Page 36 of Chandelier Enthralled
“I don’t see it like that.”
“I’m the one to be feared?” He smirked. “They sensed you were the peacemaker.”
“I suppose.”
“As much as I’m pissed off with you, Greyson, you saved those submissives. You’re a hero. Albeit a deeply flawed one.”
Studying Atticus’ pained expression, I tried to decipher his words, needing to see the truth in them. See his forgiveness.
It had been he and Eve who had led the victims to safety. All I had done was bring them in, shown them what the place was and asked for their help to change it.
Couldn’t see it any other way. “I’m the monster I swore to shield others from.”
“Even in our darkest moments,” he said, giving my arm a squeeze, “a piece of our true self remains. Cling to it, no matter what.”
“I need to cling to a cement block.” Follow it all the way to the bottom of the ocean.
Atticus smiled. “What would Fyodor Dostoevsky say?”
I shrugged. “Dostoevsky believed that to love is to suffer.”
Atticus threw his head back and laughed. “See, you always have a philosophical take to cheer us up.”
“Jake is gonna kill me,” I said.
“Both of us, probably.”
“What did you do?” I looked at him, confused.
“He’s angry I went to deal with Roper alone.”
I turned to look at him. “What happened in Bali? Were you there when Roper died?”
Atticus gave me a tired, sad smile, showing he was a man filled with regret and grief, having seen the unseeable.
“Whatever happened out there,” I said in his defense, “Roper being dead has saved countless lives.”
“We’ve become what we fought against.”
“Tell me you didn’t…”
I couldn’t bring myself to spell it out.
“The submissives are out.” He changed the subject. “That’s the important thing.”
“I’ll handle Jewel,” I said.
He made a gruff noise.
“Do you think you’ll ever go back to Pendulum?”
“We’re war torn,” he admitted. “Not sure I can take much more ofthatplace.”
“Jewel told me she’s buying it.”
Atticus ran a finger over his snake tattoo. “Cameron thinks it’s best you stay away from there.”
“I know.”
