The door slams as he leaves, and I have never felt more helpless.
“I’m going to string that double-crossing bastard up by the balls and gut him like a pig,” Drew snarls.
“You’ll have to get in line.” I crack my knuckles. “I hate that prick, and I sensed something was off with him, but I didn’t listen to it.”
“You thought it was jealousy,” Drew guesses, and I nod.
I scrub a hand over my smooth jawline, pondering so many questions and what-ifs. But all of that takes a back seat to my concern for Xavier. The look of horror and shame on his face when he looked at that picture said it all. “This is going to devastate him. I know he was already internally critical of his inability to locate the hacker. Finding out—”
I’m cut off by a massive explosion that rattles the walls and shakes the floor. Drew and I trade terrified expressions before racing out of the room.
Anderson, Lauder, and Charlie emerge from their rooms at the same time, and I collapse against Drew, my knees buckling as I stare at the remnants of my SUV. Thick black smoke spirals into the sky as flames lick what remains of the frame of my car. “No!” I shout, clutching Drew’s shirt as tears stab my eyes. Anderson looks at me with fear in his eyes. “He was in the car! No! Xavier! Please, God, no!” I roar, staggering away from Drew toward the wreckage. “I need to get him out. Call an ambulance,” I bark, my face heating as I approach what’s left of my car.
Lauder reacts fast, yanking me back, wrapping an arm around my chest to stop me from moving. “He’s gone, Hunt. No one could have survived that.” He holds me closer. “I’m so sorry,” he chokes out as I sag against him.
21
Xavier
“I guess it’s good I was salty and went to buy booze,” I deadpan, stepping out onto the path, waving a bottle of gin at my shell-shocked friends as they all whip their heads around in my direction. Behind them, what’s left of Hunt’s luxury SUV crackles and burns, sending billowing dark smoky clouds shooting into the nighttime sky. Thank fuck, this place is a shithole and we’re the only residents.
When the explosion went off, the old broad behind the reception desk barely batted an eyelash. Like car bombs and attempted murder is the norm around here.
Who the fuck knows? Maybe it is.
Sawyer’s face is ghostly pale, and his eyes are suspiciously glassy as he blinks profusely, staring at me like I’m an apparition. Or Jesus Christ come back to life. Then he’s running toward me, throwing his arms around me, and nearly squeezing me to death. “Ugh, can’t breathe.” My words are muffled against his chest as he clings to me like he’s afraid to let me go. A messy ball of emotion clogs my throat as I place my free hand on his chest. His heart beats erratically under my palm, and the pulse in his neck is throbbing at inhuman speed.
“I thought you were dead,” he croaks, his voice all choked up.
“Surprise. I’m alive!” I shuck out of his arms, instantly missing his warmth and the comforting spicy scent of his expensive cologne.
“Xavier.” Sawyer grabs my head in both hands, peering deep into my eyes. “Do not fucking joke with me right now. I thought I’d lost you.” Tears pool in his eyes, and he’s shielding nothing from me. “Fuck. It feels like I’m having a coronary.”
“Or an epiphany,” I say because joking around in serious situations is my default setting.
“Yes.” He nods, surprising me with his agreement. “I think that’s it.”
I arch a brow, opening my mouth to retaliate when he brushes his thumb across my lower lip, effectively silencing me. His touch reverberates in every part of me, and my heart picks up pace as adrenaline floods my system.
“I love you,” he blurts, his face awash with emotion. “I love you so much, Xavier,” he adds before his lips crash down upon mine.
Sawyer’s kisses always have the power to render me senseless, and this time is no different. Using my free hand, I fist a hand in his shirt, pulling him as close as humanly possible. Tilting my head, I let him deepen the kiss, moaning into his mouth at the familiar taste of him against my lips. No one has ever kissed me as good as Sawyer Hunt. His tongue flicks out, demanding entry, and I can’t deny him anything right now. Even though this is probably the worst decision.
But right now, I need him, and I’m going to be fucking selfish and take what I want.
We devour one another, and all the blood in my body pools in my crotch. Sawyer drops one hand, grabbing my ass and grinding his hard-on against me. Precum leaks from the tip of my straining cock, and I rock against him, wanting nothing more than to lose myself in him and not think about the asshole who has made a fool out of me.
“Guys, as much as this is awesome—and weirdly arousing,” Jackson drawls. “Can you take a rain check?”
Reluctantly, we break apart, but Sawyer keeps one arm around my back.
“We need to get the fuck out of here,” Jackson adds. “And we need to find ourselves some new wheels cause I’m guessing that chargrilled bitch planted a bomb in my car too.”
“Let me call Diesel. They can’t be too far away. Maybe we can take one of their vehicles,” Sawyer says.
I shuck out of his hold and take a step back, opening the bottle of gin and drinking a healthy mouthful. Hunt glances at me, concern etched on his face as he makes the call. He jerks his head at Anderson as he walks off to speak to Diesel.
Anderson, Jackson, Charlie, and Drew approach, taking turns slapping me on the back. “Thank fuck, you’re okay. I was not looking forward to calling my wife and telling her the news,” Kai says, squeezing my shoulder like he needs to reassure himself I’m a real boy.
“I wish we’d tortured the slut now,” I say in between mouthfuls. “She got off way too lightly.”
“We don’t know it was her who did this,” Drew says. “It could’ve been Jamison. Did you tell him where you were going?”
I shake my head as pain presses down on my chest. “I have told him nothing about our little side operation.” Not that it appears to matter much. He has still run circles around me and made me look like a bumbling idiot.
“They must’ve been working together,” Charlie says. “She had to have been tipped off.”
“Give me your cell,” Drew demands, holding out his hand. “I bet it’s bugged.”
I glare at Abby’s brother. “My cell is not bugged. I check it regularly. But have at it.” I slap it down on his palm, grinding my teeth to the molars.
“Alessandra could have found out any number of ways,” Sawyer says, rejoining the conversation. “This is her home turf. She probably has spies everywhere. Someone must have spotted us and notified her. We know she slipped out of the event, without Diesel’s men seeing, so it’s logical to assume she came here, planted the bombs and then showed up at the house, thinking she could take us out or scare us into running straight home.”
“Your cell is clean,” Drew says. “But I’m betting he has a tracker on you someplace.”
“It’s not possible. I’m all over that shit on a daily basis.”