Page 2 of Guarded By Atlas

Chelsea is a stunning woman with light brown, almost golden eyes and long curly hair that bounces when she moves. She smiles as she walks straight into her grandmother’s open arms. “I wanted to surprise you, Nonna.”

“And you did.”

“I missed you so much!” she says, pulling back to study her grandmother. “Are you eating well? What about your meds? You’re taking them, right? I heard you’ve been giving the nurses grief by playing pranks on them. Nonna, you need to stop stressing these poor nurses!”

Debbie tosses me an accusatory glance before smiling at her granddaughter. “Now calm down child and tell me how you and that handsome biker boyfriend of yours are doing.”

“Oh, Nonna, Hound is amazing. I have news for you and couldn’t wait to tell you.” She giggles, her face glowing with excitement when she lifts her left hand, the light catching the stunning engagement ring on her finger. It’s a breathtaking piece with a sparkling diamond that seems to dance in the glow of the room. The band is delicate gold that perfectly complements her golden eyes. “He proposed, Nonna!”

I smile at the sheer delight in her eyes, something that sparks in her grandmother’s eyes as well. I move back a step to give the two some space when I bump into yet another person..“Sorry,” I murmur, relaxing when I realize it’s one of Chelsea’s friends. A beautiful woman with long midnight hair and hazel eyes. “Oh, hey, Scarlett. I didn’t see you there.”

“Hi, Marie,” the woman says with a smile that brightens her eyes. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, you know, just trying to keep my lovely patients from bringing this place down around our ears.”

She laughs, and we both turn to look at the two women preening over the engagement ring. I’ve been Debbie’s nurse for a year and managed to form a friendship with her granddaughter. Before Chelsea started dating her boyfriend, she often came to visit her grandmother alone or with her older brother, Ransom. Back then, she looked tired to the bone. Her visits always left Debbie worried, and she once confided in me that she felt like a burden to her grandchildren.

And then Chelsea met a biker, one with a buzzcut and fierce eyes. Turns out she didn’t just gain a boyfriend but a whole bunch of friends, more like a family. Lovely women who often tag along to visit her grandmother. She seems lively and content, which in turn, makes my patient happy.

Her life in the motorcycle club makes me curious, but despite being friendly with Chelsea, I never want to offend her by asking too many questions about that part of her life. Even so, I often wonder what it’s like to belong to such a notorious motorcycle club. Probably more exciting than working at a nursing home, but likely far less entertaining.

I chuckle at my own train of thought before turning to the pair gushing over the engagement ring, and I figure I should probably make my leave now that Debbie has taken her meds. “Chelsea, congratulations on your engagement,” I say when she looks up.

“Thanks, Marie.” She beams. “Promise me you’ll come to the engagement party. It’ll be at the clubhouse, and you’ll get to meet the guys. Oh, maybe I can introduce you to someone special.” She stops, frowns. “You’re not dating anyone, are you?”

“I barely have time to breathe, let alone date,” I say, walking over to grab my coat, which I’d draped over a chair earlier. “But I would love to come to your engagement party.”

“Oh, you’ll make time for dating once you see the men at the clubhouse.” She chuckles, exchanging a knowing glance with Scarlett. “They are hot enough to tempt a nun.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” I say with a laugh, doubting anyone would tempt me into a relationship. Not when my head is always spinning with thoughts of work and a hundred other things I need to take care of on a daily basis. No, romance is the last thing on my mind. In fact, I plan on spending one of my rare free weekends watching some trash TV and rotting on the couch with a bowl of ice cream. The thought puts a smile on my face as I zip up my coat.

“Okay, what a crazy coincidence.” Chelsea chuckles, and when I look up, it’s to see her eyes shift from Scarlett to me. “Did the two of you plan this?”

“Huh?” My brows knit with confusion as I try to make sense of her words. “What do you mean?”

“You and Scarlett are wearing the same outfit.” She laughs, and I look down at my coat and then at the woman standing next to me. Scarlett is wearing a bright red parka with a fluffy hood, and it looks exactly like the one I’m wearing. I didn’t notice it at first since she left hers unzipped, but our outfits do look similar, down to her blue jeans which are the same color as my scrubs.

“You’re right, wow,” I say, a chuckle escaping my lips. We both start laughing and there are a few jokes exchanged on howwe could trick people into thinking we’re twins, even if Scarlett and I look nothing alike. No one would be able to tell with our hoods raised.

Despite my plan to exit early, I find myself roped into more conversation about the engagement party and hot bikers before I’m finally able to leave. I make a few more stops to chat with the nurses on the night shift, and it’s almost eight by the time I step out of the building. Two hours past the time my shift was supposed to end.

The cool evening air hits me when I step onto the sidewalk, tugging my hood over my head to fight the chill stinging my ears. I turn toward the L station and notice a plain white van slowly come up the nursing home’s drive, immediately dismissing it as a delivery van. Those often have some kind of logo on them, but I don’t pay it too much attention as I hurry to catch my train.

I’m about to turn the corner when I hear a sharp metallic sound that startles me. I turn around, my heart hammering in my chest when I realize the van is much closer than I thought and a figure emerges from the side door, his face obscured by a hood.

It takes me five seconds—entirely too long—for me to realize that he’s moving toward me, and when it clicks, it’s too late.

It all happens too fast.

The man reaches me before my brain can transmit the panic to my limbs. My breath catches in my throat when I see the glint of metal in his hand—a knife, its blade gleaming in the dim light. It’s pressed against my neck before I can even react, and I know one move from the jittery man could prove to be fatal.

I don’t want to die.

There is so much I have left to do. I know I told Chelsea that I have no time to date, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to find love at some point. I’ve yet to kiss a man, and the awkward press of lips that happened when I was fourteen doesn’t freaking count.

My parents. Oh God, this would kill them.

“Please,” I whimper, conscious of the knife dangerously close to the vital parts of my throat. “Everything is in my purse. My money, credit cards, and phone. Take it!”

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