“Well, I hate to interrupt your conversion to country bumpkin, but I need you in the city this afternoon.”
“What is it? An audition?” He felt a spark of excitement at that. Could things be getting back on track so soon?
“There’s a producer in town. Simon Urley. He wants you to have dinner with him.”
Josh knew the name and the reputation that came with it. He wasn’t keen, but he’d have to spin it a certain way to keep Stewart happy.
“Are you sure that’s a good plan for me right now? If we’re seen together, photographed… it could give people the wrong idea.”
The silence on the other end of the phone was a bad sign.
“Stewart?”
“It’s just a quiet, private dinner. You won’t be spotted, you won’t be photographed.”
“But still…”
“Do you want to pull the plug on this?” Stewart demanded. “Is that what you’re telling me, Joey? If you’re ready to put a pin in your career, then let me know now. I’ll stop wasting all my effort trying to shoot you back into stardom. Whose benefit do you think I’m going to all this trouble for? Christ, it’s just one dinner, Joey.”
Josh wanted to bury his head under the bedclothes and never come out. But this was a lifeline Stewart was dangling in front of him.
“Where and when?” he said instead, weariness settling over him.
“The Peony Hotel. Four p.m. Dress up. I’ll send a car.”
“Just dinner, right?” he checked.
“Wine and dine him,” Stewart said. “I’m sure you’ll have him eating out of your hand before you get to dessert.”
They didn’t talk for long after that. Josh tried to ask a few questions about how things were going for his reinvention, but Stewart brushed them off easily.
After that, he didn’t feel much like napping. He tracked Cole down to the paddock, watching as the alpha worked with Ginny. She seemed more settled as the days passed. Today, she even had a saddle on, and Cole walked her slowly around the edge of the field.
Josh leaned against the fence and waited for them to reach him.
“Good nap?” Cole asked with a grin, eyeing Josh’s hair, which he guessed was sticking up every which way.
“Not so much. I’ve got to head back to the city for a few hours. I’ve got a dinner date.”
“Yeah?” Cole asked. “Someone famous? Anyone I’d know?”
“Just industry stuff,” Josh said, reluctant to tell him more. “Stewart says jump, I ask how high.”
“Do you need a ride?” Cole offered.
“He’s sending a car. It’s just dinner, so I shouldn’t be back too late.” Even as he said it, he knew it might not be true. He wished he could call the whole thing off, but that would make Stewart livid. An angry Stewart was not a good thing.
“Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?” Cole asked suddenly. “You were awake half the night.”
Josh dodged the alpha’s concerned gaze and tried a smile on for size.
“I’ve done much worse on far less sleep. I’ll be fine.” He checked his phone. “I guess I’d better go get ready. The car’ll be here in an hour.”
He turned and walked away, feeling Cole’s eyes on him. Ginny whinnied loudly, and the low murmur of the alpha’s voice soothed her.
An hour later, Josh was showered and dressed, and hanging around near the door for the car to pick him up.
Cole gave a low whistle when he saw him. “You clean up well. Going somewhere swanky?”
“Just a hotel. This guy’s in from out of town. I guess he doesn’t like to eat alone.”
Alphas, well-known ones in particular, could be babies like that.
A car pulled up outside.
“That’s my ride,” Josh said, pushing away from the wall.
Cole stopped him with a hand on his arm, holding out a piece of paper.
“My cell number,” the alpha explained. “Text me yours, yeah? I’m having dinner at the packhouse tonight, I might stay late. Wouldn’t want you coming back to find the cottage all locked up. You’d have to sleep out in the stables.”
Josh pulled out his phone, plugged the alpha’s number in, and sent a text. Cole’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Happy?” Josh asked.
“Ecstatic. Enjoy your dinner. Call me if you need a ride.”
Josh’s stomach sank as he turned toward the waiting car. He wished he could stay there with Cole, maybe even join him for dinner at the packhouse. Hell, even a day spent mucking out the stalls was better than an evening with Simon Urley.
“Josh?” Cole said quietly. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
He forced a smile on his face and turned to the alpha. “Of course. Need a bit of culture after spending a whole week out here with you.”
Cole grinned and shook his head. “Get lost, in that case. Don’t keep your dinner date waiting.”
Josh crossed the yard and climbed into the car, greeting the driver. He glanced back once, spotting Cole still standing in the doorway, watching him. If only he knew.
Chapter Twelve
The driver dropped him right outside the hotel, and Josh walked in the door with confidence, searching for signs to the restaurant. He was stopped by a concierge.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Yes, I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”
“Your friend’s name?”
“Simon Urley.”
There wasn’t so much as a flicker in the concierge’s expression, but Josh had no doubt he knew who the alpha was.
“And your name?”
“Joshua Karsley.”
If he recognized Josh’s name, he gave no indication as he waved over a porter. “Please escort Mr. Karsley to the penthouse suite.”
“Oh, no. I’m meeting Mr. Urley at the restaurant.”
The concierge glanced at him. “Mr. Urley left instructions with us that you were to be escorted to the penthouse suite on arrival. He will be dining there this evening.”
