“You slept with her? She is not yours!”
“Actually, yeah, she is mine. All mine.”
“Until you give her to me. Once she and I are on the plane, you will never see her again.”
“There has to be another way.”
“We’ve been over this.”
“That was before we fell in love. I can’t let you take her.”
“Let me? You vowed to do this for me.”
“I was a teenager. I didn’t know what it would be like. I didn’t know what she’d be like.”
“So you’re breaking your vow?”
“I’ll bring her to you. I’ll let you plead your case. But I’ll do everything I can to convince her to stay with me. I’m sorry, but I can’t force her, or tell her going is right.”
“You’re choosing her over me.”
It’s not a question, but it deserves an answer. “I am. I never thought I would choose anyone over you, and I am truly sorry, but she’s my priority now.”
“You wish for me to leave?”
“No. Not at all. I meant what I said. I will bring her to you. You are still the best friend I have ever had.”
“And you Dylan, are mine. This disagreement will not change that. No matter what my daughter decides, you will always be my friend.”
Sadiq Ayoub reaches out to embrace me, and I hug him back. As a teenager, he was the mysterious neighbor who defended me and taught me how to fight my tormentors on both the physical and mental playing fields. As a man, he has been my confidant, and yes, my best friend.
Now, though, he is also the father of the woman I love. The woman I swore to bring to him so he could convince her to run away and hide with the father she thinks is dead. The woman who may never forgive me once all is revealed. The woman I cannot live without.
I bid him goodbye and walk back to the main house so I can pack. Now more than ever, I really wish this trip could be canceled. Nev and I are on borrowed time, and I feel like missing even a second with her is a mistake. I can hope and pray that she’ll understand, but in my heart, I know she won’t.
Her father’s death has shaped the woman she is, and also nearly destroyed her good friend, Matt Corrigan, who thinks he killed Sadiq. Not to mention what it’s done to her mother and brother. We’ve had talks about them, and how her mother never moved on. I tried to convince Sadiq to reach out to Aqeelah or Sully instead of Nev, but he thinks his daughter is better equipped to handle life on the run.
He may be right about that, and about the fact that revealing himself publicly will put them all in danger, but I’ve always thought the way he wanted to go about everything was wrong. I’ve gone along with it because I owe him, but I can’t say I’ve agreed with the choices he made for both of us, including the part where I’d probably be arrested if his convoluted plan had worked.
And now that I’ve fallen in love with Nev, I fear that we are both about to lose more than we bargained for. I know she’s committed to the Society, even if she hasn’t told me what it is. I’m almost positive she won’t leave with him, but I’m equally positive that she’s going to leave me. I chose the honorable path as far as my friendship was concerned, but it’s going to cost me the love of my life, and there’s nothing I can do about it now but watch the world fall around me.
Chapter 8
Dylan
This photo shoot is turning out to be an even bigger nightmare than I’d imagined it would be. I don’t mind walking around in my boxer briefs, but I do mind having my junk touched by the actress who’s shooting with me. There’s no reason for her hand to keep brushing my junk, or for her to be trying to rub her hands over my abs between shots.
“Back off,” I finally growl at her when she grabs my ass.
“What’s the matter, doesn’t Little Dylan want to play?”
“I have never called my dick ‘Little Dylan’ but no, neither one of us are interested in what you’re offering.” Maybe I’m being harsh, but she’s coming on strong, so I don’t feel bad about being an asshole.
“Eric, your client is making it hard to act like I’m interested in him,” she yells to my agent, who then proceeds to glare at me.
The photographer has apparently run out of patience for her too, since he calls for a break. I disentangle myself from her and stalk across the room to hang out with the make-up and wardrobe group. They’re better company than the blonde, and my agent isn’t winning any congeniality prizes right now either.
“Can you try and look like you’re into her?” the photographer asks, coming over to me. “Maybe pretend she’s someone else who you actually like?”
“Maybe I can fake it, but I’m not pretending she’s the girl I wish was with me. That’s a guaranteed boner, and I’m not willing to chance her believing she caused it.”
“Gotcha. I’ll try to get a good shot as fast as I can. Good luck, though. She seems to be plotting with your agent.”
I look over, and notice he’s right. They’re looking at me, and the blonde is smirking. She’s currently “America’s Sweetheart” but there’s not much that’s sweet about her. It’s all a persona she plays very well, making the world fall in love with her. It’s all fake, and one thing I hate about what I do. Celebrity gives me an inside look at how people really are. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great celebrities, but sadly, they’re overshadowed by the assholes—like the blonde.
“Let’s get back to work everyone,” the photographer says.
The make-up people come over and touch up our faces as we get into place. Our hair is still in place, so we’re good to go. Except for her damn wandering hands. I pry her hand off my ass again, and glare down at her.
“Keep your hands off my ass, or anywhere else casual acquaintances shouldn’t be touching.”
“Well that’s everywhere for you, isn’t it? Casual is your middle name.”
Not anymore. “Listen to me closely, because this is the last time I’m going to say it. I’m not interested in anything with you. Not casual, formal, nothing. So keep your fucking hands to yourself.”
