CHAPTERFIVE
My boss was even gawking as Rune Mason and Mr. Alaric Wood knocked on the locked front door. But he recovered himself quickly enough, casting a questioning glance in my direction at the “acquaintances” I had, as he rushed to the door to unlock it with a handprint scanner. The red light ran down his hand, then a blue light ran back up it in acceptance. The door unlatched, and he opened it wide, gesturing for them to come inside.
My libido kicked into overdrive again at the mere sight of Rune. He was back in his usual suits that fit him perfectly in all the right places to accentuate his flawless body. Mr. Wood was just as gorgeous in his own way, but he didn’t hold my attention the way Rune did.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, so I didn’t start fanning my flushed face. I took a few steps forward as Rune headed straight in my direction. But I froze in surprise when he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips in greeting—right in front of my ogling co-workers.
Was this acceptable behavior?
I had no flipping idea.
“Hey,” I mumbled as he straightened. A blush had fully formed on my cheeks, but I ignored it. Instead, I tipped my head in the direction of the drunkards. “They’re out pretty hard.”
Mr. Wood’s eyes evaluated me in a professional manner before he glanced at his sleeping friends. He shook his head and sighed, murmuring under his breath, “Two broken souls.”
Rune took a step closer to my body, pressing his side against mine while assessing the situation. “I’ll take Cass. You can take Poppy.”
Mr. Wood nodded in agreement, rubbing at his jaw. “How long do you think this shit is going to last, man?”
“Who the hell knows with those two.” Rune shook his head then peered down at me. “You ready to go, beautiful?”
My cheeks flushed again, and I peeked at my co-workers from the corner of my eye. One of them was even using the wall to prop herself up, appearing faint. Wonderful. “Yeah, let’s go. I already received my tips.”
Mr. Wood flicked a finger at the sleeping duo. “Did you serve them?”
A little guilty, I only nodded my head, keeping the smile from springing forth.
He chuckled and shook his head of brown hair. “Must have been a good night for you.”
My chin quivered in an attempt to keep from laughing. “Yes, it was.”
Rune clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
I held the door open while Mr. Wood carried Poppy outside with gentle care. Rune wasn’t as careful with Cassander. He merely flopped the deadly man over his shoulder with ease and walked out with an exasperated expression livening his features. I waved at my co-workers, chirping, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Like a mute group, they lifted limp hands and waved, their jaws still hanging open.
I snorted and shut the door, following the men up the iron stairs into Wood Corporation’s private train, reserved only for Mr. Wood. The stairs retracted, and the door shut behind us, closing us in on one of the finest trains I had ever ridden in. Plush beige leather with the Wood Corporation’s bear emblem stitched into the seats, real hardwood floors and dark paneling, the roof decked out in red buttoned silk. The only other comparable train I’d ever been in was Baker Corporation’s train, the day Mr. Baker had interrogated me about the kidnapping.
I swallowed on a dry throat, afraid to walk any further. I had no clue what was on the bottom of my sneakers, but they squeaked and stuck to the floor in the bar. I bent down and started untying them as the clean blue energy lifted the train into the air seamlessly, the destination typed in on the main panel by Mr. Wood. He didn’t even seem hindered by the load he carried in his arms.
Rune glanced back at me as he dropped Cassander into a chair in the back. His black brows snapped together, while he straightened to his full height. “What are you doing, Megan?”
“Taking off my dirty shoes.” I grunted with the effort, my wide eyes still taking in the train cabin.
He shook his head and chuckled, taking a seat directly in front of the sleeping man. “You can stop. Trains like these have self-cleaning technology thanks to Wolfe. By morning, it’ll be as shiny as it always is.”
“Oh.” I stopped hopping on one leg and lowered my right foot back to the ground. I brushed my hands onto the back of my pants. “I didn’t know that.”
I was an uncouth idiot. A poor girl in a rich world.
He patted the seat next to him. “Come sit down and get off your feet for the few minutes we have.”
My blue eyes lingered on Mr. Wood as he placed Poppy on the chair directly next to Cassander’s form. He pressed two buttons on the chairs and both seats reclined, so they weren’t slumped in the chairs. My head cocked as their heads, like dead drunken weight, fell to the side so their foreheads were pressed together. Mr. Wood even stopped for a second to look at them, his head cocking in surprise.
Rune glanced over the back of his chair to see what I was watching. His brows shot high on his forehead, and he muttered, “You better move them a little bit. They’ll freak out if they wake up like that.”
Mr. Wood sniggered and leaned over, grabbing both of their chins to tilt their heads away from one another. He lifted and crossed his arms, studying them. His head nodded in satisfaction. “That’s better.”
