Charming (New York Heirs #3)

by Drea Blackery

  That was alarming, even if it did clear up some contradictions about her.

  “You’re working on an exposé,” I said rather than asked.

  “Something like that. The downside is, well,” she slid me an apologetic look, “to keep the job, there are—were—things I had to do that I’m not proud of.”

  Damn. This was news.

  I propped my forearm on the steering wheel and rubbed my upper lip in contemplation.

  “On one hand, I’m impressed,” I mused. “On the other hand, it sounds like you’re gonna be caught up in some serious shit.”

  Lena shrugged carefully. “Not if I’m careful.”

  She pointedly kept her gaze on the empty street ahead. She knew I was watching her though, because her flush crept slowly from the neckline of her sweater all the way to her forehead.

  “I’ll talk to some people and get you into an agency,” I said, and Lena finally turned at me in wide-eyed surprise. “The Easton’s own like, thirty percent of publications on the East and West coast, so I can get you a job at any agency you want, doing anything you want. Just tell me which.”

  I waited expectantly for her reply—though I was not sure what I was expecting.

  Her to be impressed, maybe?

  I was rewarded when Lena’s face brightened, and damn if she didn’t look lovely with that smile.

  “Really?” she asked hopefully.

  “Sure—” I began.

  Then I remembered that I had just been cut-off by Jemima James. I had literally zero skin in the media game right now, let alone any influence to get Lena a job.

  Fuck me. This was embarrassing.

  “Actually.” I cleared my throat. “I may have jumped the gun a little early. Now isn’t exactly a good time for me.”

  Lena’s face fell, and I felt like the greatest dumbass to ever live.

  Her fingers fiddled restlessly with the hem of her sweater. “I guess I’ll just keep looking.” She looked up at me, her pale blue eyes steely with quiet resolve. “Like you said, there are many other industries out there.”

  “And what of your exposé?”

  Lena looked less certain now. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”

  I didn’t know what came over me, but I found myself saying, “I’ll cut you a deal.”

  Lena looked up so quickly her tendrils of hair swayed about her face. “I’m sorry?”

  I turned fully to face her, which pressed my arm uncomfortably against the wheel even with all the space in my car.

  “I want your help with some investigation. In return I’ll get you access to events.”

  Lena’s gaze grew alert at the promise of event entry. Her exposé must mean a lot to her personally.

  “What kind of investigation?” she asked carefully.

  “Nothing illegal, just…” I paused.

  What did I want from her, exactly?

  “I need information on a certain guy,” I finally said, and that was the truth.

  “You can get it from anyone else,” Lena pointed out. “Like you said, Easton Entertainment has a wide reach.”

  “You’d think.” I leaned my arms over my steering wheel, restlessly drumming my fingers on the dashboard. “It’s not like I haven’t tried before, but Jemima keeps blocking my attempts.”

  Lena’s brows creased. “Jemima James doesn’t want you looking into this guy? But you said it wasn’t illegal.”

  “It isn’t, but this guy has ties to my family that she’d rather keep hidden.”

  I couldn’t blame her. If I were her I’d want to keep that fact hidden too.

  My fingers started drumming again, and Lena noticed the movement. She likely guessed already that I wasn’t as chill as I was acting.

  “It’ll be a one-off thing. I’ll get you entry into whatever event you need for your project in exchange. It won’t be too hard, I just want whatever research you can dig up on this guy.”

  She considered this. “Who is he?”

  “Jacob Kline. Heard of him?”

  Lena did a double-blink, but it was over so quick that I thought I imagined it.

  “Yeah,” she said, her voice strangely stiff. “I know who he is.”

  Jacob Kline was a venture capital investor who sat on the boards of several media production companies. His name wasn’t exactly famous, but I wasn’t surprised that Lena knew who he was. Most people involved in the media industry did.

  “Why do you want information on him?” Lena asked, her gaze breaking from mine. “And what kind of information?”

