Page 30 of The Lion's Reluctant Mate

Chapter Twenty

Alice hurried backupstairs.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.”

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