I try the handle, but it's locked.
I guess maybe Warren isn't the sort of person to start the workday early. I'm a little surprised though. He's supposed to be a really successful businessman. I had always assumed those types were early risers.
I turn to leave, only to find Duke heading down the hall toward me.
"What are you doing here?" he asks with a frown, inclining his head slightly. He doesn't look like he got much sleep.
Still, the sight of him makes my heart contract. The thought of how close we were last night, the memory of him inside me, it makes my stomach flop with delight. If only the air between us wasn't so tense.
"I…um…I was going to tell your boss that I want to go home," I explain.
"Is he not in there?" Duke frowns and steps past me. "That's not like him." He tries the handle before fishing a keycard out of his pocket. He swipes it and the lock clicks open. "Warren?" he calls out as he glances around the room.
The lights are off inside and there doesn't seem to be any movement.
"Where the hell is he?" Duke mutters as he walks past me again and starts sauntering down the hall.
I can't help but feel a little invisible. "Excuse me?"
"What?" Duke stops and looks back. "Did you need something?"
"Are we just playing dumb? Is that the solution you came up with?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips. "You're just going to pretend nothing happened?"
"Did something happen?" Duke asks, squaring up on me and folding his arms. "Because, the way I remember it, you skipped out on your shift early last night. The nurse confirms that you weren't feeling well and they gave you something to help."
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. I don't know why it hurts so much. I had resolved to go home, after all. Duke is pretty much giving me a free pass to stay if I want. I should be happy about that, shouldn't I?
"Did you forget what I said?" I ask him.
He closes the distance between us so quickly that I backpedal. Next thing I know, I'm backed up to a wall and his hands are blocking me in on either side.
"Which time?" he challenges, his voice barely above a whisper. "The time you blamed all this shit on me or the time you whined because I didn't knot you?"
There's anger and pain in his voice, but it still sends chills down my spine. He's not even touching me right now, but the proximity makes my skin tingle. I want him to touch me. I want him to take me in his arms and tell me that everything we did last night wasn't just because of the heat.
"I…uh…no…neither," I manage, trying to look away from his intense gaze. "I told you that suppressants won't do anything now that I'm already in heat."
"I'm aware," he says, looking away sharply.
"So what are you even saying?" I counter. "Because I can't stay here without risking another full-blown heat at some point."
"I'm aware," he continues, this time lifting his gaze to meet mine again. "I know how badly you need this job. I looked at your file again last night. You've been doing well for yourself at Omega for Hire, but it's not enough, is it?"
I swallow and look away. "I didn't realize that was in my file."
"Your parents are suing you," he continues, as if I needed to be reminded. "They're claiming you stole a bunch of money from them when you left. It's the main reason that Farron suggested this opportunity to you, isn't it? The court fees are beyond what you can afford."
"I didn't do it, you know," I protest with a frown. "They used the opportunity to sock a bunch of money away on something pointless. My parents are selfish assholes. All they've ever done is put themselves first. I escaped as soon as I was old enough and never looked back. I've worked my ass off to be rid of them and support myself, and then now, out of the blue, they come at me with this shit. I can't even afford to fight it." I take a deep breath and finally look up at him. "But I don't need your pity. I can find another way to get the money."
He sighs and looks up at the ceiling for a minute. "Will you stop being such a stubborn little jackass?"
"I don't have to stand here and listen to you insult me," I announce, pushing against his chest to try and make some space. I can't move him even an inch.
"Just let me help you," he says, his voice surprisingly gentle. "You don't have to be strong all the time you know." He looks back down at me and moves his arms away. "You're free to do whatever you want. But it's okay to rely on other people sometimes. Especially when they want to help."
I look at him with a frown. "And what do you want in return?"
He shakes his head. "At first, I couldn't understand why you were always talking back. Nothing you do makes any sense. Not until you actually stop and look at the details. I'm willing to bet your parents have bullied you your whole life, haven't they? In fact, a lot of people have taken advantage of the sweet kid that just wants somewhere to belong. Haven't they?"
"What's your point?" My walls are going up again. My throat is tight, my breathing shallow. He's still so close to me, but I could leave if I want to. I don't have to stay. But he's closer to the truth than anyone else has gotten before. I can hardly breathe.
"What's going on here?" an unfamiliar voice causes me to flinch. My gaze flicks up to see Warren standing just a few feet away. My heart plummets to my toes and I cough in surprise.
Duke lifts his eyes from me and turns toward Warren without any hint of surprise. "Where have you been all night?"
Ten
Duke
"I'm sorry, what?" Warren straightens his shoulders and takes a step back. "I asked you a question first."
I frown and turn my back on Isaac. My heart's still racing from the nearness of him and I'm a little miffed that Warren had to choose now, of all times, to barge in.
"You weren't in your office," I continue. "You disappeared right after dinner last night and no one could find you. You weren't answering your phone either. The only reason I didn't send out a search party was because I was able to bring up the surveillance footage and track you to your room." I let look at him pointedly. "Need I continue?"
I can tell from the expression on his face that he knows what I saw. He hadn't even tried to hide it really. His rendezvous with Anders was right there for anyone to see if they bothered to look. I already had to swear the camera operator to silence, but that's the least of my concerns right now.
"So what?" Warren says, shrugging his shoulders. "Is there actually a problem here?"
I sigh and roll my eyes. This isn't a conversation I want to be having in the middle of the hallway where anyone can hear. However…
I look back at Isaac. I really don't want to leave our conversation hanging like that. There's so much left to say and I'm afraid he still doesn't completely understand my intentions.
"You should go get some breakfast and finish getting ready for your shift," I tell him as gently as possible. "We'll finish this conversation later."