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"Touché." Another swig, before he added. "Seriously, man. You've never been one toapologize."
Their eyes met as Ryder contemplated his words. "Yeah, well I've never fucked upbefore."
Axe smiled a sad smile. "Oh you fucked up plenty. You just never would admit it, you hard-headedbastard."
Yep, that sounded about right. "I can't help it I'm never wrong." Ryderchuckled.
They sat in an awkward silence, drinking beer and remembering the past. Ryder was about to stand to leave, when Axe pressed him fordetails.
"So why don't you tell me why you'rehere."
"It's not important.Forget..."
"Hey, a job's a job. As you can see, I need to bump up my income if I hope to maintain this lavish lifestyle." His friend was making fun, but neither manlaughed.
"Like you said, you don't do highprofile."
"Listen, asshole. Do you want my help ornot?"
The spark was back in Axe's eyes. That's when Ryder realized he might be doing his friend as much of a favor by possibly getting him excited about an investigation again as Axe would be doing helping him nail Khloe's stalker. It was clear the man was going through the motions of life, no longer having purpose. Maybe working a case together would jumpstart his rejoiningsociety.
"Promise you won'tlaugh."
"I promise no such thing, although, to be fair, I don't do a lot of laughing these days, so you're probablysafe."
Ryder's pulse went up, about to say words he never thought he'd say out loud. "I think I'm falling inlove."
The bark of Axe's laughter was like music to his ears, despite the fact it came at his ownexpense.
"Only you could make it sound like it was a deathsentence."
Ryder didn't laugh. "Yeah, well, considering what I do for a living, it might be one forher."
That brought the humor out of his friend's face. "So what's really going on? This doesn't seem like the kind of case most men would hire a PI for. She cheating on your ass orsomething?"
Oh how he wished life with Khloe Monroe could be that simple. "We met in D.C. in February. Had one spectacular night at a club together before I shipped out, back to Moscow. I should have fucking left it alone, but when I got burned, I got sucked back in. Now I find out I have a hit on my head, and I'm putting her in danger by being in herlife."
"No offense, brother, but Russian hitmen are a bit out of my league these days. I think I'd better walk before I runagain."
"I don't need help with the Volkovs. I'll have to handle that on myown."
"Volkov... Why does that name soundfamiliar?"
There was no way he was disclosing top-secret details. He'd already said too much. "Focus. I don't need help with them. She's a public figure, and she's been harassed by a stalker for a few months. It started with some relatively harmless emails, but has escalated to mailed threats and now two break-ins into her personal space. I've promised her no one will get to her, but now I'm not so sure I'm not making things worse by being on herdetail."
"Detail? You make it sound like she's a governmentbigwig."
"Try Hollywoodbigwig."
Axe's eyes widened as he whistled a surprise whistle. "Landed yourself a starlet, eh? You always did go for the elegant ones. Don't think I don't know yoursecret."
"What secret is that?" Ryder was genuinely surprised at his friend's assertion, although not denyingit.
"You love turning women from elegant to needy slut. It's all part of the power games you like toplay."
"You can stop psychoanalyzing menow."
"Hit a bit close tohome?"
