Page 7 of The Penalty

“Cade. Xavier. I wasn’t expecting to see you for another hour,” Bennet drawled from his usual spot at the fireplace. “I’m surprised you’re early for something.”

I was about to make a flippant remark when I noticed someone sitting on the couch. I could only see the back of their head but it looked—

“This is a lovely surprise, isn’t it?” Jordan stood and turned to face us.

Another vivid, unpleasant memory from that fucking night came into sharp focus.

“The bleeding finally stopped.”

“He should get stitches.”

“Do you really want to take him to hospital and deal with all the questions? I’ve already called my private physician. He’ll be here any minute.”

I opened my eyes, half expecting to see whatever medical drama was playing on the telly. But that’s not where the voices came from. I blinked, getting a clearer picture of my surroundings.

Fireplace. Soft couch. Dark wood paneled walls. The smell of leather, smoke, and alcohol.

I blinked again, struggling to sit up. Pain lanced through my head, almost knocking me back down.

“Careful.” Cade looked worried and angry. “You took a nasty hit to the head, mate.”

“What the fuck happened?”

Nothing seemed to make much sense at the moment. All I remembered was being at a party and running out to get something from my car.

I reached up and touched above my left eye. It was hastily bandaged but holy shit the pain. I stared at the blood staining my fingertips when I pulled my hand back.

“You got jumped in my own fucking driveway.” Bennet crouched down so he was eye level with me. “Do you know who it was?”

“No idea,” I mumbled.

Bennet’s stare overflowed with anger. “My security team is going through the video. I’ll find out. And there will be hell to pay.”

I leaned back into the couch and must have closed my eyes because the next thing I knew a doctor hovered over me.

“We need to stitch this up.”

Fighting this wave of unconsciousness was tougher than I thought. When I opened my eyes again the doctor was gone and Cade was sitting in one of the big leather chairs with his elbows propped on his knees. I touched above my eye. Still bandaged but not hurting as much.

“You’ll probably have a scar.” Bennet’s voice came from the same spot by the fireplace where he’d been standing when tonight’s party started.

“Doctor said the cut was pretty deep,” he continued. “Maybe keys. Possibly a knife.”

My hands clenched into fists. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Vitriol and hate strangled each word as they came out of my mouth.

Cade’s reassuring hand on my shoulder did nothing to slow the rage burning inside me. Neither did Bennet’s warning glance.

“That’s no way to greet an old friend, Maddox.” The sound of Jordan’s voice sliced through me. “Especially since our last date ended abruptly.”

All I wanted to do was pound my fists into his face until those onyx pools that passed for his eyes closed from all the swelling. Permanently.

My hand twitched.

“Gallagher. Good seeing you, too. How long’s it been?”

For his part, Cade remained silent, leveling an icy glare in Jordan’s direction.

“I wish the two of you had called first,” Bennet said smoothly.

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