  “I’m not picky, honestly. Whatever you can find on him, what kind of person he is, his inner circles and private life, whatever.”

  And that was all I was willing to divulge.

  Lena chewed her bottom lip as she considered my offer. “You don’t have to go this far for me.”

  “Just so we’re clear, I’m not doing any of this for you. I just don’t like feeling guilty and I want it gone ASAP.”

  I didn’t know why I wanted so bad to convince Lena of this, but I waited for her to meet my eyes again before I repeated, “I’m not doing it for you. This is just a service I need, and I want you to provide it to me.”

  Lena flushed again, and then I realized how dirty my words sounded.

  I didn’t correct my statement though. I didn’t know why. Maybe I just wanted to get a rise out of Lena.

  “I’d say yes,” she mumbled, still looking at her lap, “but there’s one problem. I don’t have access to my database anymore.”

  “Right.” I should have thought of that, but the way Lena had been rubbing her bottom lip with her finger was distracting me.

  “If I can get access to my old laptop…” She shook her head. “No, that’s not possible.”

  “What isn’t?”

  “Accessing my old laptop. I can do most of my research on my own, but there’s a database access on it that will speed things up a lot.” A crease appeared between her brows. “I should have copied my research out, but I was so shocked when I got fired this morning that I just left it there.”

  I didn’t see a problem. “Then let’s go get it.”

  “I left it in my old office,” Lena said slower, like she thought I didn’t get her the first time.

  “I know,” I said in the same slow tone, but I wore a grin instead. “So let’s. Go. Get it.”

  I waited for Gabriel to laugh and tell me it was a joke, but all he did was arch a brow and say, “You still with me, Hastings?”

  “You’re talking about breaking into my old office,” I managed when I finally found my voice again.

  “It isn’t breaking in when you’re an employee,” he said like it was the most logical thing in the world. “Well, ex-employee. And if someone walks in on us, we’ll just smile and say you forgot something when you left, or whatever.”

  Was this how he managed to get out of trouble all the time? Just smile?

  “It’s past midnight,” I said slowly. “On a Saturday.”

  He shrugged a broad shoulder, and his arms strained at the fabric of his thin t-shirt. I tried not to stare.

  “Name me a better time,” he said.

  “There isn’t a ‘better’ time to break into a company’s office and access their private database!”

  Gabriel grinned at whatever he saw on my face. “Helena, stop panicking and trust me. It’ll be fine.”

  “I am not panicking,” I said, feeling just that bit of anxiety creeping in. “But I’m also not insane. This is a terrible idea.”

  I needed to get my research from my laptop too, but I had planned to find another way. A legal way. Besides, there was also the fact that Gabriel was pointedly hiding the reason he wanted information on Kline.

  What kind of secret business could the heir of Easton Entertainment have with that man?

  “You know this is the only way.” Gabriel folded his arms and leaned back in his seat.

  Then he gave me a smug, sweeping look that made me shift self-consciously.


  “I got a question for ya, Mouse,” he remarked. “When’s the last time you broke the rules?”

  “You’re not breaking a rule, you’re breaking the law. You’re talking about unauthorized entry, and theft of private information, not to mention—”

  “The risk is exactly the point! C’mon Hastings, live a little.”

  “I’m living just fine.”

  “Alright, I dare you.”

  My mouth fell open. “That’s so immature!”

  “I double-dog fucking dare you.” Gabriel grinned, his teeth startlingly white in the darkness of the car. “Now you gotta do it.”

  I stared at him, speechless. Was this the same guy who had almost made good on his threat to ruin my life just this morning?

  “Look, if you do it—without freaking out on me—I’ll get you a date with Cam. You’d like that, won’t you?”

  My mouth fell open. Did he still think that I was in love with Cam? “I don’t!”

  “Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re not in love,” Gabriel challenged.

  I tried to force myself to look into the dark, laughing depths of his eyes, but that was as impossible as breathing underwater.

