I tell myself before I open that text.
Atlas
Thinking of me?
I smile.
Great poker face, you little shit!
Chapter 22
Atlas
The sound of my phone ringing stirs me past midnight.
“Is she okay?”
How fuckin’ attached am I, that Summer’s safety is the only thing I care about? That my nerves won’t stop shaking until Link answers?
“She’s fine. Jacob—not so much.”
I sigh.
“What happened?”
“He came onto her.”
My knuckles go white and my jaw ticks as I fight the urge to get in the car, drive all night, find my cousin, and bury him alive for daring to go near my girl.
“Did you beat the shit out of him?” I roar, clutching the phone, imagining it’s Jacob’s throat.
“I didn’t. But she did.”
“Come again?”
“Summer tased him and beat his ass with a bat. And she made him thank her for not breaking his hand. It was wild.”
A moment of silence detonates into maniacallaughter as the twisted scene plays out vividly right before my eyes. I’d probably give my left nut to have been there and witness it.
“You don’t get it, Ace,” Link continues. “She’s no stranger to violence.”
It takes me time to calm down, the image of my precious little demon beating my cousin with a bat running on a loop in my head. I don’t know which feeling overtakes—finding it funny, exciting, invigorating, or sexy as hell. Fuck, I’m proud of her.
“No,youdon’t get it. She likes me. If she didn’t, she would’ve done to me what she did to Jacob.”
“Need I remind you she knocked you out cold?”
“And then she stripped for me and complimented my dick, so shut the fuck up. She likes me.”
“Well, you’re still kickin’ after what you did last night, so you’re probably right.” Link snorts.
“I know I am. Make sure Jacob doesn’t even breathe the same air as her. I’ll update you on how the meeting on Monday goes.”
I dread having to ask Link to look after her. I want to be the one to do that. Summer wouldn’t have agreed to come with me, so I had no other option but to leave someone to watch over her. I should’ve kidnapped her. She would’ve loved a road trip with me.
“I will. But from what I’ve seen tonight, she can watch her own back quite skillfully.”
“That’s my girl!”
