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Because I missed him.
Because I promised myself that I’d tell him how I feel. And now, having lost his phone number, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to. And perhaps secretly, I was hoping that he would just be fucking miserable. For having left me, defenseless in bed asleep, like some spineless little shit.
When Logan plays another piece, I can’t keep it inside. “You play like your brother, I see. Guards up, low risk.” I may not know much about chess, but even I can gather that the pawns are easily replaceable.
Logan stiffens in surprise, before he hangs back, letting his eyes turn to slits. “Oh, now I see where your pent-up frustration comes from. I thought you were just a nasty piece of shit.” He shakes his head with a smirk, then takes my horse with his runner. “You know, my brother keeps very much to himself,” he mumbles, eyeing the play. I’m fuming, my muscles itching to jump, to stretch, to attack. Instead, I force myself to breathe as I prepare to bluff my way through this fucking game.
“Not always,” I challenge and Logan looks up with a quirked eyebrow, measuring my comment.
“No?”
I pretend to be engrossed in my next move. Then I say, “He sometimes likes to be helped out of his shell.”
This time it’s Logan who can only barely contain himself. His lips are stretched to a fine line and a muscle in his jaw ticks. “That so?” He drawls. “Check.”
I protect my king with a horse, then hand him the paperwork. “Yeah. He knows that I love a bit of fun.”
Logan blindly drops the papers on his desk behind him. “We already accepted and signed the papers when you were in Paris.”
What the actual fuck? Why on earth did Thomas send me here if the deal’s already done? Oh yeah, to be friendly with one another?
I move my small army forward by another step. “If Connor succeeded in hacking that phone, we should be given access to the phone details. You owe us that.”
“You’re an interesting guy,” he muses as he holds my stare. “You haven’t doneanyof the legwork so far. All the credit is due to us, from our knowledge and manpower. And yet, here you are in my office, acting like mister big stuff. I bet you only went along for the ride to Paris to piss off my brother.”
“Why, has he said anything?” I blurt, instantly realizing my mistake. Logan’s eyes twinkle.
“No, he hasn’t mentioned you. At all. Disappointed?”
I clench my jaw and snarl, “Of course not. He’s a nobody.” The very words make me flinch and Logan just stares at me. Moments pass as his blue eyes just watch, analyzing me or some shit. Then he looks back at the game, and smiles.
“Well, that’s good. Since you’ll never have to see him again.”
My stomach clenches and I press my lips closed, inhaling deeply through my nose.
Focus on the goddamn game, focus on the—
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I sneer. “Let me tell you something. If you guys don’t all show, and I meanallof you, I’m calling off this wholealliancecharade and letting you do the explaining to your beautiful wife.”
I expect him to go ballistic, like a bull after a red cape.
Bring it, you son of a bitch.
Instead, Logan lets out a full grin. “Jeez, and here I was thinking that I was bad-tempered. Listen, man, I don’t know what your problem is, and I don’t care. If you can’t deal with all of this, then back off and make space for someone who can. I’ve told you my intentions, and I mean them. Professionally.” He moves his queen and for a moment we both stare at the board.
“Checkmate.”
With a huff, I flip my king, but before I can stand, he puts a gentle hand on my shoulder and slowly pulls me in over the table. I feel his breath against my ear as he whisper-talks, “But if you ever hurt my brother, I’ll personally hunt you down.”
Chapter 17: Austin
I’m kinda pissed to see Kai happily chatting to blondie when I leave Logan’s office. With a grumbling order, we leave and make our way back to the car. Who the fuck does Donnelly think he is? Tellingmewhat to do. If Connor were here, I’d tell him to keep his guard dog under control if he doesn’t want me to expose that goddamn video.
That video…I’d never had the intention to expose it to anyone else. Would never want anyone to see how my sweetling touches himself. I fight the urge to throw a random punch at anything, or anyone. Yeah, if Connor were here…
He’ll come to the gathering, right?Right?
When we get outside, I try to corral my thoughts. Though I do notice that the white beauty of a car is gone.
