Page 330 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

I’m not safe.

The thought shot through her brain with the brutal power of a cannonball. Her mind spun in a dizzying whirl.

She was used to taking care of herself, having grown up with the most self-reliant family on the planet. Half of her DNA came from the Atlases—her father’s family, who emigrated from Russia and settled in Las Vegas, some eventually becoming billionaires. Atlases took no prisoners and offered no mercy. They were badasses to the core. Instinct was everything.

Right now, her instincts were telling her not to call the cops, not to involve herself with what just happened to her car until absolutely necessary. What almost happened to me…?

There was only one person in the entire state of Colorado she trusted with her life: her cousin, Isaac Atlas. She needed to call him.

She stared at her smartphone gripped in her hand. Phones could be traced. Driven by sharp instinct and the adrenaline coursing through her, she powered down the device.

A recollection flashed of a cell phone store a few doors down in the strip mall. Could she purchase a device there that couldn’t be tracked? That seemed like a wise move. Especially since she had no idea what she was up against. If she had nothing to worry about, her instincts wouldn’t be clawing at her like a feral alley cat.

Better to be safe than…dead.

When a pair of hands cupped her shoulders, she leaped. “Hey, sorry to startle you. Did you see what happened out there?” Ray questioned, looking aghast. “Whose car is that?”

“It’s—I have no idea,” she blurted. “Gotta run. Thanks for the drink.”

“Any time. Hey, if you…” His voice faded as she headed for the door and raced down the sidewalk toward the phone store. She ducked inside.

Still shaken, she hadn’t taken time to process events from the past few minutes. But somehow, she felt better knowing help was only a phone call away. Isaac would answer an unfamiliar number, right?

“I need a phone.” She interrupted the lanky young man standing at the kiosk’s table centered in the single room of the shop, surrounded by dozens of handheld electronic devices displayed on the walls. He lifted his head and brushed his long-ish hair from his face, strands catching in his beard.

Eyes still glazed from being absorbed in an online game, he blinked and focused on her. “Uh, yeah, sure. Do you have a plan you want to add the phone to?”

“No plan.” All her plans had gone up in flames. Literally.

“Oh.” His eyebrows drew together. “Are you okay?”

“I’m—no, I’m not.” The quiet of the store seemed to bring her chaotic emotions to the surface. Her voice came out wobbly. “I need a phone. Mine…broke.”

“No worries. It happens to the best of us.”

His show of compassion evoked a swell of appreciation. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Two rogue tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Aw, hey. It’ll be okay. When my sister dropped her phone the night before a big interview and the screen shattered, she showed up at my store bawling. We fixed her up, and I’ll get you a working phone, too.” He grabbed a clipboard. “I need you to fill out some paperwork.”

Time was the one thing she didn’t have. “But I need to make a phone call. Right now.”

He hiked a slim shoulder. “Want to use my phone for now?”

“Yes, please.” She rushed toward him like he’d offered her a lifeline. She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her wrist. Her damp makeup smeared the phone’s glossy surface. “Sorry. Thanks. This will only take a minute. Is there a backroom, or a bathroom?”

He pointed toward the rear hall. “Second door on the right.”

Nodding, she dashed in the direction he indicated. She closed herself in the restroom, locked the door, and blew out a trembling breath. She dialed her cousin’s number. One she knew by heart.

Blessedly, he picked up on the third ring. “Isaac Atlas.”

“Isaac.” She practically shrieked with relief hearing his deep, calm, familiar voice. “This is Lara. Your cousin. I–I think I’m in trouble. I need your help.”

* * *

Dominic Aiello glanced up from his laptop to see Isaac Atlas coming toward him with purposeful strides. Sitting back in his chair behind his new desk at Soren Security, he smiled, amazed at how the two of them always ended up joining forces to conquer the world by putting the bad guys in their place. No matter how much time had passed.

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