Josh followed the porter to the elevator and up, watching the floors tick by. His unease grew the closer they got to their destination. This was not going to plan, and he’d only just arrived.
He knocked on the door to the penthouse and waited. It was thrown open a moment later by none other than Simon himself.
“Joey! How marvelous to see you.” The alpha leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The scent of alcohol wafted from his breath. “Come on in, darling. Join the party. My, look at you.”
He ran his eyes down Josh’s body, licking his lips appreciatively. “I knew Stewart wouldn’t let me down.”
“Party?” Josh asked, hearing voices inside.
“Oh, just me and a few friends. Letting our hair down a little.”
He gestured inside, and Josh stepped through the door. Simon turned to walk with him, settling a hand on the small of his back. Josh instinctively quickened his pace to avoid the alpha’s touch. But that only hurried his arrival into the lion’s den. There were three other guys in the room, all alphas. Josh took in the full glasses, the half-empty bottles of wine and vodka, and the telltale smudges of alpha dust on the coffee table.
“Looks like you guys are having quite the party,” he said, swallowing the wave of revulsion that hit him.
“All the better for having you here,” Simon said, his hand on Josh’s back again as he urged him further into the room.
They sat side by side on the couch, and Josh was handed a drink. He pretended to sip at it and tried to ignore the way Simon’s hand roamed lower and lower on his back.
“And here we thought we were in for a lonely night,” one of the other alphas said, looking Josh up and down slowly. “Now that you’re here, we can have some real fun.”
Josh could see exactly where the night was going, and it wasn’t any place he wanted to be. But he couldn’t see a way of getting out of it that meant he’d still have an agent in the morning.
“Are you here on business?” he ask
ed Simon, desperate to delay the inevitable. “Stewart didn’t say.”
“Business was my first priority,” Simon said, his hand trailing up and down Josh’s back. “But now that you’re here, I’m thinking pleasure all the way.”
Josh kept the smile on his face and tried not to shudder. The door was right there. He could just get up and walk to it.
Setting his glass down on the coffee table, he stood. The alpha across from him stood too.
“Where are you off to?” he asked. He wasn’t as drunk as the other two, and Josh could see something shrewd and calculating behind his eyes. If he tried to leave now, he’d never make it to the door, and he’d lose any control he had over what happened next.
“Just want to take in the view,” he said, gesturing toward the balcony. “Isn’t that what a penthouse is for?”
He wandered over there, trying to wipe his sweaty palms surreptitiously on his pants legs. There was a breeze blowing in from the balcony, and he was grateful for it. Simon followed him out, leaning against the railing next to him.
“Ugly place, isn’t it? Some cityscapes are beautiful, but not this one.”
Josh made a noncommittal noise, peering over the balcony, trying to see if there was a fire escape. No such luck.
“Of course, you’d know all about beautiful, wouldn’t you?”
He might have laughed at the corny line if not for fear of antagonizing the alpha and his three buddies inside. When Simon’s hand settled on his back again, he permitted the touch, closing his eyes when it inched lower, making the alpha’s intentions clear. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he ignored it.
“That tape of you…” the alpha said in a rough whisper. “That’s the hottest thing I’ve seen all year.”
It took all of Josh’s effort not to react to that.
He turned to Simon with a coy smile, reaching up to run his thumb across the alpha’s lips. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
He pulled away and moved back into the room, spying two of the alphas engaged in fierce whispering as they crouched over the coffee table. They separated as he came inside, going abruptly silent, but Josh could see what they’d been hovering over—his glass.
He sauntered across the room toward them, letting his hand trail down one alpha’s chest, loosening the other’s tie. He picked up his drink and faked a long swallow, wrapping his fingers around the glass itself to hide the fact he hadn’t touched a drop.
“I need to go freshen up,” he told them. “I had a long journey.”
“Bathroom’s just through there,” Simon said from behind him, pointing.
Josh headed that way, still clutching tight to his glass. As soon as he was through the bathroom door, he locked it. He was glad there was a lock, because otherwise he knew he’d have company sooner rather than later. He tossed the rest of his drink down the sink and rinsed his mouth out.
What the fuck was he going to do now? He had to get out of there, but he had to do it without causing a stir, attracting attention, or pissing off Simon and his friends. He just couldn’t see a way. Pulling out his phone, he considered calling Stewart and asking to be rescued. But he knew what Stewart would say. It was just one evening, keeping a few alphas company. If Josh was serious about his career, he’d—
There was a missed call on his phone. From Cole.
Surprised and curious, Josh called him back. The alpha answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Cole?”
“Hey.” The alpha’s casual greeting sounded a little forced. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
“No, that’s okay. Is something wrong?”
There was a brief pause before Cole spoke. “Just calling in case you needed an out.”
Josh blanked on that. “An out?”
“Yeah, you know. Like if you’re on a date that turns bad: your friend calls halfway through in case you need a reason to leave. Maybe your dog’s dying, your house is on fire, something like that.”
Josh tried to swallow around the lump in his throat, close to tears.
