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He agreed.

I never thought I would see him again. See any of them again.

The thought of denying Uncle doesn’t even enter my mind. It’s futile to resist. I already know that. If I really had a choice in wanting to see Grandfather or not, Uncle would have come alone. He didn’t. The group with him isn’t to protect him but to cage me.

“Okay,” I say softly.

Uncle nods in approval and turns, but he stops short when Atom steps into his path.

“You can walk away, or I can break your legs off and throw you away. Your choice.”

The rage coming off him is something I can almost touch. He keeps his eyes on my uncle, but I can already tell he’s sized up each member of the group.

His threat isn’t empty. Atom would go down swinging, taking more than one of them with him.

For me.

I might not like my life. I might hate how I seem to be just a pawn from one group to another. But I can’t let Atom get hurt. Not for me.

I move around the group, noting that each person watches me, but not a single one stops me as I stand shoulder to shoulder with Uncle. Something that years before would have gotten me sent to my room without dinner at best and a beating at worst.

But I’m not a child anymore. I’ve proven I can stand on my own two feet. That no one controls me like they used to. I could run right now if I choose. It might end poorly for me if I do, but it’s an option I have now that I didn’t think I had back then.

Instead, I hold out my hand for Atom and lock eyes with him.

While my face remains blank, I want him to see my eyes. To know my intentions.

I’m going with my uncle.

Atom can come, or he can stay. But him fighting for me to remain by his side isn’t what I want. Nor what I need.

I wait only a moment before he takes my hand, and we follow my uncle out of the warehouse and to God only knows where to see my grandfather.

A part of me is just happy to have someone with me for once. To not be alone.

An even smaller part is happy that it’s Atom out of everyone it could be.

Chapter 16 - Atom

I continue to hold Natalie’s hand as we sit in the back of one of the SUVs that’s driving east in the small caravan out of town. She gave me her hand, and I don’t intend to let go till she pulls away.

I don’t think either of us knows what’s going on, but I can guess. And each idea that pops into my head isn’t one I like.

No one searched us or took my phone. Still, I don’t take it out of my pocket. Not that I need to take it out to push a single button that will ping the Hounds’ tech room for it to be traced.

The single vibration tells me they got the trace started. The two vibrations after that let me know the speaker is on.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” I ask Nat but keep looking ahead, hoping the driver or the other guy in the passenger seat will say.

“I don’t know,” she mumbles beside me as she watches the rain that rolls down as it hits the windows. “Back home, if I had to guess.”

Home. Los Angeles.

Awesome.

Hounds don’t have territory in that area, only up north in wine country. And since I can’t tell if this is a typical family meetup or something else, I have to play nice. Hounds have the numbers, but the Yakuza do too. No one wants a war because I fucked up and opened my mouth when I shouldn’t have or started shooting when it wasn’t needed.

“We driving the whole way?” I ask the men in front of us, but other than a small head shift in our direction, they remain quiet.