Page 73 of Golden Atonement

“Sweetheart, you are not making sense,” my father said, walking over to me. “The truth about what?”

Shaking my head, I muttered, “I need to talk to Max.”

My father stiffened, then sighed. “Then you will need to go home.”

Looking up at him, I tried to control my shaking hands, but I knew he saw.

“Take me home.”

MAY 17, 2024

Remi

I had been looking for clarity on what I should do since I learned he lived. It wasn’t easy knowing everything, and even with all the information floating around in my head, I still wasn’t sure this was the right thing, but if I wanted the truth, I was going to have to talk with Max.

Just thinking about seeing him caused a ripple of anxiety to rush my system. That man could either break me or save me with one look or one word.

I knew there was no other man for me.

I wasn’t stupid.

The problem I was having was whether I could trust him.

From the very beginning, he kept me in the dark, wanted me nowhere near the depravity I once suffered. Any other woman, I would have agreed with his assessment, but I wasn’t just any woman.

I was a survivor. He knew that and still treated me like a victim.

Sitting in the car looking at my former home, I wondered if he would ever see me as his equal. Someone he could lean on, trust with his deepest, darkest secrets.

I didn’t want a husband in name only.

I wanted a partner. Someone I could confide in while we worked together to solve whatever problem came our way.

That was what marriage meant to me.

It was what I wanted, needed, and I would accept nothing less.

For so long, Max had to go it alone. He carried a heavy burden on his shoulders. A weight so heavy, it damn near cost him everything.

I still wasn’t positive I was doing the right thing, but I would give him a chance.

“The last time I arrived at this place, I was broken and beaten so badly I could barely walk the few steps to the front door. Yet, when I walked through those doors, I’d never felt safer in my whole life,” I said, sitting next to Vladmir as we both looked at the newly constructed clubhouse.

It looked almost the same as the one before.

There were subtle differences, but in the end, it was still the same.

A motorcycle club. But not just any clubhouse.

The Golden Skulls’ clubhouse.

“You’re sure he’s in there?”

“According to Sypher, he returned with Sandman months ago. When he saw the children, he stayed. He hasn’t left since and according to my informant, he has taken the Golden seat back.”

I nodded, staring at the clubhouse.

“Remi, my little lion,” my father whispered, reaching for my hand. “Say the word and we will leave. He will never be good enough for you.”

---