𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐓 | 𝟏𝟖+

41 | far from over

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L O N Z O M A T T I A

I head back to Zane's club this afternoon. We had a phone conversation earlier and would be best if we met up to discuss our plans. When I reached the club on Saturday night at God knows what time, I didn't get the chance to stop by and say hello to Zane when I was already furious with Alexia's poor choices.

That was four days ago.

I push away any thoughts of that brunette menace and step out of my car, heading up to the empty club. It looks strange in broad daylight, a place where partygoers had the time of their lives on Saturday and now it's a ghost down.

Zane welcomes me in and we head to his private office. "How are you doing, Lonzo?"

"Fine," I deadpan because it's true.

I've been okay. Not great since my last encounter with Alexia and I haven't seen or heard from her since. I tell myself not to care because she brought this upon herself but I can't help but feel I was a little harsh.

Where are you going?

My only response was a slammed door in her face.

"I apologise for Alexia and her friend coming to the club Saturday without letting you know beforehand."

Zane tilts his head and walks towards his desk, then to his dark wooden alcohol cupboard. "It's no problem at all, I quite like the fact she feels comfortable enough to make an appearance here. She had fun, definitely enjoyed the VIP and the free champagne."

"That's not the point," I say as level headed as I can.

"Care for a drink, Lonzo?" He raises two crystal glasses.

"Please."

He pours us both a drink and we sit down on his large dark blue plush chairs, a small table between them. I take the golden whiskey from his hand and raise it to my lips, dampening my tastebuds with the sweetness of it.

I never took Zane for a sweet drinker, especially when whiskey this old usually ends up tasting rather bitter but he managed to find the perfect balance.

"Thanks," I say and lounge back in the chair. "Alexia shouldn't have been here Saturday night at all. All this stuff with Landon, he could have been lurking around or his men and things could have gone horribly wrong."

Zane analyses me for a moment, twirling his drink between his fingers. There is a glint in his eye that makes it look like he's smirking but he recovers before I can think it over. "She was safe here, Lonzo. I promise you that."

My head shakes once. "No, she wasn't. I didn't know she had gone out, nor did Gabriel. It was stupid and Landon would have targeted her the second he saw her."

He hums and swipes a hand across his chin. "Is something going on between the pair of you?"

"No." My expression twists into a burst of different emotions. "Nothing is going on between us."

"Right..." he trails off, lip curling. "Look it's none of my business but she was fine here, if anything Landon has been focusing on his new connections in Milan since coming home. He hasn't even been here, he only cares about our new project together and the money and women it can get him."

I grimace at the thought. Landon with any woman. I remember the way he looked at Alexia like she was a piece of meat, so fresh that he wanted to slide his teeth into the side of her neck. It irked me at the time but when I think about it now–it makes me want to commit so many messy crimes.