Alexander refused to betray the fear gathering under his collar bone. The Magnus, his grandfather, would do him no harm in the end. However, he would make him suffer along the way which he could hardly look forward to. Though they disagreed about how things should be run, the Magnus and Lore had a respect for one another he had seen her give to few people.
“Forgive my absence. Sheridan informs me I’ve given myself to excess a bit too often of late.”
“A good girl, Sheridan. She looks after your interests quite well. Lore used to do the same.”
Stick the knife in and twist it. Apparently grudging respect only lasted as long as one wasn’t in the ground.
“I understand there are some things I need to attend to,” Alexander continued. He wouldn’t give his elder the satisfaction of knowing he was utterly shaken beyond what had already reached his ears. Sheridan made it quite clear the Magnus had called every day to find out about his whereabouts and what if anything he was getting himself into. Were it a normal breakdown, perhaps he would have been playing the piano like a maudlin and getting annoyed with the one other person in the house who would come near him in that state. As it stood, he drank himself stupid and pretended the world didn’t exist.
“There are, but they can wait. I want to see you here at the villa within the hour.” Click.
Shock might have made some speechless, but Alexander was neither shocked nor speechless. The Magnus was less than pleased with him; therefore, he needed an in-person private meeting which meant going to the villa. Thank goodness for the ability to teleport. An hour was hardly enough time to get out of the city much less make it up the mountain to the estate.
With a sigh, Alexander straightened the tie he didn’t wish to be wearing and considered how fast he could wrap up his few further affairs at the club so he could make the Magnus’s deadline.
His cellphone buzzed in his pocket.
“The Magnus just sent me a text saying he expected to see me within the hour. I take it you’re going up there?” Sheridan sounded a lot less confident than her wording implied.
“I— Yes. He’s requested my presence. I suppose you’re supposed to be there either to remind me of my humanity or drive me home.” Mostly likely to drive him home after the Magnus got through flaying skin off him. Not exactly the best way to remind him of exactly how much power the old man had, but it was effective. Alexander rarely found himself thinking of ways he could possibly piss the man off more and that alone was a feat. He thought about how to piss everyone off at least once a day.
“I’ll come collect you. Be ready to go in twenty. I need to finish looking at some things there.”
“They tell you what they wouldn’t tell me?”
“Yes, and I’m highly irritated by all that. However, I’ll deal with it and the problems arising from it later. Bye.” He hung up without waiting for her to say good-bye to him. She might mind the lack of pleasantries, but he didn’t. Time was not on his side.
Alexander considered whether or not he needed to move from his desk to do what he wanted to do next. Getting everyone in his office would be a tight squeeze though and honestly, he didn’t need the smells of sweat and body oil leaking into his carpet. It was bad enough when he was in the dressing area for the dancers. He did, however, need to know what they knew about the bartender skimming from the plate. The club made a great deal of money for Alexander and he paid well. No reason for anyone to steal from him and yet…
Rage bubbled up and fed on the fear of what was to come. He threw one punch at the far off wall and watched the plaster cave in with the force of his telekinesis. It would require fixing. He’d pay someone to do it soon enough.