Page 70 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

I went back to my office and, by the time I got there, good sense had returned. I balled up the sticky note and threw it in the trash.

It took another hour of staring at my computer screen, mulling over the possible family emergency that had forced him away from me, before I un-crumpled the note and called an Uber.

Alex lived only a couple miles from the office and less than a mile from my condo. All I had to do was flash my work badge at the doorman and tell him I had a meeting with Alex at his condo, and he let me right up.

I took the elevator, stoking my rage to be sure I didn’t embarrass myself in front of Alex.

I walked down the long hall and almost turned around twice. I didn’t want to see him. But I had to do it. I needed closure.

I knocked on Alex’s door and rang his doorbell, but there was no answer.

My anger ramped up. I’d come all the way down there for nothing and he was probably out with friends, or out with another woman. Or, he was already in bed with another woman.

I’d turned to walk away when I heard a thud and a groan from inside.

The sound spiked through my brain like an ice pick. I should walk away, but I needed to be sure. I pressed my ear to the door and held my breath.

There was another thud and then the sound of glass breaking. That was acrobatic sex going on in there or…When I heard someone, not Alex, swearing in a deep voice. Nothing going on in there sounded sexual in nature.

I pounded on the door and screamed at the top of my voice for help, for the police.

I wasn’t thinking straight.

If I had been, I would have called the police myself, instead of drawing the attention of whoever was inside. If Alex was watching a violent movie, I was going to be really embarrassed.

The door opened so suddenly, I almost fell inside. I caught myself just as the man in front of me, a man with a square jaw and beady eyes, smiled. “Can I help you?”

One skill Krav Maga taught me was to be fast on my feet, but also to avoid a fight or a confrontation at all costs. “I’m meeting Alex,” I said, smiling brightly. “Are you a friend?”

“Alex isn’t feeling well,” he said, already closing the door. “Come back later.”

“Oh, the poor dear.” I pushed my way into the apartment, leading hard with my shoulder, followed by a hit to his gut with my elbow. Beady eyes grunted and took a step back. Just enough for me to barrel past him into the condo.

Beady eyes grabbed my ponytail and yanked me back. I caught a glimpse of Alex on the floor, struggling to stand up with a big burly dude looming over him.

I leaned back into beady eyes’ grip on my hair, twisted and hit him hard in the throat with the side of my hand. He dropped my ponytail but kept coming toward me.

I ducked when he tried to grab me and hit him in the shin with a low kick. The kick knocked him off-balance and he toppled to the floor.

I scrambled up and headed toward Alex, only to be stopped by the other huge guy. A guy with a man bun, a neatly trimmed beard, and muscles on top of muscles. He sauntered over to me like I was a little girl who hadn’t just brought his partner to his knees.

I smiled and bent my knees, ready to take him on. He never made it to me. Alex swung his good leg and swept man bun to the ground. He leapt on man bun and got him in a choke hold.

Man bun was bigger than Alex, but Alex was on him like a spider monkey and the guy couldn’t move him.

I heard movement behind me and spun just in time to avoid being grabbed by beady eyes.

He swore and came at me again, but I ducked and wove and got to the other side of him. I made a run for the condo door.

My plan was to get the hell out of there and call the cops, hopefully while leading beady eyes away from Alex, but sirens made beady eyes freeze.

He shoved past me and out of the condo like his ass was on fire.

Alex dropped off the guy he had successfully squeezed unconscious.

He sat on the floor, his casted ankle stretched out before him and looked up at me. “You think the cops are coming here?”

“I’d say that’s a pretty good possibility since I was outside your door yelling for them.”

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