Page 3 of Playing With Fire
“You kept everyone waiting for almost 20 minutes, nice to see you haven’t changed,” she says with a sneer. I raise an eyebrow. Really, is all this hostility necessary?
I ignore her and turn to Joseph.
“What’s wrong?” I ask the man who looks amused. So does everyone else. I really don’t like the looks on their faces. What are they thinking?
“Alex requires our assistance,” Joseph says gesturing at the woman beside me.
“I might be in trouble,” she says on a sigh.
“Of course,” I say, shaking my head.
She glares at me. After some prompting from Thomas, she begins to tell us just what type of trouble she’s gotten into.
Chapter 2
(Alexandra)
______
“Why, Robin X?” the blue-eyed man asks from beside me.
I just finished telling them why I need their help.
When a man called me a few days ago, claiming to know who I really was and threatening to release the information to the world, I thought it was some kind of joke. But three calls later and I knew he was legit. I fucked up somewhere and now I’m in danger. If the world knows who I really am, I’ll literally die.
I told them the details of where the blackmailer would like to meet up. It’s a red carpet event in L.A. happening a week from today. I’m not dumb enough to go alone. I could be in danger which is why I need protection. Thankfully, my friend Selena mentioned once that her ex-husband is former military. She also mentioned that he was in an agency that helps people who need protection.
I just didn’t know I would meet Satan here. I could have lived three lifetimes without having to see his smug, unsettlingly handsome face again.
“Hello, earth to Xandra,” he says waving an arm in my face.
I glare at him. He knows I don’t like being called Xandra. I’ve always preferred Alex but when he found out, he made sure to always call me Xandra. More than 15 years and he still hasn’t changed. Although I’m really surprised he went to the military. What did he do there? Hacking?
There’s only one person I know that’s better than me when it comes to computers, and it’s the 6 foot 2 inches dark-haired guy beside me.
“Really, that’s the first thing you want to ask?”
He leans back in his seat, the picture of composed and calm. His ego is an infuriating, annoying thing.
“Enlighten us,” he says in his faint British accent which I’m surprised has yet to disappear. Most would say it has, but I’m someone who knew him when his accent was still prominent. I’m always going to hear it.
He gestures to the rest of the people in the room. They’re all watching our interaction with amused smiles. I already brought them up to speed about the relationship between Ritchie and me before he came in but somehow, I think they missed the message. Although I’m not sure how they misunderstood what I told them. Ritchie is Satan and I’m the bane of his existence. We referred to each other as that when we were teenagers but I guess I can’t call him that anymore without sounding juvenile.
“I don’t really want to,” I say, already feeling the blush tinging my cheeks.
“It’s from Robin Hood, isn’t it?” he asks. He’s already laughing and I have to fight the urge to strangle him. I picked the name years ago when I was still young. It just stuck and I didn’t feel like changing it. Also Robin Hood was kind of my idol as a kid.
“So, Robin Hood and the X in Alex makes Robin X?” he asks, still chuckling, “It’s actually kind of cute.”
I ignore his remark and face the other members of the agency. All of whom I like far more than Ritchie, even the ones I’ve just met.
“Will you help me?” I ask. I hate that I sound desperate but I really don’t have anyone to turn to.
Selena answers.
“Of course they will,” she assures me, smiling warmly. I’m glad we became friends a few years ago. I don’t really have any friends but Selena and I kind of clicked. She’s a bold, strong woman and I admire her.
“So, you’re the famous Robin X,” Thomas says. From what I’ve gathered, he’s the head of the agency.
