Darkest Hour

.19.

Atlas's POV:

    "You're still the monster I remember." Aamon says to me with a growl I'm sure I know what he's referring to. He got here and walked in, it felt like a gunfight. Everyone was silent backing away as he walked closer. As to say 'what is he going to do?' With worried looks. This man looks very very angry, I don't think I've ever seen him angry. He stalks towards me and stands in my office doorway. Not moving, I'm looking at his chest to see if there's movement.

"We need to talk." I say collecting myself. I'm trying to stay serious, this man does move something in me. It's scary and dark, no wonder he's so much more feared then my 'father' was. I remember story's my mother used to talk to me about. She never said who it was, but now I know who she's referring to. One time when he was 14, he had to take over the 'business' his father was an ass to him growing up. The scar that runs from his hairline, down his eye lid then down to his cheek bone. It makes him look more daunting.

"Come and try me!" Is what he screams with his tall muscular frame. Tattoos covering his arms and neck (Gave him more tats than in photos). "You remind me of me." He simply says after looking me up and down as I did him. He walks closer and I stand my ground. 'Fuck' I say in my head, his eyes aren't the blueish they were two seconds ago, red and black cover and it shocks my soul like he's looking through me.

'How does Shasta's mother fuck this guy? Is she scared or does that turn her on?' I think to myself. "Atlas." He says low and deep. "Huh?" I say looking into his black abyss for eyes. "Your like me when I was your age. I met Shasta's mother at your age, the tall muscular body and tattoos covering, and the hard headed little shit I was you are. Have you ever heard of me?" He asks me.

Someday I wanna be like him. Protecting my kids, loving my lady in bed, lover by day killer by night. I want his touch he has without having to speak, the darkness has him. But Shasta and her mother are his light. Shasta is my light, so there's that. "Well." I say straightening myself up. "Yes, my mother talked about someone equal to the devil. Dark, mean, emotionless, fearless, no soul. But she's wrong I see, you have Shasta and her mother. Tell me how do I not know you? All of it makes sense. Right down to the story I was told about how you got that scar." I say putting my lips in a straight line.

"Your right, well she's right. I was cold and soulless, I was in a dark time of my life. Sit down and I'll tell you my story child." He says and I instantly sit down. He picks up a baseball that was sitting on my desk. Tosses it hand to hand and takes a deep breath. "You know I can kill you in a split second, no one will know, it'll be so fast you won't see anything or feel it?" He says I feel my heart beating faster. "But, I won't. You seem to fascinate my babygirl. I can't have her mad at me, and I can't deal with two angry women." He says laughing.

"Now, my story." I don't move or speak. I'm a stone during a storm. "I was 14 when I took over my fathers business. He wanted me to be cold and ruthless like him. He used to abuse and hurt my mother, she still stayed and I never knew why. Anyways he wanted me to kill her so he could be with his other woman. He didn't wanna do it himself, I don't know why. I snapped and ran to him grabbing his gun and shot him instantly in his chest. He lay there gasping and I can see the life draining. I didn't cry, not even my heart changed rhythm. He asked me what I did. I spit on him and he looked up to the ceiling and drew his last breath. Blood pooling around us and it was all over my hands. I remember asking myself how my blood was his coursing through my veins. Just then my mother came in and was pissed at me. She looked at my father like he was innocent. She didn't know what he had planned, but soon she will. She kissed his lips and closed his eyes, she turned to me and slapped my across my face. She dug her nails in my face leaving this scar." He says running his fingers across the scar.

"It stung but I didn't feel it where it hurt, I was numb. I remember looking at her and I seen red, I tried to explain what happen and that he wanted me of all, to kill her. She didn't seem fazed at all, she laughed actually. It was very weird, I hated the son of a bitch. Anyways she hated me after that, drugs and alcohol courses through her like water. I was the reason to why she changed she says to this day. Yes, she's still alive but she's even more angry with me because I don't let her see my children and my beautiful wife. She's mad I made it in the world, she and my father threw me to the wolf's and I returned leading the pack, she hated me. Over the years I grew angry at everything. The simplest little thing ticked me off. Until I laid eyes on Jane. There it was, the light at the end of the tunnel. It was there but I couldn't reach it if I wanted to. I fought myself inside and out, I punished myself. I needed her and only her she was mine." He says closing his eyes smiling like a crazy freak.

"One time I was in a shootout when I was 17. My new father that my mother married, he also hated me. Said I'm not cut to be leader, sent me to a far away school. Where I met her, but at the gun fight, there was 12 men all aimed at me. They had me surrounded. I don't know how to this day but I was like water. It happen to fast, they started shooting and I shot one at a time. Ducking and thrashing around only getting hit once, it was in my leg. It was a miracle, the others they were with ran so fast. After that I gained the name white devil, I've lived up to the reputation that name came with." He says smiling looking up at my real fathers old school photos. I gotta take them down, I don't want any trace of his face near me.

"But you remind me of me, like I said because you have my daughter. Just like I had Jane, all I can say is eliminate them and anyone who dare to hurt her. Or I'll do it and I'll do it to you also. I wanna also create and alliance, my daughters safety and of course if you get married you both combine the tides. Hers, and yours, both strong in love and both ruthless. I want to be sure she don't get hurt. So either you do it now if that's your intention, if not I'll mark you and leave and you won't be seen or see her again. Your choice, she's been hurt enough by you kid." He says with so much honestly seeping through his voice.

" I've already made up my mind, the night I seen it was her." I say no emotion. "She's mine as I'm hers." I say standing up in my face. We're the same height about, and that's fucking tall. He looks me in the eye and puts his hands on my shoulders. Taking in a few breath he does something I never thought would happen.

He fucking hugged me! This man! "I'm counting on you doing the right decisions kid." He says heading towards the door. Before he takes another step and stops and turns around. "By the way, if you're with her and ever look at another woman with passion or showing any type of liking without telling her. Be prepared to deal with her, she's worse than me and her momma together. Very territorial,very emotional and gets very attached." He says winking to me. Well that was odd as fuck.

"You good man?" Jed says as he comes in the room. "Looks like we have dad on our side finally. I don't wanna deal with the Italian Mafia, they are crazy and good at killing. Well, he is actually I heard his story." He says I nod and pull out my phone, checking the time it's 5:30am, "I'll be back, I gotta go somewhere." I say and Jed simply shrugs his shoulders. "Okay man." He says walking out but I dark past him. I need to get to Shasta, I need to see her and make things right. "I'm coming my queen."