Page 29 of Prized Possession

He doesn’t wait for us to reply. He turns and walks into the house, expecting us to follow. Shooting another glare my way, my father pulls his shoulders back and follows Caleb. Looking like a chastised schoolboy, I trail behind them, Miles by my side.

When we reach the living room, Jacob and Chloe are already seated on the sofa. Jake looks like he’s not slept at all, and the bright red rings around his eyes and pinpoint pupils tells me he’s leaning on substances to help him get through this.

Chloe, on the other hand, looks exactly as she did yesterday—perfectly put together, wearing a conservative black dress, not a hair out of place. It’s sodifferent from the girl I know, but then again, I look different in the presence of my father too.

“Can I get you a drink, Maximus?” Caleb asks, addressing only my father, like the rest of us aren’t even here.

“No, thank you. I think it’s best we get this issue sorted out as quickly as we can, so as to not take up any more of each other’s precious time,” my father replies, like the professional he is.

Before anyone has a chance to respond, a scuffle can be heard from the next room, loud voices carrying through into the living room.

“Mr Santoro asked you to wait in his office,” shouts a stern-sounding man.

More noises ring out, and it sounds like someone is fighting in the hallway. We’re all staring at where the noise is coming from, and Miles discreetly takes a step closer to me, always on duty.

“I don’t give a fuck what he wants. I want to be part of this meeting. Let me in there, NOW!”

Caleb steps towards the door, his face crinkled with anger, recognising who the voice belongs to. Both Chloe and Jacob are up on their feet, wearing matching shocked expressions as they stare at the door.

When the door slams open, I rush to stand in front of Chloe, pushing her behind me, as Jacob moves to my side, blocking her completely from view. Miles jumps in front of me and pulls out his gun from his side holster without a second thought, aiming it at the now open door.

My father has pulled his gun too, aiming at the door, but doesn’t have a clear shot as Caleb is in the way.

Time seems to move ridiculously slowly as people draw their weapons, while we watch the door, waiting for the danger to approach. The scuffling gets louder, until finally a man bursts into the room, red-faced and angry.

“What the fuck, Scott?” Caleb yells, as two members of his security team fumble in behind Scott, each with cuts on their faces.

“I told you I wanted to be part of the meeting. I refuse to wait and be excluded,” he shouts, puffing his chest out like that will make a difference.

As my brain catches up, I realise who I’m looking at. I don’t think I’ve ever met Scott Caprillo in person, so I’d have no reason to recognise him. But I can’t think of any other person named Scott who would be quite as invested in this situation.

I take a minute to look over the man who Chloe will be marrying in just a couple of months. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but he’s definitely not it. Perhaps I was hoping for an old bald guy, which Scott definitely isn’t.

He looks to be around the same age as me, with a similar athletic build—though I’d like to think I’m a bit more ripped underneath my clothes. Hisblonde hair has darker roots that suggest he may be ginger underneath the hair dye. He’s got a firm jawline and a slightly too wide nose, but otherwise, there’s nothing noteworthy about him.

Objectively, he’s not a bad looking bloke, yet I can tell by the way his sneer that the guy’s a wanker. I also fucking hate the way his gaze is fixed on Chloe, who is standing behind me, trying not to be seen by him.

“I think we need to defuse the tension in the room, before someone gets trigger happy,” my father states, grabbing everyone’s attention.

At that point, everyone looks around, noting that Miles and my father have their guns drawn, and both me and Jacob have our hands on our weapons, and Caleb’s security look to be seconds from pulling theirs too. Given the blood dripping down their faces, they’re more likely to shoot Scott than I am—and that’s saying something.

“I think that’s a good idea. Scott, I need to ask you to calm down, so everyone can put their guns away,” Caleb states calmly, though his tone with Scott is cold and firm, letting him know it’s an instruction not a suggestion.

“I just wanted to be part of the fucking meeting,” Scott snaps, looking like he’s seconds away from stomping his foot on the floor, like a child having a tantrum.

My father steps towards him, looking more menacing than I’ve seen in a while. “Well, now you’re part of it. I suggest you simmer down, or I will not hesitate to shoot you.”

Scott’s brow crinkles, his scowl deepening. He looks like he’s going to reply, but Caleb cuts him off. “Why don’t we all put our guns away and take a seat? Can I get anyone a drink?”

I shake my head, resisting the urge to laugh at the absurdity of Caleb offering us tea while we have guns pointed at each other. He doesn’t wait for any of us to respond, taking a seat in one of the black leather armchairs.

Caleb motions for my father to take the matching chair next to him, which he does, after placing his gun back in his holster. Father looks over at me, his gaze subtly flicking to Scott, before he nods towards the black leather sofa beside me, silently making his wishes known.

With a groan, I let go of my gun and sit on the sofa. Without thinking, I take hold of Chloe’s hand and pull her down with me, so she’s sitting beside me.

She’s so close, I can feel the heat from her thigh against mine, and it takes all my fucking effort not to look at her bare leg.

I keep my hand on hers, while my gaze remains fixed on Scott—the unknown danger in the room. Seconds later, Jacob takes the remaining seat on Chloe’s other side, and Miles moves to stand at the back of the sofa, towering over us.

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