Page 27 of Golden Atonement

“Yes, you do,” someone else muttered, walking down the stairs of the house.

Turning to the newcomer, I rose to my feet as a ghost I thought long dead walked toward me. “You know how to make this right. You don’t need us to tell you what to do. You know. You are Reaper. The President of the Golden Skulls. The meanest, baddest, motherfucker I’ve ever known. You are also the love of her life. She ran to you, Reaper, when she escaped those sick fucks. She didn’t hide, she didn’t cower under some stone. She ran to you because she knew you would protect her. So, protect her.”

Grabbing my long-lost brother, I hugged him as my body shook.

“Smoke.”

After a few seconds of manly back-slapping, I asked, “How are you alive? We all thought you died when the clubhouse blew.”

Smoke shrugged. “He who bloweth knows when to shit and get, brother. After the dust settled, I headed to the rendezvous point, but no one was there. I thought something went wrong. I didn’t know where to go next, so I just came home. I figured that if any of the brothers survived, they would eventually come here.”

“You knew we were moving the club to Tennessee. Why didn’t you head there?”

“Won’t ever leave California, brother. You know that,” the quiet man said, looking directly at me.

He was right. I did now.

“Besides, someone had to babysit Hangman. That fucker spends his days in any bottle he can find.”

Bullseye sat up. “Hangman’s here?”

“Yeah. He’s upstairs passed out.”

“Shit,” Bullseye cursed. “After the showdown with Ascari, he disappeared. All of us thought he just went and offed himself. We couldn’t find him anywhere.”

“He showed up here about six months ago and has been drunk ever since. So, is it over? Did we win? When can I expect you and the others to come home?”

Sandman smirked. “Ain’t over yet, brother.”

“So, who’s left to kill?” Smoke asked, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at my brother and said, “The man responsible for Remi’s nightmare. The head of the Russian Bratva. ThePakhan.”

Because I would ensure her happiness.

Even if it wasn’t with me.

Remi would have the happy ending she deserved.

August 5, 2023

Remi

Sleep eluded me.

Something was wrong.

I could feel it.

The darkness was screaming at me to wake up and pay attention. I knew something was off the second Dakota hugged me.

It felt wrong.

Discombobulated.

It confused me, threw my mind into a tailspin. Even after everyone left, I thought the feeling would fade, but it only increased with time. Nothing I did eased the tension.

It was suffocating.

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