Page 15 of Wolf Fated
I shrugged, but his praise warmed me inside. “A regular occurrence in my industry. Can’t tell you how many times I had to restock the first aid kit. Burns and cuts are part of the occupational hazard. You were lucky, the glass didn’t get deep.”
I wiped my hands off on one of the napkins and put the broken glass into the trashcan next to the minibar. “Would you have let me go if I said I wanted out in the limo?”
“That’s not the question you should be asking yourself.” Axel placed his uninjured hand over mine and I stared at where he touched me. "But would Stephen have?”
I met his gaze. “What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, Axel stood, striding to the door.
I swallowed, not trusting my voice for a moment. This was because of Stephen's gambling addiction. I'd thought he'd cured himself until I came here to Las Vegas. Alex looked over his shoulder at me. "I'm not going to back out of our deal.” Not that I could if I wanted to. I had to go along with whatever they wanted until I could figure out a way to escape. To contact the authorities about the bloody shirt. For now, I had to bide my time. Act like I was on board with whatever they wanted. This wasn’t only about a bet; this was about survival. “So, what do we do now?"
7
“Then let the games begin.” Axel left the library and I hurried up to catch up to him.
When he paused, looking back at me, I rubbed my arms, my feet refusing to move forward.
"Um... why am I here?" I pressed my arms to my stomach, thinking about my insistence not to have sex with any of them and what they wanted with me. "I'm no one. I'm just a waitress from Chicago who was supposed to be married right now.”
Axel closed the distance between us, staring down into my face. "Then where is your future husband-to-be? Has he called you or sent you a fucking message... anything?"
I blanched, his words cutting me to the bone. “How can he? You blocked all the messages coming in and out of this place. Did you do something to him? Oh God, you killed him didn't you.” I backed up. “I knew I shouldn't have trusted any of you."
"The weasel's alive," Axel grumbled. “For now.”
"I don't believe you. If you haven't hurt him, then prove it." I lifted my chin despite my stomach recoiling. Let them think they could show me anything and I'd be ready for the outcome.
"Fine." Axel's lips hardened into a firm, white line. He pulled out his cellphone and tapped a bunch of numbers.
"Hello," Stephen's voice answered over the speaker phone. "What’s up?"
"Say hello to your fiancée before she tries something stupid." He handed the phone to me, and Stephen glowered on the phone's camera at me.
"Stephen." I sank to my knees in the lush carpet that had to be at least three inches thick. "I-I thought something happened to you. Why didn't y—"
"Brookie, baby. I told you everything's gonna be all right. You just got get through these thirty days and I can't help you." He looked away like someone else was there with him. "You’re strong. You got this. I'm counting on you, okay?"
"Okay." I blinked back tears. "I lov—"
"Gotta go. You're my girl, though. Keep my luck and we got it made." He hung up and I sat staring at the phone, my body trembling.
I laid Axel's phone down beside me. Some weird part of me thought Stephen would call me right back despite what he said.
I was starting to get so desperate for something to help the raw feeling inside my gut that I'd try anything. And what was up with Stephen? He'd been in such a hurry to get off the phone with me and was it my imagination or did he act like he knew more about this agreement than I did?
They couldn't honestly think that I'd choose any of them over Stephen no matter what luxuries they threw in front of my face. All it did was emphasize how different I was from them. How I could never measure up to their wealth and stature no matter how hard I tried.
Stephen was right. This was our ticket to a whole new future, and I wasn't going to blow our chance.
8
“Come on. Drake’s made food.” Nathan led me through the living room and into a huge kitchen. The place had two silver refrigerators and a stovetop with nine burners and an indoor grill-looking thing in the middle. Pristine white cabinets and a glimmering granite countertop completed the ensemble.
"Wow, this looks amazing."
There was a salad, baked brie, caviar, lobster, and pasta. I made a plate, then noticed none of them were doing the same. “Um... aren't you all going to eat?"
"We ate earlier—" Nathan said.
