Page 83 of Atlas
“A few grand.”
I frown. “That’s nothing to Damien. He spends that on wine.”
“He doesn’t care about the money. He cares that she embarrassed him. That she made him look stupid. Men like Damien don’t forgive that.”
I lean back slowly, heart beginning to twist. “So, what, he’s sending someone to hurt her? Because his pride’s dented?”
“He’s already sent someone,” Axel says grimly. “A man approached Rue earlier today and told her to pass the message to her sister that Damien is looking for her.”
The room spins a little.
I’d known Damien was cruel, calculated, even vicious when he didn’t get his own way or he felt he was losing control of a situation. But outside of our marriage, he was always cool and calm. Everyone around us, always loved him. His charm. His charisma. Hell, it’s how I fell into his trap.
“Wait, how does he even know Kasey?”
Axel takes a seat. “That’s where I think we can help you.” I wait for him to continue. “Atlas mentioned the custody case.” I shift uncomfortably. “Couldn’t you use this to get your kid back?”
I glance at Tom, who looks pensive. “Depends on what you have and if it’s purely hearsay.”
“He was sleeping with Kasey,” Axel says bluntly. “For a long time.”
“How long?” I ask warily.
“Well, let’s put it this way, she was still in school when she met him.”
I inhale sharply. “Underage?”
“It was on and off for years. He’d pick her up, have sex, drop her home. A few times, he introduced her to other men.”
Tom leans forward. “He arranged that?”
Axel nods. “And he handled payment.”
“Like a pimp?” I gasp.
“She got older, he lost interest in the sex side of things, but he did have her babysit a few times.”
My mouth drops open in surprise. “What?”
“He would pay her to sit with the kid while he went off till all hours, sometimes even days.”
“No, he wouldn’t have done that.”
“She could probably tell you more. But I’d say paying a prostitute to look after the kid rather than arrange proper childcare, might not look good.”
Tom nods. “We might be able to use it if she’d give us a signed statement to say it’s true. But I’m sure Damien would argue it’s not true and say you’d paid someone to lie.”
“But it could put doubt in the judge’s mind,” I add.
“Are there any police records?” asks Tom. “Anything that ties him to this other life you’re saying he has?”
Axel shakes his head. “No. We’re working on it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Atlas
She’s beautiful in ways that wreck me.
