by Mimi Strong
Nobody but her and Dylan knows what was on the screen. I’d give anything to get a peek, but the laptop is closed now. Maggie probably has it password protected.
“We need to know everything,” Maggie says. “We need to be in control of any scandals before they happen.”
“I’m not running for president,” he replies. The grit in his voice makes him seem like he’s growling.
“No, you’re not,” she says. “This is much bigger than that. The president has to play by the rules. We’re talking about a multi-billion dollar industry. Not some little political game.”
His expressions lightens up a bit. “You think I could make some serious money?”
“That depends. Where have you got Susan hidden away?”
He moves like lightning, striking his fist on the glass table. The table is thick and doesn’t break, but now everyone’s on the edge of their chairs. My heart is beating so hard, it’s making me numb.
“Susan is nobody’s business!”
He stands, towering over everyone. I forgot how tall and muscular he is. He seemed like a regular person when he was seated, but now he’s so imposing.
The guys from either side of him get up and lead the way out of the board room.
Without another word, Dylan storms out of the board room right behind them.
Everyone else around the table is absolutely quiet.
We can hear the three guys talking in the hallway. They’re waiting for the elevator, complaining how long it’s taking.
The woman across from me gives Maggie a thumbs-up gesture. Maggie gives her a sweet smile. I don’t understand why these two are being so friendly. That’s the woman who laughed at Maggie and almost got torn to shreds in the meeting. Was that all planned?
Maggie turns to me. “Well, Jessica?”
My voice is hoarse, almost a whisper. “What do you want me to do?”
She nods her platinum blond head toward the hallway. “Ever heard of the good cop, bad cop game? I’m the bad cop. Now it’s time for you to run after him and be the good cop.”
“What do I do? Am I trying to get him to sign a contract?”
She gives me a patient, strained smile. She might trust me, but she still thinks I’m an idiot.
“Don’t mention the contract,” she says. “Just get close to him. Find out where he’s stashed Susan.”
“Who’s Susan?”
She blinks. “Get into his bed, and you’ll get into his head. Now run along before that elevator gets here.”
I push back my chair and get up. My legs are shaking, and I feel as wobbly as a newborn deer.
Nervously, I walk out of the board room and approach the three guys standing by the elevator.
Dylan gives me a cold look. “I know they sent you after me.”
“I’m sorry things got so cray cray in there.”
His eyebrows raise with interest. “Cray cray?”
“Dylan, I’m not some scary music executive. I’m just a lowly intern. I had no idea about any of that.”
He looks past me thoughtfully for a moment. “Just a lowly intern?”
“Today’s my third day. I swear.”
The elevator opens, and he walks in. Holding the button that keeps the doors open, he says to the other guys, “You can take the next elevator.”
“Are you sure?” one of them asks.
“Yes. This lowly intern is going to show me out of the building.”
“Not if you keep calling me a lowly intern,” I reply.
He nods for me to get into the elevator with him. I follow him into the enclosed space. My palms are damp and my heart is racing, but it’s a good excitement now.
Chapter 15
I’m alone in the elevator with Dylan Wolf.
I thought after I turned twenty I’d stop feeling this way around cute guys. This nervousness is even more intense than my first crush. Being in this elevator alone with Dylan is like being in high school again, and getting paired up for an assignment with the hottest guy in school. Not that I ever did anything with guys back then. Or now.
Oh my god, I’m in way over my head.
The elevator dings as it travels down the ten floors.
“My fate is tied with yours,” Dylan says.
I look up at his stunning face. He must have shaved for the meeting, because his cheeks are smooth. I could just stand up on my toes and kiss him right on that gorgeous cheek.
“Are you meeting with other record labels?” I ask.
“You should follow me like a spy and find out.”
“I’m not a spy. And I haven’t been following you around. I only saw you playing those two times because I live in that neighborhood.”
“What’s your address?” He gives me a wicked grin.
“I’m not giving you my address. You’d turn into my musical stalker. You’d probably stand outside my bedroom window and throw pebbles at the glass. Then I’d open my window and find you standing in the garden, singing a song about my blue shoes, or my pink shirt.”
The elevator descends past the second floor and settles at the lobby. The doors will open any second.
Dylan leans over in one smooth motion and presses his lips against mine.
He’s kissing me. My heart does a happy dance. His lips are firm against mine. My own lips respond, kissing him back.
He pulls away quickly. I gasp for air, because I don’t think I’ve been breathing these past ten floors.
The doors open. People are standing around, bored looks on their faces. They have no idea Dylan Wolf just kissed me.
He steps out of the elevator, nodding his head to make sure I’m following him.
I smooth down my hot pink blouse and tight black skirt when he’s not looking. I follow him past security and right out the front door, into the sunshine.
Now what?
He stops abruptly on the sidewalk and turns to face me. “I would never write a song about that pink shirt of yours.”
“But you would sing outside my window, wouldn’t you? That’s why I can never give you my address.”
