"My study," Axel replied, his voice carrying an edge I hadn't heard in a while.
I glanced back at Erica, who was watching us with obvious concern. "I'll be right back," I assured her, though I wasn't sure if that was true.
Axel led the way down the hall. When we reached his study, he held the door open for me, then closed it firmly behind us. The click of the lock seemed to echo in the silence.
For a moment, he just stood there with his back to me, his shoulders tensed . Then he began to pace, running his hands through his hair in a gesture of frustration I'd rarely seen from him.
"Axel…"
"Don't," he said sharply, holding up a hand to stop me. "Just... give me a minute."
I watched him pace back and forth across the Persian rug. The silence stretched between us, and I couldn't help but wonder what his first words would be.
Finally, he stopped and turned to face me. His dark eyes were blazing with a mixture of fury and fear, maybe?
