Page 28 of Always A Villain
Griffen’s phone buzzes, and he steps away. “Order me another whiskey,” he calls over his shoulder, walking toward the front of the ballroom.
“Get your own fucking drink,” I shoot back.
I watch as he leans close to Rory, whispers something, and they slip out through the side doors.
What the fuck?
I’m on the verge of hunting them down when they reappear, laughter spilling out as they return to the table.
“Where’d you two go?” I ask, trying to keep my tone steady, but my nerves are shot.
“Outside,” Griffen answers, too casually.
“Thanks for rescuing me, Griffen,” Rory adds, adjusting her dress.
“Anytime, doll.” He winks and signals the waiter.
I don’t know what the fuck happened between them, but I’m seconds from snapping. My hands twitch, torn between beating the truth out of him or laying him out cold. I barely register the others returning to the table as a waiter takes orders—my focus is on the rage brewing inside me.
Then Griffen speaks, sealing his fate. “I’ll have thesteak,” he says, nodding at Rory, who’s distracted by her nieces. “She’ll have the chicken, no onions. And let the kitchen know about her dairy allergy.”
Dairy allergy?Ididn’t know that. How the hell doeshe?
Enough.
I stand with a screech of my chair and yank him up by his arm. Surprise flashes in his eyes, then anger. I shove him into the hallway, straight out the side door and into the cold night.
“What the fuck, Axe?” he growls, wrenching his arm free. Slamming him against the wall, I fist his shirt. “What the hell is your problem?”
“You’remy fucking problem. Tell me what happened back there—what you did with Rory.”
His calm cracks, fury sparking in his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I slam him harder, knuckles whitening around his collar. “Don’t test me, Griffen. I’ve seen how you look at her. I’ll beat the shit out of you right here.”
He huffs a breath. “You’ve lost it.”
“Are you fucking her?” The question bursts out, my vision turning red.
His jaw tightens. “No, I’m not fucking her.”
“Then what the hell was that—ordering her dinner like you’re her fuckingboyfriend?” I can feel my pulse hammering in my skull.
He laughs—low, mocking. I lose it. My fist collides with his jaw in a vicious crack. He staggers, blood dripping off his lip, spitting red onto the concrete. I brace for him to fight back, wanting it.
But he just looks at me, blood on his mouth, grinninglike I’m a damn joke. He actually laughs again.
“What the hell’s so funny?”
He licks the blood off his teeth. “Seeing you jealous...it’s fucking hilarious.”
My fist clenches, every muscle screaming to hit him again. Jealous? Fuck no.
“I’m not jealous.” The words sound hollow, even to me. Hell, maybe I am. That realization just pisses me off more.
Griffen’s smirk spreads. “You are. It’s written all over your face.”
I rake a hand through my hair, stepping back to lean against the brick wall before I swing again.
