Chapter 312

I’m watching the floor half-heartedly, picking my nails and sighing with boredom. There is a weird, eerie quietness to the club tonight, and it hasn’t escaped my attention that several members failed to show for their pre-booked night of fun. There is an aura of seriousness in the air and it’s affecting everyone in here. I’ve even caught Jackson pacing the room and looking around in confusion as to why the atmosphere is so sombre.

It’s given me an anxious knot in my gut all night which has only grown larger by the hour and has me fidgeting uncontrollably. I hate the atmosphere in here and the fact no one seems to be in the merry frame of mind like on a normal night.

It’s not like we have changed anything that would have this kind of negative effect. There is a full strip floor show going on, tenders serving booze and drugs and the girls are working extra hard to get the men going. The men, however, are huddled in little serious groups with a lot of secretive chatter going on among them. Something is amiss, and it’s practically radiating around the room. The lack of one grey eyed Carrero has me riled up and trying not to think the worst, brain zooming back to that shoot-out and I sigh for the millionth time to release some of my pent-up tension that is coiled inside like an overloaded spring.

“Miss me?” I jump a mile high when the smooth unmistakeably husky voice catches me from my left side and I spin to see Alexi casually propped against the end of the bar on one elbow, looking freshly showered and changed from his formal attire of earlier into a white shirt over jeans. His hair is damp and ruffled and he pushes off his resting place and saunters towards me confidently. Bit odd that he would come home and shower, seeing as it’s now after midnight but I dismiss it as not important and acknowledge the tiny tingle of relief running through me that he’s here. Not shot or something else sinister with the way the atmosphere has been tonight. It crossed my mind more than once that I should worry about him, even if he is an unworthy letch who needs a good kick up the backside.

“No.” I retort snappily and cross my arms over my bust in my figure-hugging black jersey dress to cover the way I jumped. It’s looking fine on my toned and tight little body I’m rather proud of, and I made an extra effort to look both sexy and flawless tonight, with him in mind. To rub it in his face that he won’t be getting near me by a mile.

His eyes run over me unapologetically, obviously enjoying the view and I hope it gets to him, seeing as I currently dislike the prick. I turn away from him to scan the room once more, dismissing his presence as though he could be any Tom, Dick or Harry, and I give no shits. He wants to play at acting like there is nothing between us, then I’m all for doing the same. I’m still stinging from his manner with me earlier today and I just cannot seem to let it go.

“Still mad at me, Princess?” The voice comes closer, my left ear and neck tickling with the softness of his breath as he leans in to make sure I hear him and walks past a few steps to stand apart and mirror my pose, crossed arms and scanning his club. Making a show of being nothing but employee and boss.

Fuck off, wanker.

“If you haven’t observed … this is what that looks like!” I snap petulantly, spitting my words venomously at his back. Alexi frowns and tilts his head towards me, a little look of concern crossing his face.

“You know everything I do has a reason, don’t get uppity because I had to play at being indifferent.” He sighs heavily, glancing my way with a little more furrow to his brow, a look of weariness coming over him, and it just irritates me even more that he isn’t even attempting an apology. In fact, he’s not affectionate tonight at all. He seems closed off, strangely aloof and lacking his normal fizzing energy. It just adds to my heightened state of annoyance.

“That was not what that was, that was overkill and you know it. I forgot, logic over emotion and you don’t give a shit who gets hurt. Especially when it comes to me.” I sulk, tightening my arms over my aching heart. Tears biting my eyes because I truly harboured a minuscule little hope he would walk in and at least try to backtrack his behaviour. That a tiny hint of the man I spent last night with would make an appearance.

Oh boy, how wrong I was. Still manages to cut me without trying. Acting like he sees nothing wrong in what he did.

“That’s not true. Can we not do this here? Let’s go upstairs for some privacy.” He turns again and throws me a cool look that to an outside eye appears to be Alexi talking down to his staff and getting bored with her. I narrow my eyes and frown back at him furiously. Temper working up under my skin with the way he thinks he can boss me around.

“I’m working. For another three hours, so … no.” I turn on my heel and head towards the bar, suddenly craving something stronger than water now he is here. I have been sulking all night and not in the mood for booze until he showed up. Killing the ounce of good mood I had clawed back with his mere presence and shitty attitude.

“Don’t make me carry you.” The warning, low-toned threat that has a hint of a smile in it. I don’t know if this is an attempt at being funny, or if he is being a dickhead and it’s a real threat.

“You wouldn’t dare!” I throw a wary look back at him and the smirk and evil glint in his eye tell me he definitely would. I swallow a tad loudly and shrug, trying to hide it as though I don’t believe him. Heartbeat slightly elevated regardless because hauling my arse out of this room, in front of all these people, would be beyond humiliating. Hoe-Anne over in the corner all wide-eyed and gawky at his presence would probably enjoy the show.

I walk to the bar to act like I don’t care and tell the tender to get me a vodka on the rocks, flinching when a warm body slides right up beside me and saps all the oxygen right out of my space. Still able to do that even when I don’t like him very much.

“You don’t want to know the outcome of my day? Not even a little bit curious, seeing as your existence hangs in the balance?” He presses in gently so his arm is against my side, imposingly hot on my cool skin, making no obvious moves to touch me. It has that devastating effect of familiarity and tingles coursing over me. Once again cursing him out silently that body chemistry betrays me.

He turns so his back is against the wooden ledge, leaning back so he can prop his elbows and lounges casually with me in his peripheral vision. I know he is aware of the eyes on us in this room, so he can look at me without actually doing it. I just eye roll and sigh heavily. Curiosity is killing me concerning Santagato and the fact Alexi was asking him to back off, where I am concerned. He is right; as much as I want to stand here and make him suffer, I really want to know what’s going on and he’ll only tell me when we are alone.

