Page 70 of His to Possess
"I'm going to my penthouse," I replied without hesitation. "I need to see Laurel. I need to regain authority over this situation." The hint of desperation in my voice surprised even me.
I watched as Nolan and Remy exchanged uncomfortable glances. Their silent communication irked me.
"What?" I snapped.
Remy cleared his throat. "Rex, you're in no state to see her right now. You can barely stand."
"I'm fine," I said, but even I could hear the slur in my words.
Colton stood, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You show up at your penthouse like this, and you'll push her even further away. Is that what you want?"
His words hit me like a bucket of ice water. I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself. "No," I admitted through gritted teeth. "That's not what I want."
"Then sit down," Remy said, his tone gentler now. "Let's talk this through."
I sank back into my seat, the fight draining out of me. "What's there to talk about? I've fucked everything up."
"How?" Nolan pressed. "Tell us what happened."
I took a deep breath, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "I pushed her too far. Tried to dominate her like I've done with all the others. But Laurel… she's different. She pushed back. And when she won our little game, I… I panicked."
"Panicked?" Colton echoed, disbelief coloring his tone. "You?"
I laughed bitterly. "Hard to believe, right? The great Rex Compton, brought low by a woman who refused to break."
"So, what did you do?" Remy asked, leaning forward.
"I ran," I admitted, shame burning in my gut. "I've been avoiding her, trying to regain my equilibrium. But the moreI stay away, the more I…" I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
"The more you want her," Nolan finished for me.
I nodded, unable to meet their eyes. "I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to have her without dominating her completely."
The silence that followed was heavy with understanding. These men, my friends, knew the darkness that drove me.
My brow furrowed, a feeling of unease creeping up my spine as I saw Nolan and Remy shift and look at each other. "What?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.
Nolan hesitated for a moment before meeting my gaze. "After the first time you asked me to do a background check on Laurel, I kept a distant eye on her," he admitted reluctantly.
My fists clenched at my sides, anger bubbling up inside me at this invasion of privacy. "You did what?" I snarled, leaning forward.
But before I could lash out further, Nolan continued, his words hitting me like a physical blow. "She's not at the penthouse anymore, Rex. She left. She even took a leave of absence from the Art Institute. Return unknown."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis as the implications of this statement sank in. Laurel was gone. She had left.
I felt the world spinning around me, but it wasn't just the alcohol. Laurel was gone. The words echoed in my head, each repetition stoking the fire of panic and rage building inside me.
"She must be at her apartment." I tried to struggle to my feet. "She wouldn't just leave."
Remy shook his head, his expression grim. "When Nolan told me what was happening, I went to check it out myself. Rex, her place is empty. Everything's been packed up and sent to storage. Paid for a full year in advance."
I felt the blood drain from my face. This couldn't be happening. Laurel wouldn't just disappear, not without a word. Not before our contract was up. And the Art Institute? She had worked too damn hard to throw that away.
"Something's wrong," I muttered, my mind racing despite the alcohol-induced haze. "She wouldn't abandon the Institute. Not willingly."
Nolan stepped forward, his face etched with concern. "Rex, maybe we should—"
"No," I cut him off, my voice sharp. "I need to go to the penthouse. Now. I need to see for myself."
