𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐓 | 𝟏𝟖+

41 | far from over

"Have you spoken to him recently?" I raise the glass to my lips again and let it coat my tongue.

A drink is most definitely needed for this conversation.

"On and off," Zane explains. "But the warehouse is set up."

I lean forward, pressing my elbows to my knees. "And your plan is?"

"To take him to the warehouse, tell him a fairytale of how we're going to transform the place into the best club in the city," Zane says as he places down his glass. "We get our men positioned on site, we ransack his men and then we get Landon right where we want him. With no way out but to beg for his life. I doubt he'll see it coming."

My eyebrow quirks. "Doubt?"

Zane snorts. "He won't. The desperate side to him to make this club work, he's more than eager for this to go ahead. Though he's coming over to the club this weekend so it would be best not to be here. We don't want him getting suspicious now."

Mental note to chain Alexia to her bed next weekend. Got it.

"Thanks for the heads up," I nod and swig my drink again. "So tell me the address of the warehouse and when it's going down, I want to know every last detail."

"That's what you came for, Lonzo," he stands and walks towards his desk where he picks up a handful of papers and a pen. "I hope you brought a notepad."

I curl an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I trust my mind more than anything."

✧✧✧

When I head out of Zane's club two hours later, feeling a little more relaxed about our plan and how exactly we're going to pull it off. But now it's consolidated, I'm rather excited to see him squirm and look at Zane with utter betrayal.

Gabriel is out at the warehouse getting an order sorted for an international client, he won't be home for a while. As I sit in my car I glance at my phone and scroll to find Alexia's name, my thumb hovers above the call button and I don't think, I press.

It rings and it rings until it goes to voicemail.

I bite onto my fist as I try again, only to get the same response.

My eyes stare ahead of me, through the windshield and I put my car into gear and take myself to her house without a second thought.

Despite how fucking furious I am at her for leaving the house without telling anyone, putting herself in danger and thinking she can get away with it–I shouldn't have walked out like the way I did.

It didn't even fulfil me with any satisfaction because I know neither of us wanted that ending. I just hate myself for being so damn stubborn and walking away when I knew that I didn't want to, I was stupidly trying to prove a point.

I park outside her house and check the time, she's most likely winding down from her studying and having dinner but knowing Alexia, she's probably staying up to God knows what time cramming her mind with more information.

When I step out of the car and barely glance at the guards after the lashing I gave them on Sunday for what they did, I don't give them the satisfaction of my attention. They stand up straight as I pass and I raise my knuckles to knock at her door.

For a few moments there is no sound, nothing coming from inside. I swear to God, if she's gone out again. She's asking for trouble. I knock again, harder this time. That's when I see a wave of light from inside, a shadow casting on the floor.

"Alexia," I call out through the door. "Can you open the door?"

I huff out a sigh and press my hand to the wooden door, my head falling slightly. This might be a lot harder than I thought, I haven't spoken to her in days and I get why she's pissed at me. I just can't bear the idea of her being angry at me and being alone.