Chapter 7: Lose Your Mind

Seth’s POV

“...and Donnie assured and confirmed that he is indeed an important member of that. So… Are you even listening to me?”, Maxx interrupted my train of thoughts. He glared at me and shook his head.

“What?”, I straightened myself from the chair I was sitting in. We were at my mansion’s basement which was also where we held important meetings. My house would not be the typical place where anyone expected me to be living in especially when I own companies and many businesses, it’s a big structure yes, but I don’t live alone. I have my security team and my most trusted men with me, we were seven in total, no maids or whatsoever, just us, for some reason.

“I’ve been like explaining things to you and you are just blankly staring at me. You’ve been totally distracted from the start. I know you are the boss but…”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry… I’m just thinking of something”, I explained massaging my temple with my fingertips. Taking deep, heavy sighs, I heard the metal door opened.

“Something? More like someone”, Maxx retorted sitting on the edge of the table, watching Jet and Jep joining us, a smile broke out of me. They started talking about something concerning our biggest business but I couldn’t bring myself to focus on what they were saying for my mind kept coming back to her.

Alice. My Alice.

I knew how much she loathed me when I left without proper goodbye, no explanation but if she only knew just how hard it was for me to leave and not seeing her every single fucking day, it killed me. And having her again so close that I could touch her, it was like my heart started working again, pumping warm blood and oxygen through my body and more. And all these years that I was away from her, I was trained to control every feeling and emotion that I had but with just the smell of her, I totally forgot what I learned. She made me lose my senses since like God knows when.

Up until now, I could still feel her skin so soft and warm and those luscious lips begging to be eaten like the cherry top of my favorite ice cream, so fucking tempting every time.

“Can we eat dinner already?”, Jep chirped like a whining girl. They all stood but not until someone barged angrily at the room banging the door against the wall hard enough to leave a dent on it. Its noise filled the room booming like a thunder. A man charged directly at me holding me on my collar. If this person was just another person I would probably put the bullet on his fucking head without a second thought before he could even take a step close to me or better yet, anyone from my underlings could do the job for me and I would not be thinking about another blood on my hands. But then, this man was not just another man. He was one of my first mates, my first friend, and one of my most trusted guys.

Since he was part of us, his sudden attack on me was not something new to any of us and so my men decided to continue their way to the kitchen while Jet talking about some chick he saw on the way here. Maxx, on the other hand, put his head set on and continued tapping on his tablet while walking out the door.

My fucking men!

“Nice to see you, D!”, Jep shouted as their footsteps faded.

I sighed and turned my attention on the man who was seething and throwing daggers at me with his eyes.

“YOU!”, he screamed right to my face tightening his hold on my collar almost choking me.

“Calm down, man”, I said knowing what he was about to argue on.

“I told you to leave her alone! I told you! Why can’t you just leave my sister alone for fuck’s sake?!”, Dean pushed me hard that I stumbled back on my steps.

Straightening my shirt against my body, I studied his face. He resembled her so much.

And maybe that’s one of the reasons why I can’t punch him in the face whenever we fight. Because he fucking looked like his sister. My Alice.

“You know I can’t do that. I’ve waited for years. I did my part so you give me my price”, I tried reasoning though the thought of his another attempt of his to take her away from me started a boil in my veins.

“And here you always think that she is just some price you needed to win over. That’s the problem, man! You always see here less than a woman she deserved!”

And with that, I lost it. I laughed mockingly at him before lunging on him knocking him on the wall. He winced at the impact but I couldn’t care less. All I’ve wanted was to get back to him for belittling whatever I’ve always felt for his sister. To the woman I only love.

“DON’T. YOU. FUCKING. GO. THERE.”, I hissed greeting my teeth that my gums ached.

“We’re cool but never when it comes to my sister. She deserves a normal happy life and you, we cannot give her that. Your life is too dangerous for her. And you signing for the CEO position on the company she is working at would only draw attention to her. She’ll be in danger. She’ll be hurt and worst…”, his next word was cut off when the back of his head hit the wall after I gave him another shove.

“I can protect her. Do you think they can hurt her while I’m beside her? While I’m here? Well, they are fucking dead for trying or even thinking about it. I will kill them with my bare hands”, I released him taking my steps back.

“Yeah? And here I thought I have given you enough time to forget about her. Why can’t you just be just like the other guys that forget girls in a blink of an eye? It’s been years and you are still stuck on her? Just fucking great!”, he threw his hands in the air in disbelief and brushing them over his face.

“Well, I just can’t. And I am not sorry I love her this way”, I watched him carefully. He could hit me on the face for coming back again and trying to win her over. We’ve wanted the same thing. We’ve wanted her safe for always but to leave her alone was never an option for me. It’s swim or sink and I would gladly sink to the bottom of any ocean for her.

“Well, she doesn’t love you anymore”, he smirked and that really hit a nerve again. I know that it’s not true. She was still affected by me. And that gave me hope that she still felt the same way, at least a little. As long as I still affected here it meant something for me and I was sure to make her crazy in love on me again.

“I don’t care”, I gritted my teeth trying to lie through them.

“Can’t you see a reason in here? She’ll be in danger and you know it very well so don’t go screaming that stupid love you have for her”

“I. SAID. I WILL FUCKING KEEP HER SAFE!”, I growled in frustration. His eyes measured me and calculated my words. We stared at each other trying to win our own arguments.

“You better make sure of that or if the first danger made a call on her, you’ll never see her ever again”, Dean finally spat. His threat was never empty and I knew it. He was one of my greatest men and he could hide her so well from me. But like I would ever let that happen. Hell will rise.

“And you say that when you are here leaving her alone in your house?!”, I accused when the realization that he was here dawned on me, she was fucking alone!

“Don’t worry. The security on my house is three times better than yours”

My eyes narrowed on him. I knew that was true but the thought of her having no one with here couldn’t be lessen with his reassurance of the safety of his house.

“I am warning you. Don’t hurt my sister, she doesn’t deserve it”

“I know”

“You know? And yet you are here again.”

“I just can’t stay away for another month. Years are enough and I am on my wit’s end. I can’t just rely on whatever you are telling me about her. I get that you are her brother and you worry about her and wanted the best for here but I need her or I’ll go crazy”, I ran my fingers through my hair breathing hard.

“Then lose your mind, like I fucking care”, he stormed out the door, anger still boiling for me.

I smiled at his retreating back.

He really is my best friend.