Page 111 of Heat Lightning

Quickly, I did as he asked while he fireman-carried Joey’s dead, lifeless body over and tossed him in. I grabbed the gun and knife, and threw them in after him.

“What about all the blood?” I asked, looking around. There was a giant pool coagulating in the dirt where Joey had fallen.

“No one comes out here. I’ll come back tonight to clean up and get rid of his car.”

That reminded me. “My phone’s still in the warehouse. Joey threw it on the floor.”

“I’ll go find it,” Mr. Marino said, jogging inside. “Stay with Atlas.”

I stared at Joey’s lifeless body one last time, committing to memory the pathetic way he crumpled in the trunk. His eyes were open, but nothing was behind them.

I’d wanted to see this—dreamed of drinking in his final moments. But staring down at him now, I realized it was never his death that I sought.

It was his fear, and the alpha who instilled it in him.

I closed the hatch and piled into the back seat with Atlas, resting his head in my lap so I could stroke his hair. He groaned, leaning into my touch.

Mr. Marino ducked into the driver’s seat a minute later and passed me my shattered phone.

“What do we do with Joey?” I asked as we sped away.

“I’ll take him out on the boat tonight,” he answered. There wasn’t a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

I pictured Joey sinking to the bottom of Lake Superior, cold and alone with no one to give him dignity in death.

That was how he deserved to be remembered.

Atlas shifted, pressing his face into my middle. He blinked up at me, eyes glazed and far away. Fear gripped my throat.

There was no room in my life to think about the ugly monster in the trunk ever again. Atlas swooped in two years ago and eclipsed my pain, shouldering as much of it as he could, even from afar.

And now we were all that was left of that awful night.

He was what mattered. We mattered. From the ashes, we’d grown something beautiful. Something I’d fight and die for. A future I’d risk my pride and dignity for, reveal the most vulnerable parts of me for, and humble myself for.

Because that was what Atlas deserved. It was what I deserved, too.

I pressed a kiss to his fevered forehead, and let go of every bit of power I’d allowed Joey to have over my thoughts.

Over everything else, I chose Atlas.

THIRTY-ONE

MAX

By the time we arrived at Atlas’ house, he’d gone completely feral.

We rushed him inside to rest while we waited for Mr. Marino’s help to arrive. The bleeding had slowed, but that wasn’t what concerned me most.

The issue was, he wouldn’t allow anyone but me near him. Or, anyone near me, more like.

“Too close,” he spat at Mr. Marino when we helped him out of the car together. “Get away from my mate.”

He nearly bit off Mr. Marino’s hand when he tried to open Atlas’ bedroom door so we could lay him down to rest. “Only mate.”

Barely able to stand on his own, I shouldered most of his weight for the short walk to the bed, and he tumbled onto the soft duvet, nearly pulling me on top of him.

“Stay,” he rumbled.