EIGHT- PATIENCE; A VIRTUE, A WEAKNESS.

EIGHT- PATIENCE; A VIRTUE, A WEAKNESS.


The moment Xavier shoved Juliet toward the manager, his work there was done. Or at least, it was supposed to be. He had no intention of lingering in a place like that, not with the noise, the smoke, and the disgusting smell of drunk people.

“Make sure she gets home,” he told Carlos, his voice low but firm. His intentions with her was simple- to get her to work. “Once she’s done for the night, you drive her straight back. No detours.”

“Yes, sir.”

Without another glance at Juliet, Xavier turned and left the club, his shoulders squared and expression unreadable. Outside, the air was cooler, fresher. He inhaled deeply, shaking off the stale scent of liquor and perfume clinging to his shirt. His car was waiting right at the entrance, and as soon as he slid into the driver’s seat, he started the engine.

He had barely been on the road for ten minutes when his phone rang. The screen lit up with a name he recognized—one of his men stationed at the club.

“Yes?” Xavier answered curtly, one hand on the steering wheel, the other preparing to disconnect the call.

“Sir,” he knew better than to waste his time. “He’s here.”

The silence on the other end was short-lived but heavy. Xavier’s knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, his jaw flickering. “Who?”

“Damon.”

Xavier didn’t wait for more. He disconnected the call, tires screeching as he immediately swerved the car around and drove back toward the club, his chest tightening with every second that passed. By the time he arrived, he was moving fast, his steps heavy and sharp as he stormed through the doors.

The sight that greeted him irked him for a reason he couldn’t decipher immediately. Juliet was seated at the bar and she had a ridiculous outfit hugging her frame. Beside her  her leaned a man he didn’t recognize but he quickly figured out he was one of the regulars. He was grinning, his hand far too close to her thigh, his words seeming slurred from drink. Juliet looked trapped, unsure whether to move or stay frozen.

Xavier didn’t hesitate. He cut across the room like a blade, his presence enough to shift the atmosphere. Conversations quieted, gazes followed. And the second he reached Juliet, his hand closed firmly around her arm, yanking her away from the man.

“Hey-” the stranger started, his tone bold for half a second until his eyes finally registered who was standing before him. The color drained from his face. He swallowed hard, words dying on his tongue as he lowered his gaze to the floor. “Oh.”

“Good choice,” Xavier muttered coldly, wrapping an arm around Juliet’s shoulders and pulling her against him. She stumbled slightly, clutching the tequila bottle to her chest like a shield, her wide eyes darting between him and the man she’d been sitting with.

Without sparing the man another look, Xavier led her toward the exit. Confused and relieved at the same time, Juliet allowed him drag her out of the club only for them to pause as they reached the door, another figure appearing in her path.

Juliet immediately recognized him. His expression was thunderous and his gaze lingered on her for less than a second before shifting to Xavier, Juliet concluding he wasn’t here for her.

“Wait for me in the car,” Xavier whispered to Juliet, his voice loud enough for Damon to hear. He watched his gaze flicker again, pinning Xavier with a glare.

There was no room for argument in his tone. After a tense pause, she nodded quickly and hurried out, clutching the bottle she was still holding to her chest.

The moment she disappeared through the doors, silence settled heavy between the two men.

“Seriously, Xavier?” Damon broke the silence eventually. “I never thought you were the petty kind.”

“I’m afraid there’s a lot you do not know about me,” there was no point in playing cool, Xavier deciding to be brutally honest with him. “And I’m not being petty. I’m simply mirroring your actions. Shouldn’t that make you happy at least? I’m doing something simply because you did it and for the first time it’s not the other way around.”

“You son of a bitch,” Damon’s voice was low, filled with venom regardless. “You’re messing with Juliet simply because you found out I’m interested in her.”

“The same way you got the deal with the castellanos simply because you found out I was interested, yes.”

“Let Juliet go.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” Matteo’s voice was low, venom threading every word. “How long are you going to drag this out before you give me an answer?”

Xavier smirked, tilting his head just slightly. There was a look in Damon’s eyes he had almost never seen before. Desperation, determination- he’d be damned if he didn’t take advantage of it to the fullest.

“And why should I do that?” the smirk didn’t leave his face. “Why should I let her go?”

“You want the deal with the castellenos?” Damon folded his arms. “Fine, it’s yours. I’ll cancel it from my side and let you have it. Is that fine with you? Enough to get you to let her go?”

The deal was tempting, Xavier couldn’t deny. It was exactly what he wanted. What he needed.

“I’m not sure,” Xavier clicked his tongue. As much as he needed the deal, getting that easily felt boring. Almost insulting. “I’m not sure I still need the deal.”

“What?” Damon’s eyes shot up. “You- you bitch. You know you need it.”

“I do,” Xavier wasn’t going to deny it. “I need the deal. And you need the girl. But I’m not sure I’m willing to let either of them go.”

Damon let out a groan, his frustration hitting the roof. Despite years of dealing with Xavier’s arrogance, he still took him by surprise sometimes.

“I need to think about it,” Xavier snapped his fingers. “I need to think about which one of the two I’m willing to let go. That’s if i’ll eventually be willing to let either of them go.”

He was just bluffing. Damon was certain. He knew how much he needed the deal with the castellanos. “So how long do you need to think?”

“That depends. How long are you willing to wait?”

“I don’t have that much time,” Damon’s jaw clenched, his hand tightening into a fist at his side. “If you’re not interested, I’ll change my mind and finalize the deal with the castellanos.”

“Change your mind, then.” Xavier’s reply was calm, almost bored. “If you’re no longer interested in her- ah, you should have seen the sight inside- they were circling her all night like wolves. So sure, change your mind. I’ll just sell her off to one of the men inside. And you know what happens once they get their hands on her.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed, rage flaring. As much as he wanted to convince himself that Xavier was still bluffing, he also knew him well enough to know the probability that he wasn’t was high. Very high.

“So you can change your mind for all I care,” Xavier continued, his voice sharper now. “But if you do decide to not change your mind, I’ll let you know when I come to a conclusion.”

Satisfied, Xavier’s smirk deepened. He watched Damon’s expression falter just as he hoped and then without a backward glance, walked away from him, the sound of his footsteps echoing against the floor as he left Damon standing there, fists trembling with suppressed anger.