Page 152 of Colt

Despite his rough exterior and blind loyalty to the club, Atlas was no troublemaker. If anything, he worked tirelessly to smooth out tension within the club. I doubted he’d run to Dagger telling tales—it wasn’t his style at all—Atlas knew Dagger’s reaction would be a shitstorm of epic proportions.

With more bravery than I felt, I met Atlas’s stare head on.

He tilted his chin slightly toward the hallway leading to my office, a silent command to talk.

I gave him a slight dip of my chin in agreement. Turning to Freya, I muttered. “Be back soon. Just remembered I haven’t spoken to my mom today. Gonna go make a quick call.”

She looked up at me questioningly. “What about your food?”

I rubbed my stomach, giving her the impression I was full. “I’ve had enough. Gonna save myself for all the leftovers. You know there’s always enough food to feed an army.”

She smiled understandingly before turning her attention back to Kennedy who was seated on the other side of her.

By the time I stood and headed for the corridor, Atlas had already disappeared down it. With more confidence than I felt, I sauntered after him all the way down to my office.

The minute walk seemed to take an hour. Every step felt like I was marching toward my execution.

Atlas working everything out wasn’t something I’d factored into the situation and if I was a betting man, I’d wager that Atlas’s loyalties didn’t lie with me. He was a biker through and through and he always did what was best for the club as a whole. I couldn’t help hoping he’d understand that telling Prez about me and Freya would be bad for the Speed Demons.

I walked into my office, closing the door behind me, pulled my shoulders back, and braced.

Atlas’s eyes scrutinized me before he scraped a hand down his face. “How long?” he asked bluntly. “And don’t fuckin’ insult my intelligence by lyin’, it’s as clear as the nose on your pretty boy face.”

There was no point pretending and certainly no honor in lying. “A couple of months,” I admitted. “It started when I went down to Denver. It’s pretty new, but I know she’s mine. Been feelin’ it for a while, but it took time to catch up.”

“So, it’s serious?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t risk everythin’ for somethin’ that wasn’t,” I explained.

Atlas rubbed his beard, deep in thought. “Reckon you should tell, Prez. You know he’ll kick you out, right?”

“Yeah,” I confirmed.

“When?”

“New Year’s Day,” I muttered. “I wanted to tell him straightaway, but Freya wanted one last holiday at the club. It’s real between us. You don’t gotta like it, but I’d appreciate you givin’ me time to come clean myself.”

Atlas eyed me briefly before dipping his chin in assent. “I’ll give you a week, but if Dagger finds out from someone else it’ll make him even more pissed.”

“I know,” I assured him. “I’ll tell him. One week.”

“What ya gonna do when he throws you out?” Atlas asked. “Join another club?”

I noted his narrowed eyes and it hit me that he was worried about the club’s security, especially if I joined another MC. “I’ve been recruited by the Feds.”

He cursed under his breath, viciously.

I held a hand up. “They know Henderson Junior died in questionable circumstances. They’ve threatened to pin it on the club if I don’t give in. On top’a that, they caught me peekin’ inside places where I definitely shouldn’t have been. If I don’t join ‘em, they’ll lock us all up and throw away the key.”

His lip curled into a snarl. “Fuckin’ pigs.”

I shrugged. “I’ll be one of ‘em soon, At. Can’t escape it. I’m lucky to have gotten away with it for as long as I have.” I looked him dead in the eye. “They’ll never discover the inner workings of this club from me, brother. I know it’s hard to trust me given the circumstances, but I swear on everythin’ holy, I’ll never talk about it. I’ll always be here to help with anythin’ you need, no matter if I’m a biker or a Fed.”

He shook his head. “Can’t work with pigs under any circumstances. I get what you’re doin’, even think it’s noble, to a point, but you know me and the law. We don’t mix. Once you leave you cease to be my brother.”

A flash of pain jolted through my chest. I expected it, Atlas didn’t like law enforcement, he never had, and I couldn’t blame him. From what I could ascertain, Atlas had come across more than his fair share of dirty cops, Sophie’s ex-husband included.

“I get it,” I murmured. “Thanks for givin’ me time to approach Dagger. It’s much appreciated.”

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