Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“No, you just lied.” I corrected her. “What am I supposed to say when he mentions me and my nonexistent fiancé’s ghost baby?”
“Try to throw in how much you’re hoping for a son first, since I kind of already said that.”
Ralph shook his head, and I glared at her in disbelief.
“Um, so, on another note,” she said, “ your face is super red and there’s a huge vein bulging out of your neck. Would you like me to call an ambulance for you on my way out?”
“You’re not going anywhere.” I locked the door. “You’re going to take a seat and figure out how to reverse what you’ve done before anyone else finds out about this mess.”
“Don’t hate me, but I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.” She lowered her voice. “I may have called and told a few of your other sponsors the same story.”
“Define a few.”
“You don’t need to worry. They’ve all signed NDAs and they truly admire how well you’ve kept your personal life to yourself.”
“Define a few.” I repeated. “Now.”
“A little under forty…” She swallowed. “Are you sure you don’t want that ambulance?”
FIVE & A HALF
PRESENT DAY
TRAVIS
Several Hours Later
Las Vegas, Nevada
“Gatorade has officially dropped Travis Carter as their top brand ambassador.” The blonde anchor sipped her coffee. “We’re told that he was notified of this decision earlier, and his replacement should come as a shock to no one.”
The television screen suddenly shifted to an image of Juarez in a gym, sporting my championship around his waist.
His teeth were capped in a diamond grill that read “Forever the Champion,” and he was wearing a “Best Dad Ever” shirt. Why anyone took him seriously remained a mystery.
“How do you feel about replacing Travis Carter at Gatorade?” a reporter asked him.
“I feel like this is a sign of big things to come for me.” He smiled a bit wider. “There’s a new king of Vegas now.”
“You’ve won one high-profile fight versus my twenty-seven,” I muttered. “Get over yourself.”
“Have you heard anything from Mr. Carter’s camp regarding a rematch?” She pushed her mic closer.
“Not at all.” He ran his fingers along the belt. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to fight me again, if I were him. He got manhandled and embarrassed. It’s no wonder he’s been hiding ever since.”
“Those are some pretty cocky words, Mr. Juarez.”
“I can back all of them up, trust me.” He winked at her. “If his camp ever calls, I’ll have no problems beating his ass again.”
I turned off the TV and considered stopping by his gym to show him how much of a fluke his win was.
As I looked up the address, my phone rang with a new call.
Penelope.
“Yeah, Crown?” I answered.
“What did you think of the best pictures from my event?” she asked. “I emailed them to you this morning.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I haven’t checked my inbox today. Give me a second.”
I opened a new tab and clicked on her message, finding images of her addressing the crowd. Hayden stood by her side in a couple of shots, but Tatiana starred in most of them.
Still incapable of taking a bad picture, she stunned in every frame.
“I’m not featured in any of these?” I asked.
“Nope, but that’s because yours are all on the front page of The New York Post.” She groaned. “On the plus side, three hundred of your thirsty fangirls bought year-long memberships today. You mind stopping by again soon, so I can get more?”
“Not at all.” I smiled. “Anything else?”
“Hayden is setting up custom fittings for the wedding tuxedos soon. He would love to have you onboard.”
“Anything other than that?”
“Tatiana is planning my bachelorette party. You’re not invited.”
“I wouldn’t show up if I was.” I held back a laugh. “How does her fiancé feel about her planning something like that?”
“Her what?”
“Her fiancé.”
“Ha!” She snorted. “Tatiana isn’t engaged.”
“She’s wearing an engagement ring in all these photos.”
“She probably grabbed that thing from her collection or something,” she said. “None of her boyfriends have ever been worthy of marriage. Trust me.”
“Not even her current one?” I pressed.
“Especially him, since he doesn’t exist.” She laughed. “Oh, great. Ten more of your fangirls are here, so I’ll have to call you later. Want me to tell them you said hello?”
“Please do,” I said. “Bye, Crown.”
She ended the call, and I leaned back in my chair. Before I could contemplate why Tatiana lied to me, a loud “Attempted exit! Attempted exit!” alarm reverberated through my condo.
What the hell?
I stepped out of the room and walked down the hallway, stopping when I saw Madeline tugging on the door handle. I watched as she pushed and pulled to no avail, clearly not understanding what I meant when I said she wasn’t allowed to leave.
“Going somewhere, Miss Dawson?” I asked.
“No, I’m just hungry. I need to grab something to eat.”