Page 114 of Atlas
I shake my head. “She can’t wait a week. She’ll never last that long.”
“And who knows what he’ll do if he think’s we’re not following his demands,” adds Kasey, wrapping her arms around herself.
“He thinks if Atlas tells me to back off, I will,” mutters Anita, glancing my way.
I shake my head. “Not happening.”
“There’s no guarantee he’ll even hand her over if that happens,” says Axel. “He ain’t gonna leave her able to speak and tell the police what he did.”
“We bring her home. And then we help Nita get full custody of Leo. That bastard should never see him again,” snaps Kasey.
“But you can’t do anything to him before the hearing,” says Tom. “It’ll look to suspicious.” He fixes me with a stare thattells me he’s gonna make sure Anita wins the battle and Damien never upsets her again. “If we run his plates, it’s possible ANPR systems have him driving to and from the place he’s keeping Rue.”
“I know a guy,” says Fletch, pulling out his mobile and stepping from the room.
“We’re going to rattle his cage,” I say, tapping the table. “Make him panic. He wants us quiet and desperate. Instead, we make noise. We show him what it feels like when you come for someone who’s ours.”
Grizz nods, cracking his knuckles. “It’s about time.”
“We go to every place, including his office, and make noise,” Axel orders. “Tell everyone we want to speak to him. Get them all worried.”
I look around the table, at these men I trust with my life. Then I say the words that start everything.
“Let’s bring her home.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rue
Damien paces in front of me like a storm about to break. His phone rings again, shrill and relentless, and he hurls it across the room with a roar.
“Fuckkkk!” he bellows, raking both hands through his hair like he wants to tear it out. “Those fuckers are pushing me too far! I’ve got every bastard I know calling me, telling me they’ve been looking for me.”
“You underestimated how angry Atlas would be,” I say quietly, my voice just loud enough to cut through his chaos. There’s a tremor there, but I force the words out anyway. “You thought he’d roll over.”
He spins, and the slap comes so fast I don’t see it. My cheek explodes with pain, and I stumble back, crashing to the floor, the back of my skull slamming into concrete. Stars bloom in my vision.
I gasp, fingers brushing the spot. It’s wet.Blood.
Before I can move, Damien lunges. He pins me, his face hovering inches above mine, breath hot and sour with rage. “Ormaybeheunderestimatedme,” he growls, “and just how far I’ll go to ruin every single person he loves.”
My pulse races. I swallow it down, try to think clearly. “I thought this was about Leo.”
Damien doesn’t answer with words. Instead, he drags his nose slowly along my neck. I go rigid beneath him, my stomach turning.
“I can see why he likes you,” he mutters, voice dark and low.
“Loves me,” I whisper, lifting my chin with whatever defiance I have left.
He smiles, but there’s no warmth in it. “But not enough to give up Anita.”
His words sink deep, sharp and cruel. I feel the sting in places I don’t want to admit. I press my lips together, ignore the ache in my chest, and keep my voice cold. “You don’t deserve to keep Leo.”
His eyes flare, and his hand shoots out, wrapping around my throat, not squeezing, but enough to remind me he could.
“You don’t know anything about me,” he growls.
I meet his gaze, unblinking. “I know you’re using Leo to punish Anita. That you’re terrified she’ll win, and that’s why you’re doing this. One day, Leo will see you for what you are. And when he does? He’ll hate you.”
