Page 45 of Concealed Deception

Twenty-Six

Xander

How am I supposed to run this country if I’m stuck in a hospital bed with everyone coddling me?

“Knox, get me the fuck out of here.”I pull at the cords, wanting no more of this.I’m fine.

He does no more than walk through the door, leaving me to my thoughts and attempts at ripping these damn intravenous lines from under my skin.

A deafening growl echoes throughout the room.I can’t believe I failed.I had one job, and that was to get Ava out safely and I fucking failed her.Now she lies in a hospital bed, scared from my inability to keep her safe.

Tony bursts through the door, hastily checking out what’s gone wrong in the room.He sees the coast is clear then looks at me with a brow raised.

“What the hell happened here?”He’s looking me over, head to toe, then checking the room for any threats.

“Get me out of here, Tony.”I need help getting these bloody lines and plugs off me.With my arm out of commission, it’s hard to do the simplest task.

“So what?You’re leaving as soon as you’ve woken up?You’re not going to let her in?She’s been in here for days, Xander, waiting for someone to let her see you.She has no idea what happened to you because you wouldn’t let us tell her.She’s had enough to deal with from your father’s mess alone.Why can’t you forgive yourself and let her in?”

“That’s exactly why I won’t let her in.My family has done enough damage.She doesn’t deserve to be held back by an egotistical asshole like me.She deserves to be rid of me and freed from this fucking nightmare, and I need to run this country with no more distractions.Now, will you help me get these stupid things off or am I waiting for Knox?”

I see the distress in his eyes.He wants to call me out for my bullshit but also knows not to stand against me on my decision.

“Fine.But just so you know, as your friend, I think she’s damn good for you, Alexander.She has more strength than the both of us combined.She attempted to kill a man to save herself.Her willingness to behead all of us for standing in her way scares even me.That shows bravery, leadership, and the heart of a fucking queen.”

I hate that he’s telling me all of this, especially when I know I’m throwing away the most valuable treasure.

I focus on getting myself out of this hospital; I’d usually choose the penthouse or townhouse to go home to, but everywhere I need to be is a reminder of the deceit my father and I have caused.There’s only one place I can go to clear my head and claim my rightful kingdom.I need to stay in California for the time being to sort this mess out.

Once I’m rid of the tubes attached to me, I ignore all the voices telling me I’m making a big mistake and walk out of here.

Knox escorts me out to my awaiting car, where Vince is standing with my door open.Once we’re on our way, I instruct him to drop me off at the hotel.

“Tony, I need you to handle things back home.Take my jet, my aunt, and your girl, and fuck off out of my face.I’m sure Ava will be more than fine staying with her aunt.If she’s not, then take her with you.I’m staying here.”

I need to be the man who locks his emotions away.I lose control when I’m around her, which is my biggest weakness, especially now, and she needs to rid the target off her back.

I made a promise to my mother that I’d protect my heart.Well, this is me doing that.Locking it inside its vault, never to see the light of day again.

“Fuck, Alexander, don’t do that.Don’t be the man who doesn’t think he deserves happiness amongst the darkness.Our world might be hideous, it might be dangerous, but take it from someone who was picked up off the street and given a home—given a chance—and an opportunity to harness his demons.You have the right to that same opportunity.Ava’s not the woman she was when we took her—”

“Enough!I don’t need to hear about Ava and who she’s become because it’s all because of me.I was selfish in thinking I could change her mind about me.She ran, Tony.She made her choice and it was to get as far away from me as possible.I’m not letting her trauma change the decision she made.I’m not allowing her to crawl under my skin anymore.You were right.She became a distraction and we all paid the price.”

“No, you got what you wanted.You burnt William’s kingdom to the fucking ground.”

I can’t sit here and listen to him be right.“Vince, hurry up on that hotel.”

“For fuck’s sake, Xander.If I can find a woman who challenges my crazy, you can open up to the fact Ava is your dark angel.Shit.Now who’s become the pussy?”He says the last part to himself more than to me.I know he’s in deep with Lacey.The way he spoke to her back at the hotel wasn’t a normal debrief but a man telling his lover he’s got her no matter what.

“When you get back to New York, I want you to ensure me that Griffin gets those files.I’ll organize a meeting at the club so he can’t pull any shit.He told me you’ve already spoken to him about what happened and why the handover didn’t go as planned.”The car comes to a stop.“Thank you for keeping her alive, Tony.”With those parting words, I get out of the car and prepare myself for the onslaught of missed phone calls and messages.

Leaving the hospital might not have been my brightest idea, but I couldn’t allow myself to be consumed by that place any longer.

When I enter the lobby with thoughts of what I left behind, all I picture is Ava’s soft skin under my palms and the sound of her whispered moans as I awaken her sexual desires.

These thoughts awaken my dick, which gains a few side eyes, some of which are suggestive.

As I enter the elevator and head up to my suite, my thoughts get louder and louder.I decide to have a shower, in hopes of washing away any lasting memories by taking matters into my own hand.

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