“Joy?”
I snapped out of my thoughts.
“Fatherhood has always been my heart’s desire,” he confessed. “No one wants to build a family with a Vampire, so I’m not forcing you into this. You have no obligations to me. All I can give you is my word that I would raise this child as my own.” A smile flirted around the edges of his mouth. “Thisis how I know you’ll be an excellent mother.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re already thinking of your child first, as you should. You need a partner who will love them and teach them the right ways.” Atticus reached across the table and held my hand. “Maybe I’m not that man. I’ve done sinful things.”
“What about me? How am I supposed to tell my baby that I used to sell my body for money? That scientists experimented on my wolves, and that’s how they were born?” When rage bubbled to the surface, I tamped it down with a shaky breath.
He gently squeezed my hand. “Don’t let your child see you as a victim. Tell them how brave you were to leave home and make a life for yourself. Tell them how many countries you visited, and the experience and wisdom you gained. Tell themhow courageous you were to overcome captivity and begin a new life. Tell them how their happiness was always at the forefront of your decisions. All that other stuff is irrelevant.”
“They’ll blame me for being different.”
“You can’t control the future any more than you can change the past.”
“What if years go by and those scientists find out my child’s alive?”
“No one will ever hurt you again,” he said, his voice tight.
Atticus had a way of making me feel like I was protected from all directions. This conversation was getting far too serious, and I wanted to lighten the mood so I didn’t stress my baby into shifting.
Taking a cheese cube, I sat back and held it between my index finger and thumb. “Open your mouth.”
With a twinkle in his eyes, he tilted his head back and obeyed.
When I tossed the cheese over the table, it bounced off his nose. Laughter bubbled in my throat at the stern look he gave me.
“I have news for you, my lady. If you’re searching for a career, you can strike basketball off the list.”
Chapter 24
Three days had passed since Atticus was invited to stay on Arrowhead land. Though he owned property, he now had a better understanding of why Joy loved it here. Sometimes a few of them would sit on the fence and tell jokes. They worked together and behaved as a family. Their wolves rolled in the grass and played. They always ate together, and their meals were filled with conversation and boisterous laughter. Atticus could see how this would be an ideal place for a child to grow up. It was the home he had always wanted for himself.
Though he had to work at the club, they spent their evenings together. Atticus remained focused on the mission. As long as those men lived, Joy would always be in danger—her child would always be in danger—and he couldn’t let that happen. If destinywasreal, this was a second chance to protect the one person he loved more than life. He pondered over what it could mean for Joy if he didn’t return alive—if he failed to carry out his promise.
That heavy burden weighed on him.
It was late in the evening and the busiest day of the month. After he reviewed inventory and paid his employees, Atticus ordered a dry martini and sat alone in the green room of his club. Soft piano music played on the speakers while couples flirted in small pockets throughout the room, which was accented with flowers. Gardenias were an attractive scent, but it always depended on what he could get from the florist.
He watched the customers, none of whom approached his table. They all knew him, but most were too intimidated by his quiet demeanor. He wished he could experience the same comradery as Joy’s packmates.
“Be careful what you wish for,” he murmured when three familiar faces entered the room.
Krys flipped his dark hair back. When he spotted Atticus, his eyes glinted angrily.
Being a Vampire, Atticus was more interested in the Shifter’s bare chest, which was flushed. Blood revealed emotions, but in this case, the sting of warm air hitting cold skin indicated that Krys had driven over here on his motorcycle in the wintry air. Atticus pondered why the Shifter wasn’t dressed appropriately but guessed he was giving a message that he was tough and nothing fazed him.
Was that message for Atticus?
Krys unzipped the bottom of his leather jacket and whispered, “This is bullshit.”
“Will you cool it?” Archer bit down on his wallet and pulled out a few bills. Then he folded it back up. “He might be listening. If you guys are traveling together, I wanna make sure you won’t kill each other. Now quit your bitching. We’re bonding tonight.” After tucking the wallet in his back pocket, he handed the money to Lucian, who veered off to the bar.
Archer gave him a curt nod as they swaggered up to the table. “What’s up, man?”
Curious where this might go, Atticus stood and bowed his head. “Good to see you, gentlemen.”
