Page 13 of Fury

“A criminal,” I snap.

He stands abruptly, and for a second, I think he’s going to grab me, but instead, he takes a deep breath. “No, Xanthe. I’m a businessman with a lot of fingers in a lot of pies.” He takes my hand, and when I don’t pull back, he gently tugs me against him and wraps his strong arms around me. I rest my head against his chest and inhale his spicy aftershave. It’s one of the things that first attracted me to him.

He strokes a hand down my hair and tips my head back until we’re staring at one another. “One chance,” he whispers before kissing me. It’s not our first kiss, but each one makes my toes curl and my insides melt. “I swear, I won’t let you down again.”

I waketo the sound of my mobile ringing. I glance at Donnie, who’s sleeping deeply beside me, and snatch it up, cancelling the call from Fury before sliding out of bed and grabbing his shirt. I pull it on and head out the room, gently closing the door behind me.

I go into the kitchen and press call, and he answers straight away. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I hiss.

“I’ve been texting you, Xanth. I’ve been going out my mind with worry.”

“Well, you can relax. I’m fine.”

“Did he take it well?”

“Yeah,” I lie, wincing.

“Great. Open the door, I’m outside.”

“What?” I gasp, my eyes widening. “Why?”

“Because I was worried.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Fury

Xanthe opens the door, and I smile with relief. “Thank fuck. You have no idea how close I was to kicking your door in.”

I frown as she steps out onto the path, closing the door behind her. She’s acting odd, like she doesn’t want me here, and then I allow my eyes to take in the shirt she’s wearing. It’s a man’s shirt. “Well, as you can see, I’m fine,” she says, sounding breezy yet panicked.

I pull the shirt up slightly, and she bats my hands away. “Naked,” I note. “It’s a man’s shirt. Jesus, Xanth, tell me he’s not still in there.”

“We talked,” she whispers, staring at the ground.

“Oh my god, he’s in there, asleep in your fucking bed?” Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she nods. “What happened to breaking it off?” I hiss.

“We’re taking it slow, and we’re not exclusive or anything.”

I’m already backing down the path. “You’ll regret it.”

“I might not.”

“I know him, Xanthe. I know some of his dirty secrets, and I’m telling you, this is a mistake.”

“I can walk away at any time,” she argues.

I scoff, shaking my head in amusement. “If you believe that, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought.”

I hit the gym hard.There’s no way I can sleep right now while I’m so angry. Not now I know she’s with him. Of all the men in the fucking world, how the hell did she end up with him?

I get back to the club two hours later and manage to sleep for a few hours before sunrise, and then I hit the gym again before heading to Donnie’s place, surprised when I find him there. He looks happy, which pisses me off further. “I was thinking of moving your boxing match to one of my better clubs,” he tells me.

“Why?”

“Because I’d like to make it more of an event rather than an underground match. I can make much more on the betting side of things if I hold a legit match. I’ll invite some of my bigger clients, but be warned, there will be all members of society there, including police officers.”

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