ATLASThe elevator dinged on the ground floor, and I tried as much as I could to stride out casually, adjusting my tie and smoothening a hand over it.I couldn’t let everyone know that I was worked up. That I was enraged to my bones.Of course, I never wear my emotions on my sleeves that way. I have to act coordinated. I have to be coordinated, if I want to get anything done.And I have a whole fucking lot to get done.I didn’t even bother going in search of my asshole of a brother anymore. I was fuming about how low my father had spoken of Elena.I mean, even if he didn’t like her, how could he call her a deadweight?Oh the itch that had so begged to be scratched. The itch to make it clear to my father in a tone as stern as his, that Elena, this woman I was completely mesmerized by, was nowhere near a deadweight, and was actually a woman to die for, if they at least try to get to know her.Instead of all this bullying…The only reason I didn’t scratch that itch, however, the only rea
ELENA“Just make sure you take a look at that file, Elena.”Luke’s final words before he left my house, kept replaying in my head, time and time again.What could possibly be in the file? Or the flash drive? Why was he helping me?I found it difficult trusting Luke because he had proved to me so much already that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A man that stabs his wife in the back for his own gain.He was never truly going to help me, or had any intentions of doing anything that would benefit me, even slightly…So why was I stalling? Why wasn’t I storming over like I should, and putting the file and flash drive where they belong? In the trash…I stared at the file and the flash drive on the table for as long as I could remember, then, with a deep resolve to satisfy my curiosity—a peek wouldn’t hurt, would it?— I strode over and picked up the file and flash drive, taking them up to my room.I slotted the drive in my laptop with shaky fingers, leaning back against the table and wai
ELENAI wish there was a way I could step out of my body and give myself some pretty good beating.Enough to knock some sense into myself.How could I have opened my legs again, for the same man that betrayed me? Indirectly sold me out to the Grants?I still couldn’t understand what he meant when he said he intentionally put the Grants on my radar.Did he mean he’d intentionally put me in danger, or he’d intentionally wanted me swallowed, crushed, spat out, smeared across the streets…?Which was it?I was just disappointed I’d let my body fall for his touch again. How could I let him touch me again, after finding out he was engaged? How could I let him touch me again without any real commitment?Heaven knows I wasn’t doing shit with him again. I would stab everywhere in my body, so I could feel real pain that would wake me up from that stupid lust—of course that was it— before I let him touch me again.My new plan was to face my work, get back everything that was stolen from me, and m
ATLASBack to PresentSixteen years later, I’m certainly not the sorry-ass of a boy I was back then.I didn’t just fight without aiming. I laid out perfect strategies that would get me closer to my goal without having to do too much.To run the Grants completely dry.And to do all that, I needed Rhoda.But Elena wouldn’t understand it. All this together is the reason I can’t commit to Elena. I needed her, yeah. Wanted her. But I also didn’t want her involved in all this mess.This whole thing was just…complicated.My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I reached inside and pulled it out.Keelan’s name glowed across the screen, and I squinted my brows, a premonition settling in the pit of my stomach before my thumb swiped the screen.“Keelan.”“Where are you?” Keelan breathed into the speaker, an edge in his voice.“What’s the matter?”“You have to get to the office. Now.”The line beeped dead in my ear, and gripping the phone in my palms, I whirled on my heels and walked back to my car.I
ATLASI stomped my foot on the interlocked floor, frustration and rage coursing through my veins and tightening my muscles.Why couldn’t I just…say it?Why couldn’t I fucking tell her that yeah, we weren’t in a relationship but she was driving me insane?Every look, every touch, every defiance.It drives me fucking insane, and I like her for just that.I like that she can get a reaction out of me. I like that she challenges me. I like her…But I can’t even tell her that, can I?The thing was, I was head-over-heels crazy for Elena, but I struggle so hard to repress the feelings I very much itch to express.And I do this for her sake. To protect her from the Grants before they swallowed her up too.Like they did my mother.So no, I’m not bold enough to tell Elena how I really feel about her. Just yet, anyway. I’d risk ruining every plan I’d put in place since I was a boy. A teenager, precisely.Those days I’d watched my mom suffer for my sake.They were images and voice I saw and heard
ELENAI tore my lips away, conscious of the fact that we were out in the open and CCTV cameras were everywhere.I pushed at his chest, staggering away from the car and lifting a warning finger to him. “Stay away.”But he followed on my heels, dragging me by the arm. “Elena—““No!” I whirled around, flailing my arm. “Let me—“He caught the words from my mouth, yet again, pulling me to his chest.I couldn’t even resist him warm, demanding lips this time, his tongue burning me as it delved into my mouth and engaged in a fierce battle for dominance.He pressed me tight against him, our breaths hot and ragged with the force and heavy desire we used to devour each other up.We staggered all the way to his car, and he pinned me against it, ravaging my neck and body with his hands and kisses, his bulging erection pressing into my soaked front.I moaned into his mouth, driving my fingers into his hair and pulling feverishly.I had the hots for this man that seemed to anger me so much, and it s