Page 45 of Devious Secrets

“Do you live here?” I ask, suddenly very aware that a man like Alexander probably isn’t single. Mortification heats my skin.

“No. Not really.” Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows pull together. “Oh God, oh no!” She bursts out laughing. “Alexander is my brother! I’m not his… Oh, I can see what you’re thinking.”

She falls forward a step and holds on to my arm, still laughing.

“His sister?” Of course.

“You should have seen your face.” She sobers up a little and smiles.

“I’m sorry. You just surprised me, is all. I didn’t realize Alexander had a sister.”

“I’m not talked about much.” Her smile fades a little at the edges. “The bastard daughter.” She rolls her eyes. “We share a father, but not a mother.”

Oh.

“And you? Why are you trying to break into his office?” She lifts her chin in the direction of the door that refuses to open.

“I think my cell phone is inside,” I say plainly. I’ve searched my bag, my purse, and both bedrooms I’ve been in, and the phone is gone. If my math is right, Mira is due to send me a message. She hasn’t in the last month and a half, but I need to check my phone to be sure.

“And why would he lock your phone inside his office?” She looks like she’s thoroughly enjoying my discomfort.

I sigh.

“Because your brother can be a real asshole,” I state matter-of-factly. “He’s keeping me here against my will and all I want to do is call a friend and my boss. Definitely my boss.” Maybe if I come up with a good enough story as to why I just haven’t shown up the past few days, he’ll let me keep my job.

She stares at me for a beat, her face going stoic.

I’ve just insulted her brother.

“He can be an asshole.” She nods. “A huge one, in fact.”

Relief floods me.

“Will you help me?” Hope balloons inside me.

“Sorry.” She grimaces. “If I did, he’d have my ass.”

“Damn right, I would.” Alexander comes around the corner, his expression tense. “Elana, what are you doing here?”

“See?” She scrunches her face, then turns to him. “Not exactly the words of a loving brother.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “You know what I mean. It’s late and you have classes in the morning.”

“I know it’s hard for your old brain to understand, but there’s internet almost everywhere now, so I don’t have to stay tethered to my apartment in order to keep up with my classes.” She rolls her eyes. “Why are you keeping this girl locked up here?”

He sighs.

“Because,” he answers in a flat tone, which I’ve come to realize means he’s not going to say another word about it.

“Well, she’d like her phone back.” She jerks her thumb at me, and my face instantly reddening with a blush.

“Would she?” He glances over his sister’s shoulder at me, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Is that why you’re standing at my office door?”

“I was just seeing if you were inside,” I quickly say before Elana can rat me out.

“She was knocking really loud; that’s how I heard her over here,” she says in an attempt to help me.

“Really?” His left eyebrow arches higher. “So the scratches on the handle aren’t from someone trying to pick the lock?”

---