to bear, so I turn back to face Carver. “And just like that, you take away the one thing I had left.”
The silence burns between us, and as I look into his dark eyes, I finally figure it out. My actions took his family from him, and now he’s doing the same to me, but judging by the hurt in his eyes, it fucking killed him to do it.
Against my better judgment, I take a small step toward him, desperately needing to ease his pain. My hand falls to the front of his shirt, falling until my fingertips catch on the lip of his belt and we just stand, staring at one another, our hurt coming through loud and clear for the world to see, and for just a minute, it’s as though no one else exists.
A sharp ringing cuts through the room and our trance is broken. I quickly shuffle back until I’m pressed right up against Cruz, and as King answers his phone, I take in the way Carver watches me in Cruz’s arms. The jealousy is strong. He wants to be the one that gets to comfort me, the one who gets to curl his arms around me at night, the one who makes me feel alive, but with every passing minute, he makes sure that will never happen.
King grunts a few times into his phone, and the second he ends the call, his gaze raises to mine. “This conversation is going to have to wait,” he informs me. “You’re needed in the council chambers for a meeting with the heads of Dynasty.”
Carver’s brows drop just as fast as mine. “Why?” he snaps, probably just as curious as to where the fuck his phone call was.
King shakes his head. “No idea,” he says, indicating to his phone. “That was my father. He just said to get your asses down there.”
Without another word, Carver turns on his heel and stalks toward the front door. I let out a sigh and follow behind him, leaving the guys watching after me.
Carver and I break out into the fresh air and he doesn’t wait for me to catch up, just storms down the stairs toward his Escalade. He gets in at the speed of light, and within seconds, his engine is roaring to life. He watches me through his windshield, and I don’t doubt that he’s waiting for me to get in. So just to be an ass, I climb straight on my Ducati—his Ducati.
Without missing a beat, Carver takes off, his Escalade flying up his long driveway. I quickly pull my helmet over my head, and within seconds, the Ducati is right on his tail. We stop and I wait impatiently as he enters the code at his gate—my birthday. It peels back slowly and the second we can, we race out of it.
Hitting the main road, I follow him until we’re pulling into the dark elevator, and as the door closes behind us, I can’t help but remember the last time we were here. His lips sat upon mine and his kiss was filled with desperation.
I feel his stare on me.
The butterflies swarm in my stomach. It would be so easy in this dark, private elevator. I could get straight off my bike and climb into the Escalade and I know without a doubt that he’d cave and finally allow us to give in to our most basic urges, but I’m way too fucking stubborn for that.
The second the elevator door creeps open, his stare falls away, and the butterflies vanish as though they never existed in the first place. I hit the throttle and the Ducati roars through the underground parking lot. I see Carver in my mirrors, pulling out behind me and parking in what used to be his father’s designated spot, only I’m not here to play by someone else’s rules.
I ride the Ducati right up to the doors of Dynasty, and as they open, I go straight through.
It’s nearly a ten-minute walk getting from the door to the council chambers and I’m not about that shit. With the Ducati, I’m about to be there in thirty seconds, but it’s going to be even better watching Carver get left behind. I wonder if I could start this meeting without him.
As the Ducati enters the hallway that leads right down to the council chambers, the roaring sound of the engine becomes deafening. I laugh as I imagine the old fuckers in that room at the end of