Page 100 of King of Rage

Stella shook her head, amused by him.

Lucius looked at her for a long moment, his gaze moving over her face as if reassuring himself that she was really there. Then his expression darkened with sudden hunger.

He slid one hand behind her head and pulled her toward him.

His mouth crashed against hers in a rough, hungry kiss, his hold tightening around her waist as he kissed her with all the emotion he had been holding back.

Epilogue

“It’s getting harder by the day to keep staying out this late. I have to get home early tonight. Elise and I are going for a long drive, and we’ll probably be out the entire night.”

Xavier leaned back with a smug grin, his eyes sweeping over the men gathered around the table at the club as though he had just delivered the most important news of the evening.

Lucius watched the expressions around him change.

Elias, Cassian, and Maverick exchanged looks that suggested they were dangerously close to dragging Xavier into the walk-in freezer and leaving him there beside the club’s supply of meat.

Xavier knew exactly what he was doing.

Their wives had all gone on a month-long girls’ trip to Australia, leaving the three married men behind. Rose had originally planned to join them, but an important business commitment had kept her in Manhattan. Now that the meeting was over and her schedule had finally opened up, Xavier had been making full use of the extra time he had with her.

And he had apparently decided that tormenting his friends was part of the privilege.

“Should I leave early?” Xavier asked, looking from one man to the next as though he genuinely wanted their advice. “Or should I—”

His phone began to ring.

The moment he saw Rose's name on the screen, his grin became even more self-satisfied. He lifted the phone to his ear.

“Rose?” he said, answering immediately. “I'll be home soon.”

Elias slowly turned toward Cassian, his expression murderous.

“How about I grab his neck while you smash a bottle over the back of his head?”

Cassian didn't hesitate.

“You hold him down. I'll do the bottle.”

Maverick looked between them.

“Where do I come in?”

“You grab his hands,” Cassian said. “I don't want blood on me.”

Maverick gave him a thumbs-up.

The corner of Lucius's mouth lifted.

After everything that had happened between Elias and Maverick, he had once wondered whether their friendship would ever be the same again. Their fight had been over Maverick's sister, and neither man had been willing to back down.

But eventually, they had worked through it.

Now, seeing them sitting together again, threatening to murder each other over something as ridiculous as Xavier's love life, Lucius couldn't help being glad they were finally acting like friends again instead of trying to tear each other's heads off.

“All right. I'll be home in a minute.”

Xavier ended the call with a satisfied smile.