His racing heart is loud enough to drown out the harried taps of their footsteps echoing in the marble hall, loud enough to overwhelm his thoughts, to block any words that might tumble out of his mouth. Beckett drags him to the elevators and before he can even catch his breath, Noel finds himself jammed into a mirrored box with his fuming brother.
Smacking the door close button, Beckett doesn't select a floor, leaving them stationary, and then rounds on Noel.
"What were you doing?!" he demands.
"What?"
"In there—what were you doing in there?!'
Noel's head throbs. "He wanted to meet with me—he tried to summon me through the request system but I didn't answer so he sent his secretary to my floor—"
"And you just went?" Beckett asks, incredulity thick on every syllable. The elevator suddenly feels very small, and Beckett's anger very big.
