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Whatever, either way it may land him a job or it would give him practice for the next interview. This was his first interview, thanks to Cole, and he hoped it would lead to others. Cole cleared that up for him almost immediately.

“If this doesn’t work for you, I have two other possibilities, and we’ll talk about them after you finish with Mr. Porter." He sounded so positive, and he was doing more for him than Axel had any right to expect.

“Thank you, Cole.”

“No problem, Axel, you’ll have something soon, I'm certain.” He wished he had the same positivity that Cole possessed.

Axel dressed in his tailored dark blue suit; it wasn't over-the-top expensive, but it wasn't basic off the rack either. He looked capable and put together, and he held a file filled with his resume and other pertinent background information tucked under his arm. He was ready.

Walking into the Hadden Center was different this time; it felt heavy and slightly terrifying. Before, he'd been there for meetings nothing too wonderful, just basic funding proposals, of which he had secured three throughout his six years with Gio.

Hadden Corp now seemed like a behemoth, and he was feeling like an imposter. He didn't belong here; he belonged with Ardant Group or Freemont Financial or perhaps Lewiston Holdings, all mid-sized businesses. Gio hated Hadden Corp and the Hadden people because he was jealous; he wouldn't admit it, but it was obvious.

Axel planned to make sure that the fact he received an interview with Hadden Corp reached Gio's circle of sycophants. Whether he was hired or not didn't matter; the fact he met with Hadden people would piss Gio off, and that would make Axel very happy.

His meeting was at Mr. Porter's office on the twenty-eighth floor. Cole said he could be a little exacting, but he was fair. Fair was all Axel hoped for right now.

***

He missed New York, but Pittsburgh was home. He was glad to be a part of bringing the town back to its previous grandeur. The lowlands had been a blight on the city for a long time, but over the next few years it would become vital, energetic, and beautiful once again.

It hadn't always been a dark corner; at one time, it had served many and was regarded as one of the finer retail hubs in the city. He was going over a report from one of his financial analysts when he noticed it was incomplete. The environmental compliance for the property once occupied by an old leather bar was missing.

He picked up his phone and then decided to go get it himself. The twenty-third floor was vast, and his project occupied nearly half of it. The walk to the analyst's office would be a good stretch. One of the floor managers met him as soon as he exited his office.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Lagarde?" She asked.

"No." He was curt and kept walking. She continued to follow for a few steps and then thought better of her actions. He didn't like to be interrupted with unnecessary words or explanations, and after a few weeks working together, the staff began to understand his limits and his temper.

There was a bank of offices that were open, glassed-in boxes used for meetings and public events. It allowed for outside observation without having to be a part of the exchange. There was something about the man sitting there across the table from Porter that caused Kieran to stop. He stood still and stared at the man watching him, studying him.

He was dressed in a dark blue suit, back straight, face serious; his hands, which he was forcing to relax, were on the table. His face was strong, but there was strain evident around his ice-blue eyes. His dark blonde hair was professionally cut and styled but still looked like he'd run his fingers through it recently.

Kieran stopped the person passing by him with an abrupt question. “Who is that?" He barked, and the person instantly turned to look into the room.

"Mr. Porter had an interview this morning." He stated, hopeful that he had the right answer.

“With whom?” His impatience was growing.

“Who is Mr. Porter interviewing?” The man grabbed a coworker and asked. This man had more answers and spilled everything when held by Kieran’s dark gaze.

"It's a favor to Michael King. He asked Mr. Porter to interview Mr. Stone for a position in legal." Kieran dismissed them both, and he continued to stand there and stare. Mr. Porter had caught his gaze, and his discomfort was rising. Not really caring what Porter was doing, but with a compulsion to meet this man, he turned and entered the office.

All attention was on him the minute he stepped inside. Having those blue eyes trained on him was something he had not been prepared for, and the effect was disturbing. "Yes, sir, Mr. Lagarde." Porter stood, and the blonde man followed, but he looked unsure, a look that bothered Kieran. Kieran did not take his eyes off the blonde man as Porter hurried to explain himself.

“This is Axel Stone.” He stated. “He’s being interviewed for a position in legal.” Kieran could see instantly that Axel was human, so there would be no position in legal that was open for him. He wasn't sure what was going on, but before he could question further, he received a call from Michael King and stepped out of the room, leaving the door open.

Michael explained the situation. “Mr. Porter was doing me a favor, and I take full responsibility for the waste of time this has caused."

“I understand and will take it from here.” He said and closed the call. He walked back into the office and motioned for Axel to follow him. Axel glanced at Porter, who nodded for him to go.

Kieran walked back to his office, confident that Axel was following. He could feel the man behind him; his uneasiness was running thick, but he did not leave. Once at his office door, Kieran waited for Axel to enter and then followed him inside. He closed the door and locked it. Axel stood until told to sit, and then he sat there straight and silent.

Kieran watched him and took in every part of him, every inch, and scented his lifeblood. He smelled of cedar and honey, and Kieran was slowly overwhelmed by the sheer presence of Axel Stone. He felt a trembling deep in his core. He stood behind Axel for several seconds, taking quiet breaths that were stealing his control. He stepped forward, and as he passed by Axel's chair, he placed his hand on his shoulder in a tight grip that lasted only a second, and then he moved to his chair behind the desk.

The touch was important and necessary for maintaining his control, but he felt Axel stiffen when he touched him. Fear was poisoning the air. “Tell me about your training and certifications." Kieran figured he'd start there; he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but his every instinct was telling him to keep this man close. Axel took a short, unsteady breath and explained his education, licensing, certification, and work history.

He was not elaborating, just giving the facts, and Kieran got the impression he was just going through the motions, not expecting to get the job. This was made clearer by the number of times Axel looked over at the door.