  My gaze fell away, and Gabriel laughed quietly.

  “The hell you don’t,” he murmured. “You’re in fucking love. It’s written all over your face.”

  My inability to control my blushing was a total curse. Thank god there weren’t many people in my life who noticed that.

  In fact, there weren’t many people in my life, period.

  I pressed the back of my hands to my cheeks to cool them down. “That’s not true, at all. And besides, won’t Cam be annoyed that you made plans for him?”

  “Cam will never turn down dinner with a beautiful woman, trust me.”

  I bit my lip, knowing that Gabriel was just being nice. “You don’t have to say that.”

  Gabriel’s teasing smile faded, and I tried not to glance away this time as his brown eyes searched mine. His brows were furrowed slightly, like he had something important he wanted to say but was trying to figure out if he should.

  My heart sped up in my chest, and it suddenly occurred to me that we were sitting way too close. In our animated conversation, I had somehow leaned closer, and Gabriel had shifted toward me. Our fingers were just inches away from each other.

  I licked my lips out of nervousness, and Gabriel’s gaze dropped to catch the small movement. My breath caught as he watched me. The irises of his eyes seemed to darken he searched my face.

  Then Gabriel looked away. The spell was broken.

  “Anytime,” he said, and that charming, self-deprecating smile was firmly back in place once more. “I was voted Most Charming Bachelor in The Tattler’s March issue, in case you forgot.”

  I smiled hesitantly, trying to hide how much that moment of quiet between us had affected me.

  That wasn’t what Gabriel had been about to say, I was sure of it, but it also surprised me that I was starting to see past his smiles. Gabriel used them as a distraction, or a shield. Just like the way I used my solitude.

  Before I could process my reaction to him, Gabriel continued, “Anyway, since I fucked up this morning, I’m not above chipping in for a fancy dinner with Cam. Within reason,” he swiftly added. “I’m kinda strapped at the moment.”

  I wondered why Gabriel Easton the billionheir would ever be short on cash, but I didn’t think he’d appreciate me asking.

  And maybe I was tipsier than I thought, because I found myself actually considering his plan. My leg jogged nervously as I chewed my lip in thought. There were so many ways this could go wrong, but if we pulled this off, I’d be right on track with my exposé.

  Because there was something that Gabriel did not know: The information he wanted was something I needed too.

  I couldn’t take the risk that I might never get access to my research ever again. I’d thought of it a hundred times over the past year, but my conclusion was always the same.

  As much as I hated the tabloids and all it stood for, I needed my job for the doors it opened for me.

  It was the only way I could take Jacob Kline down.

  “We’ll have to move quickly,” I finally said. “You need to do as I say.”

  “Fuck yeah!” Gabriel slammed his fist down on the armrest, and I swear his two-ton car shook a little from the force. “Now we’re talking!”

  “You have to do as I say,” I repeated, enunciating my words clearly to get his attention. “If we get caught, I could go to jail for it.”

  “This isn’t my first rodeo, Hastings, relax.” Gabriel shot me a mischievous, cocky grin as he yanked his seatbelt across his wide chest.

  I did the same, trying to keep my hammering heart in check. His blinding smile was making my pulse speed up—and it almost had me backing out of the plan. His excitement was not a good sign at all.

  “Well, it’s my first.” I looked ahead at the empty street, steeping in worry. “But okay, let’s do it. I guess.”

  But Gabriel had already started his car, deftly shifting the gears into action. In the next second we were already on the road, speeding in the direction towards my old office.

  When we were a street away from the building, Gabriel pulled over and we got out to walk.

  “I’m not about to park my car at the doorstep of a tabloid,” he said, and I had to agree. His bright red Ferrari was like a lighthouse beam to anyone within fifty yards.

  It was quiet in the area—as quiet as New York could be, at least—and we made our way over on foot without passing anyone else. As we neared, I noted in relief that the windows on my office level were dark. That was rare, because OT was an everyday occurrence in the industry, even on a Saturday night. I guess we got lucky tonight.

