Chapter 8 #2
“Lily.” Atlas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and he pulled her against his body. “Are you going to introduce me?”
She hadn’t stiffened when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Because honestly, his touch reassured her.
Odd because no one’s touch had ever reassured her in this world.
Truth be told, she didn’t really like physical touch.
She certainly had not liked the hug that Gage had just given to her. They were not at a hugging stage.
Physical touch was not exactly her love language. She was more an acts-of-service woman.
He found the diary and smuggled it out before the cops could see it, no questions asked.
If that didn’t count as an act of service, she wasn’t sure what did.
“This is FBI Special Agent Gage Emerick.” She settled a bit more comfortably against Atlas, her body softening as growing exhaustion pulled at her.
“I’m sure he knows who you are…” That had to be the whole reason Gage had made an appearance.
He came out for the big guns. “But, just so I do this bit right, Gage, meet Atlas Bennett.”
Gage extended his hand toward Atlas.
A brief hesitation, then Atlas reached out to take the offered hand. “How do you know Lily?” Atlas asked the Fed.
“We dated—damn, that is quite the grip you’ve got there.”
Atlas released him. “Lily is with me.”
Gage stretched out his fingers. “With you? What the hell does that mean?”
“It means she’s moving in with me. The events tonight have sped up our process a bit, but, from here on out, Lily…Is. With. Me.”
He’d just gotten way territorial. And she had no idea why. So what if she’d dated the Fed? Why did that matter?
Gage’s brows shot up as he assessed her again. “So you’re dating billionaires now, Lily? That’s new.”
She wasn’t exactly dating Atlas. She could feel the edge of the diary pressing against her. He had gotten it for her. Truly, she wanted to kiss the man.
“Did I just see you exiting the house, Atlas?” Gage asked. “Thought it was a crime scene.”
“It’s my house.” Arrogant. Commanding. What she was starting to think of as typical Atlas. “So I went in to survey the damage. As you can see, I didn’t bring anything out with me. Not like I was tampering with evidence.”
Gage’s watchful stare drifted from Atlas back to her. “You been inside, Lily? You see if anything was taken?”
“I haven’t been inside yet.”
“Her laptop is missing,” Atlas revealed.
It was? Oh, damn. Not good. As if the break-in had ever been a good sign.
“Lily told me where it should have been. It wasn’t there. It appears…other things were taken, but the damage is so severe that it’s hard to tell right now.”
“Severe damage?” she breathed.
A curt nod.
Oh, no. “Were my files there, Atlas?”
Appearing apologetic, he told her, “I believe they were taken.”
Disaster. She would have to call Sloane right away and alert her friend except—no phone.
Her phone had been smashed back at the cabin.
Then the flames had probably destroyed it.
A new phone would be a necessity. She would have to reach out to her friend, ASAP.
She should have called Sloane already, not like she wanted Sloane finding out about the attack and the cabin fire on the news.
I messed up. Wasn’t thinking clearly. Sloane is going to panic.
“Lily?” Gage’s voice drew her attention back to him. “They let him in, but not you? You were living here, correct? That’s the information I was given on my way over.”
“Why the hell are you here?” Atlas asked.
“I’m a Fed. I work BAU. That’s Behavioral Analysis—”
“I know what it is,” Atlas growled.
“I was brought in just for you, Atlas.” A flashy smile.
“The people in charge at the Bureau view you as very important. Rest assured, I will not rest until the perp responsible for your abduction and for the murder of Detective Benedict Swain is apprehended.” He scraped a hand over his jaw.
“I learned Lily was taken, too.” Rougher.
“When word reached me about this break-in at her address, I immediately came to the scene.” His hand fell.
His eyes raked her. “You’re the one who needs to see what happened in there, Lily.
Come on. I’ll take you in.” He reached out to grasp her hand.
Atlas pulled her back. “Why did the two of you stop dating?”
Cops buzzed around them. A dull throb began behind her left eye. “Really not the place for this.” The last thing she wanted was to rehash her relationship with Gage. Especially considering that some perp had broken into her house. Stolen from her. My work. Gone.
“I’m curious.” Atlas brushed a kiss across her temple, right near the throbbing. And the pain seemed to ease.
What in the world?
“Why would anyone ever let you go?” Atlas murmured. “What kind of idiot would let you slip through his fingers?”
Her head turned toward Atlas. Now wasn’t the time to mock the Fed. “It wasn’t serious.” They’d had sex. Twice. This did not seem to be the appropriate place to announce that news. Some things were private. “Then I learned Gage had ulterior motives for wanting to be close to me.”
“That hurts, Lily.” A dramatic pronouncement from Gage. “I’ve always cared for you.”
She glanced back to see him place his hand over his heart. Seriously, that move was too much, even for him.
“We were friends all through med school,” he added.
“Even when I dropped out to join the Bureau, we kept in touch. It was natural for me to be curious about you. And…some pieces of the puzzle just didn’t add up for me.
Questions had to be asked.” His hand slid back to his side.
The movement had his fingers sliding near the holster on his hip.
“But just because I had a job to do, it didn’t mean that I did not care.
Again, I’ll repeat, I’ve always cared.” His eyes glittered.
“Yeah, that bullshit needs to stop.” Now Atlas moved in front of her. “I’ll repeat, Lily is with me. Any relationship you had with her is dead and buried.” Snapped.
Desmond watched from close by, saying nothing.
“Huh.” Gage rocked back on his heels. “I’m a bit curious. Are you good at burying things, Atlas? Because there have been some rumors about you…”
Atlas just laughed. “Fuck around,” he advised the Fed, “and, as the saying goes, you will find out.”