The Cupid Touch

The Cupid Touch Chapter 30 - There is Always Something Worse

Lucas stared at him, blankly, until my favourite bald friend decided he'd been there long enough. He walked over and took Lucas's arm. He marched him to the door.

Jeroniri leaned back in his chair. "I want to know everything about you," he said to Axel, and at that point I felt a rush of fear. What was I doing, standing there? They needed to save Joe-Moe!

"Axel," I said, urgently. "Some of his men went to kill Joe. Your brother's in danger."

Axel looked at me, a flicker of worry crossing his face. "Why would they want to hurt Joe?"

"Revenge, nothing more," Jeroniri said, and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't... I should never have agreed."

He moved towards his screen, and typed for a few moments.

"There," he said, with a smile. "I've given the order to leave off. I've summoned them home."

I had to step forward to see Axel, who was now smiling brilliantly and looking like some kind of an angel.

"I knew you weren't the person they all said," he whispered.

The magnetic draw between them had a strong hint of lust in it now. I suddenly felt like I was intruding.

"Let me show you around my empire," Jeroniri said, suddenly, standing up. He glanced at me in confusion for a second. "Miss... Morgan. You're free to go. I have no argument with you. I'm sorry for making you miss your flight."

I couldn't move for a few seconds. "That's it?" I asked, not quite believing it.

"I don't want to do business this way any more," he said, with a strange, tired smile. "I've opened my eyes at last."

But his eyes didn't look open; they looked drugged. He looked back at Axel and didn't seem able to focus on anything else.

"Are you sure they got your message?" I asked, as the big stooge moved towards me. "Are you sure Joe's safe?"

"Of course they did," Jeroniri said, with a laugh. "They're under orders to read everything that comes from me, immediately."

Yes, I thought, with a creeping fear. But will they obey you when they're out for revenge?

"Could you make sure?" I asked, as the big guy tried, gently to manoeuvre me towards the door. I craned to see around him. "It's not worth risking. Axel, he needs to make sure. It's your brother."

"Don't worry," Jeroniri said, confidently. "They'll do as they're told. They all do."

Axel gave me a brief, beaming smile.

"It's all right. He wouldn't let anyone do anything to harm me."

And in that moment, I saw what was awful in what I did. I saw the all-consuming nature of that connection, and that love. I saw the way I had been abandoned and left behind time after time. It didn't just touch them: it took them over. And nothing else had a chance of filtering through in that first rush of passion, and not a great deal later. They were gloriously happy, but Axel had lost a part of himself in that magnetic union.

My thoughts went to Joe, who might be out there already, driving into danger without knowing. And I could suddenly feel him, driving northwards at speed, a pulsing, urgent danger pushing at me from the place where he was.

Oh god. Oh, god, please let me be able to help him.

"Axel!" I called. "Axel! He's still in danger."

The big guy was pushing me towards the door as Axel said faintly, "It's all right, honestly."

I have to tell him. I have to phone him and warn him...