Chapter 42

I would take delight in watching him suffer. ‘‘I may reconsider spanking as a hobby if you keep this shit up.’’ He sounds annoyed which doesn’t even nearly faze me. I have learned that his danger tone is a complete contradiction to this and sparring is just plain annoying him and nothing more. It’s when he sounds eerily unemotional that you have to run.

‘’Kinky. I might be into it.’’ I jest huskily in a bid to make him more pissed. He hates it when I flirt even if it is in sarcasm and I can almost imagine those pale greys darkening to stormy steel right now. I figured out that his eye colour changes slightly per mood, so yet another of his tells in my little notebook of useful facts. I have a mental list titled ‘signs that I am annoying Alexi’ which is outlined in hearts and stars.

‘’I think it’s time I took you in hand and worked that attitude out, nothing much seems to work so maybe I should try something else.’’ It’s a veiled threat, a hint of seriousness but again I don’t give a toss. I have been getting away with sass for weeks now, and he either has a go, acts like a prick, or completely ignores me. No consequences for standing up to him, so why should I care anymore?

‘‘Don’t make threats if you’re not going to follow through. Anyway, what do you want? I have things to do and haven’t got all day to stand around chatting.’’ I give him a tad more edge, remembering I still have a bone to pick over his secret cameras. Re-finding that little rage simmering inside.

There’s a long silence and I wonder if for the first time I might witness him losing his cool. I push all day every day, I know one of these days he is probably going to snap and make me regret every single second of it. I wonder if that time has come.

‘’Either you walk up here now willingly, or I come get you and I will physically drag you kicking and screaming. Don’t test me.’’ Okay so that tone sends a shiver through me. The calm, low and precise. He’s really pissed now and I don’t mean in his normally casually almost good-humoured way. He’s not taking my shit today at all. Whatever his twin has done to his mood, it has put him on one and I am bearing the brunt. That wave of internal discomfort sobers me, and I swallow down all bravado, getting that shaky nervous inner floaty feeling. I know where the line lies.

‘‘Sure. Keep your pants on Carrero, all a bit of banter.’’ I relent dejectedly, accent slipping when I am genuinely nervous, hating that this one tone change can put me in my place so effortlessly. I have yet to see what comes after that tone and I don’t think I ever want to. Rumours are enough and I know from the ones I heard out on the street that he’s worse than any nightmares I may still have.

I turn on my heel and stalk out of the office back towards the lift, pulling my card from my bra where I keep it snugly hidden, to access the lift to the floor above. I catch Lucie glaring my way from his own office door, peering out like a little troll from his cave and I throw him a huge satisfied smile.

‘’You look as happy as always—must suck seeing me being the big bosses new sidekick, while you get demoted to book end. How does the new chain to your desk feel?’’ I wink bitchily and walk into the lift with a toss of my red locks. I hate that podgy little arsehole and I wouldn’t put it past him to smother me in my sleep given half a chance.

I laugh as a book goes flying past the doors as they slide shut and shake my head at the ridiculousness of the little imp. He’s got a bad temper when he’s out of Alexi’s earshot but as he’s the size of a pygmy then I doubt he could do more than punch me in the kneecaps. He fights like a little girl.

It only takes a moment to get upstairs and when I enter the apartment from the main door both men are sitting on the couch with beers in hand looking completely cosy and weird as hell. Now this is really what a pair of bookends look like and I have to double take. It’s creepy.