Page 59 of Dangerous Men (Fortune City Mafia #1)

ASHTON

“We’re already hearing chatter that Anthony isn’t reachable,” Alec says, tapping the arm of his chair. “Which means either Viper already found him or he’s so hidden that?—”

The door to his office swings open with enough force it hits the wall, knocking a photo off its nail and to the ground. I sit up straight on the couch, and Alec’s hand instantly goes to his gun, as Sebastian rushes in.

He’s a mess. Hair mussed, clothes disheveled.

And… my nostrils flare. He smells like sex.

“I fucked up,” he tells us, voice high with panic.

I register the split second of shock on Alec’s face at seeing our brother like this before he locks it down, his jaw tightening. His face is all business when Sebastian finally looks at him.

“What happened?” Alec demands, voice cold.

Sebastian paces, hands moving constantly as he stalks around the room. This isn’t like him, this isn’t like our cold, collected brother. This is what he was like when we were kids. A nervous ball of energy, unable to keep himself still. This is the Sebastian I remember from before the orphanage .

“Viper found her,” he tells us. His fingers twitch, hands clenching and unclenching nervously.

A lead weight drops into my stomach at those words. No. No, no, no .

“Is she okay?” Alec asks, leaning forward over his desk.

Sebastian’s answering laugh is devoid of any humor. He shakes his head.

“She was,” he says, and he’s not even trying to hide the pain in his voice. “He scared her, but … she was fine. Shaken, but he didn’t… he didn’t hurt her. Not badly. She was fine .”

“So, what happened?” I demand.

“ I hurt her,” Sebastian spits out, turning on me. “I touched her. And, and she let me, I swear she let me, Ash, but afterward… after…”

“Hey.” I stand up and hold out my hand, forcing him to stop his pacing. “Stop. Take a breath and explain.”

“I think I pushed her too far,” he says, words coming too quickly. “She started crying. Fuck , Ash, she cried afterward.” He stares down at his hands like he’s never seen them before. “It was too much, it must have been too much for her. First Chase, then Viper, and then me…”

“What do you mean Chase?” Alec growls. “How does her ex fit into this?”

“Fuck. I just…I keep fucking up!” Seb forces the words out, running his hands through his hair and pulling at the roots. “She asked me not to tell you. I was keeping her safe, I swear.”

“She asked you not to tell us what ?” Alec’s voice is heavy with barely controlled rage.

“He…he showed up a few days ago. To the shop. He…fuck…he went to her apartment. He scared her.”

My vision goes red. I don’t think I’ve ever felt pure rage like this before. I like to be the one who doesn’t take things too seriously, but the idea of someone frightening her ?

I need him to pay for that.

I make eye contact with Alec, and he’s barely breathing, teeth clenched.

Sebastian keeps talking. “He’s been following her, threatening her…”

Following her. A man … following her.

“What does he look like?” I ask, my voice sounding like it’s a million miles away, like I’m in space or some shit. I’ve never seen him, I realize. Like always, I passed the buck, made Seb handle his termination paperwork.

It takes a second for Sebastian to pull up the image on his phone and show me. And there he is.

The man from my date with Sydney.

He’s nobody.

The cold calm I usually feel when I’m in the arena enters me, slowing my heart rate and grounding me.

I’m ready to fight.

“Fix this,” Alec snaps.

When I look up, he’s not looking at Sebastian.

He’s looking at me.

“She trusts you, Ashton,” Alec says. “You need to be the one to fix this. She thinks you’re safe.”

Sebastian laughs, and it’s a cold, broken sound.

“Not anymore,” he says, a crazed look in his eyes. “She knows what we are now. I don’t think she’ll trust any of us, not even you.”

I glance at Alec, noting the tension in his face. The fear. When he looks at me, he doesn’t look so sure this time.

“I can do it,” I say, with a confidence I don’t entirely feel. Alec doesn’t look like he believes me. “I can fix this.”

Because I have to do it. Because I don’t know if we can go back to not having her.

My hand flexes. And I know just where to start.