Page 30 of The Billionaire's Masquerade Ball

“Nope,” Wyatt said, ducking his head to look at his computer.

“Is there something we should know?” Judy asked.

Xander let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed his coat from the wardrobe by the door.

Wyatt grinned and snapped his laptop shut. “If you’re going to go break someone’s face, sir, I’m not going to miss that. Though I have to check to see what our liability insurance will cover if you punch someone. I think it’s probably better that it’s on their property, not ours.”

Judy chuckled. “Take a video if things get exciting, Wyatt.”

“Both of you are being completely ridiculous,” Xander said.

“Oh, we’re being ridiculous?” Judy asked, a challenge in her voice.

“Hold my calls, Judy. And cancel my morning. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“What about the morning meeting with the Foundation committee?”

Xander waved a dismissive hand as he jabbed the elevator button with his other hand. “The numbers and totals aren’t going to change in a few hours. We’ll convene at eleven. Order some lunch. That should help people with the time change.”

As the elevator doors slid closed, Xander saw Judy’s snide grin. “I’ll spare no expense.”

Wyatt snorted. After Xander leveled a glare at him, he looked down at his feet for the rest of the ride down. Judy’s comment was perfect, though, and for the first time since the gala, Xander found himself chuckling.

The ride to Looking Glass only got Xander more keyed up. Wyatt worked on his laptop the whole time—he probably hadn’t been joking about the insurance claim—and Xan found himself lost in his thoughts. He craved the vindication he would feel hearing from Gail herself that she was going to fire Patrick.

But that wasn’t what got his blood pounding in his ears. It was the thought that he might see Cynder again. He was fairly certain that she worked directly for Looking Glass, but she might have been on contract with one of the companies they worked closely with. If he didn’t see her in the office, he could probably secure a vendor list and get the interns to go through it until he could find her name and number. He had two women to track down, but the more he thought about it, the more his thoughts gravitated toward Cynder.

Xander had been closing himself off from these kinds of feelings for so long. Now that they were running loose, he couldn’t figure out how to put them back or what to do with them.

“Here we are,” Wyatt said as the town car pulled up out front.

“How are we on insurance?” Xan asked, cracking his knuckles.

Wyatt stared at him with wide eyes until Xander couldn’t hold back his laughter. Wyatt smiled sheepishly. “Oh, a joke. Got it.”

They stepped out of the town car and Wyatt told the driver to stay. Xander examined the building. Looking Glass was on the third floor of a smaller building on the edge of the city. He shifted his weight on his feet, putting his hands in and out of his pockets as they rode up. Now that they were here, Xander found that his rage toward Patrick had given way to a jittery excitement.

Wyatt stared at him. “Are you seriously going to punch him? I thought you were joking, but you look nervous.”

“If I do, what’s the damage?” Xander asked, a smile playing on his lips.

Wyatt pursed his lips and then nodded. “I mean, it wouldn’t be good. But it’s better that you hit him here than on Obsidian property. I sent our lawyer a message, just in case.”

Xander was still laughing when the elevator doors opened. “Man, I love having you around.”

“I don’t understand,” Wyatt said.

“I’m not punching anyone,” Xander said. “I just love that you’re thorough enough to actually check the insurance.”

“Thank you?”

“Remind me to talk to you later today if we have time about your goals. And your future.”

Wyatt grinned. “That sounds, uh, either really great or really terrifying. I’m leaning towards terrifying.”

Xander laughed again as the found the door with Looking Glass on the name plate. “It’s good. Probably.”

Best to keep him on his toes.

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