Page 17

“Seb, have you received any more threats since then?” Nate asked, a brief wave of concern flashing across his face.
“Nothing I can’t handle. Being a club owner isn’t for the weak, and as a Quantum man, the word weak isn’t in my vocabulary.”
“But I hope the word precaution is.” Leo folded his arms across his broad chest and locked eyes with me. “Seb, a colleague of mine from the police force informed me that Eso was murdered. I’ve done my calculations, and based on the time frame, Eso couldn’t be the one who sent you the threats as you originally thought,” Leo grimaced.
I took a sip of my whiskey but said nothing.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at me. “Based on the look on your face, you already knew that.”
“I did. I’m looking into Eso’s murder as we speak. I figure I owe him that much.”
My brothers nodded, neither of them bothering to try to persuade me to back off from investigating it.
“If you need us, you know where to find us,” Vincent stated as he and Axel rejoined the group.
“I do,” I replied with a nod of agreement.
“And on that note,” Dominic added with a smile, “I’ll leave you bachelors to enjoy the rest of your night. I’ve got a family to get home to.”
He patted each of us on the back and exited the office, his footsteps fading down the hallway.
Leonardo, Nathaniel, Axel, Vincent and I hung out for a bit, then one by one, they said their goodbyes.
Just as I settled into the chair behind my desk and closed my eyes, a knock echoed on the door before it opened.
“Mr. Quantum.” Delilah stood in the doorway. She looked as tired as I felt. “The cleaning crew is finished, and I’ve locked up. I just wanted to let you know I’m leaving.”
I glanced at my watch. “It’s midnight. I’ll take you home.”
“You don’t need to. I’ll—”
“I insist.” I cut her off, my tone firm.
Delilah closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply before her tired gaze met mine. She stepped into the office and grabbed her clutch from the shelf. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
She turned and walked outside before I could say anything else. The fact that she was exhausted and still felt the need to be stubborn stirred something in me.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I stood up, ensuring I had my phone and my keys. I locked my office behind me, and after double checking that all the offices upstairs were locked, I made my way downstairs.
As I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Delilah leaning against the wall at the entrance. Her shoulder was against it, her arms crossed in front of her, one hand holding the opposite wrist. Her clutch hung loosely in her hand as her head leaned against the wall.
When I got closer, I realized her eyes were closed, her breathing slow and even. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Delilah was sleeping on her feet.
It took everything in me not to walk up to her, nuzzle her neck, and inhale that perfume that had been driving me crazy all night. My cock stirred at the fleeting thought of pressing her against the wall where she stood and pressing my lips against hers. I couldn’t help but wonder if her lips tasted like peaches.
I inhaled deeply and gently placed my hand on her arm. What I didn’t expect was for her eyes to snap open as panic etched on her face. Or for her clutch to swing toward me. My arm shot up just in time to grab her wrist, preventing the bag from slamming into the side of my head.
Who the fuck did she think I was?
“Ms. Malone, it’s just me.” My voice was gentle, yet firm.
This couldn’t be a reflexive reaction based on where she lived. The way she reacted told me there was something more.
Her breathing was short and ragged as she tried to register where she was. Slowly, I lowered her wrist but didn’t let go, closing the gap between us as I cupped the side of her face.
“You’re safe, Delilah. I’d never let anything happen to you.”
My eyes never left hers. I didn't know why, but I felt the need to reassure her. As my words sank in, she leaned into my hand.