(Formerly known as "When Our Paths Crossed")
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A tale of two lost souls brought together by pain, grief and trauma.
Atlas tries to find a place in a world he's worked so hard to escape. Elijah struggles to balance the life he's building and the...
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WHEN I WAKE UP, the first thing I see is June's worried eyes staring down at me. I see a brief flicker of relief in those eyes. Then she looks away from me, a fresh bout of nerves filling her expression.
The chemical, hospital smell, the rhythmic beeping sounds to my left, and the stiff, hard mattress I'm lying on tell me that I am in a hospital. The light's off, though, casting a greyish hue falling over the room.
It takes a long moment to recall how I wound up back in the hospital. The last thing I remember before passing out was Eli's forehead pressed against mine. He'd said everything was going to be okay, but all I'd felt was a pain in my chest. I couldn't' breathe; I couldn't think. And then I was floating. Now, my chest feels heavy and each breath pulses with a dull soreness, but at least it's not excruciating.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to join us."
That voice.
The blood in my veins runs cold as I turn to face the man I'd been hoping to avoid.
Jason sits casually in one of the visitor's chairs, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Sam is curled against his chest, fast asleep. I glance towards June, who's sitting rigidly in the chair on the other side of my bed. She shoots me a warning look to remain quiet.
"I was quite worried when I saw the state you were in," Jason continues.
The lazy drawl of his voice is deceptive. He hadn't built his way up through the criminal ranks by being laidback and casual. He's always alert, searching for any trace of weakness to manipulate. He may act lazy and slow, but he's lightning-quick when ready to strike.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. My voice is hoarse, and my throat is scratchy when I swallow. "Shouldn't you be hiding in your cave somewhere?"
June's hand reaches out and squeezes my arm as Jason clicks his tongue. In his arms, Sam shifts, his little face puckering, but he doesn't wake up. Jason glances down at my nephew, and for a moment, I swear I see a softness around his hard edges. A moment of paternal recognition. My chest tightens. I never noticed the uncanny resemblance between Jason and Sam before. But, seeing my nephew in the crime lord's arms, the icy chill of realization settles over me. June and Jason? Really?
"Sometimes you gotta do the work yourself," he shrugs, "and besides, why miss the opportunity to meet my son properly. He's quite chubby, isn't he? Going to be a strong, capable kid, unlike his uncle."
"Fuck you," I hiss. June's hand tightens around my arm again. "Showing up here in a hospital is probably the stupidest thing you could have done."
"Atlas, please," June whispers.
"Oh, we've been having an okay time, haven't we, Junebug?"
Jason's blue eyes move to my sister. June is probably the strongest woman I know. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She's a force to be reckoned with. But, as soon as Jason's eyes land on her, my sister visibly withers. Her skin pales, and she hunches her shoulders. Jason knows how to keep my sister in line is with her kid. And the fact that he's using the baby as a hostage sickens me to my core.
