them it wouldn’t work. I told them the risk was too great, but with no other options, they forced my hand. My only stipulation. That they protect her at all costs. They swore a blood oath.

No matter what, she came first.

They agreed and ensured no harm would ever come to her. Only they went back on their promise to me. Why was still a mystery and one I would unravel soon enough. But for their sakes, they better had kept their promise to her.

Leaning against the wall, I heard Maxim sigh.

“We have a problem. Petrovitch discovered our mole. He’s in the wind.”

Of course they did. They never saw the bigger picture. They wanted a quick fix. I knew that was Montana’s influence. Fucker never really liked getting his hands dirty. Just because he sat at the table, he thought he could lord his position over the biker nation. Fucker was about to have a rude fucking awakening when this shit was over.

I had plans for him and his pissy bitch fucking Soulless Sinners.

“Petrovitch has Illyria.”

I would have laughed if it wasn’t so bad. Even then, I was grateful it wasn’t my woman. Still, Illyria was bad enough. Woman didn’t deserve what was about to happen to her. Maybe Maxim would finally understand my torment. I hated he would have to learn this way, but sometimes the truth wasn’t an easy pill to swallow.

“Our plan is unraveling. It’s time. We need you to reclaim what is rightfully yours,” he added as Montana dropped a bag on the floor near my feet.

I sighed, hanging my head as I gently placed her photo on the bed beside me. What they failed to say was they fucked up big time and needed the one person they handicapped back in the game to save their asses.

I had half a fucking mind to walk away and let them deal with the consequences of their actions.

Let them fight till the death.

Let them suffer the actions of their own hands.

Bending over, I unzipped the bag as the contents shined brightly, clean and ready, as if everything inside were waiting for me. Neither man said a word as I ran my finger along the long, sharp blades, reacquainting myself with their cold feel. Grabbing the handles of the bag, I picked it up and placed it on the bed.

“Is she alive?” I asked. My hard, gruff voice echoed around the room. They knew damn well I wasn’t talking about Illyria.This was never about anyone buther. The one person on this earth who kept me sane, centered, under control.

Their next words would seal their fate.

When I saw them stiffen, I knew they understood.

“Yes,” Maxim quickly affirmed.

He fucking knew not to lie to me.

Not after everything I’d done.

Standing at his full height, he pushed off the wall, not knowing what to expect. I wasn’t the man he remembered. What stood before him was a wild card with nothing more to lose. So, when he turned his eyes on mine, he wasn’t shocked to see death looking back at him. There was no life left in me. That was on him. Him and his fucking pussy-bitch friend who hadn’t said a fucking word yet. Which was good, because I wouldn’t think twice before removing his fucking tongue from his lying mouth.

I had plans for that lying piece of shit.

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