Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)(35)

“Quoi?” What? I demanded when he put his arm up to barricade me from entering.

I only knew five people in this entire building. And those five people I trusted only so far. Frederick was one of them, but he was also the only one who got away with driving me batshit crazy with his antics.

“Bonjour.” He clicked his teeth. “I wondered when we’d be graced with your famous presence again.”

I knocked his arm away, and stalked toward the large oval table. Picking the head seat, I sat with my hands steepled on the tabletop. “Get to your point, Frederick.”

“Well, I assumed with a hot piece of ass at home you’d take longer than four days before coming back to this chaos.”

My temper exploded. “Don’t. Ever. Disrespect. Her.” I squeezed my eyes. Not for the first time I regretted stringing Tess up from the ceiling for the impromptu business meeting. I hated that Frederick saw her like that.

I’d been a f*cking bastard to do it, but I had my reasons. Reasons that didn’t add up with the way Frederick Roux gloated at me.

He threw himself in a chair next to me, holding his hands up. “Hey. Just stating a fact.” He shuffled forward eagerly. “So…you’re finally letting a woman tame you, huh?”

“She didn’t tame me, she—” I stopped mid-sentence, swallowing back the pansy thing I was about to say. She didn’t tame me, she set me free. Definitely not appropriate for my fearsome reputation.

I seized the huge pile of paperwork that I’d requested to catch up on, and pretended to ignore him. I couldn’t deal with his shit right now.

Leaving Tess alone had been the hardest thing I’d done since making an oath to never become my father. I left my capacity to breathe upstairs with her. Only the knowledge that she was completely safe and untouchable allowed me some relief to get to work.

What the f*ck was with her panic attack? She was so strong. It didn’t make sense for her to let memories get the better of her. I’d seen enough women lose their entire lives to reliving what happened. The switch that sent them spiralling into depression and destruction never turned off.

I would never let that happen to Tess.

“Stop gloating. I can feel your smugness from here,” I grumbled when Frederick refused to look away.

“Hey, man, I’m allowed to gloat when my long-time friend finally comes to work looking well-f*cked and a tinge happier than every other day of his sad little life.”

I dropped the paper and took a swing at him. Half-hearted, but I missed all the same.

He ducked, laughing. “I’m pleased for you.” Inching forward, he slapped me on the back, grinning. “Welcome to coupledom. You’re no longer a sulky bachelor who has to get his wallet out to get his kink on.”

“For f*ck’s sake, keep your voice down.” My eyes darted to the door. Any moment we’d have company, and people did not need to know what I did with the cash in said wallet.

Frederick nodded. “I’ll stop now. Just happy for you, that’s all.”

Warming a little, I leaned back in the chair. “What makes you so sure I’m keeping her? I sent her back the first time. I could do it again.”

He snorted, covering up a loud laugh. “Seriously, Mercer? You were a f*cking wreck the day you sent her back. Or are you forgetting I found you almost comatose, lying on your pool table, mumbling about God knows what?”

It was unfortunate that he’d found me. I’d planned on getting a lot drunker. I needed something to numb the pain.

He ducked to sniff my shoulder. I managed to deck him, not hard, but enough to make my point. “Plus, you smell like sex. You reek of it, my friend, and that little glow you’ve got going on tells me that you’ve kept her, and you’re finally going to stop kicking yourself in the balls for needing what you do.”

“Back off, Roux. I get it. You’re happy for me.” I narrowed my eyes, gathering the papers once again.

He smirked and his blue gaze, so bright that I always secretly wondered if they were fake, glinted. “You’ve got a wrinkle.”

I paused, rubbing my forehead. Great. A f*cking wrinkle. It was only fitting, I supposed—I felt ancient. Ever since Franco forced Tess to bow at my feet, I’d aged a little every day, worn down by the monster inside, cursing my urges that would end up killing me one day.

Or killing the one you care for.

The thought stopped my heart, and I glowered at Frederick. “Is this another one of your f*cking analogies?”

He nodded, chuckling. “Wanted to see if you cared. Bet you’ll care if I tell you there’s a crusty tie and a pair of what I’m assuming are panties sticking out of your pocket.”

Merde!

I hastily shifted in the chair and stuffed Tess’s underwear, along with my come-encrusted tie, back into my pocket. I couldn’t stop my smug grin at the vision of Tess on her hands and knees while I pile-drived my cock deep inside her. Goddammit, I wanted to do it again.

I wanted to f*ck and hurt her right on this boardroom table.

As much as Frederick drove me nuts, I liked that he wasn’t afraid of me. He knew how far he could push. Whispering under my breath, I said good-naturedly, “Va te faire foutre.” Fuck off. “Stop being a dick about it.”

Frederick chuckled . “Fair enough.” His eyes darted to the door, looking to see if we still had privacy. My hackles shot up when he leaned forward, bowing his head. “I heard from the Russian mob. The man you shot for touching your slave, he’s out for blood.”