Manipulating me because he can, and he knows how.

Tosser.

“Fine, but once you’ve brought me up to speed, I will continue my night. It is my job after all. I don’t intend staying upstairs with you any longer than I have to.” I’m losing the anger in my tone and it’s being replaced with fatigue instead. Pissed at him for all of this but no energy to fight him anymore. I’m still recovering from last night’s booze fest and only still down here out of stubbornness because I didn’t want to be accessible to him when he came home. I felt like I had more control by showing him he couldn’t stop me working the bar. Sense told me to go to bed and sleep off my all-day hangover. I should have listened.

“Oh … and a sorry would not fucking kill you!” I hiss at his ear as I turn with my glass in hand, whipping it up as soon as it’s slid my way and storm out ahead of him to take my booze to the hallway lift with me. Just cannot let him go without some sort of consequence to his actions.

“It might,” he chuckles as he follows at a slight distance and I eye roll so hard I almost detach my retina while gritting my teeth, so I almost crack a crown.

I catch Hoe-Anne glaring from her little corner of doom and gloom where a punter is pawing at her mercilessly, and she watches us leave with a look that tells me she hasn’t warmed to me at all of late. I really need to start interviewing for an assistant so I can kick her arse out my front door. I don’t know why I add to my misery by still having her here every night. It’s no fun and I lost interest in making her suffer an age ago. She just acts as a reminder that Alexi screwed her to wound me.

She is a constant toxic presence; I want her gone and I may have identified a possible replacement in one of my bar staff. A new girl, Rebel, seems to have the makings of a competent organiser, and I had been watching her tonight as she works the floor. She takes pride in what she does and has an eye for detail and cleanliness and an air of authority over her fellow staff; they respect her and listen to her directions. I file her at the back of my brain and don’t look back until I turn at the bank of lifts and press the button with my best impression of utter boredom and complete disinterest.

Alexi wanders up casually as though he hasn’t a care in the world, ignoring my mood and throws me a cheeky wink as he walks into the lift beside me as the doors open.

“You look fuckable as always, London.” It’s the first thing he says as we stand apart and he scans me with those wolfish eyes of his. No shock that he dismisses anything he doesn’t want to deal with and just tramples over me with his boorish alpha male bullshit.

“That’s nice. Not that you will benefit.” I sulk petulantly and he just laughs at me. A light boyish chuckle that grates on my nerves because it’s the same as saying ‘sure, we’ll see.’

All his cold controlled mannerisms sliding into that more casual relaxed way he has when watchful eyes are gone. Now that I notice it, I see it more and more. The change is so subtle but also so vast. The many cloaks he wears.

“You cannot be seriously this pissed about earlier. You know Santagato was my number one suspect in what happened here. I was hardly going to show him any weakness where you were concerned.” He shrugs it off which just ignites my temper and I don’t hold back, spinning at him so I slosh my booze all over my hand clumsily.

“Did you have to be so bloody convincing and nasty and make me feel like shit? You didn’t need to be such a prick!”

“Cam, you walked out of that elevator smiling at me with puppy dog eyes and love hearts floating around your head. I had to shut you down fast and rile your temper. You are very good at exuding poisonous hate towards me when I piss you off. Santagato would never doubt how much you loathe me when you’re mad. Hell, I can’t even tell if this is genuine hatred or just hurt and angry.” He reaches for me and I slap the back of his hand away so hard it stings my palm but has the desired effect of him dropping it back down.

“Screw you. I forgot you don’t understand how normal feelings work, so tough shit if you actually hurt me, right?” My voice catches in my throat, a raw, vulnerable sign of impending tears and I turn away from him slightly, so I don’t have to look at him anymore. Trying to simmer and not bubble over but it’s so very hard.

“Come on, Cam. Seriously? I thought you knew what was going on.” Fingers trailing up my arm lightly that I push away aggressively, feeling prickly and unable to stand his touch. He just sighs heavily.

“Leave me alone.” It’s a sulky, petulant half tearful snap.

I yelp when he catches my upper arm and yanks me ungraciously with a little oomph back towards him, almost sending me off my high heels and I instinctively hit him in the chest with my free hand. Annoyed with the heavy-handed manhandling and glare at him with as much hatred as I can.

“You want me to say sorry? I’m sorry. I really did think you would understand the why once you cooled down. I didn’t try to hurt you. I figured you of all people in this building could figure out I didn’t mean any of it.”

He doesn’t wait for me to say anything but takes my glass from me and downs it in one go, arrogantly, igniting more fury, which earns him an annoyed shoulder slap and an irate ‘hey’.

“What? You were throwing it around rather than drinking it. Now shut up and come on.” Alexi grabs one of my waving hands as the doors slide open and pulls me out ungentlemanly towards the apartment door. Not even giving me a chance to retort to his lame apology.

It earns him another slap, this time in the back of those annoyingly broad shoulders, just full-on violent tonight. The only way I can expel all I’m feeling because he is so shit at grovelling and I’m in need of venting. Not that my feeble efforts would do him any damage. He doesn’t even flinch, just keeps his demon grip on me and almost drags me into the flat at the speed of light. He doesn’t acknowledge my slaps at all.

“You are a tosser, you know that?” I just sulk at his back when he finally lets me go in the open-plan living room and heads for his beloved coffee maker, dumping my glass on the counter noisily and leaves me standing in the middle of the room.

“Yup.” He doesn’t even look back and the arrogance in his manner, even now we are alone, sobers me a little. The loving, soft and sweet Alexi of this morning is severely lacking right now, and I narrow my gaze at him distrustfully. There is a weird mood circling him, I can taste it.