“Josh?”
“Um…”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’d really like to get out of here,” he found himself admitting. “But I don’t think I can.”
The alpha’s tone changed, his words clipped and serious.
“Where are you exactly?”
“The Peony Hotel. Penthouse suite. Listen, I have to get back out there before they come looking for me. I shouldn’t have called you.”
“Josh, I’ll be right there. Distract them. Order some food, put on some music, regale them with stories of your exile to the countryside. Be ready to make tracks.”
He heard footsteps coming his way and ended the call, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He unlocked the door and rushed out, almost falling into Simon’s arms.
“I’m hungry.” He smiled coquettishly at the alpha. “I believe I was promised dinner.”
“Sure,” Simon said. “We can do room service or take out?”
“Room service will be quicker,” one of the alphas said, grabbing a menu from the sideboard.
Josh pouted, looking over at Simon.
“But I want Thai.”
Simon laughed. “Who could say no to that face? Thai it is.”
“I’ll order,” the second alpha said.
“We can have some fun while we’re waiting,” Simon added.
There was an entertainment center on one side of the room, and Josh made a beeline for it.
“I want to dance,” he said, switching it on. “Will you dance with me?”
He knew stalling them wouldn’t be enough. Cole was all the way in the next county. Even if he drove like a madman, it would take him hours to get here. Hours was too long. These guys weren’t that patient.
The next twenty minutes became a game of trying to keep the alphas’ hands off him as they danced. One of them stayed on the couch watching, but Simon and the other two really wanted to get up close and personal. The tie guy was a good dancer, so Josh took advantage of that.
“Let’s show these amateurs how it’s done,” he said.
They got away with that for a few songs before Simon got between them, separating Josh from his friend.
“I think I’d like you all to myself for a bit,” he said. “My wallet, my prerogative.”
There was a flash of anger in his eyes, and Josh realized they were headed into dangerous territory. He ran his hand soothingly along Simon’s arm.
“Of course. I’m here at your invitation, after all.”
Simon stepped closer, putting his hands on Josh’s hips… and the doorbell rang.
“That’ll be the takeout,” the alpha on the couch said, getting up and heading out to the door.
Josh breathed a sigh of relief. Food would be a good distraction.
Simon leaned in to whisper in his ear.
“Before we eat, I’d like to show you my bedroom.”
Josh’s blood ran cold. He was out of time.
Simon’s arm went around him and started leading him away. Numbly, Josh let himself be led.
“Simon,” his friend called. “There’s a guy at the door.”
“Pay him and tell him to fuck off,” Simon called.
“He’s looking for a Joshua.”
Josh froze. It couldn’t be.
“Tell him he’s got the wrong room. No Joshua here.”
“He says it’s an emergency.”
Josh tugged at Simon’s arm, drawing the alpha’s eyes to him. “It’s for me,” he said simply.
Before the alpha could reply, he pulled away and walked toward the door. It couldn’t be Cole. There was no way. Yet, as he stepped into view of the door, there was the alpha.
“Really sorry about this, Josh. You weren’t answering your phone. Stewart told me where to find you,” the alpha said earnestly. Josh was actually a little impressed by his acting skills. “It’s your grandma. It’s not looking good. I
thought you’d want to be there.”
Josh played along. “But the doctors said she was getting better.”
“She’s taken a turn for the worse. They’re saying hours or days. I know you’d want to be by her side.”
He sniffed loudly and wiped imaginary tears from his eyes, hoping the other alphas were too drunk to notice. “Yeah, I would. I do.”
He turned to Simon.
“I’m really sorry, Simon. I—”
The alpha’s hand latched onto his arm. “We haven’t finished our evening. I’ll have my chauffeur drop you to the hospital in a few hours’ time.” He tugged Josh back toward the living room, addressing Cole. “You can go now. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.”
The other alpha tried to close the door on Cole. Cole forced it open, stepping into the room.
“Get out before I call security,” Simon spat.
“Gladly,” Cole said, holding a hand out. “Come on, Josh. Time to go.”
The alpha by the door aimed a punch at the side of Cole’s head. Cole neatly dodged it and shoved the man out through the door and into Thorn’s waiting hands. Thorn pinned him easily against the wall.
Simon’s friends stumbled out from the living room at the commotion.
“Four against two,” Simon said, grinning as he tightened his hold on Josh.
“Sixteen years military service between us,” Cole pointed out. “And we’re not drunk. Josh?”
Simon paled but finally let go of his arm, and Josh hurried forward. They walked out past Thorn and the other alpha. Thorn let go, pushed the alpha back through the penthouse door, and followed behind them. They went for the stairs, hurrying down.
“Zane’s got the car just outside,” Cole said. “We’ll be out of here in a minute.”
Sure enough, they rushed through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk, and Thorn’s car was idling there. Cole opened the back door and ushered Josh in, climbing in after him.
As the hotel disappeared into the distance, Josh wondered what the hell had just happened, and what Stewart was going to have to say about it all. Nothing good, that was for sure.
Keeper (The Lost Pack Book 2) Page 6