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I don’t want our first fight to be our last one, but I do want us to be on the same page, which is to have an open and honest relationship. I don’t want her to keep shit from me, especially something that affects us both.
When we arrive at the clubhouse, I send her a text.
Atlas: Can I come and see you?
Natalie: Where are you?
Atlas: WDMC clubhouse.
Natalie: Come to my parents’ house.
She sends me the address and I ride right over there. She comes out of the house when she hears my motorcycle, wrapped in a beige cardigan, her hair in a bun on top of her head.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, sounding part amused, part confused.
“I was with Rhett, and then I just decided to ride back with him to try to talk with you. I hope it’s okay,” I say, not wanting to seem overbearing. “I know you came here for some space, and I don’t want to argue with you. I just hated leaving things the way we did.”
“I know, me, too. I’m glad that you are here,” she admits, holding out her hand to me. “Come on, let’s go sit out the back. I made us some coffee.”
I follow her through the house and the black sliding door, and we sit outside together underneath the stars. Her family home is beautiful, the garden well kept and manicured. There’s a moonlit pool, with comfortable-looking sun chairs around it. I could totally picture her lounging on them.
“I’m sorry I came over like that. I was upset when I heard that you didn’t tell me something you knew I would want to know,” I say, taking a breath. “And I don’t know, I just felt really angry about it. I know that your work is important to you, but I always thought your family was first, which is why you became a lawyer to help them.”
She sighs as if she’s gearing up for a big conversation. I don’t take that as a good sign.
“That is one of the reasons,” she replies, crossing her legs on the chair. “But I also have my own ambitions. I love my family, but I also have my own separate life and goals. I love what I do, and I take it seriously. And I took an oath, one that society takes very seriously.”
She grabs my hand. “Atlas, you have to understand that I will not compromise my job or my career, no matter the reason—”
“But—” I start, but she keeps going.
“My family is very important to me and I will always be loyal to them and to the people I love. But I’ve only just started navigating this balance between my job and my family. I’m still learning and figuring out the boundaries and how far I can push them. And I should have handled the Marko situation better, but it’s not like I had made a decision to hide it. I was just thinking about the best way to handle it all.”
I nod, trying to understand her side of it. “Okay, I can see that. I just had wished you told me right away. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. If we’re in, we’re all in.”
“Are you going to tell me everything that goes on with your MC?” she asks, pursing those pretty lips of hers.
I grit my teeth, because she’s right. There will be times where I can’t tell her things, usually to keep her safe or because it’s on Temper’s orders not to. Especially if Rhett and Temper butt heads, and Temper doesn’t want the Wind Dragons to know something.
“I know you won’t tell me everything because you’re in a motorcycle club, and some things only members get to know. I know how it works. So, you want me to tell you everything, except you get to keep your secrets? How is that fair?”
I groan. “Okay, you make a good point. I think if we trust each other, though, we will know that no matter what, we have each other’s best interests and we will look out for one another. That’s all I need.”
“Me, too,” she agrees. “And I need to explain why I’m still technically representing Marko.”
A muscle ticks in my jaw. I cannot believe she’s still going to help that fucker.
“I know you don’t want me to. I don’t want to. But when I spoke to Jaxon about it, he said that it might look fishy to Marko if I dropped out suddenly.In order to keep me safe, it might be better to assist on his case.”
“Why would you be in danger?”
“Because he recognized me, or rather he remembered me from somewhere but couldn’t place me.”
“Fuck.” That changes things.
“Yeah. I didn’t get a chance to tell you that. And I think Jaxon made a good point.”
I nod. “Will you be alone with him?”
