Page 89 of Golden Atonement

“Get out.”

“Emma, what happened?”

“I said GET OUT!” she screamed, rushing to her bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Standing there, I sighed, shaking my head.

Closing her bedroom door, I turned and gasped when I saw Max standing there watching.

“She’s mad at me. I said some things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

“She’s been mad since the moment we left. Her anger is nothing new to me.”

“What she said,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I can’t believe she would say that shit.”

“She’s a teenage girl, Max. What did you think was going to happen? That she would just forgive and forget. That girl has had her entire life turned upside down.”

“Doesn’t give her the right to say the shit she said.”

“Yeah, it does,” I stated, walking over to him. “She has every right to say or express what she’s feeling. If she can’t do that around us, then who can she do it with? She had everything, Max. A home, a mother and father who doted on her. A little brother who worshiped her. The brothers, friends at school and here. She had her heart’s desire and then one night, it all disappeared. She’s not just angry, Max.”

“She’s scared.” He sighed, hanging his head.

“Yeah, she is. We both are,” I added, as his head whipped up to mine.

“You’re scared?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “Like Emma, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Right now, you are saying all the right things, doing what you can to back everything up, but, Max, I’ve seen too much. Endured too much of this life to know that it can change on a dime. One wrong move by someone and you won’t think twice before whisking me and the kids off somewhere safe.

“I can’t lose you.”

“Max,” I sighed. “You still don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“We need you as much as you need us. We are a fucking family, Max, and families work together, not against each other. This club, the brothers, prospects, the wives, kids, me... we’re your family, but you don’t include us in anything. You don’t ask for our opinion. You just order everyone around and expect us to follow. You have everything at your fingertips, and if you’re not careful, you will lose it all. Including me.”

“How do I fix this?”

“You don’t need me to tell you that. You already know. You’ve taken steps in the right direction. What you haven’t done is tell them everything.”

He blinked and sighed. “You’re talking about what Sypher showed you.”

I nodded. “Does everyone know or just the club brothers?”

“Not all the brothers.”

Sighing, I turned to walk away then I stopped and looked at him once more. “You won’t win this war unless you get everyone on board, Max. You can’t protect everyone.”

Dinner at the Golden Skulls’ clubhouse had always been a lively affair, and this night was no different. Brothers sat around, joked, laughed, and ate to their hearts’ content, mainly because Axel’s mother, Maria, cooked a damn feast.

The woman was truly in her element. She made damn sure everyone, including the children, had plenty to eat, but when she brought out dessert, I knew everyone in this place would lay down their life for the older woman.

“Hey, Sis.” Sunny smiled, walking over to me. “Can we talk?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

Looking around the main gathering room, Sunny shook her head. “Not here.”

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