Page 17 of Atlas
She picks at the crust of her toast, not meeting my eyes. “You know, I didn’t think anyone would actually come. When my sister said she was sending someone, I thought maybe she was just trying to make me feel better.”
“She did more than that. She sentme.”
Kasey finally looks at me. “And you’re the best of the best?”
I grin. “Do I need to be?”
She nods. “Maybe. If they find me.”
“Then I’m the best of the best. No one’s gonna get to you whilst you’re under the Chaos Demons.”
She gives a satisfied nod. “You’re lucky, Atlas,” she says, pushing to her feet. “I like you. There’re not many men I like or trust.”
“What makes me different?” I ask, chucking some cash down on the table. She eyes it, glancing around to see where the waitress is. I grab her wrist just as she’s about to take it. “Don’teven think about it,” I warn. “If you trust me, then know you don’t have to steal anymore, kid. I’ve got you.”
She grins. “Kid?” she repeats, following me outside. “Interesting choice of words when you’ve spent half the time trying to avoid looking at my tits.”
I keep my eyes fixed forward as she rushes to walk beside me. “You don’t have to do that anymore either,” I add.
“What am I doing?”
“Using sex to distract me from seeing you.”
“I didn’t mention sex,” she says, hooking her arm through mine. “But if you wanna go there, we don’t need to check out until three.”
“Does all that usually work?” I ask.
“Are you asking if men usually fall at my feet?”
“I’m asking if you offer yourself so openly just to get out of embarrassing situations.”
She unhooks her arm. “I wasn’t embarrassed you called me out for wanting to take the money,” she snaps defensively. “That waitress wouldn’t have given two shits.”
I stop, turning to face her. “You think?” I ask. “And what about the tenner tip I threw on top that’s rightfully hers?”
“I doubt she’d miss it.”
I scoff. “Cos she wants to work in a greasy spoon for minimum wage, on her feet all day, just so you can come along and rip her off.”
“Relax, I didn’t even take it,” she hisses.
“A word of warning before we get back to the clubhouse—don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
“You sure you don’t have kids, cos you’re acting like a dad right now.”
I drop the keys in the checkout box and head for the bike with Kasey hot on my tail. “Maybe if you had someone act like a dadbefore now, you wouldn’t be stealing money off tables.” I throw my leg over and hold out a helmet for her.
She takes it with a smirk. “Can I call you daddy?”
I shake my head in irritation. “Get on the damn bike.”
The engine’s hot between my thighs as we roar down the final stretch of road leading to the clubhouse. The second the place comes into view with bikes lined out front, smoke curling from the firepit, and someone revving in the garage bay, something in me settles.
It’s messy. Loud. And home.
Kasey shifts behind me, arms tightening around my waist. She hasn’t said a word since the petrol stop an hour ago. Maybe she’s tired. Maybe she’s finally thinking instead of performing.
I kill the engine just outside the front doors. A few of the guys glance over, eyebrows raised when they spot the girl sliding off my bike.
