Page 27 of Atlas (The Chaos Demons MC #6)

Atlas

She’s beautiful in ways that wreck me.

It’s not just her face, though yeah, that smile could knock the breath from a man.

It’s the way she pushes her glasses up when they slide down her nose, the way she laughs with her whole body, like joy still surprises her.

It’s how her hair always escapes whatever clip or band she’s used to tame it, falling into her face like it has a mind of its own. Like her.

Rue.

My Rue. Except she’s not mine anymore.

“Earth to Atlas.”

I blink, dragged back to the present by Grizz snapping his fingers in front of my face.

“What?”

He stares at me like I’ve grown a second head. “I’ve been talking to you for five minutes. Not a flicker. You’re staring at her like you forgot how to breathe. Just go talk to her. Apologise.”

“I’ve tried,” I mutter, dragging a hand down my face. “You think I haven’t tried? She hates me.”

Grizz tilts his head. “She’s hurt. There’s a difference.”

I glance back across the room. Rue’s talking to someone—Lexi, maybe—but she won’t look my way. She hasn’t looked at me the same since I showed up at her door and told her the truth.

And god, if I could take it back.

Grizz walks off, muttering something about me being a hopeless bastard, and I stay rooted where I am. Not because I’ve got anything useful to do, but because I’m too caught in the guilt.

Then, Anita steps out of Axel’s office, laughing at something Tom’s just said. She looks good. Polished. Warm. Like she always does. And I hate that I notice. I hate it even more when she heads straight towards the old ladies gathered near the window, her voice already bright and familiar.

Rue’s there. She’s been mid-conversation, even smiling a little, soft and real, the kind of smile I’ve been aching to bring out of her again. But the second Anita joins the group, Rue takes a step back. Her shoulders tighten, and the wall goes back up.

Damn it.

I watch as Rue makes some excuse to Lexi and slips away, disappearing towards the back of the room without even glancing in my direction.

“Shit,” I mutter.

Anita fits too well. She always has, making everyone feel like they’ve known her for years. She slips into the role like it’s hers by right.

But today it feels like she’s taken something that wasn’t meant for her.

I cross the room and touch Anita’s elbow. “Can I talk to you?”

She gives a nod and follows me away from the others. I catch Rue watching, but the second we make eye contact, she looks away.

“Are you sticking around?” I ask.

“Axel’s put us on lockdown, do I have a choice?”

I shrug, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “It’s just, Rue’s here too.”

“Oh,” she almost whispers.

“And I told her the truth about what happened.” She gives a stiff nod, looking down at the ground. “She’s pissed, as you’d imagine. But with you here too, it’s going to be hard to get her to trust me.”

She frowns. “What are you saying, Atlas?”

“I want her to fit in,” I mutter, “with the old ladies. If you’re always there, she can’t do that.”

“So, you want me to not speak to anyone?”

I groan. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?” she snaps. “Get to the point.”

I exhale. “Honestly, I don’t know. I just . . . you came out that office and swooped right in and she backed off. If I have my way, she’ll be a permanent fixture around here. One of the old ladies.”

She gives a knowing nod. “And if that happens, I won’t be welcome around here anyway, right?”

“You know the rules, Anita. If she decides you can’t be around, that’s the way it’ll be.”

“And you’d let that happen?”

I hold her gaze. “If it meant keeping Rue? Yeah. I would.”

She lets out a bitter breath. “Wow. Good to know where I stand.”

Axel sticks his head out the office. “Atlas, can I have a word?”

I head in, leaving Anita to think over my words. Kasey is already seated. “What’s she done now?” I ask with a groan.

“I haven’t done anything,” she snaps. “It’s what he’s asking me to do.”

I take a seat beside her, and Axel sits behind his desk. “Kasey doesn’t want to help Anita.”

I sigh heavily, Scrubbing a hand over my face. “Because of what I did?”

“I don’t care if she gets her kid back or not. She’s a slag.”

I wince at her words. “Don’t call her that.”

“What would you call it when she’s getting half-naked in front of someone else’s man?”

I glance at Axel uncomfortably. “This will help the club too.”

“How?”

“Cos we’re keeping you here so he can’t get to you. It’s all part of us dismantling his life.”

“I’d rather we just kill him,” she says, folding her arms over her chest. “Isn’t that what you guys do?”

“Where did you hear that?” snaps Axel.

“Ignore her,” I say. “She’s read it in books and watched Sons of Anarchy .”

He relaxes. “Look, I’m the damn President, and what I say goes.”

She gives him an arched brow, and I nudge her. “Show respect,” I whisper hiss, “or it’ll be you he kills.”

