Feral Obsession

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ruby awoke to a knock at her door.

Her eyes were burning behind her lids from lack of sleep, and she wanted to shove her head under her pillow and ignore whoever was out there.

The thing was, Ruby knew exactly who was out there.

When he didn't stop knocking, Ruby finally gave up and rolled out of bed. She didn't bother changing out of her sweats; if Atlas was offended by her pajamas, so be it. When she tore open the door, she wasn't expecting the lurch in her chest at the sight of him.

He was ready for the day in a suit. A suit. What landlord - slash - flower farmer needed a suit? His hair was combed back and wet. He wore sunglasses, inside like an asshole, but when she opened the door, he pulled them off. Slid them into his pocket. Let his eyes rove over her.

Ruby was suddenly aware she wasn't wearing a bra under her tank top. "Can I help you?"

"Have you not been sleeping? You have bags under your eyes." Atlas stepped forward, crowding her with the expectation that she would let him into her apartment. She conceded, stepping back enough so that Atlas could let the door shut behind him. He leaned against it and pulled out a rolled-up newspaper from his pocket. He offered it to her without taking his eyes off of her.

Ruby reached for it tentatively. "You're here to give me a newspaper?" She didn't look at it yet. "Are you insane?"

"Again I ask: are you not sleeping?"

She wasn't, but that wasn't Atlas's business. She had been haunted with nightmares, plagued with the notion that Kierson would sniff her all the way to her apartment, break down the door, and murder her in cold blood.

It had kept her awake, fitfully trying to sleep, oftentimes staring at her ceiling instead. Atlas had let her stay in the apartment for three days before he'd come to offer her this newspaper, and she hadn't slept since napping in the flower fields.

Ruby didn't tell Atlas this. It was too personal, too raw. Too real. Atlas didn't need to know the personal bits of her life, especially when she was sure he would rub them in her face with a sneer.

She unrolled the newspaper instead of answering him. The print was large on the front page: KIDNAPPED WOMAN FINALLY FOUND: RUBY CROWELL SAFE.

Under the headline was a picture of her - her work picture that belonged on her badge, the one she used to get into the event planning office. She was smiling, eyes bright and shining with the excitement of starting a job she really wanted.

She skimmed the article, heart in her throat. It didn't say much, only that her kidnappers were still at large and that police were searching for any tips and leads. She looked up from the article, mouth dropped open in surprise or shock. She wasn't sure which. "What is this?"

Atlas leaned casually against her door. "The news stations are running the story as well. Now, no one will think you no call, no showed from your jobs for over three months. Oh, and you can use this to dispute any missed payments that occurred, for your bills, that is. Give them a call, mention what happened, and things should even out. Go back to normal."

"You did this?" She waved the newspaper. "How? Why would they take this story without meeting with me?"

Atlas shrugged, his dark eyes tracking her movements. He was trying to gauge how pissed off she was. "Sweetheart, I own the city. I told you that."

"The newspaper? The television stations?"

His mouth tipped up into a lethal smile. "And the police."