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He sighs and shakes his head. He doesn’t like it.

Too bad. It’s not his call to make.

There’s a click as the door leading out to the gardens opens behind me, and I already know it’s Natalie walking back inside. I hold my hand out to Casper, who glares at it for a second before holding out his own and shaking mine.

“Leaving?” she asks.

Natalie doesn’t play games, and she’s learned she doesn’t have to in her new position. One that’s growing on her. Vinny left two days ago, saying she had it all well in hand, and he was only a phone call away to provide advice or support. Whatever she needed.

She had asked if there was a way to repay him for all that he gave her, not only this position but saving her life, it would seem. He simply asked if his future wife could call her. When I asked why, he said they shared a past wound, and he couldn’t solve it on his own since he’d never experienced it.

He didn’t say as much, but I understood. She was taken. When, for how long, or why, I don’t know. Not that it matters. Having someone to talk about it with might be cleansing. Having seen my brothers in arms share issues over a cold beer and a long night out with a woman or even on a mission, I know it can help. I’m sure he hopes Natalie can give her some sense of calm, or at least peace to help her fight her own demons. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I don’t think Nat’s over hers.

If she calls, Natalie will answer. I know she will. She might have something to say. She might not. Much like life, sometimes just saying you understand, and really meaning it, can do more than a thousand other words.

I know my girl is nervous about running a crime family, but she’s been exceptional. I think I always knew she would be great, just never expected this level of greatness.

Watching her kill… it didn’t shock me. It was what was needed. Did she cry about it? No, not once. And I make a point of being close to her, to be there if needed, even though I know I’m not. Natalie is far stronger than she gives herself credit for. She doesn’t need me. But we all stay, even Gina, because we want to be close to her. There’s something about her that makes you want to stay. That drives you to serve and protect, no matter if she notices or not.

“Yeah. It’s been a week since I left my girl, and time is up. Billy wants to start planning the wedding and doesn’t want me skipping out on any of it like Flint is doing with his and Kitten’s. Y’all are coming to that, right? Three months from now.” Casper looks at us both, and I don’t miss the double meaning in it.

Natalie nods with a smile, and I don’t speak or move. He already knows my answer. If Natalie notes my lack of response, she keeps it to herself. I often let her say her piece first, but that’s usually about business. I doubt she’s ever seen me not say something to one of my brothers. Especially my president.

“All right, see ya. Atom.” We share a moment that’s filled with unspoken words and nods. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he leaves.

We both stare at the closed door for longer than needed.

“And then there were two,” I mumble, getting a closed-mouth laugh from Natalie as she looks at me and I her.

“Should we…?” I start but don’t know how to finish. We haven’t been alone, not really, in a long time. Probably before I left on the OHH mission and moved Natalie into the clubhouse for the month. Sure, we’ve had some time together here, but the noises in my head were too great to consider it was just us two in a room. And she had her own battles to fight.

Probably why we haven’t been intimate since then.

But now it’s just us. Alone without a book of problems to solve or answer to. Everything is done. No call to battle or war plans are needed; it’s all done through paperwork and the occasional phone call now. Natalie might have a large portion of the Takahashi family and others in the Yakuza on her payroll, but it’s just that. Make the money and distribute it. For right now, of course. Maybe someday it will be more, but today she’s just the person with the majority shares. And a hell of a lot of security to protect her should she fall.

Another pulls the reins regarding what the Takahashi family does outside the legit businesses. A person she chose, since apparently it was her uncle who’d run that part when he took it from her ailing grandfather. And, well, she killed him. Shin was the obvious choice in my book, for his loyalty alone. Also helps that he knows everything that her uncle was doing, as he was in the room with him and Takahashi-san when we first talked about Natalie taking over for a reason.

She chews on her lip for a moment before shrugging. “Pizza?”

“Fuck yeah.” I’m tired of all the traditional food around us, and she said this morning that she was too. When I asked why she didn’t tell me, she said she couldn’t. Nat can get away with a lot, especially with her new position, but turning away prepared food was ingrained in her before her mom died. You just don’t do that, she said.

I didn’t ask then, but I wondered how that played into when I cooked for her. When I brought her food. She resisted for weeks at first, nibbling only when I think her hunger overtook her.

Did she always see me as her captor? Did she never know it was more for me?

Was I so cruel that she never saw how much I loved her each time I looked at her? How I fell in love over and over with each day that passed?

Was it not obvious, or did she just not see?

Or not want to see?

When the pizza arrives, we take it outside to eat on a blanket by the koi pond. The weather is nice, the wind is mild, and the view is incredible.

“I always enjoyed looking out at the city,” Natalie says as she takes a seat once the blanket is flat.

“A city that you can now consider your own, with how many buildings and businesses of yours are down there and beyond.” I chuckle as I sit and open the box, handing a slice to Sunshine before taking my own.

“Do you even like pepperoni?”