Page 10 of Bonds of Obsession

I drag myself out of Blood and Ink as the sun begins to set. I’ve been too busy for most of the day to think about how tired I am, but now that things are settling, exhaustion hits me like a freight train.

The drive back to Quinn’s place is a blur. My mind keeps drifting to Atlas, worrying about how he’s holding up or if that bastard Ambrose is still putting him through hell.

I suspect things have only gotten worse since this morning’s phone call, but I can’t let my mind wander too far in that direction or I’ll really start to lose my shit.

I pull into Quinn’s driveway, kill the engine, and drag myself out of the car, then fumble with the keys at the front door. Inside, the house is still and shadowy as I make a round through the ground floor, checking windows and doors before finally heading upstairs.

The bedroom door creaks as I push it open, and I can see at a glance that Quinn and Killian are already asleep. She’s curled up against his side, her face pale and drawn, even while she’s resting.

I strip down and slide into bed on Quinn’s other side, wincing when she whimpers softly in her sleep.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper, almost silently, as I move closer and wrap an arm around her waist. Killian stirs slightly, adjusting his position on the other side of the bed so that she’s nestled securely between us.

The worry for Atlas is still at the front of my mind, and I know those thoughts aren’t going away while he’s still out there on his own. For now, though, the best thing I can do is be here, protecting Quinn and making a plan to bring him home.

4

QUINN

I’m notsure why or how, but I’m back at Blood and Ink. The air is so thick with smoke that I can hardly breathe, and the sound of gunfire is echoing through the building.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Over and over and over again.

I know I’m going to get shot if I don’t die of smoke inhalation first, but my mind isn’t on my own safety right now as I stumble and cough through the home away from home that’s become a battlefield.

“Atlas!” I scream, barely able to hear my own voice through all the chaos. “Where are you?”

The situation is getting worse with each passing second, and my anxiety is ratcheting up right alongside my adrenaline. I need to get to him and get out of here.

“Atlas!” I yell again as I round a corner. “Just tell me where?—”

I duck as a piece of debris goes flying past my head, but I don’t stop moving. Instead, I drop down to all fours where the smoke is thinner and begin crawling toward what sounds like the worst of the fighting.

He has to be here somewhere. I just need to get to him before it’s too late.

And then—as soon as that thought enters my head—I see him. His eyes are fixed on enemies I can’t see through the smoke, but there’s no mistaking the determined look on his face.

“Atlas!” I move to his side as quickly as I can.

“Quinn, get out of here!” he yells, lifting me to my feet and pushing me toward the exit as if I’m practically weightless.

“No!” I’m no match for him physically, but I dig my heels in anyway. “Not without you!”

The scene shifts as fragments of my memories start to blur together. Somewhere in my mind, I know this isn’t happening in real time, but the shot of adrenaline is the same now as it was then. The dual feelings of fear and desperation haven’t gone away. They’re still very real.

We’re running down a hallway now, and Atlas is shielding me with his body. I can hear footsteps behind us, getting closer.

“Atlas, please,” I beg, tugging at his sleeve. “You have to leave. Save yourself!”

He shakes his head, his eyes meeting mine with fierce intensity. “Not until you’re out of here. Not until you’re safe.”

“But they’ll kill you!”

Doesn’t he understand? Doesn’t he give a shit about his own life?

Atlas just shoots me that cocky grin of his, the one that usually makes my heart skip a beat. But now it only gives me a sinking, worried feeling deep in my stomach. “Then I’ll die protecting you.”

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