Page 9 of The Fixer

“No, but I find my appetite is nonexistent after the ordeal of the past twenty-four hours. There’s just something unsettling about being kidnapped and forced to comply that saps a girl’s fervor for sustenance.”

“We’ll take drinks in the common room, Albert,” Raithe announced.

They pulled my chair out before I’d even begun rising from the seat. Thanking the attendant, I reached for the glass of orange juice, only for it to tip over, cracking against another dish of food. Grabbing the glass, a shard sliced through my fingertip, causing blood to drip from it. All eyes slid to my blood dripping from my open palm. The man’s eyes mirrored the scarlet color of the droplets hitting the table, and dark, eerie lines began spreading from his eyes and out through his pale face. The surrounding air thickened with tension, and I leaned back as the man lunged toward me. Raithe caught the collar of his suit and threw him toward the wall, shielding me from seeing what was happening beyond the wall of his large, muscular body.

“Clear the room, gentlemen. Now,” Raithe hissed before he rounded to face me, wrapping a napkin around my hand. Turning at the sound of approaching footsteps, he snorted. “Just a minor mishap, Ransom,” he explained. “Please escort Miss Reed to the common room. Do not let her out of your sight until I join you.”

“Chevelle Reed, I presume?” inquired a deeply rich, accented voice.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Ransom. Best behavior, brother.” With the words out, Raithe stepped back and strode out of the room.

“Only if the lady wishes me to, brother,” the male stated, but I was too busy staring at the perfect duplicate of Raithe to tell him that would never happen.

“Identical twins?” I asked.

“Our faces are the only thing alike, dove,” he replied before offering me his elbow. I didn’t place my hand around it, but I smiled at the gentlemanly gesture. My eyes lowered to Raithe’s cock, and a blush spread over my chest as he smirked, fully aware of what I’d just been considering. “I didn’t take you for a prickly pear, Chevelle. With a name like you were given, I figured you’d purr and be a smooth ride.”

“I promise you there’s nothing smooth about me, Ransom. Lead the way,” I murmured, not failing to notice the glint of cunning and intrigue simmering in his façade. Unlike Raithe, Ransom had tattoos up his throat and framing his face. He wore a button-up shirt with the first three buttons undone. His jeans were designer, but they were ripped with a silver chain dangling from the belt loop, and a cross attached to the end, upside down.

Chapter Six

Thecommonroomwasa geek’s wet dream. Huge, state-of-the art digital monitors sat in a large command-center-style room. There were lounge chairs before each monitor and beside them were trays with keyboards. In the center of the circle was a large, hologram projector, which I’d been trying to land since before they hit the store shelves. In the corner was a sound system that put mine to shame. My lips parted on a whistle as I spun in a circle.

“Chevelle Reed in the flesh,” a tall, dark, and handsome man stated from where he watched me taking in the room. “I can’t believe he pulled it off and you’re actually here.”

“I did, and she is. Chevelle, this is Atlas. He’s the reason you’re here,” Raithe explained as he entered the room. Atlas winced when my stare landed on him and narrowed with accusation.

“I could have gone with someone else, but you’rethefixer. Something like this would happen someday, and you had to be aware it was coming eventually.” Atlas stated, pushing his fingers through his mane of dark blond hair.

“I’m technically the second best,” I corrected with ice chilling my tone. “Carson Abraham is considered the fixer of Washington D.C., while I’m merely an underdog.”

“Is that true?” Raithe asked, but he’d directed his question at Atlas.

“Tell him why that is, Chevelle.”

“Yes, tell me why I kidnapped the second-best fixer instead of the best,” Raithe demanded.

“Because I refuse to fix cases that involve human trafficking, sex charges, or murder of underage victims,” I replied without looking at either man. “Is that a hologram projector?”

“It is,” Atlas stated with enthusiasm. “You want to see how it works? It’s the best thing since Eve ate the apple,” he stated.

“Apple?” I asked, curiously.

“Garden of Eden? Fucking? You know,” he stated matter-of-factly. “It’s 3D and one of the few prototypes they sold. It came with a very hefty price tag, but it’s worth every cent I made Raithe pay for the thing.”

“And it projects an actual hologram?” I grinned as he nodded. “Damn. How clear is the image?”

“Lifelike. You can touch it, spin it, and even dissect layers to see other portions of images missed by the main imagery.”

“You two can nerd out later. Right now, Miss Reed needs to be told the rules,” Raithe stated. “Have a seat.”

Strolling toward the chair closest to me, I sat, crossing my leg over the other before sinking back into a plush, crimson chair. Raithe sat across from me, and only then did the others claim their own spots.

“In less than two weeks, I’ll be announcing my intentions to run for President of the United States of America. We’ll be hitting the campaign trail together, Elle. You’ll be my campaign manager. But you’ll also be expected to take out my competition while we’re on the trail. I want you to ruin the other two candidates with your lofty connections. You can, and will destroy anyone who seeks to take the presidency. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you considering your little black book of filth you’ve created on the men and women of Washington D.C. . . . Correct?”

“It would depend on if there is anything for me to find. Not all of Washington D.C. is filthy animals. In fact, there are a lot of good people there with pristine records. If you expect me to dig up dirt with the limited time we have before they begin to campaign, I’ll need to begin immediately. I’d need access to my phone and my laptop, but there are a few other things I’d require,” I stated while holding his gaze.

“Such as?”

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