Page 209 of Axel

“Alright, Wildfire.” His smile is so bright. “Come on. Scorch my life as usual. Tell me whatever it is.”

Sparky sleeps between us. Swiper is having a field day with Axel’s golden tie.

“Well,” I sigh, “I met some old friends today. You know them. Ruslan and Katya.”

His eyes ice. His brows lower. He knows I’m not kidding.

“They took a ride on the elevator with me today and needed to talk.”

Axel’s lip curls. “Did he lay a hand on you?”

Because we all know what he would do if his father did.

“No,” I answer. “But you’d be proud of me.”

“I’m always proud of you.” He’s way too calm. “So tell me. What happened, Ruby?”

“Well, I made a big deal with your father … then I threw up on Katya.”

NOT THE END