Page 70 of My Secret Bandit

Mateo paced around like an enraged animal in a cage. The muscles along his jaw bounced as his teeth clenched. His hidden dominance surfaced as each second passed, making the room feel even smaller than usual.

I sighed, moving to hold his shoulders. His body vibrated with anger, but instead of scary, it was a turn on I wasn’t expecting. “Hey, Kyle is an idiot, he’s not worth getting worked up over. I just thought you’d want to know. I meant what I said at the hotel.”

He nodded. The slightest bit of his tension eased when he inhaled a deep breath of air.

“That motherfucker,” Sierra whispered from her place on the couch, still reeling from the new information. She’d been silent since I started talking, and I almost forgot she was in the room.

“You’re right. He is an idiot. One that deserves to get his ass beat.” Her eyebrows pinched together, and her fists clenched.

There was no love lost for Kyle between these two.

“I call dibs.” Her eyes flicked up with such seriousness, she ended up looking more cute than anything.

I gave her my best unapproved mother look. While I didn’t think I cared what happened to Kyle, I wouldn’t let the people I loved do something stupid because of him.

In a weird way, Kyle’s bitterness helped uncover more of my confidence, and his actions ended up strengthening my relationship with Mateo. Watching Mateo’s reaction to the article, the shame I felt about my body disappeared. That was stress I carried for way too long and was more than happy to let go of.

“Does Xander know?” Mateo asked after some of the coolness returned to his voice.

I shook my head.

“I need to call him. You should’ve seen him today. I don’t think he’s slept since he left our room the other night.”

His words—although not their intent—sent a stabbing pain straight to my chest.

Mateo dialed his number, while I remembered the exhausted, distraught look on his face when he brought the tablet into our room. Thumb to the speakerphone button, the trilling rings filled the room.

“What’s up?” Xander answered, sounding just as tired as I pictured him.

“You still look like shit?”

“Probably,” he replied with a quiet chuckle. “You still a dickhead?”

“Would a dickhead call to let you know Jeffrey is getting the article taken down?”

“Mean ass son of a bitch,” Xander said, managing another tired huff of laughter. “How’d he do it?”

Mateo gave Xander the same information, getting in every detail. He told him about the ex-wife and Kyle. A growl came through the speaker, and I imagined Xander being just as upset as Mateo had been.

“I fucking told you, Mattie! I knew him and that she-devil were up to something! Fuck this high road bullshit, next time I see him I’m gon—“

“Xander, no,” I interrupted.

“Jamie—“

“I’m serious, Xander. There’s no point. Please.”

“Ugh.Fucking fine.“ His groan echoed through the speaker. Surprised he gave in so easily, I sighed. I wasn’t ready to go toe to toe with Xander over the pros and cons of manhandling Kyle.

Sierra watched me as I talked to Xander. A mixture of fascination and awe filled her stare. I knew that look. It was the one she gave to let me know I’d be answering a shit ton of questions once we were alone again.

“What are y’all doing now? I’ve barely eaten in two days. I’m fucking starving,” Xander said.

We agreed to go to Xander’s for dinner. He mentioned something about the smell of the grill relieving stress and needing a “big ass steak.” Mateo invited Sierra to come with us, and she agreed. Obviously in no rush to get back to her piece about the dramatic thirteen-inning playoff loss.

MateousheredusinsideXander’s home, covered in dark tinted windows and sleek, straight walls.

Xander stood behind an endless island, a towel draped over his shoulder while he doctored steaks with various seasonings.

---