Page 80 of The Oath We Take

25

EMBER

Carnage.

That’s my first thought when I let myself into the boarded-up bar four hours later.

Making plans led to sex, which I’d initiated, even though I wanted to get back here.

But now that I’m standing in the wet debris and aftermath of the fire, I feel sick.

The dark paint along one wall that I’d spent hours agonizing over is now blackened with soot. The soft fabric on chairs I paid a fortune to ship from Miami is scorched and ruined.

Shattered glass is everywhere. And as I stand in the center of the dance floor and spin around slowly, I notice every other little detail that will need fixing.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Atom asks quietly.

I swallow deeply and shake my head. “At least the bar is still standing.”

He reaches for my hand and squeezes it tightly. “You wanna check out the kitchen?” he asks.

“Not really.” But I let him lead me anyway. We go behind the bar, and when I see the destruction in the kitchen, I bite back the sting of tears.

I run my finger over the dirty surface, then glance up at the destroyed staff notice board hanging at an angle on one nail.

Atom pulls me to him, then cups the side of my face, encouraging me to lean into his pec.

“I’ll fix it,” I say.

“We’llfix it, Em. We’re in this together. If you want to get the bar running again, I can help.”

I shake my head. “I’ve worked hard to keep violence away from here.”

Atom tips my chin so I’m looking up at him. “You’re going to have to adjust, sweetheart, because they brought trouble to you. I understand why you don’t want bikers and our cuts in your bar. You want a different kind of clientele. You don’t want to scare anyone off. And you don’t want the bar to become a place for us to wash money. All of that, I accept. But then, there’s you and me. Me, the man who’s been in love with you forever. The man who wants to see you succeed. The man who wants to be there, cheering you on. I have my own money that has nothing to do with the club, Em. And I’m not gonna stand by on the sidelines, watching you struggle when I can step in and help.”

I take a breath. Then another. I have wanted this my whole life. Someone who loves me for who I am. Someone who wants to support me in what I do. “The boundary was clearer before.”

He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m your man, Em. It’s not in me to sit back and let someone I love struggle.”

Love.

That’s the second time he’s said it. It can’t be an accident.

“You love me?” My heart beats so loudly in my chest, I swear Atom can hear it.

He huffs a laugh. “Are you deliberately trying to make me mad today? Of course I love you. I loved you back then, even when I told you I didn’t. I love you now, in the ruins of your bar, knowing your father and I are going to have to come to terms. I’ll love you forever, if you’ll let me, Em.”

When he kisses me to emphasize the point, everything makes sense. We’re meant to do all this together, because it’s what couples do.

“I love you too, Hudson. Have for as long as I can remember. Even when I was trying to pretend I didn’t. Even when I was trying to convince myself I could be as happy with someone else.”

He wraps his strong arms around my waist and lifts my feet off the ground. “I got so much relief flowing through my veins right now, I feel like I might pass out.”

I place my arms around his neck. “Shouldn’t we be getting you to a chair, so you don’t faint then?”

“Funny.” He presses his lips to mine, the world righting itself when he does.

“Atom, heard you were back from—oh, shit.”

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