Page 90 of Savage

“Don’t shoot the messenger,” he said. “Just making sure you don’t end up in pieces.”

“Pretty sure I can handle Lachlan’s bad mood.”

He chuckled. “You know, I think you actually believe that.”

Irritation burned through my veins, hot and fast, and though I would probably end up regretting it, I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “Look, are you coming or going? Because I’m really not in the mood for games.”

Alessio raised a brow and then slowly smirked. “Ah. I get it now.” He stepped back, held up three fingers, and said, “Good luck.”

The doors slid closed then, and I blinked, wondering what the hell just happened. But he’d given me the answer in the end, so I couldn’t really hold anything against him.

I pushed the button for the third floor and stared at my reflection in the shine of the doors. My skin was pink from the cold, and my hair was more than a little windswept, but I didn’t have it in me to care at the moment. I was too busy trying to remember what was on the third floor, because it wasn’t like Lachlan had given me a map during the tour.

At least I knew it wasn’t the sex club, which was a relief I didn’t want to think too long on.

The doors opened, and I should’ve known Lachlan would take out his frustration here. With the way he was built, so strong but not brawny, it made sense he’d chosen the club’s gym over anywhere else in the building.

I couldn’t even call it a gym—it was more like an athletic club, so vast it took up the entire floor, which didn’t make finding him quick. I scanned each section, including the free weights, where I assumed he’d be, but it wasn’t until I reached a studio filled with hanging punching bags that I found him beating the shit out of one.

He hadn’t bothered changing, still wearing his suit pants, but he’d gotten rid of everything covering his torso, and sweat gleamed off his muscles as he punched the bag.

Damn he was a sight to see. So much so I almost forgot why I’d followed him up here in the first place.

His back rippled with each blow to the bag, the force behind each punch enough to send a mere human to the ground.

I stayed silent, mesmerized by the display of strength as he pummeled the bag with a ferocity I hadn’t expected. The power behind each hit and kick must’ve taken years of training and practice to master, until he finally got to a point where his arms protested under the fury.

It was one of the sexiest things I’d seen in my life, and despite my irritation over what happened earlier, my body was not immune to what I’d just witnessed.

Lachlan’s back heaved with his heavy breathing as he stilled the bag, and when he turned to move back into place, his eyes fell on me.

Oh sweet Jesus.He looked like he wanted to throttle me, and it was in that moment I realized that maybe Lachlan was right. I did like to run toward danger—right now, all I wanted to do was go to him and climb his body like a goddamn tree.

“What are you doing here? I told you to go upstairs,” he barked, snapping me back to reality.

Or at least a reality where my dick was a little less excited to see him.

“And the last time I checked, I had permission to go where the fuck I want to in here.”

Lachlan raised a brow at my feisty clapback, and when he took a step forward, I immediately took one back.

A savage smirk curled Lachlan’s lips as though he was happy he’d just made me retreat a step. He probably thought he was proving a point—and ifthatdidn’t chap my ass and make me remember why I’d tracked him down here in the first place, nothing would.

I stormed forward, common sense be damned, and when I was close enough that I could feel the heat emanating off Lachlan’s body, I jabbed a hard finger into that perfect, sweat-sheened chest of his.

“Iam not some helpless guy thatyouneed to save.”

Lachlan slowly lowered his eyes to the finger I was poking him with, and just as I was about to pull it back, his hand whipped up and took hold of my wrist.

Quicker than I could blink, he spun me around and pulled me back against him, trapping me in place. “Aren’t you?”

“No,” I said as I struggled against his hold, and Lachlan’s wicked chuckle told me he didn’t believe that for a second.

“From where I’m standing, you seem pretty helpless to me.”

“You caught me off guard.”

“No.” Lachlan nipped at my ear. “I just caught you, which means the only way you’re going to escape…is if I let you.”

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