Page 90 of Rulebreaker

Right on cue, as if reading my mind, he tugs me a little closer. “You and I need to talk, and I owe you a huge apology, but let me take care of this first. Okay? Let me do this for you.”

“Y-yes.” It comes out in a raspy whisper but he hears me. Nods.

Then he turns on his heel, and I watch in confused fascination as Atlas Delarosa makes a grown man want to cry.

THIRTY-ONE

Atlas

Christ.

She’s exhausted, the dark circles beneath her eyes so black they look bruised. And her skin.

Fuck.

Normally she’s so bright and vibrant, so full of vigor and life, but right now…

She’s worn down, her shine taken away.

My fault.

Myfuckingfault.

And maybe the fact that she just lost her husband?—

I mentally shake myself, know that I can’t allow the guilt, the thoughts of Lily, ofmyLily hurting because of me, of–worse–loving another man, of–worst of fucking all–being alone and suffering.

Without me by her side.

But this isn’t thetime for that shit.

It’s time to deal withtheshit.

As in, the fucker standing in my Lily’s space, breathing heavily, tainting her air with his fury.

He doesn’t know what fury is.

He’s about to experience it.

“Steady, Texas,” I murmur, cupping Lily’s jaw. “This’ll just take a minute.”

She nods shakily.

I hold tight to that then spin on my heel, moving over to the asshole and not stopping. He skitters back when he realizes that, stumbling over his feet as I keep crowding him, keep herding him.

All without laying a fucking finger on the asshole.

That may come later.

For now, the coward shaking in front of me, his hands going behind him to steady himself against the wall I’ve cornered him against is intimidated with merely a glare and my body.

“Wh-who are y-you?” he stammers.

“Take a real good look, asshole,” I say, stepping even closer, the toes of my dress shoes brushing his. “I think you’ll recognize me.”

“I’m a lawyer”—desperate words—“if you touch me, I’ll sue.”

“And I”—I lean closer, my lips curving up into a cold smile—“have enough money to keep you tied up in court until you’re six feet underground.”