Page 116
Xander pulls the door open to his office, and we all follow him inside. There, in the middle of the room, is a woman lounging in his leather chair, her feet up on the black glass desk.
The click of a gun pulls my attention to the other person in the room.
My eyes widen as they land on the police officer who was at DL when it was searched.
Xander slides in front of me, arm stretched out firmly holding the gun, pointed right at the officer with the closely shaved brown hair and tattoos snaking up his neck.
He smiles at Xander, showing all his teeth. My gut drops when he slowly pulls his gun out and points it back at Xander.
Jacques slides up beside me, hand in his pocket, but I don’t see the outline of a gun. Rather, a sharp point of a knife a few inches down from his pocket. He looks more casual than anyone else in this room. Ezra and another guard that I don’t know the name of—I assume Daniel, who Xander mentioned earlier—also ready their guns.
“What the fuck is this?” Xander growls, focusing his gaze on the gorgeous woman sitting at his desk.
She tuts and unfolds her legs, standing up dressed in black jeans and a tight tank top, showing off all her rounded curves.
“Put your toys away, children. We’re not here to cause trouble.” Her voice is deep, sexy, and feminine, with a very slight twang of an Italian accent.
No one moves. Everyone is locked in a staredown.
“Tell your pet to put his gun down first,” Xander says, his tone low and dangerous. It sends shivers down my spine.
The officer unlocks the safety on his gun, glaring at Xander. “What did you call me?” he asks in a deep, rich voice, with a similar accent to Jacques.
If I didn’t have four men defending me, I would be running for the hills at that tone.
“Axel,” the woman hisses, and Axel immediately pockets his gun. She throws a pointed look at Xander, but he makes no attempt to move. She tuts again, rounding his desk and leaning against it with folded arms. She’s much closer to us now, standing right in front of Xander. Not an ounce of fear manifests on her face. And that, I kind of admire. I wish I had the strength to be so desensitised to danger. But the truth is, for me it’s all a mask. I feel fear the same way any other person would, and that’s the one thing I hate the most. The way she carries herself screams powerful.
Xander gives her his attention but keeps his gun fixed on Axel.
“Put your fucking gun down,” Axel warns from the corner, his gun making an appearance once more. He starts taking slow steps towards Xander. “If you harm a single hair on her head, I won’t hesitate to blow your plaything’s head off.”
A deafening sound rings out in the room.
I flinch, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes shut.
A burning smell fills my nose as I peel open my eyes and see a small hole in the wall next to Axel’s head. The rage radiating off Xander is palpable.
My heart skips as I gauge Axel’s reaction. Weirdly, my body is gearing up to jump in front of Xander’s should he attempt to harm him. Something similar to protectiveness.
It feels like I literally have no control over the movement.
The woman’s eyes flick over to me at my subtle movement, and her mouth quirks up in a grin.
Xander’s nostrils flare, and he’s gripping the gun so tight his knuckles have turned white.
“Xander,” I whisper and place a hand on his arm, attempting to guide it down. My gaze is fastened on Axel’s, whose chest heaves as equally as Xander’s.
“The same goes for her,” Xander says, voice tight, and he winds his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.
Axel dips his head—a mutual understanding.
Glancing over at the woman, her face is a mask of annoyance as she glares at everyone in the room.
“Everyone, put your goddamn guns down.” Her voice is calm. “Axel, sit. There’s too much fucking testosterone in the room.”
I don’t know who this woman is, but I’d rather no one die tonight, so I grip Xander’s elbow and pull it down in one rough pull. His arm comes down, but I can hear his noisy exhales.
“Talk. And make it quick,” Jacques says, jerking his chin towards her.
