Out of the Storm - COMPLETE

Chapter 41

Theo

THE ELEVATOR DOOR opens to the sixteenth floor, where the gym is. Anna's disconnecting the call and walking off before I have a chance to ask a question, to say a word. But since we're obviously both headed to the gym, I follow her lead. A million thoughts race through my mind. What are the chances she'd be connected to Charlie and Marco? Has her place of employment not come up in conversation?

Shit.

What if Marco knows she works for Charlie and he's trying to do his own investigation? No. First, what would make him do that? And second, surely he's not stupid enough to think I wouldn't figure out that Anna is the Anna at Hawke and Hemingway. Unless he didn't think I'd ever step foot inside the office to see her. I shake my head. That's just preposterous. But this is Marco. So, nothing would surprise me.

Regardless, I'm going to find out one way or another. She opens the door, but doesn't hold it. It nearly hits me in the face. I chuckle. "That's not nice."

She glances over her shoulder with a sly smile. "I'm sorry. What?" Her tone is a mix of snarky and bitchy.

"It's not nice to let the door close when you know someone's behind you. Thanks for the apology."

She shakes her head. Her hips sashay from side to side. She has a nice ass, which is well defined and visible because the red Spandex leaves nothing to the imagination. And never mind the big bull's-eye on the back of them. Literally a fucking bull's-eye that's screaming look at me, focus on me, beg for a piece of my ass. But all I can think of is the banter that Jules and I had. How she would have had a perfect comeback when I thanked her for the apology. I wasn't stupid enough to think those two words out of Anna's mouth were legit remorse. It was more of a "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening to you because you can go eat shit and die" sorry.

She goes straight to the treadmill, and I am kicking myself for having to step away from her to change into my workout attire. In the locker room, I strip out of my suit and dress shoes in record speed and throw on a white tank top, a pair of shorts, and my sneakers.

Not even five minutes later, I'm back on the gym floor. She's running on the treadmill. What the fuck do I do? I don't want to scare her away, but she's the only option I have to try to get through to Hawke and Hemingway.

She glances over and our eyes connect. When they do, she slows her speed and hops down. She's avoiding me. Why? Because she knows I'm involved with Jules? Or because she knows I'm friends with Marco?

I cock my head and assess her as she goes over to the weighs. My mind connects dots like puzzle pieces, but grasps at straws. Walking up behind her, she spreads her legs so they're shoulders length apart. I put my hands on her waist, letting my lips graze her ear. Goosebumps erupt and I watch her respond to me in the mirror in front of me. "I know you're fucking Marco. And I know you're working at Hawke and Hemingway..."

Her jaw drops, her eyes widen, and she tenses up.

"Did you know..." I skim my fingers along her waist until she's squirming. "That you're the common denominator?"

Her eyebrows furrow. "Common denominator?"

"Yeah, you heard me right. I think you're not just fucking him in bed, but I think you're fucking him over financially. And I'm all over it." Glancing down at the back of her Spandex, I smirk. "Like a bull who's seeing red. That bull's-eye is in the perfect spot because I'm going to take your ass down if it's the last thing I do."

Movement in my peripheral vision distracts me. Maybe it wasn't the movement, but the scent of vanilla and flowers. The magnetic pull, the tension that courses through me when she's near me. Glancing up, I see Jules charging Anna. After everything, trying to reach her and being shot down, the only thing I needed to do was put my hands on another woman? She's jealous. And damn if she's not even sexier when she is fuming, stomping in my direction for the first time in weeks.