  “We’re headed that way.” I pointed at a dark and narrow alleyway across the street, leading down the side of the building. The shadow cast by the large building would lend us the cover we needed.

  Gabriel led the way instinctively like he was used to walking ahead of people. We were about to turn into the alleyway when Gabriel suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. I had to take a hasty step back before I bumped into him.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  Gabriel took a half step back, folded his arms, and looked up, regarding the building with a bemused expression.

  “So this is your office,” he remarked in a volume that put our whole operation at risk. “The place where you and your tabloid friends gather every day to write bullshit articles about people like me.”

  “Shh! Can’t we do this later?” I glanced around furtively, nervous that someone might spot us. “And yes, what about it?”

  Gabriel laughed quietly, shaking his head. “It’s fucking depressing. Like it’s straight out of a Stephen King book. Hey, does it have a basement with a murder dungeon or something?”

  “No, but all of the back windows face a brick wall. Now, can we go? Someone might see us.” I exhaled in annoyance and made my way into the alley without waiting for him.

  “A window facing a wall?” he continued incredulously as he followed behind. “Damn, I pity the poor bastard who sits there. That’s just cruel.”

  “I’m turning back right now if you don’t keep your volume down.” I muttered. “This way, I’m on the third floor.”

  I leaned my entire weight against the solid metal door that was built into the brick wall, pushing it open that crucial few inches. It led through to an emergency stairwell at the side of the building. The door had its alarm disabled long ago and no one ever got round to replacing it, and I always used it whenever I wanted to avoid bumping into Kelly or my other colleagues on the way into work.

  I slipped into the dark alcove easily, but I heard a grunt behind me as Gabriel tried and failed to get his upper body through the same opening.

  He finally gave up and gave the heavy door an irritated shove. I winced as the metal groaned loudly.

  “Can you not?” I whispere
d frantically. “Anyone around will hear us!”

  “I don’t see why we have to sneak around like thieves,” Gabriel muttered.

  “Because technically, that’s what we are.” I gritted under my breath. “Not everything can be solved with a smile, Gabriel.”

  I quickly made my way up the stairs and emerged on the third floor with Gabriel close behind me. Then I entered the code into the keypad by the door.

  “1234?” Gabriel snorted. “You gotta be kidding me.”

  I ignored him as I carefully opened the door and inched into the office.

  The office area had all its lights off and was mostly dark. The only light came from the dark orange streams filtering in from the streetlights outside, cut with strips of shadows from the cheap plastic blinds hanging over the windows.

  After looking around to make sure we were truly alone, I beckoned to Gabriel and we made our way over to my old desk at the back of the office floor at the other end.

  Gabriel looked up and down the row of windows behind my desk, and I busied myself with my laptop to hide my embarrassment. No light came through from these ones.

  “Are these the infamous windows facing the brick wall,” he asked, “or is there another set just like this?”

  “This is it.”

  “And this is your desk?” He blinked in surprise. “So you’re the poor bastard I was talking about.”

  I shrugged and tried to ignore him as I logged into my laptop, which was thankfully still on my desk where I left it.

  Gabriel exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I keep saying the wrong shit huh,” he exhaled. “I meant no offense.”

  “Oh, you meant offense alright,” I muttered.

  I slipped my flash drive into the laptop and began copying out the files from the private database. It wouldn’t take long; before this I had already gathered every single piece of info on Jacob Kline that I could find. I had a year’s worth of research on this thing.

  I only hoped Gabriel didn’t notice that.

  I slid him a furtive glance, but he seemed preoccupied with the office space and how offensive it was to him.

  A sudden scratching sound came from above us, and I clutched Gabriel’s forearm in alarm.

  “Easy, it’s just a rat.” Gabriel raised a brow at my fingers, which were digging hard into his arm.