Page 31 of Theirs to Corrupt
“We’ll be right outside,” Pax says. “And?—”
“Keep the door locked. Don’t answer unless it’s one of the agents or you,” Natalie interrupts, shaking her head like she’s heard the safety drill a hundred times.
Pax raises an eyebrow, evidently amused by her attitude. “Exactly.”
Then he looks at me. Wishing I’d be that agreeable?
Not a chance.
With a tight nod, he pulls the door closed.
Once we’re sealed in tight, we fall into each other’s arms, and the worry and stress hit me hard, leaving me breathless.
“Oh my God, Nat. I’m so sorry. I’ll never forgive myself for getting you involved in this.”
“Don’t start with that shit.” Natalie pulls back, giving me her no-nonsense look. “From day one, you told me your brother was trouble.”
But even I’d had no idea he was involved with the Mafia.
“I need all the deets.”
Glancing around, I follow her deeper into the suite.
The living room area has floor-to-ceiling windows and a comfortable-looking couch, along with two chairs. And she even has a large vase filled with flowers.
Off to one side, a table is set with a silver pot. Coffee, I guess, since it’s accompanied by several smaller pitchers and a sugar bowl. And she has an enormous tray filled with fruit and pastries and cheese, and even some brightly colored macarons.
“There’s enough here for a small army,” she says with a shrug. “All I wanted was a bagel and a cup of coffee.”
With what I know of Pax and Link already, I’m not really surprised that they’d arrange for a feast.
I skip the offerings, except for a bottle of water.
My insides are still too jumbled for food.
I drop into a chair, and Natalie sits opposite.
She stares at me, her expression a mix of concern and confusion. “What the hell happened last night?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tessa
Where to start?
I sigh as I drop into a chair. “It’s a long story.”
Natalie grabs her cup and sits across from me. “You look like you haven’t slept.”
“I haven’t,” I admit. “But neither have you.”
“No.” She shakes her head, her expression tightening as she glances toward the window, almost as if she’s trying to find the right words. “When I came home after work and saw that there’d been a break-in, I was terrified. I didn’t know if you were in there. Or if your brother had found you. So I called your cell phone.” She shrugs. “Pax told me you were okay and that I needed to go somewhere safe.”
Guilt stabs through me, making me shudder. “Nat…” A lifetime of apologies will never be enough.
“He wouldn’t tell me much.”
So it’s up to me to fill in the details. “When I left the Rusty Nail, some of Axel’s men tried to grab me.”