cocaine?”
“Yes. Do you want some?”
“No.” I glared at him. “Not at all. I don’t. I’m
trying to explain something to you.”
“Yes, you seem to be having some difficulty.” He gave
the bag a shake. “Nothing like a little blow to loosen your tongue,
you know?”
“I don’t need drugs to talk.”
He set the bag down. “All right. All right. But can
you speed this up, Sloane? I admit I find you intriguing, but I
also get bored very easily, and I really can’t be sure how much
longer you’ll amuse me.”
My nostrils flared. “James Armstrong has kidnapped
Leigh and taken her to a secret lab so that he can do experiments
on her, and I need to talk to him, so that I can find out where the
lab is and get her back.”
Axel blinked.
I sighed. You know, when I said it out loud, it
sounded stupid.
“Kidnapped?”
“Yes.”
“By that asshole with the shaved head that you were
with earlier?”
“Griffin? No, he’s her husband.”
Axel looked horrified. “She married him?”
I dragged a hand over my face. If I didn’t need Axel,
I swear to Christ, I would turn around and leave right now. Being
in his presence was pretty much the most frustrating experience of
my entire life.
He opened the bag, took a tiny coke spoon out of his
breast pocket, and snorted it into his left nostril.
“Don’t do that,” I said.
“What?” he said.
“If you’re all fucked up on drugs when I’m trying to
talk to you—”
“Sloane, love, I do a line to wake up in the morning.
I’m always fucked up on drugs.”
Oh my God, this was horrible.
He rubbed his nose. “Let’s go back a minute. Did you
say that Leigh was married?”
“Yes, but that’s not the important thing. The
important things is that she’s been—”
“Kidnapped.” He got up from the couch and went over
to the window. He pulled the curtains aside and peered out into the
darkness. “Have you called the police?”
“We can’t… There are reasons the police can’t be
involved, but I can’t go into it.”
He turned back to me, arching an eyebrow. “But you’re
sure that this Armstrong person has her.”
I nodded. “Pretty sure.”
“And so you need my help to get to him.”
“That’s right.”
He turned to the window again. “What if I said it
sounds dreadfully dull to me, and I’m not interested?”
“Well, then I would tell you that Leigh’s life could
be in danger. When we were here before, you said you cared about
her. If you really care, you can’t let anything happen to her.”
He laughed softly, still facing away from me. “Maybe
I don’t care about Leigh. Maybe I gave up on her since she
obviously gave up on me.”
I interlaced my fingers and looked down at the
carpet.
He let the curtain fall down. “What if I told you
that I’d reached the end of my patience, and that I want you to
leave?”
I didn’t know what to say. “I…” I drew in a breath.
“I would beg you.”
Axel turned around and fixed me with a stare. His
eyes seemed to be burrowing into my own, like he was looking into
my soul. His voice was an intense whisper. “Do it. Beg.”
“I…” I felt flustered again. My throat was dry, and
it was hard to talk. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came
out.
All the while, he watched me, an eager look on his
face.
“Please,” I choked out. “Please, help me.”
A smile stole over his features. “Oh, I do love it
when beautiful women beg.”
I looked back at the carpet. Fuck him.
Wait. Had he just called me beautiful? I raised my
gaze back to his.
He was still smiling. “I’ll get you into the benefit.
You can come as my date. I haven’t decided on a plus one yet, and
my mother’s been after me about it. You’ll do. Of course, you’re
going to need something to wear.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Thank you. Thank you for
doing this.”
He shrugged. “Whatever. It’s this weekend. I’ll need
a way to get in touch with you to iron out the details. You
“Yes. Do you want some?”
“No.” I glared at him. “Not at all. I don’t. I’m
trying to explain something to you.”
“Yes, you seem to be having some difficulty.” He gave
the bag a shake. “Nothing like a little blow to loosen your tongue,
you know?”
“I don’t need drugs to talk.”
He set the bag down. “All right. All right. But can
you speed this up, Sloane? I admit I find you intriguing, but I
also get bored very easily, and I really can’t be sure how much
longer you’ll amuse me.”
My nostrils flared. “James Armstrong has kidnapped
Leigh and taken her to a secret lab so that he can do experiments
on her, and I need to talk to him, so that I can find out where the
lab is and get her back.”
Axel blinked.
I sighed. You know, when I said it out loud, it
sounded stupid.
“Kidnapped?”
“Yes.”
“By that asshole with the shaved head that you were
with earlier?”
“Griffin? No, he’s her husband.”
Axel looked horrified. “She married him?”
I dragged a hand over my face. If I didn’t need Axel,
I swear to Christ, I would turn around and leave right now. Being
in his presence was pretty much the most frustrating experience of
my entire life.
He opened the bag, took a tiny coke spoon out of his
breast pocket, and snorted it into his left nostril.
“Don’t do that,” I said.
“What?” he said.
“If you’re all fucked up on drugs when I’m trying to
talk to you—”
“Sloane, love, I do a line to wake up in the morning.
I’m always fucked up on drugs.”
Oh my God, this was horrible.
He rubbed his nose. “Let’s go back a minute. Did you
say that Leigh was married?”
“Yes, but that’s not the important thing. The
important things is that she’s been—”
“Kidnapped.” He got up from the couch and went over
to the window. He pulled the curtains aside and peered out into the
darkness. “Have you called the police?”
“We can’t… There are reasons the police can’t be
involved, but I can’t go into it.”
He turned back to me, arching an eyebrow. “But you’re
sure that this Armstrong person has her.”
I nodded. “Pretty sure.”
“And so you need my help to get to him.”
“That’s right.”
He turned to the window again. “What if I said it
sounds dreadfully dull to me, and I’m not interested?”
“Well, then I would tell you that Leigh’s life could
be in danger. When we were here before, you said you cared about
her. If you really care, you can’t let anything happen to her.”
He laughed softly, still facing away from me. “Maybe
I don’t care about Leigh. Maybe I gave up on her since she
obviously gave up on me.”
I interlaced my fingers and looked down at the
carpet.
He let the curtain fall down. “What if I told you
that I’d reached the end of my patience, and that I want you to
leave?”
I didn’t know what to say. “I…” I drew in a breath.
“I would beg you.”
Axel turned around and fixed me with a stare. His
eyes seemed to be burrowing into my own, like he was looking into
my soul. His voice was an intense whisper. “Do it. Beg.”
“I…” I felt flustered again. My throat was dry, and
it was hard to talk. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came
out.
All the while, he watched me, an eager look on his
face.
“Please,” I choked out. “Please, help me.”
A smile stole over his features. “Oh, I do love it
when beautiful women beg.”
I looked back at the carpet. Fuck him.
Wait. Had he just called me beautiful? I raised my
gaze back to his.
He was still smiling. “I’ll get you into the benefit.
You can come as my date. I haven’t decided on a plus one yet, and
my mother’s been after me about it. You’ll do. Of course, you’re
going to need something to wear.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Thank you. Thank you for
doing this.”
He shrugged. “Whatever. It’s this weekend. I’ll need
a way to get in touch with you to iron out the details. You
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