“I know,” Atlas says against the top of my head.
“By any chance, did he mention other names around you? Take you to other locations?” Cronus asks, leaning forward in his chair, his big arms braced on his long legs. His dark brown eyes are fixed on me.
My body continues to shake as the memories flash through my mind. “The small room. That’s all I was ever in unless they were hurting me. Then there were other rooms on the boat. I never left that boat in all the months. He kept me there.”
“Fuck,” someone says, but I don’t know who.
“Did he have men come to the boat with him?”
“No. No one was allowed to see me or be with me. His guards could look and touch, but they couldn’t rape me.”
“Shoot. Diego said there was a politician in his pocket.”
The chills stop, and I pull away from Atlas to face Cronus. “He told me all the time that he was untouchable. That he had friends so high up in the government he’d never be prosecuted. He said he knew my family and would kill them, even though my brother is a State Trooper.”
“He’s not anymore,” Atlas says, and I turn to look at him, confused.
“He retired to focus on finding you. He was mad that the Troopers gave up on looking for you.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “Yeah, I know they stopped looking. Something about the governor pressuring them to stop. Andrus did that.”
“Motherfucker.”
This time, I look, and it’s Thanatos who cussed.
“You can say that again. I’ll never be free of him.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. We do work for the government, but we’re also independent. They can’t stop us. We will seek justice by any means necessary. We need to uncover as many names as we can to take this ring down.”
“How can you help me if you’re the government. He says he pays handsomely to make sure he’s never questioned.”
“You’ll marry Atlas first. That will give you protection, and it will also let us lock your file so no one can pry into our case. After that, Atlas can give you the full truth. Okay?”
I decide I should try to trust these men. But the first time something doesn’t feel right, I’ll take off. I don’t tell them that. I just nod and turn to see Atlas down on one knee beside me.
“Will you marry me?” he asks in a deep voice, and my throat tightens.
“Yes.” I choke on the word, my emotions still raw from the panic attack, but also because I know, deep down, that I care for this man. He’s sacrificing so much to be with me.
He slips a ring onto my finger, and I stare at the stone in shock. I thought this was just a farce, but the ring feels real.
“I’ve had that since about a month after I saw you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t going to stop until I found you, and I knew you were meant to be mine.”
He doesn’t give me words of love, but I’ll take what he’s offering.
Titan
* * *
The next day, we drive to the Strip and one of the many chapels Cronus arranged for us to use. Officially, Stormy’s file will disappear once she marries me. Even her brother won’t be able to find any reports on her. She’ll become a dark operative, just like I am. But unofficially, she’ll be able to live her life freely with me, wherever she wants, even back in Alaska. She’ll have all new identification, and she’ll finally be safe.
One thing, though, she’ll never leave my side again. If I have to handcuff her to me, I will. I know I love her. I’m just not sure she’s ready to hear those words from my lips yet. I’m sure she still thinks I’m only doing this to protect her.
I look at myself in the long mirror in the men’s dressing room. I hope she’ll be okay with this look. I sent her to shop with Maisy and several guards while I worked out the final details with Cronus.