Page 173 of Empire State Enemies

I know she’s a good person, and I know she came from a good place. But my tolerance for people overstepping is low. This was never going to work out.

I’m no expert in love, but I understand business. Some guys get a kick out of stretching negotiations, playing mind games, flexing their power to make the other guy sweat. That’s not my style. I don’t mess around with people. If something’s not working, I cut it off cleanly, move forward, and hunt down the next opportunity, ensuring freedom for the other party to do the same.

I owed Lexi that level of straightforwardness. Ending it wasn’t the mistake—it was inevitable, a disaster waiting to happen. However, the manner in which I did it? That was off-mark. Lexi deserves better than that.

???

I down my daily dose of steroids along with a protein-packed breakfast. Damn, this pill regimen sucks and it’s not even effective half the time. The thing about my condition is that there’s no long-term solution—one treatment might work wonders for six months, then taper off and become useless. And when that happens, you climb up another rung on the ladder of scary drugs with even more side effects.

I dial Lexi’s number, figuring I’ll have to ring her up a dozen times before she’d even think about answering.

But instead, I get nothing—just a constant busy signal.

I stride down to the IT team on the sixth, my eyes landing on some young guy lost in his oversized headphones. “Hey,” I say.

The kid damn near launches himself through the ceiling. Do I really come off that intimidating? “Sir! Uh—how can I assist you, Mr. Quinn?”

I shoot him a look that saysrelax. “Got a question I need IT expertise for. Let’s say, hypothetically, a phone number’s giving nothing but busy signals. Could that be someone riding the subway, out of reach, or is it a straight-up block?”

He furrows his brow, deep in thought. “Well, it kind of depends on the carrier. There’s a distinct busy signal when you’re blocked—more rapid, never lets up. It’s pretty rare that it’s just the network glitching, especially with the major providers.” He shoots me a worried look. “Should we be looking into this, sir?”

Huh. So she’s blocked me.

“It’s fine,” I say, already turning to leave.

I’ve had some time to cool down and reflect. Realized I may have handled things poorly in the heat of anger. Now it’s time to own up and apologize for the way I showed her the door. Yeah, I could’ve kept my head cooler. I respect Lexi enough to see that. The things I said though? I’m not walking any of that back.

But the woman has blocked me. And I’m not about to show up at her doorstep or ambush her at work.

Seeing as I’m already making rounds on the IT floor, might as well take a shot at a different angle. And this way, the ball’s in Lexi court.

I stroll over to the Web Development department. The manager spots me and heads over. “Just need a sec with Grace,” I tell him, then quickly add, “It’s not about work,” when I see theconcern flash across his face. “I’m on her cousin’s rugby team,” I lie, internally rolling my eyes at myself. Now I’m getting creative with my excuses, Lexi-style.

Grace is zeroed in on her computer screen, clearly excited about whatever’s going on there. Today, she’s traded her usual quirky tees for a button-up that saysI have an adult job.

I can’t help but crack a grin at the sight.

Grace’s expression flips completely when she spots me, looking like she just got caught by her dad at a party in front of all her friends. After the manager murmurs something to her, her shock turns fromcaught red-handedtofull-on panic mode.

But she steels herself and meets me out in the hallway.

Seeing her up close, it strikes me—she’s got Lexi’s sweet button nose. The resemblance throws me for a loop and suddenly, I’m adjusting my tie, feeling unexpectedly out of place in front of the young intern.

“Hello, Mr. Quinn,” she greets me, her tone overly formal.

“Grace, it’s Connor. You don’t have to stand on ceremony with me.”

“I think I’ll stick to Mr. Quinn.”

“All right, if that’s what makes you comfortable. First off, I want to assure you that your job here is secure. Your boss thinks I’m here to deliver some message to a ‘cousin’ of yours from my rugby team.”

She gives me a suspicious nod.

“I need a favor,” I tell her. “Could you pass on a message to your sister to call me?”

“Nope.” Her voice takes on a protective edge. “She’s done with you after the way things ended.”

Looks like the little sister’s picked up a thing or two about loyalty from Lexi. She’s sticking to her guns, but she might rethink that stance once she’s had a chance to cool down. She’lllearn soon enough working with us that business isn’t a place for emotions.