Chapter 29

The black satin curtain covering the stage rolled over to either side, revealing a large poker table.

Anticipation buzzed around the corners of the wall. The game was the highlight of the evening. It was the sole reason why members gather here every Friday. To show off money. Or skills.

Ollie looked briefly in June’s direction for the nth time— losing counts.

Ollie had never struggled with keeping his anger in check. He was a master of controlling his emotions. But it was quickly slipping off his hands at the image of June and Theo together.

A fiery pit scorched inside his stomach. He was on the verge of losing it.

It was driving him crazy. Seeing Theo with her had him snarling like a rabid dog. Anger choked his throat, leaving him breathless and yearning for oxygen. His blood pooled with fury.

He loathed it.

June with Theo made acid churn his inside eating away his gut slowly. Million of questions skimmed through his mind haphazardly making it hard for even his brain to keep up.

What was she doing here with Theo? Why was she here with Theo? What was their relationship? Why the fuck did he have his hands wrapped around her like a snake? Non-ending whys ran through his mind.

He needed answers. Or he was going to implode.

On cue, Theo curved his hands around June’s waist, leading her to the poker table. And Ollie followed suit.

He swallowed hard the rage fuming in his throat. He was a master of hiding his emotion. But it was now a thing of the past. He was about to detonate. He could feel the emotionless mask slipping off his face with every tick of the clock.

June was his.

He was supposed to be here for only a few minutes. Make an appearance like he usually did. Greet who he could. And leave. The club’s benefits were more than he would like to agree. So he’d kept their connection minimal. It was his routine Friday. He barely used up to thirty minutes before he was gone. And like the other night. He’d wanted to leave until he saw June.

At first, he’d been lost in checking her out. She'd worn a silver dress adorned with beads that draped around her tiny waist. It highlighted her body perfectly. It was as if the clothes were made just for .

But, the lust building up in him quenched and was quickly replaced by confusion when he saw Theo’s ugly head from behind her. He’d wrapped his hand around her waist and waved to her as if they were acquaintances.

And he had been unable to leave. He couldn’t leave. Not when June was with Theo.

Theo pulled a seat for June. She smiled at him before taking her seat. His inside boiled at the gesture as he jumped into the sat across from her. He gazed at her, watching as she shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to look up to him before finally giving in.

Her brown eyes locked with his coppery eyes.

Her throat moved up and down visibly. He saw the storm going on in her eyes. But he didn’t look away. She held his gaze for a minute before looking away anxiously, focusing her eyes on the poker table. Theo sat beside her, the damn smirk Ollie wanted to rub off so badly on his face.

Ollie fisted his hands, his fingers dug into his palm. A sharp sting thrummed through his hand. The urge to punch Theo’s climbed another threshold.

When everyone was seated. The ruffling and dragging seized. Then the game began.

The dealer distributed the cards around the table before announcing.

“Place your bets.”

Winning the game was easy for him. It was one of those games his father loved to keep his masculinity in check and he’d taught him too. Ollie was confident in himself.

The tension ramped up as the game went on. Players were dropped as the number of rounds increased. Time flew like a whirlwind until it was he and Theo left.

Stale air hung above them as all attention fell on them. Speculations were made about who was going to win. June’s attention was on the game too.

Ollie had never had the incessant need to go on a power play and show off more than he did tonight. He’d never wanted to prove himself better than Theo than he felt now.

The dealer’s voice cut his thoughts. “Place your bets.”

Ollie poured all he had gathered into the round.

Theo shot him a sly smile. Ollie tilted his head, knowing Theo was about to ramp up his anger and he might just lose it.

Theo settled his arm on June’s bare shoulder. “I stake her.”

His muscles tensed. His blood roared in his ear. Fury seeped rot into his skin. The bomb countdown began. Tick. Tick. Tick.

A devilish smile curved Theo’s mouth. His expression begged Ollie to lose it. This was what Theo wanted. To see him bust out the flame brewing in him. So he swallowed the spite and buried it.

Murmurs echoed around the table.

He scoffed, playing it easy like his inside wasn’t on fire. “Why would you bet her? Does she look like an object to you?” He arched an eyebrow.

Shock sliced through Theo’s face before it was replaced with a forced smile. Ollie smirked. Theo would have to try harder to see him explode.

“I was just joking. Why would I want that? She is very stunning.”

“Indeed. She is.” Ollie wasn’t going to deny that.

Theo’s hands moved down June’s back. She stiffened under his touch. Her body tensed up as Theo’s hand continue to travel down her body.

Ollie saw red.

He took the first thing his eyes saw.

A whiskey bottle.

And he crashed it on Theo’s head.

Gasps erupted around the table mixed with the echoes of the smash. The circle around them drew backward as broken glasses scattered around. Theo stumbled backward a few times before falling with a loud thud on the floor.

“Sir. Sir.”

Ollie blinked to reality, staring at the whiskey bottle. Pained his imagination wasn’t a reality.

Instead, he did a rational thing. He called over a waiter, took a glass of whiskey from the tray, and turn it over, letting it drizzle across the table to the other side.

“The fuck.” Theo flinched, dusting his soaked pants.

“You should clean that up.” He said, not turning his gaze to him.

Theo was the first to leave the table.

When June stood to follow suit. Ollie said with haste. “There is another bathroom on the third floor. You should use that one.”

“Thank you.” She said. Her voice came out as a whisper.

He watched as she walked to the elevator. The door dinged open and closed. And she was out of his sight.

He let the hand of his clock roll to fifteen before going after her. He was going to wait till sixty. But patience wasn’t one of his many virtues.