Page 59 of Midnight Between Us
“You died twice.”
I glare at him because he’s seriously pissing me off.“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Cassian said you’re withholding information that might help us.”
Right, Cassian was the name of that agent who came to visit.Then it hits me, “Did you say help us?How are you involved in this fuckery?”
“Really, fuckery?”
“Atlas, answer the question.”
He snorts.“You really think I’m afraid of you?”He runs a hand through his hair.“Seriously, man.Get yourself some therapy and if you want—” he stops himself and I don’t like that one bit.
“If I want what?”
He shrugs and glances toward the house.“At least get some closure—give Simone some peace.Both of you deserve it, you know.”
I scoff.“I don’t deserve shit.”
“There it goes, the self-loathing.You should work on that.”He takes his phone out and after several taps, he shows it to me.It’s the image of a little girl.“Not that you care, but that’s Everly, your niece.”
“You’re a father.”I want to say congratulations or maybe ask him how ...how can you be one when you had such a fucked-up example.
How do you dare to believe when you might be cursed for simply being a fucking Timberbridge.
“I can’t imagine my life without her or Blythe,” he states.“But if I hadn’t worked on myself, I wouldn’t have been able to have this.A life, my family ...you might think you don’t deserve it, but you do.”
I shake my head because arguing with him seems futile.“Why don’t you go back to your happy life?”
He sighs.“I will, but not until you tell me what you’re hiding.”
“Are you an agent too?”I ask, because that’s what he implied earlier, wasn’t it?
He bobs his head a couple of times and tells me about his life.During college, he found a guy who was like family.They took him in, just as they do with many strays.He had odd jobs, including working for a high-intelligence security company.My little brother isn’t just a tattoo artist.He’s now consulting for the company Simone works for.Not only that, but he also gives me a run down about the Hollow Syndicate.
“If they’re watching, they’ll know if you go to my office,” I say right away, afraid that he’ll put himself in danger.
“Unless, we go to your office as workers to dismantle everything because the company decided to fire you and get rid of your shit,” he states.“It’d actually be a win-win.We go in, pick up your shit, take it to some dumpster and if we’re lucky someone will follow us.”
“You want them to follow you.”
“Fuck, yes.It’s the perfect bait.”
He’s so happy that somehow that convinces me to tell him where exactly he can find the safe.Will this help them?I don’t know, but I trust him.Once he helps me walk back to the house, he leaves me in a small library.
“Read a book instead of looking for trouble outside.”
I shake my head.“Be careful.Whoever is behind this, won’t stop until they get Old Birchwood Timber.”
“Aww, look at you, giving a shit about your little brother.”He salutes me.“I’ll be fine.”
Yeah, that’s exactly what I said and I barely lived to tell the story.
ChapterTwenty-One
Simone
Atlas is comingout of my library just as I walk through the front door.
