Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Sydney looks up at me, then turns back to her computer. She’s never one to talk much anyway.
Two guys come out of the elevator we just did and walk up to Sydney, totally ignoring me as I sit on a couch in front of her office area. The floors are wooden, and Atlas has two large doors that go into what I’m guessing is his office. Sydney has an almost full glass desk with a computer and not much else.
“Sir, in?”
“Yes, but he’s busy right now, so take a seat and wait.”
Both men turn, and when they do, they spot me. I look up and recognize one straight away. I didn’t get a good look at the two guys who took me that night, but their voices I would know anywhere, and these two are definitely them.
One smirks as he walks over, and he sits relatively close to me. “Miss.” He nods to me.
I look over at Sydney to see her already monitoring us with watchful eyes.
“I know who you are,” I say, smiling, but not making eye contact.
“Is that so, miss?” the other answers.
When I turn to look at them, they are both staring at me.
“Yes, that is so.”
“Well, Atlas always has a new flavor of the month. I guess you’re lucky to be this month’s.”
“I guess so,” I answer.
“Barry, Leo… office, now.” We all turn to Atlas, who we didn’t even hear standing at his office door, and he’s staring at us. They both stand immediately and nod to me as they pass, heading into his office. Atlas looks at me, then shuts the doors.
I look to Sydney.
“They are painful, both of them. It’s why they’re so good at doing his dirty work, but they always listen.” She turns back to her computer. “So don’t worry about them.”
I wait for what seems like an hour before the two guys walk out, they both nod in my direction, but don’t offer another word. After that, Atlas walks out, and behind him is Benji, who looks worse for wear. Benji’s eyes lift to me, and I flinch when I take in his face. His lip is busted, and both eyes are black.
Atlas walks over and stands in front of me as Benji passes, and as he does, I close my eyes, waiting until he is gone.
I thought of him as a nice man the first time I met him.
How blind men can be made by love.
“He isn’t an awful man, he’s just gotten lost in your sister,” Atlas says to me.
I look up once the elevator doors close, and Benji is gone.
“But what he did is unacceptable,” Atlas states. He helps me stand and leans over, kissing my forehead before pulling us away and heading to the elevator.
I look back to Sydney to see her watching, a soft smile on her face, one I have never seen before, but I look away when she spots me staring.
Atlas’s house is big, but did I expect anything less? When we slide out of his car, the doors open, and a lady is standing there dressed in jeans and a shirt, and she takes the bag from Atlas’s hand, holding the doors open for us to enter.
“Madge, my maid,” he says as we walk in.
Atlas’s house is between my house and the casino, not too far out of town, but enough to be away from the hustle and bustle. The exterior has a large wrap around driveway, which is basically a circle, so you can stop in front of the house, then keep driving out if required.
Walking inside, you are met with high ceilings and coolness. No joke, I literally feel cold standing in his house. His living room is sunken, and on the wall is a large-screen television. Two couches, which are brown and look very uncomfortable with pillows thrown over them, surround it. There’s one small coffee table in the middle. His living room is probably the size of my entire house.
He walks me farther down a hallway and into a room with another set of double doors. When I look in, I see a king-sized bed, which is obviously custom made. The mattress is sunken into the wooden frame where you could put a coffee next to you on the bed. It’s amazing.
He walks over to a door, opens it, and places my bag in there, and that’s when I see his walk-in closet.
“This is where you live?” I ask.
He walks over to me and nods his head to the bed. I sit on the wooden part as he leans down and starts to remove my shoes.
“I have a Jacuzzi I have never used. Want to test it out with me?”
My stitches are healing, and I can use my hand again now. My ribs aren’t as sore, so when he says that, I nod my head with encouragement, the warm water will feel awesome on my body.