Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“I’m aware, but—”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
I lean forward, staring into her eyes. “Yes, Webb. I do.”
Silence falls. She’s seething, but she doesn’t deny it. I’m seething, and I’m ready to throw her over this table and suck her soaking pussy until she screams.
“We’ll make a deal,” I say quietly, still meeting her gaze even though it sends shivers down my spine. “You don’t ever go do anything with him alone. We do this together.”
Her head tilts. “That seems impractical.”
“I don’t care. We’re a team, and I’m not letting him bully you into more awkward situations.”
“He didn’t bully me. He tricked me.”
“It doesn’t matter. We do it together, Webb.”
She takes a deep breath and slowly releases it. Some of her tension eases and she nods. “All right, fine. I can agree to that.”
“From now on, no matter what, we don’t do anything with Cowan alone. Do we have a deal?” I shove my hand out at her and she hesitates, but she shakes it.
I hold on for a moment too long. She notices and she feels it, but she doesn’t say anything. I feel that skin against my palm and I want to bring her finger to my lips. I want to press my thumb against her tongue and make her suck it as I fuck her and let her moans play through my ears like candy. I want her so badly it’s like a demon screaming in my skull.
I release her and she rubs the back of her hand in slow circles.
“Where do we go from here?” she says finally and clears her throat. “With Cowan, I mean.”
“Lawyers. Paperwork. We’ll need to find some plausible reason for that cash you spent today.”
“Can’t claim crack on our taxes.”
“Unfortunately.” I run a finger around the rim of my coffee cup. “But there’s something else I wanted to ask you about while I have you.” I hesitate and meet her eye. “While you’re here, I mean.”
“What’s that?”
“The other morning when you came over.”
“Which time? The redhead or the blonde?”
“Redhead.” I grimace slightly. Fuck, has it really been more than once? I’m worse than I thought. “You seemed off. Angry, almost.”
“If you’re asking if I was jealous, I wasn’t, and that’s inappropriate.”
“I’m asking if you’re okay, that’s all.”
She chews on that and nods. “I’m fine.”
“Good. I’m fine too, thanks.”
“Great.” She pushes back from the table. “This was supposed to be my day off and instead I’ve spent it with you and that insane asshole. I gotta say, Baptist, not my idea of relaxation.”
“I apologize for interrupting your sensual afternoon of bubble baths and a long date with your vibrator.”
She turns pink. “Baptist.”
“Webb.”
“Inappropriate.”
“Just because we aren’t mixing business with pleasure doesn’t mean I’m going to swallow all my best jokes. You’ll get used to it.”
“Truly, Baptist, you remain the king of all pricks.”
“Thank you, my royal subject.” I give her a little bow and she rolls her eyes and stalks away.
I watch her go with a knot in my gut.
What the hell is Cowan’s game?
I was warned about this. A friend of mine that worked with the eccentric director a few years back said that Cowan liked to fuck with the people in his orbit. Producers, actors, anyone working his sets, he liked to press buttons and see how far he could push. I expected something like this—but making her pay gambling and drugs debts to a bunch of gangsters is way too fucking far.
I finish my drink and head outside. It’s a decent day and the sun feels good on my face. I make a call, let it ring, and Ansell answers right before it goes to voicemail. “My former best friend,” he says with that odd affectless drone.
“Ansell. How are things?”
“Busy. Drake’s been going through some changes. House is coming along. Marie’s happy, which is good. How’s Blair?”
“Doing fine. I’m actually calling about her.” I hesitate, not sure how much to tell him, and decide to stick to the bare minimum. “Listen, do you still have those contacts on the seedier side of town?”
That’s our slang for mobsters.
Ansell Drake was my boss at Drake Entertainment and remains my best friend in the world. He’s a hard man to get close with, but once you see beyond the ice-cold exterior, there’s a decent person buried beneath all his pain and trauma. He had a hard upbringing and came by his money honestly, and he still retains some connections to his more troubled youth.
Connections I’d like to exploit.
“I know people and some of them owe me favors. What’s Blair into?”
“Nothing really. It’s actually Cowan. I wanted you to put the word out, that Cowan can’t be a customer. Not for a while at least.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “What did he do?”
“Just put out the word for me.”
“I can do it, but I don’t know if anyone will listen. Tony Cowan has his own star power.”