Page 70 of King of Rage

Xavier leaned back, looking pleased with himself. “I had Stella and Shane investigated. I found out what their life was like in London during the year Stella lived there with him.”

Lucius’s expression hardened instantly. A flash of jealousy crossed his face, and his fingers tightened around the whiskey glass.

“Do you really think I want to know about that?” he snapped. “I’m not interested.”

He took another drink, forcing his expression into an impassive mask as he tried to push down the emotions twisting in his chest.

Xavier raised an eyebrow and pointed at him with a short, mocking laugh.

“Trust me, you want to know. It’s very interesting.”

Lucius’s expression darkened.

“I don’t give a fuck what happened between my woman and that bastard while she was living with him in London.” He leaned forward, his jaw tightening as his gaze turned dangerously sharp. “I was here in Manhattan while she was there with him for an entire fucking year. I don’t want to hear a single goddamn detail about what they did together.”

His voice dropped into a low, lethal growl.

“Are you trying to make me kill you?”

He set his glass down with deliberate care, never taking his eyes off Xavier.

“Trust me, I’m already pissed off. Keep talking, and I swear I’ll throw you out of this fucking room myself.”

Xavier threw his head back and laughed.

Elias slapped Lucius on the back, grinning. “You’re really losing your mind. Just listen to him first. Let him say what he has to say before you threaten to kill him.”

Maverick, who had been silent since they arrived, finally spoke.

“The only reason he doesn’t want to hear it is because he’s dying of jealousy, imagining Stella in bed with her husband.”

The moment the words left Maverick’s mouth, Lucius lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar.

“Stop calling him that,” he snarled. “He’s not her husband!”

He shoved Maverick back into his seat before letting go.

“I’m just stating the facts, aren’t I?” Maverick asked, raising his eyebrows.

Xavier looked between them, while everyone else at the table watched Lucius carefully.

Lucius sank back into his chair, his expression becoming unreadable. Anger still flashed in his eyes, his jaw tightening as he pressed his lips into a thin line. He said nothing, forcing himself to swallow the fury rising inside him.

“That’s the good news,” Xavier said. “He’s not really her husband.”

Everyone’s attention immediately snapped toward him, including Lucius’s.

Xavier leaned forward, a satisfied smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Now I have your attention, don’t I? I told you you’d want to know.”

Lucius straightened at once. The blankness disappeared from his face, replaced by sharp impatience and barely restrained urgency.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he demanded. “What’s going on? If this is a lie, I swear to God, I’m going to kill you.” Lucius growled.

Xavier picked up his drink and took a measured sip of whiskey before setting the glass down.

“I’m not lying. I looked into it. She’s really not married. She has never been married to him. She’s still single on paper. There’s no record of a marriage or divorce.”