aTRACKion

Chapter Twenty One

Doug.....

Mack and his big, coked-up mouth! What was he thinking? I swear if I lose Frankie over that cocky mouth of his, he'll never work for me again. I don't even want to do this bloody set tonight, but I'm doing it because I don't want to let down the partying punters.

Tim and Lanky can quickly tell that something is really wrong as soon as they see me. "Everything okay?" Tim cautiously asks.

"Where's Mack?" I'm looking up and down the corridor, ready to have this out with him right here and now.

Lanky is forthright with his reply. "He was on the phone in your hotel room, he said he'd meet us downstairs."

Not even looking at the guys, I just deploy a strong request. "Wait for me down there, will you? I've got some shit to sort out."

"Right, see you in a bit, then." Tim warily says.

With anger, I hurry back to my hotel room. Sure enough, Mack is on the phone, talking like the cocky bastard he has always been. Grabbing the phone from his ear, I fling his precious mobile right across the room. "What the—?" Startled, Mack is glaring at me with a shocked grimace. "What you playing at, Doug?"

My body is tense; rigid with rage. "What did you say and do to Frankie?" Mack can usually talk his way out of most things, but I'm not letting him talk his way out of this.

Adjusting how he stands in front of me, his mouth dares to smile. "Nothing. I was just introducing myself in the Mack Monroe way, that's all...you know what I'm like, mate?"

With my pissed off pulse now racing, I inch closer to him. "So you did try it on with her? Even when I told you that I was serious about her?" My eyes are narrowed; narrowed and so full of simmering rage. 

Rising his shoulders, he chucks me one of his defensive smiles. "I was just keeping things real, Doug. Your hottie was getting all uppity about the coke, so I was just bringing her down a peg or two."

Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, I'm now angrily inches away from his face. "By telling her that we share girls?"

His face is still not free of its cockiness. "Like I said, just keeping it real. Admittedly, I didn't tell her it was just the one girl, but it'll keep her dangling for you, mate." I think he's actually showing great pride in upsetting Frankie.

That's it, I've had enough of his bullshit. Infuriated, I push him back so hard, he loses balance and falls backwards onto the carpet. "Frankie didn't need to know about any girl, Mack! She didn't need you trying it on with her, either!" Grabbing his sorry ass up, I push him hard against the wall; holding him there while I try to hold my temper. "You've really pushed me too far, Mack...too far!"

Now trying to look sorry, he quickly holds up both his hands. "Mate, it won't happen again. I honestly didn't know you were that into Frankie...I didn't!"

Still holding him, my face screws up with uncertainty. "I told you I was."

Blinking fast, Mack holds up his apologetic hands even higher. "I just thought it was the coke talking, mate?"

Easing off him a little, my fist on his shirt slightly loosens. "Well, I am. You go near her again, your fingers will be turned inside out...got it?"

Looking almost relieved, Mack relaxes against the hotel room wall. "I got it. I'll even apologise to Frankie when I see her. I'll explain everything."

He's smiling now, but it's completely wasted on me. "You stay away from her. You've caused enough damage." Finally letting go of him, my angered stare on Mack shifts defeatedly down to the floor. "I've caused enough damage." Is my gruff admittance to him, and now so morosely to myself.

I saw the wide pools of disappointment in her blue eyes. I also saw the doubt flickering within them as well. I just want to get my set done, then get back to Frankie to sort this mess out. I want her beautiful blue eyes to look at me in the way that they always have—with affection, need and respect.

But that disappointment is going to haunt me well into the early hours, I just know it is. I think the disappointment in myself, is also going to take solid root.

I don't even know why I did that stupid coke?

I was already on a high after sleeping with Frankie. I was higher than high after our intimate shower.

So why the hell I felt the need to do some lines of coke after all of that, is absolutely beyond me now.

I don't know.

I don't actually know what I was thinking.

Maybe it was to see whether coke would still be able to make me feel better than Frankie could?

For whatever weak reason it was—I have totally screwed up.

**Video above is: ARIZONA - I WAS WRONG (ROBIN SCHULZ REMIX)**