“I am not helping the woman who hurt my sister.”

“It wasn’t Anita’s fault,” I snap. “What happened is all on me.”

“Why can’t you just drag up the police report?” she asks, slumping back in the chair like a sulking teenager.

“Police report?” Axel repeats with interest.

She shrugs. “Well, yeah, I reported him.”

I exchange a wide-eyed stare with Axel. “What exactly did you report?”

“The sex and stuff. I was a kid, and he wouldn’t leave me alone.

They didn’t do anything, of course, cos who believes a scruffy kid off a council estate with a dad like mine.

But they said they’d log it and look into it.

I told them about the other men and how they picked me up from school.

” She sighs heavily. “They never got back to me. And he never mentioned it, so I don’t think they even spoke to him about it. ”

“You never followed it up?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Why would I? He left me alone a few months after, and when he asked me to babysit, I did it for the money. He never touched me after my eighteenth birthday.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you’d reported him?” asks Axel, picking up his mobile.

She rolls her eyes. “You didn’t ask.”

Rue

Anita laughs at something Grizz says, tossing her hair back like she’s been part of this place forever. The guys around her—Grizz, Fletch, even Axel—are smiling, engaged, drawn in by her ease. She fits here, knows when to tease, when to flirt, when to listen. The kind of woman who doesn’t hesitate.

I sip my Coke and try not to stare.

I wish I had that confidence. That natural ability to glide into any conversation and make it look easy. When I speak, my voice trembles. My jokes fall flat, and I never know where to put my hands.

I glance to the far side of the field, and I see him.

Atlas.

Leaning against the rail with a bottle in his hand, watching everything and nothing at once. His arms are folded, jaw tight, brow furrowed like he’s halfway through an argument he can’t win. Alone, for once. And for a split second, the ache in my chest is unbearable.

That used to be my place. Right there beside him, even if it was for just a short time. It felt right. He was my safe person.

My hand curls tighter around my drink. Because even now, after everything—after the lies, the betrayal, the heartbreak—my body still reacts to him like he’s gravity.

But I’m not that girl.

I’ve spent my whole life watching women I love, fall for the wrong man and make excuses for him. I told myself I wouldn’t be one of them. I told myself I’d be smarter. Stronger.

So, I square my shoulders and turn my attention towards the firepit, even as my heart whispers, just one more look .“Rue,” a warm voice cuts through my thoughts, “you alright?”

I blink then glance sideways. Duchess. One of the older women, her silver hair is swept into a braid, her smile lines deep from a life well-lived. She’s holding a half-empty glass of wine and wearing a leather vest over a floral blouse like it makes total sense. Somehow, it does on her.

I nod quickly. “Yeah, just thinking.”

She hums, clearly not buying it, but kind enough not to press. “Come sit with us. Xanthe’s telling the story of how she met Fury.”

I hesitate.

My eyes flick back to Anita, still laughing with the boys like she was born to do this, and I almost say no. But then Duchess reaches out and loops her arm through mine like she’s already decided.

“Come on,” she says. “If you’re going to stick around for a few days, you may as well make new friends.”

I let her guide me to the circle of lawn chairs by the fire pit, where a few other old ladies are curled up with drinks and stories. They greet me with easy smiles.

“Rue, right?” one of them asks.

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Everyone,” says Duchess, “this is Rue. I’m sure you all remember her from the barbeque a few weeks back, but she was here with Atlas.” She proceeds to go around the circle and point everyone out. Lexi gives a small wave and pats the space beside her. I take it gratefully.

“Are you and Atlas . . .” Tessa trails off, waiting for me to answer. I give my head a shake. “Oh,” she replies, giving Lexi a frantic glance.

“It’s fine,” I say, forcing a smile. “He just . . .”

“He almost shagged Anita,” says Kasey, appearing like a lightning bolt and shoving her backside down beside me. “He doesn’t deserve my sister.”

I give an awkward smile, hating how honest Kasey is all the damn time, but equally relieved she’s here to fill the silence.

“Oh, shit, Rue,” mutters Lexi, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. “I’m so sorry.”

“Is there no hope you two will sort things out?” asks Duchess.

I shake my head again. “No,” I almost whisper.

“Well, forget him tonight,” says Gemma, grabbing a vodka bottle from the centre. She clumsily pours a shot and holds it out for me to take.

“Oh, I don’t drink,” I say.

“Because you’re fighting demons or you have allergies?” she asks, her frown deep.

I almost laugh. “I just don’t drink.”

Kasey takes the shot and knocks it back. “Live a little, Rue. A few drinks won’t hurt.” She takes the bottle from Gemma and holds it to my lips.