I forced my steps to quicken, trying to keep up with the guards’ long strides as we made it down one flight of stairs, then two flights.
What’s wrong with the elevator? That’s what I want to know. Sure, I’d taken the stairs when sneaking up. But they have keycards . . . we could have easily taken the elevator, rather than hiking down the stairs for all to see.
Three flights.
“What do we have here?” A low voice interrupted from the entryway of the staircase.
“Just another lower-affinity caught sneaking around where she shouldn’t be,” the guard answered, and I watched as his gaze scanned over the male’s uniform, taking in the higher ranking. When he spotted the two lines on his uniform, he gave a proper salute, acknowledging the ranking.
My gaze snapped up, meeting a vaguely familiar green-eyed gaze. I’d met this guard before . . . he had a habit of appearing anywhere a striking sergeant seemed to be.
“I’ll take her from here,” he answered as he turned toward me, his eyes sweeping over me in a cursory glance before dismissing me once again.
“Are you sure about that, sir?”
“Are you questioning my authority?” the higher-ranking guard questioned.
“No, sir,” they both emphasized. “We’re just under orders to bring all lowers found on the upper levels to the holding cells.”
“You think I don’t know that?” the male asked in a commanding voice that had ice coursing through my veins.
I was so screwed.
“Apologies, Lieutenant. We just weren’t aware that we were to take new orders. It’s nothing we can’t handle, sir.”
“I’ve only just been stationed here, and this is the level of respect I’m given.” The male growled in frustration. “Don’t make me repeat myself and write you up for insubordination.” His low voice was a sharp command as he glared between the two guards. “Now, back to your posts.”
“Very well, Lieutenant.” They both lifted their arms in respect for the higher-ranking guard and then returned the way we’d come.
“Well, well.”
My gaze snapped toward the guard in front of me, unsure whether I should be fearful of my impending future in his hands or grateful to be away from the two enforcers.
“Seems to me like you have a penchant for sneaking around places you shouldn’t be.”
“I’ll have you know, I wasn’t sneaking around the first time we met.” My hand snapped to my mouth as though forcing myself to shut-the-ever-loving-fuck-up before I got myself into more trouble.
“Ah.” His voice was a smooth drawl, light green eyes lighting up in victory. “So you admit you were sneaking around this time?”
“I never said that,” I retorted in defense. It was a weak defense, but hey, a girl could try.
“Well, were you?” he asked, and I studied him, wondering why he was asking me first rather than taking me directly to the holding room like he stated he would. Most guards had anorders first, questions secondpolicy they loved to enforce.
“That depends on what you considersneakingto be,Lieutenant . . .” I paused, realizing I didn’t actually know the male’s name.
“Pierce,” he replied. One word.
“Lieutenant Pierce?” I said the name aloud. “Hmmm, I’m not sure if I love the way that sounds together. Are you set on that name combination?”
“Well, it is my name,” he answered. “So I’d have to go with yes—pretty set on it.”
“Axel.” The name cut through the stairwell, and we both whirled, finding a pair of glowing amber eyes focused on us.
“Axel?” I questioned, a sly grin creeping up my lips. “And here I thought it was Pierce . . .”
“It is,” he stated with an annoyed look in my direction. “Pierce. Axel Pierce.”
“You were supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago.”
