Don’t bring that up
Luther' POV
The glass in my hand trembled as I raised it to my lips, but before the bourbon could touch my tongue, Mateo snatched the bottle away.
“That’s enough, Luther.”
I stared at him through a haze, not amused. “Give it back.” My words slurred as I stretched across the table, failing to reach it.
Mateo waved at a passing waiter. “A glass of water, please.”
“I said give it back!” My voice cracked. I was not drinking for fun, I was trying to forget. I wanted the fire in my chest to burn itself out, to numb the heaviness crushing me from the inside. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. Charlotte. The way she looked at me when she walked away. I needed to drink until that look vanished.
“You are doing it again,” Mateo said. “You are letting your pain drag you back to the man you swore you would never be again.”
His words made me sit up straight. My stomach twisted, and I let out a bitter burp. “Do me a favour and shut it,” I said, jabbing my finger at him. “Let me drink in peace.”
He leaned in, speaking over the bass thumping through the club. “You think this is peace? This is escape, Luther. Do you want real peace? Go talk to her.”
I let out a dry laugh and slumped back on the sofa. “Talk? She already made up her mind. She does not want to hear me. She has every reason not to.” I waved my hand, knocking over a half-empty glass. “I messed up, Mateo. Talking will not fix it.”
“You thought you could treat Charlotte like one of those women who worship the ground you walk on.”
His words hit me hard. I sat up again, frowning. “What are you trying to say?”
He opened his mouth, then paused, his eyes darted behind me. The next second, he was on his feet.
“We're done here. You’re going home.”
I scowled. “No, I am not.” I pushed myself up, leaned over the table, and grabbed the bottle. My hand shook, but I held it close like it could save me.
“I said now, Luther.” Mateo reached for my arm, but I pulled away, and that was when I saw her.
Everything around me went silent. She looked stunning and distant, and her eyes locked on mine for a brief moment before I noticed the man beside her, his hand casually resting on her back like he had a right to touch her.
My heart dropped, and my teeth clenched.
It was not just anyone. It was Gavin Hugh. That smug bastard. My business rival. I felt sick.
“She really meant it,” I whispered to myself. “She actually got a date.”
“Of all people…” Mateo muttered beside me, just as Gavin pulled out a chair for Charlotte and then made his way over to us with that irritating grin of his.
“You have guts showing up here,” I growled, rising to my feet and nearly losing balance.
“Easy, Luther,” Gavin said, casually adjusting his cufflinks. “I am not here for a fight. Just enjoying the night, same as you.”
I balled my fists. My heart was racing too fast, my mind was all over the place, and the only thing I knew for sure at that moment… was that I wanted to wipe that grin off his face.
"I saw you checking out my girl toy, so I came to war.."
I cut him off mid-sentence with a clean, satisfying punch to his nose. There was an audible crack as my fist connected with his arrogant face. A crooked smirk spread across my lips as he howled in pain, clutching his nose to stop the blood that was now gushing between his fingers.
"Gavin!" Charlotte's voice sliced through the noise in the VIP room. She rushed over to him, her heels clacking against the marble floor. Heads turned; the music faltered. I didn’t care. Let the whole damn city see what I'd done. But what cut deeper than anything was how she bypassed me like I didn’t even exist. She didn’t stop. Didn’t look. Just ran to him, panic written across her face. Watching her guide him toward the washroom, supporting his weight, left me winded. It felt like someone was scooping out my insides with a hot blade. Every step she took away from me poured gasoline on the fire already raging in my chest.
I didn’t resist when Mateo dragged me out. The security guards barely lifted a finger, they worked for me anyway. I was the reason this club was still standing.
“He deserved more than a single punch,” Mateo muttered, helping me into the passenger seat of my Mustang. He’d insisted on driving tonight. Now I know why. He knew I was going to lose control.
“Did you see the way she ignored me?” My voice cracked as I tried to swallow the tight knot forming in my throat.
“You should be glad she didn’t call you out publicly. You punched her date, Luther,” Mateo said sharply. I clicked my tongue in frustration, leaning my head against the seat, eyes shut tight. “He called her a girl toy. He disrespected her in my presence. I should’ve broken more than just his nose.”
My knuckles still ached, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. The rage I’d felt when Gavin opened his mouth wasn’t just about the insult, it was the way he said it, like she was nothing more than a possession, an object. Something inside me had snapped.
“You see what I mean now?” Mateo’s voice softened but didn’t lose its edge. “You’re falling for this girl, and you don’t even realise it. The Luther I know? He’d never throw a punch over what some asshole said about a woman, any woman. But with Charlotte? You're different. You feel something real. Just like you did seven years ago.”
“Don’t bring that up.” I clenched my jaw, the memories pushing against the edges of my mind like a wave I couldn’t hold back. “That’s the past, Mateo. Let it go.”
“We’ll have to talk about it at some point.”
“Not now,” I said sharply, eyes still shut, trying to block everything out.
The car was silent after that. I sank deeper into the seat, drowning in thoughts of her, Charlotte. The feel of her, the sound of her moans echoing in that damn cabin, the way she looked up at me like I was everything. And now? I was nothing to her. Then Mateo spoke again.
“By the way… I did some digging. Just wanted to be sure Charlotte was who she said she was.” He glanced over briefly. I nodded for him to go on. It was our silent pact, to always check, always be sure. I’d learned the hard way that trust was expensive.
“Her father was shot inside their home. Case is still open. But something about it felt off, so I looked deeper.”
“I know,” I said simply.
“No, Luther. You don’t know this. Two days after his death, someone cashed out his life insurance. And get this, the gun used to kill him? It turned up in a robbery not far from Charlotte’s place, just days later.”
My fists clenched again, but not out of rage. This time, it was fear.
“Stanley must know,” I said quietly. “He was the private investigator her mum hired back then.”
“If Charlotte knows anything about the robbery, she must be terrified,” Mateo added. “I’m assigning one of our best security men to her. Discreet, but close. If her father’s killer is still out there, and she’s somehow connected, we can’t take any chances.”
“Make it happen tonight,” I ordered. My voice was hoarse, but resolute. “If something happens to her…” I didn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t.
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