She starts to protest, but the head of the cologne company speaks up. “I expect you both to behave professionally, and get the shots we need in the next few minutes.”
I flash him a smile of thanks, and he nods before rolling his eyes. She’s definitely gotten the message, though. I’m pretty sure she’s trying to launch her own perfume, and she’s not stupid enough to risk that by copping a feel on an unwilling guy in front of the person who has the power to make that happen.
We get some usable shots pretty quickly once she leaves me alone, and then it’s time for my solo pics. The crew takes their time getting me ready, waiting until she’s gone to put me back in front of the camera.
“She’s gone now, so I want you to think about the girl you want. The one who makes you horny,” the photographer says.
“I’m not popping wood for your pictures,” I tell him with a laugh.
“You have final photo approval. I promise,” the owner tells me. “I would like to see what Dylan Gallagher looks like when he’s thinking of a special woman. That’s what we’re talking about, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, she’s special,” I say, and I can’t help but smile. A real smile, and not just my usual “camera ready” one.
I hear the camera clicking as I stare out the window, turning my body so that my crotch is partially shadowed. I know sex sells, so I’ll give them some. Just some, though, not all. Only one women gets all of me. She’s the only one who’s ever had all of me, and thoughts of her bring out my best. Both at this photo shoot and in life.
The shoot ends, and we all gather around to look at the pictures. There’s no doubt they got what they needed from the solo shots, and there are a couple of me and the blonde that work out as well. I choose the solo ones carefully, balancing my package with my loyalty to Nev. We finally all agree on a handful, but I hang back when everyone else moves away.
“You want that one for her, don’t you?�
� the photographer asks, pointing to my favorite picture. I didn’t choose it on purpose because it was too much for me to share with the world.
“Can I have it?”
“Yeah. The boss said I could have any unused ones. This one belongs to you—and her, whoever she is.”
“She’s everything.”
“I think we all got that. Would you like me to make a print and send it to her?”
“That would be great.”
I jot down her work address, and then throw on my clothes after thanking everyone for their hard work. Eric falls into step with me as I head for the elevator. He smiling, and right now I think he has a reason to. Unfortunately, our reasons don’t coincide.
“Good news, Dyl,” he says, using the nickname only my siblings call me. I wince, but he ignores it.
We’ve had this conversation too many times already. He knows I don’t like it, but he doesn’t care. He lucked out by charming me into a contract with him when I was a rookie, but once I was signed, the charm fell away and his jackassery has prevailed since then. He’s got me stuck in that contract for another six months, and then I’m gone. Until then, I have to play nice so he doesn’t sabotage me from the inside, because I wouldn’t put it past him.
“The shoot went well.”
He waves his hand like it was nothing. “Yeah, but I’ve got something better.”
“Okay.”
“Your co-model has agreed to be your date for the gala.”
“Not okay. I told you already that I wasn’t taking a date.”
“She’s the hottest thing Hollywood has seen in years.”
“She couldn’t keep her hands to herself at the photo shoot.”
“Since when has that ever bothered you?”
“Since now. No. I’m not going with her.”
“You have to. We’ve already leaked it to the press.”
“You what? When?”
“About an hour ago.”
Oh fuck, this is not good. I pull my phone out of my bag, and see the missed texts. Some are from my teammates, alternately ribbing me and congratulating me on my date. My mom texts that the blonde seems like a nice girl, my brothers send me a range of emoticons, and Ellie sends a Snapchat of her gagging, with the tagline “I heard she’s a bitch.” And then there it is. One line that sends my heart plummeting.
My Heaven: Is it true?
There’s nothing more from her after that message came in just under an hour ago. I have to call her. Damn it, I need to do more than that. I need to go to her.
“I’ve got to get back to Vegas. The gala will have to go on without me.”
“You can’t do that!”
“The hell I can’t.”
“What about the kids? You do remember you have mini-camp every afternoon starting tomorrow, right?”
Damn it. I can’t let the kids down, and he knows it. “I’ll do camp, but not the gala. At least not if you insist on me having a date.”
“You will do what I tell you to do, or I’ll ruin you. I know you’re planning to drop me when your contract is up, but until then I own you. I can keep making you look good, or I can leak pictures of you.”
“What pictures?”
“The ones I took at my place when you stayed there during your rookie year. Remember that party where you took four girls back to your room with you?”
“You had hidden cameras?”
“I like to have insurance. You’re not the only one I photographed.”
“No one will be shocked, or care, if you release those pictures. It’s a well-known fact that I’ve gotten around.”
“Your parents wouldn’t care? It wouldn’t embarrass your mother?”
I start to say no, but then I stop. My parents run bars, so nothing much can faze them, and my mom can get pretty wild. But those pictures would shock and probably disgust the women at church who already look down on my mom. I told Eric all about my family when I thought he was my friend, so he knows. He knows everything. Well, almost everything. There are things I’ll never let him know. People who he can never know about. Nev and Sadiq top that list, and I’ll do anything to protect them, including going to a gala with some vapid bitch.
