Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Well, that’s not cryptic or anything.”
He smiled at me. “It’s nothing bad. Just something I need to do.”
I tilted my head at him, thinking about something my dad had said. “Does this have anything to do with what you told my dad you’d set up for when we’d gotten back to the compound?”
“It is. You don’t have to be there for the whole thing, but I’d like to start out the adventure with you at my side.”
“You know I’ll do anything you ask. If you want me there, I’ll be there.”
“Wait until you see what I’m doing. Then decide if it’s something you can do.”
“If it has to do with you, I can.” I stuck out my chin. “I will.”
“I love how fierce you are!” He leaned in to take my mouth again. “Makes me want to fuck your sweet mouth to get you to shut up.”
I swat at him playfully. “You’re horrible.”
“I know. But I think that’s part of why you love me.”
It totally was.
Once we were dressed, Atlas took me to a barn off in the field behind the main clubhouse. Inside were several members of his club. Everyone was silent and stood around a table that looked suspiciously like the one Dutch had bound me to. I shivered in reaction, my gaze finding Atlas’s.
“I’m branding myself with your property patch. I’m yours. You’re mine.”
“No.” I shook my head fiercely, terrified for him as I remembered how badly it hurt me. “Atlas, you don’t have to do this.” The thought of him going through the same thing I had, to feel his skin sizzling and smell his own flesh burning… I didn’t want that for him. Not for any reason. “You can get a tattoo or something. I don’t care. But I don’t want you doing this.”
“I’m doing it, baby. And I’ll endure it as well as you did. Not a sound.”
“But, Atlas…”
“Not. A. Sound. You did it for me. I’ll do this for you.”
“If you’re doing this because my dad’s an asshole, don’t. You don’t have to prove anything to him.”
“I’m not trying to prove anything to him. Or even to you. I’m doing this for me. Because you endured something that horrible in silence. Because I told you to.”
“It was to keep us both safe. I know why you did it.”
“Maybe. More, though. I wanted to give you something to concentrate on so you would get through it. If you were concentrating on trying not to scream, I knew your stubborn nature would kick in, and you’d keep silent as a way to tell that fuckin’ bastard to go to fuck himself.”
“You wouldn’t be wrong.”
“Of course, I’m not. Now. Come with me. Once everything’s ready, you can leave.”
“No. I’m staying. I’ll hold your gaze through the whole thing like you did me. You grounded me. Helped me hold on to my sanity.”
“My brave, fierce girl.”
“Take off your shirt,” Sting commanded. He stood next to the table. Brick sat on a bench on the other side of Sting, heating the branding iron with a torch.
Atlas whipped off his shirt before handing it to me and kissing my lips lightly. He moved to the table and let the men strap him down much the same way I’d been. I approached the table, my gaze locked on his.
“You sure you want to do this, Atlas?” Sting asked the question with a raised eyebrow, like he thought Atlas should change his mind but knew he wouldn’t.
“I am.” Atlas never broke eye contact with me. “I’ll accept Rose’s property patch the same as she accepted mine.”
“Deep breath,” Sting muttered. Then he touched the brand to Atlas’s shoulder in the same place Dutch had placed my brand.
Atlas flinched once, but otherwise took the pain in silence. After several ragged breaths, he made an effort to slow his breathing, to take several deep breaths. Someone draped a cool towel over his back.
“Give us a second to undo the straps.” Atlas nodded, not saying a word. I could see beads of sweat on his forehead and across his nose. I knew well the pain he’d just endured. I was glad his brothers were there to make the aftercare easier. I didn’t want this for him, but since he’d done it, I was determined to never let him regret it.
Stitches, the club’s doctor, had applied some ointment to the burn and given him two different creams for it to apply a couple hours apart. He also gave Atlas a pain shot.
“I’ll come back to check on you guys in a few days. If you think it looks infected, or hurts more than it should, let me know immediately.”
“I’ll make sure he does.” I looked up at Atlas, so proud I could burst. I hated the pain for him, but the fact he’d done it for me, because he wanted me to know I was important to him, made me want to cry with happiness. I was grabbing on to him with both hands and not ever letting go.