Chapter 16 16
Xavier's pov
I took a deep breath, swung the bat, and slammed it down on the camera. It broke apart with a terrible crack.
Unsatisfied, I moved on to the TV. I hit it again, and again, and again until the screen was so smashed, it was barely recognizable as a television.
“That fucking bastard!” I vented my frustration on the dishes, the bottles, the ceramic ornaments. Nothing was safe from my rage.
“Who gave him the right to walk into my company and tell me what to do?!” I screamed as I smashed and destroyed everything I set my eyes on.
No matter how hard I smashed things, the fire inside me remained, clawing, desperate for a way out.
Sweat drenched my skin, and my muscles ached from the force of my blows but I kept swinging, taking perverse pleasure in the shower of glass and ceramic shards until finally, finally, there was nothing left for me to break. Only then did I stop.
The bat clattered to the floor. I placed my gloved hands on the table and bent over, my chest heaving.
Growing up, I learned how to endure torture before. My father made sure of it.
Knife wounds, shackles, you name it. I had survived it all.
But this? This was fucking worse.
I walked to my desk and collapsed on my chair. Then, I glared at the laptop, willing myself to focus on the report my secretary had sent me.
My fists were still clenched and my chest was heaving. I tried, I squinted my eyes and even dragged my hand through my hair as I tried to concentrate on what was in front of me but I still couldn't.
“Fuck!” I cursed under my breath and covered my face with my hand. As I closed my eyes, my mind drifted to a certain blonde.
From where I sat earlier in that conference room, I had a direct view of her. Brown hair. Bright brown eyes. Perfect pink lips. She was the total package, a walking temptation. It was like she’d sat there on purpose to torment me.
The shower squeaked, followed by the sound of running water and a muscle jumped in my jaw.
I didn't know who she was but being near her was torture in it's own right. I could barely think. I could barely concentrate. I should’ve never entertained her and her boss earlier.
Due to its dwindling finances, my company didn’t have an extra year to spare, so I was left to suffer shame and sell our company shares for scraps. Seeing Clyde walk in with an offer too good to be true made my blood boil but seeing his secretary made things much, much worse.
I should refuse his offer. His business card burned a hole in pocket and fingers itched to reach for it. My pride was all that mattered. Clyde was a whale, a terrifying business tycoon who swallowed poor companies and made them his and he had quite the collection. So imagine my shock when I discovered he was also after what we mine.
But…
My company needed saving. I needed saving.
An image of that blonde flashed through my mind and I exhaled sharply. It was a foolish thought but for some reason, I couldn't understand, I needed to be closer to her.
Kylie stepped foot in the bedroom and her jaws dropped.
“What on earth happened here?” she gasped, staring at me like I was a ghost.
“I was angry. What do you think?” I scoffed, dragging my hand through my hair again.
She scoffed and sauntered to the door. Then she pressed a button on the wall and said, “Clean up in the master bedroom.”
A few minutes later, two maids entered the room with their cleaning equipment and cleared up the mess I'd made. When they were done, she stepped in front of me.
She wore a gold silk robe that flowed past her knees. It was perfectly modest, but it didn’t matter. Her face was makeup-free and her skin was glistening. The sight of her fresh out of the shower was so goddamn intimate. A few years ago, I would be all over her like peanut butter on bread but right now, I wanted to kick her out of this room.
“What is it?” I said through gritted teeth.
Kylie hiked her hand on her hips.
“What is it?” She scoffed again. “You turned this place upside down. What the fuck is going on?”
“Nothing!” I grabbed my jacket and walked past her.
“Where are you going?!” she yelled.
“Out!” I called back.
“But what about dinner? Howard was looking forward to dinner. He rarely sees you!”
A familiar voice echoed in my head.
“Come to Aria's birthday party. Be the father she needs. That's the only thing I'm asking you.”
Maisie.
“Xavier!” Kylie screamed my name.
“Don't call me. I'll be back soon.” I walked out of the bedroom and slammed the door so loud my hands shook.
I needed a drink and more importantly, I needed to know who the hell that goddamn blonde was.
“You’ve had four drinks in two hours, bud.” The barmaid offered in a concerned tone.
I shot her a glare and replied. “And I’m ordering a fifth. “You got a problem with that?”
She held up his hands and shook his head. “It’s your liver.”
Goddamn right. It was my liver and my money. I could do whatever the hell I wanted with them.
I tossed back the glass she slid in my direction and drained it in a minute flat.
The alcohol burned as it sloshed down my throat but I didn't care. I needed more.
“Is this seat taken?” A young brunette slid onto the stool next to mine before I could answer.
She wore a tiny, short dress that showed her long legs with lips that were worth a hundred dollars but I didn’t spare her a second glance. She wasn't the brunette I was looking for.
“Can’t a guy drink in peace without getting hounded?” I hissed.
I could’ve saved myself the trouble and drank at home but I didn't want to be near anyone right now and with everything at work, things were a bit too depressing. So here I was, holed up in the exclusive bar I opened, drinking whiskey.
The offended brunette left in a huff, clearly unused to being rejected. Her loss.
I told myself I was done here and rose to my feet when suddenly, I heard the soft click of the door.
I turned my attention to the door and my heart stopped.
Long brown curls, brilliant blue eyes and a warm smile.
It was her. Clyde's secretary.
For a second, I thought I was hallucinating and had conjured her from my thoughts. Then I heard her voice, soft and calm.
I straightened, my spirits lifting until I saw the guy standing next to her.
He looked vaguely familiar, and he said something that made her smile.
My hand tightened around my glass as an icy black wave of possessiveness rippled through me.
Whoever the guy was, I wanted to fucking kill him.
My eyes tracked them as they sat at a table across the room.
She hadn’t noticed me yet. She said something else to the soon-to-be dead fucker who smiled back. The idiot must’ve felt the weight of my stare because he finally looked up. Our gazes collided and my eyes widened.
Jason?
What was my secretary doing here?
He opened his mouth to speak and I shook my head.
Embarrassed, I paid for my tab and walked out of the bar.
This was a shitty day.