The Cleaner's Daughter 3

Atticus breaks down

Song: Secrets by One Republic

Scarlett's POV:

Mekhi has everyone leave and he takes me back to the room. I don't feel right being in Zane's room. Just by looking around the room, I feel him all around me and even though I love him deeply I don't feel like I belong in here.  I stop him. "Mekhi...I want my bed. Please take me upstairs."

"Whatever you want babe." He carries me all the way up and places me on my bed. The softness of the familiarity consumes me; my bed feels so amazing.

"I'm really sorry about your father." I pat the bed next to me for him to sit down.

"I know you are." He leans in to kiss me.

"We didn't finish talking earlier...who is she?"

He avoids making direct eye contact with me. "Scarlett...she is no one. Just a psycho bitch that is obsessed with me."

"Why would she be obsessed with?"

He glances up at me and I have this look on my face that I really do want to understand this and I am not giving up on the conversation.

"She worked at the club. I guess she thought since you were in a coma that I would want her...I don't know...don't worry about it she is gone now."

"So she really was here."

He shakes his head and I hear, "shit" escape his lips.

"Mehki?"We both stop and look at each other as we hear a knock at the door. "Guess you better get up and see who it is." I give him a crooked smile.

He gets out of the bed and walks over to the door. Atticus steps in and sees me. "Can I talk with her alone?"

Mekhi gives him a look and then back at me. "I will be right out the door...if you need me yell for me." He steps out and shuts the door behind him. Did I just miss something? He is worried about me and Atticus being alone...why?

Atticus walks over to the bed looking down at the floor the whole time; he is trying really hard to avoid my eyes. "I heard you wanted to see me."

"Atticus...look at me. What's wrong; am I missing something?"

He looks up at me with sorrow in his eyes. "I...I should have known something...I swear I didn't know."

"Know what?" I say a little confused on what he is referring to.

"Kwan...shit Scarlett...I would never ever put you in harms way and that is what I did. I bought that motherfucker into this house. I made him sound like the best thing ever and he was only here to hurt you."

My mind races around to put all the pieces together. Kwan...the Ortega's...the underground...the fight. I was fighting with Kwan in a ring...he was winning... I was being forced to fight. Zane...the Ortega's...Draven...it all comes together. I close my eyes briefly. Atticus walks over closer and gets on his knees beside the bed. He covers his face and I actually here sorrow escape his lips...he is crying. "Scarlett...please don't hate me for this. I never thought this would happen to you."

"How would you have known? Atticus look at me. I'm here...I'm going to be ok and I'm not mad at you."

"You're not..." He glances up at me like I got to be joking, "but I brought Kwan here."

"I know...I asked him if you had anything to do with this and he laughed saying you had no clue. I know you would never betray me."

"But I did...I never should have let him get this close to you."He looks back down and covers his face.

"Atticus...look at me please." And the moment he does I start tearing up. "Don't beat yourself up over this. The Ortega's killed Zane. I thought I was doing the right thing when I killed the Dark Devil...but I started a war. They have been planning on getting me since then...Kwan and Mateo told me all about it when they had me held against my will at the Underground. They wanted me to fight in order to make them money. They were using Meagan and Rylan against me. I had to get in the ring to fight."

"Scar..."

"No...Atticus...don't you see this was not your fault. I had to fight to keep the ones I love alive. I asked to go up against Kwan...I wanted to kill him but he was more powerful than me. I thought I had died."

"You would have but we all got there just in time. Mekhi took the shot on Kwan...killing him in his tracks. As he grabbed you we took out anyone in the way and blew up the remainder of the building. We should have gotten there earlier...and then you would have been alright."

"Well I'm here now. So what happened in Mexico?"

"We went down there and took everyone out. I'm not sure what all happened between Oscar Ortega and Draven? All I know is they had words and took out each other."

"Uhm....interesting...they had words." I look around the room thinking about what could they possibly have to talk about. I drop the subject for now. "Who was the girl?"I ask him because he has got to know who she is and I know he will tell me the truth.

"What girl...what are you talking about?"

I look back at him with a glare, seriously don't lie to me. "The girl that was here arguing with Mekhi...do you know her?"

"No. I don't. He said some crazy bitch trying to start shit. I know she was working down at the Master's Den but apparently he fired her."

I smirk. "Do you think they had a thing together...do you think they hooked up."

"Like I said...I don't know who she is but I seriously doubt he would hook up with anyone. He has been miserable Scarlett...you in a coma...loosing his dad...a few times he has come home wasted as all get out. But...no...I don't think he would do that to you."

"Find out who she is...what the fuck does she want? But this is between us got it...I don't need him knowing that I am looking into it."

This time he smirks. "Of course." He stands up beside the bed.

"You can hug me you know...I won't bite." I laugh.

He leans in to hug me and kiss me on the forehead. "I don't know what I would do without you Scar...you are like a daughter to me."

"I love you Atticus...and I know you would never hurt me. I know you are beating yourself up over all of this but stop alright...I am going to be ok...you will see I will be up and out of her and back to work in no time."

"Yeah...well you don't rush anything. I am taking care of everything for now...all right."

"Good...I know I can count on you." And I know I can. Atticus and I go back from the very beginning. When I was seven he actually scared the shit out of me but now he is like this lovable teddy bear minus the dark side of him but that is something that I have grown to love.

As he leaves the room, Mekhi walks back in and shuts the door. He walks over to the bed and climbs in beside me. I let him nibble on my ear and I want him so bad but he stops. "We better wait till the doctor clears you."

"You got to be kidding me." I look back at him. "If that is the case, I guess we better get me down there now...I'm tired of waiting."

"You and me both."