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A lice hurried back upstairs. The woman had refused to explain anything, so she’d left her coffee on the counter and headed to see Axel. In her mind a whirlwind of questions formed.

Why did they have a picture of her boss’s office? What were the rest of the papers they had stowed away? What other job did Axel have besides the bar?

Lost in her thoughts, she crashed into Axel just as he left the bedroom.

“Hey, Baby Girl.” His smile changed to a frown. “What’s going on?”

“Why do you have a picture of my boss’s office?” she asked without preamble.

“What?”

“I saw it now, downstairs. The girls say you must tell me what else you do for a living. What is it?”

Axel pressed his lips together. He ran his fingers through his hair.

“All right. Relax, Baby Girl. I can explain.”

“Then do it. Do it now. Why the secretiveness?” She tugged the lapels of his robe. Fear slithered its ugly head around her neck. What was he hiding?

“I’m an art thief. We’re art thieves,” Axel said.

Her hands dropped. She took a step back.

“Excuse me?”

Axel sighed.

“That’s how I’ve made my fortune. I’m a stealthy cat. We steal art for rich people who want peculiar paintings.”

“And what does my boss’s office have to do with any of this?”

“The painting in your CEO’s office is the one my latest client wants.”

“So, you’re going to steal it? Have you ... is this—you and I—because you want to access the building? Am I just a pawn in this heist?”

She crossed her arms to her chest, fighting off the shivers which threatened to wrack her frame.

“God, no! No, Alice. You just happen to work in the same place, but it has nothing to do with us. We have a picture of all the offices with accessible windows. That’s all. Your boss’s office has a window, which would make it easier for us to enter, that’s it.”

“It’s on the second floor, how are you going to climb to the second floor? What you’re saying doesn’t make sense.”

“Alice, there’s a fire escape ladder. Trust me. We’ve done this before.”

“How often? Never mind, don’t answer. Your fortune is dirty money.”

“Alice, please, we steal from the rich for the rich. We’re not taking anything from people like you or your friends.”

“No.” She put her hands up, staving him away.

“No. I’m sorry, Axel. This is too much. Lion shifters and now this.

Thieves. You’re all freaking thieves. I thought I could deal with the shifting aspect, if it’s even real.

At this point, I’m not sure if this is some kind of drug-induced dream, but thievery?

You’re like the mob. No. I’m done. I’m leaving. ”

She marched past him to grab her clothes. She quickly began to get dressed in jerky movements.

“Alice.”

“Don’t touch me.” She snatched her arm from Axel’s soft grip.

“I understand. I’ve pushed you too far, Baby Girl, in too short a time. I’ll drive you home.”

“No. I’ll call an Uber or a cab. I want you, no, scratch that, I need you to stay away from me.” She shook her head. “I can’t think clearly when you’re around, Axel.”

“No Uber will take you into the city from here. This isn’t easy to find, and besides, it’s expensive. Let me drive you.”

“No.”

“Fine,” he growled. “Then, I’ll ask one of the girls to take you. Please, Alice.”

Alice clenched her jaw to hide the tremble within her.

She didn’t think he was lying when he said an Uber wouldn’t take her back into the city.

She couldn’t recall how long it had taken them to drive out here.

Yesterday, it had all been a sweet dream.

Today, reality came crashing all around her, breaking perfection into tiny shards of glass which cut deeply.

She didn’t know where she was, and she clearly didn’t know who this man was.

She needed to leave before she got hurt more.

“Fine. Just get me out of here,” she said.