Chapter ten
Gerald
I punched Dorian, sending him flying across the training field into a stone pillar. He groaned, sprawled on the ground, clearly needing a moment to recover.
Satisfied, I took out my hand wraps and threw them on the bench.
I inspected my bruised fist, and I frowned.
I felt just a bit better than I had during the meeting.
I had been sparring for over twenty minutes with one of my best combatants.
Out of three men, I had taken down all three men.
"Training is over for today," I said to Dorian, who still looked very disoriented, before making my way out of the training field.
I was starving and needed something to eat. Plus a long shower.
Squinting my eyes against the aggressiveness of the morning sun, I strolled out of the training field and into the house, downing a bottle of cold water as I did.
As I neared the breakfast bar, I was surprised at what I saw through the one-way sliding door.
Liliana laughing with my men.
I placed my hands on the door handle to slide it open but froze when she took a forkful of steak into her mouth...
The way her tongue snaked out of her mouth and rolled in the piece of steak made me clench my jaw.
Why was she eating like that?
Who was she trying to seduce?
Seduce?
Why did I even think about that?
She was just eating.
It still bothered me how she'd found her way here. How had she slipped so easily into my world?
Everyone was there except Rita.
Suddenly, Liliana stood up, and I sucked in a breath.
She looked breathtaking in the dress I had gotten for her.
The brown sundress brought out her fair skin and accentuated her curves in the most sensual way possible.
I knew I wasn't the only one that noticed because the rest of the men stared at her with lust and desire in their eyes, hunger, like she was prey.
I clenched my fist.
They all knew she was off limits, so it didn't matter, but I couldn't help but be angry.
She was mine... I mean, she was my ward to protect, not an object to look at.
Max stood up too and began to help her out.
Sel stopped her from taking more dishes, saying something to her along the lines of
"The maids will get it." I wasn't sure since she was facing the side, and I couldn't read her lips.
Liliana said something back that stopped Sel from arguing. That was a first. Sel rarely ever backed down from an argument and rarely ever lost.
The rest of my men walked out through the other door, probably on their way to their respective jobs, leaving just Max and Liliana alone.
She smiled at something he said, and for some reason, my chest tightened. A feeling that was completely foreign to me.
Why was she smiling at Max? Wasn't he about to kill her the other day? And why was Max looking so happy, for goodness sake? Wasn't he just asking what we were supposed to do about her?
And didn't he have a mission to prepare for?
I didn't care if she smiled at every goddamn man in this building.
I just didn't want her smiling at him.
A part of me wanted to go in there and rip him out of the room, but that would be hard to explain to my men and completely out of character. Not to mention creepy.
She was her own person, and I was glad she was getting along with my men. It would be easier to keep her here-where she is safe from Tony and Damon.
Those bastards were going to pay for what they'd done to her and my best friend, but first, I had to let her grieve and process her new life. Before talking about the elephant that was obviously in the room.
Liliana packed all of the dishes and moved them to the sink.
She grabbed a bottle of soap and a sponge and began to wash.
Max found his way to her and began to rinse every plate she washed.
What was Max's game? He never did anything out of the kindness of his heart.
He was the same person that killed his brother without remorse after he found out he'd raped his ex.
I continued to watch them.
A maid rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks when she saw me spying.
She bowed quickly, and I gestured for her to go back.
She wasted no time. She turned on her heels and ran the other way.
I turned back to watch the interaction between them. I frowned when I saw Max's hand touch hers in an intimate way as he collected the plate.
Without thinking, I pushed the door aside and marched towards them, grabbing the plate from Max.
"Alpha?" Max looked shocked.
"Get out, Max, now!" I growled.
He didn't waste any time before turning on his heels and marching out.
I glanced at Lilliana.