“I’ll go to the damn gala, but I will not say we are together, and if her hands wander, they’re getting smacked away. I don’t hit women, but I also don’t believe in being molested. I swear to you that there will be a scene if she steps out of line.”
“I’ll make sure she behaves. This has been a wonderful chat, but I’ve got a meeting to get to. So glad we see eye to eye. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
The elevator opens before I can throttle him. My fists are clenched, and I want to hit something. Correction—I want to hit him. Since I can’t do that, I paste on a fake smile, grab my car from the garage, and drive home. I need to call Nev, but I want to be home when I do that.
* * *
Neveah
I started out the day missing Dylan, but now I just want to hit him. I can’t believe I was so stupid. I actually believed he loved me, and was going to be satisfied with just me.
“I can’t believe my brother is going to that gala with her,” Ellie says with a laugh as she walks into the cafeteria.
“I can believe it,” Jade tells her. “He’s a dog.”
“That statement his agent released was the best part. ‘I’m never settling down. No woman will ever be special enough for that.’ Classic Dylan,” Ellie adds.
I force myself to stay in my seat, and not run from the room. It was hard enough to read the words online, but to hear Ellie laughing like it’s nothing new cuts me deep. I pick up my phone as it vibrates on the table in front of me. It’s him. I don’t want to answer, but I have to. I have to get past this—get past him—and then move on.
“Hello,” I say as I get up from the table and motion to my friends that I’m going outside.
“My agent set up the date. I didn’t know anything about it until after he’d leaked it to the press.”
“What about the statement?”
“Statement?”
“Don’t do this. Please don’t make this harder,” I beg him, thankful that the patio is fairly empty and I can claim a small piece of it for myself.
“If I knew what the hell you were talking about, I’d be doing every damn thing I could to make things easier for you. You have to know that.”
“You put out a statement saying you would never be with one woman.”
“Son of a cunt! I’m going to kick his ass once my contract is up. I did not say that, Nev. I wouldn’t ever say that. I might deny being in a relationship, because things are complicated at the moment, but I wouldn’t vow for it to never happen.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am. I love you. So much my heart wants to burst. I also wanted to jump on a plane to you when I heard about the date. I can’t let the kids down, and now I’ve been told I can’t get out of the gala. I need you to know I’ll be thinking of you every second of every day until I get back to you. Promise me you believe that.”
“I do. It was just hard seeing it online, and then hearing Ellie and Jade laugh about it like they expect you to say things like that.”
I hear him sigh. “They probably do expect it, along with a lot of other people. I don’t care about what anyone else thinks. Only you.”
“I think I love you, and we’ll be okay. How was your shoot, by the way?”
“When she wasn’t trying to grope me, it was good.”
“She was doing that? Ugh.”
“I shut it down, and the pics I took without her were pretty awesome. I picked a special one for you, in fact, since you were my muse.”
“Your muse?”
“I thought about you for those pics, and everyone said they’d never seen me look like I did before?”
“How did you look?”
“They think I look like I was yearning for a woman I couldn’t be with, which was partly true. When I looked at the pictures, I saw a man w
ho is hopelessly in love with a woman he does have, but can’t be with right now.”
“I can’t wait to see them, and get my personal pic.”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“I have to get back to work, but I’ll call you tonight.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Chapter 9
Neveah
Dylan’s going to be back today, and I can’t wait to see him. We’ve texted and talked all week, plus he sent me flowers, a stuffed basketball, and other little gifts while he was gone. I loved seeing his pics with the kids at the mini-camps, but I hated his pics with that actress. He looked so yummy in his tux, and while I know it was fake, it was still hard to see him with another woman.
I try to put him out of my mind as I walk into weapons class. Today is a firearms day, and I know they all expect me to just watch. I can’t wait to show them that I’m no longer afraid. Well, okay, I’m still a little afraid, but I can shoot the guns. Despite what everyone said, I know they had to be at least a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it.
“Okay, everyone, we’re heading across the hall to the range today. Nev, you can hang out in here if you’d prefer,” Faith says.
“Actually, I was planning on shooting some targets.”
“With a gun?” she asks. The room is dead quiet. I’ve made them all speechless.
“Yes. A friend has been helping me. I shot in his private range last week.”
“Friend? Is this the same friend who’s been sending you flowers and stuff?” Matisse asks.
“Maybe.”
“This is great, Nev. Did you try any specific gun?” Faith asks, steering us back on topic.
“I tried three different ones. I’m ready for whatever you want me to try.”
She smiles at me, and I smile back. “Let’s do it.”
Two hours later, I’ve shot every type of pistol, and even tried a rifle. I won’t say it was easy, because at times I wanted to just throw one of them down. I stopped, took some deep breaths, and accepted a high five from one of my friends when it happened. I could sense them all watching me, and waiting to see if I’d need them. I did need them, but not as much as I thought I might. I’m slowly coming to terms with that I can do and understanding that accidents can happen, but I can’t live my life waiting for one.
Neveah (Society Girls #2) Page 7