Breaking Out (The Surrender Trilogy 2)

Dugan climbed behind the wheel and rolled down the privacy screen. His chauffeur didn’t quite understand what was happening. A loyal employee from the start, Lucian didn’t know how to feel about Dugan’s now sour attitude. It wasn’t his business, but the man clearly had come to care for Evelyn, because there was no mistaking the disapproval in his eyes.

“To the hotel, sir?” Dugan asked coldly.

“No.”

The chauffeur tipped his head in surprise in the rearview mirror and waited.

“Drive to Leningrad.”

Dugan’s brow rose beneath his cap, surprise evident on his face. It had been months since Lucian had any doings with Leningrad Enterprises, but at the moment he had some pressing business to take care of.

The limo coasted through late afternoon traffic and slid neatly into a spot outside of Leningrad. Lucian left the car before Dugan made it to his door. “I’ll be back in five minutes. Wait here.”

Passing the doorman without his usual cursory nod of hello, Lucian brushed past the front desk and security with a curt raise of his chin. His leather-soled shoes clicked over the lobby’s marble floor as he made his way to the elevators. Claiming an empty one and shooting a glare at the man who thought to ride with him, Lucian hit the close button and seethed all the way to the fifteenth floor.

The stainless steel doors parted with a soft ping, and a secretary smiled up from her reception area. “Mr. Patras, what can I help you with today?”

Lucian walked past. “I’m here to see Mr. Bishop. I’ll only be a moment.”

When he didn’t stop for an invitation, the receptionist jumped up from her seat. “Sir, Mr. Bishop is in a meeting.” He continued at his clipped pace. “Sir!”

When he reached the corner office, he entered without the courtesy of a knock. His blood was on fire, and if one person got in his way they would regret it for only a split second, because then they’d be dead. The door slammed on the receptionist’s objections, and the two men in the room looked up in surprise.

“Lucian, what are you doing here?”

He glared at his once good friend. “I’d apologizing for interrupting, but at the moment I find it hard to give a fuck if I inconvenience you.”

Slade’s face darkened. “This isn’t the time—”

“Oh, it’s the time,” Lucian growled.

Slade looked back at his company. “Mr. Chang, I apologize. If you’ll excuse us, I’ll have my messenger run over the paperwork before week’s end, and we can revisit things on Monday.”

The small Asian man sitting across from Slade nodded his head in agreement and stood. Lucian stood like a grizzly in the corner, jaw locked, fists clenched at his side, while he waited for the other man to leave.

When the door finally closed, Slade turned on him. “What the fuck, Lucian? Are you insane?”

“Fuck you. This is your fault, you disloyal, cocksucking—”

“Ho! You have some nerve coming in here and calling me names.”

Lucian closed in on him. No matter how fearless Slade tried to appear, he backed up. It was the only smart thing the man had done in ages. “Why? Why help him? Do you hate me that much? I fucking loved you like a brother, and you singlehandedly helped that shit get to a position where he could stick it up my ass.”

“He’s a fucking kid, Luche. Don’t be such a puss.”

Two strides and the desk was the only thing separating them. His palms pressed into the oak surface as he leaned closer. “You know he’s not just a kid,” he said through clenched teeth. “Don’t act ignorant. You knew exactly what you were doing. The minute you found out who he was, you jumped at the first opportunity to fuck me.”

“The position was open—”

“Bullshit. You hired him, fed him, clothed him, promoted him, all for what? So he could come after the one thing I love?”

“Don’t come in here waxing poetic about what you have with that girl.”

“I love her. Do. You. Understand? I fucking love her and now she hates me.”

Slade sneered, “I didn’t agree to trade her off like some fuck toy. That was you—”

White noise squealed in his head as he rounded the desk. Once he had Slade’s shirt in his fist he stared hard into his eyes, practically nose to nose. “Call her that again and see what happens.”

“What? Are you going to punch me again? Go ahead. What’s happened to you? You used to be a classy guy, Luche. This girl has you so fucked-up—I heard about the deal with Chrysler you lost. Everyone’s talking about it. Lucian Patras, Folsom’s renowned tycoon, screwing up for the first time in his life. They all see it. Maybe you weren’t born on a dollar after all.”

“I don’t give a shit about Chrysler right now—”

Slade brushed his hand off with a look of complete disgust. “That’s the problem. All you give a shit about is her. If she loves you so much, why are you so afraid some kid’s going to take her away? If she goes to him, you know exactly what that makes her.”