Page 44 of The Loathing

“And let me guess, I don’t need to know?”

“Bingo.”

“When will I be privileged to this information then?” my tone is curt and I can’t help that he gets my back up.

“When I’m ready. It’s between me and them. Even Royal doesn’t know.”

“Must be bad then…” I mumble, sitting back in my chair deflated.

“Must be…” he repeats, trailing off and muttering something under his breath.

“Xavier?”

“What?”

“What is the point of me being here if you’re not going to tell me anything?” I question, annoyance biting at me.

“I will tell you… just not yet.” He shrugs his shoulders up.

“Is Amora safe?”

His eyes flick up to mine and I see the darkness dance through them, “For the moment.” The crystal tumble rests on his bottom lip.

I swallow, my own nerves ripping through me.

“How long do I have?”

“Four weeks.”

“Four weeks before I am due to leave?”

He shakes his head from side to side.

“Four weeks until what?”

“Until the deal.”

And I don’t know why, but my blood runs cold and my want to take Amora away from all of this is stronger than ever. I know what happened between Xavier and Royal. I know how her father sold her due to a gambling debt; he was a coward. Passing his daughter off to the man they called the beast… yet here I was, my skin prickling in goosebumps at the thought of him possibly doing the same to his daughter.

He wouldn’t.

And even if he did, I sure as fuck wouldn’t let him.

“What’s the deal Xavier?” I ask, my voice a little more stern now and I feel the blood pumping through my veins, my heart thumping that little bit harder.

“Like I said before, it’s on a need-to-know basis… and you don’t need to know…” he taps his long finger on the side of his crystal glass slowly but he doesn’t move his eyes from mine and I swear I see a fucking hint of a smile creep onto his lips.

“You’re an asshole.” I shake my head from side-to-side actual disgust lacing my tone, my face screwed up.

“Never claimed not to be,” he takes another sip and the longer I am sitting here, the more frustrated I am getting.

“I don’t get you.” One of my brows raise and I steady my gaze on him, my eyes narrowing so all I can see is him.

“What’s not to get? My priority is my family, it will always be my family. Everything I am doing is for them. I know it may not seem that way to you, Titty. But it’s the truth.” Xavier sits back in his chair, crossing his finger across his chest.

“I don’t believe you.” I shrug my shoulders up softly, sitting back in my chair I let one of my legs cross over the other and link my fingers together as they rest in my lap.

“What do I care?” He sits back, his fucking finger tapping his glass again and I can hardly hear the noise it is making but it’s enough to get my back up.

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