He grins. The angry Dylan who was slamming his fist on the table is long gone under this bright sunshine. “If you want me to, I’ll serenade you until I lose my voice.”
“Don’t lose your voice.” I raise my voice to be thin and brittle, like Maggie Clark’s. “If you damage that voice, you won’t get to be part of an exciting, multi-billion dollar industry.”
“Are you making fun of your boss?”
“She is kind of ridiculous. With the big puffy blonde hair, and the leopard print suits. She’s like a jungle cat.”
“And you’re not a jungle cat, Jess? You’re not a wild animal?”
I raise my eyebrows and give him an innocent look. It’s not hard to pull off, since I really am innocent. This city hasn’t changed me that much yet.
“I’m just a kitty cat,” I reply.
He starts walking, gesturing me to follow.
We walk together for a block.
I’m getting further away from Morris Music, but I think my boss would approve of me doing this. I’m out on assignment.
We stop walking next to a sleek, black car.
“I never could resist a sweet little kitty,” Dylan says. “Especially if she follows me home.”
He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and presses a button.
The locks on the black car click. The windows are tinted so dark, I can’t see the interior.
Dylan walks around to the driver’s side and opens the door.
He stands there, grinning at me. “Well? Don’t tell me you’re the kind of girl who needs the door opened for her every time.”
“Don’t tell me you’re the kind of guy who makes a big deal over stuff like that.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
We lock eyes for a moment in silence. The truth is, I wasn’t waiting for him to open the car door for me. I’m only standing here with my hands at my sides because I’m to
o nervous to open the car door myself.
He wants me to go somewhere with him in his car. Where? I can’t even imagine what he has planned.
“Jess, do I really need to open that door for you?”
“I need to ask you something. I want you to be honest.”
His eyes twinkle with mischief. “Pink looks really good on you. You’re probably one of those girls who doesn’t try to look pretty. You probably think dressing up is bullshit, and it is. Usually. But I gotta say I really dig that whole outfit. You’re wearing the hell out of those clothes.”
“That’s not what I want to ask.”
He closes the driver’s side door and walks around to the passenger side, where I’m standing.
Gazing into my eyes, he says, “Ask me anything.”
The whole world around us disappears. I could drown in his attention.
I swallow down the lump in my throat. He looks like he might kiss me again if I take too long, so I’ve got to speak up now.
“Those guys who were with you in the meeting,” I say slowly. “Was it one of them who mugged me? Was the whole thing a setup for a video?”
Dylan takes half a step back, putting space between us. He glances around, like he’s on the lookout for someone listening in.
He turns his dark brown eyes back to me. “Jess, I promise I’ll never lie to you. But you have to promise me something. Never ask me a question if you’re not prepared for the answer.”
Now I take a step back. And then another. “You used me.”
“You’re fine. And you got paid, didn’t you? As soon as you give me back the money, then you can glare at me like that. But if you take the money, you have to live with what you did.”
My hands clench into fists. “You didn’t give me a choice. You just did what you wanted. You didn’t care who got hurt.”
I keep stepping back, until I’m practically stumbling. I turn on my heel and start to walk away. He might be the hottest guy on the planet, but he just admitted to using me. I can’t have anything to do with a guy like that. I definitely can’t fall in love with him.
I’m halfway up the street when arms grab me from behind.
I cry out in alarm, but he claps a hand over my mouth.
“Don’t run,” he growls in my ear. “If you run, I’ll just have to chase you.”
I go limp in his arms. He relaxes his grip.
He’s let his guard down, so I make my next move.
The self-defense move is a reflex, not even conscious.
My elbow smashes back into his solar plexus, the soft spot below his ribs.
I crack my head back, trying to connect my skull to his face. Something connects. Maybe his chin.
“Fuck!” he yells.
His arms let go and I’m free. I take two steps and whirl around.
He rubs his chin, glaring at me.
I bring my arms up in a defensive position. I should run. That’s what they taught in the course I took. Even the toughest girl can’t fight a guy. They’re too big and strong.
But I’m not really afraid of Dylan, am I?
“Don’t you ever grab me,” I growl.
Still rubbing his chin, he says, “Lesson learned.”
“Good.”
His eyes glint with danger. “Next time I won’t loosen my grip. You won’t even know what happened until you’re in the trunk of my car.”
My jaw drops open.
“So, what’s it going to be?” he asks, rubbing his hands. “Are you going to get into my car willingly? Front seat or trunk?”
I take a step back. “You wouldn’t.”
“Jess, get in the car. I’ve got something to show you.”
I look over at the black car with the dark windows. My heart is racing. Am I more excited, or scared?
My whole life, I’ve been the kind of girl who says no. I don’t get into cars with guys I don’t know. I don’t take risks.
Now I have a choice. I can turn around and go back to my job. I’ll probably get sent down to archives, with no chance of escape.
Dylan walks back over to the car and opens the passenger door.
Without a doubt, he is the cutest guy I’ve ever seen. Even though his temper scares me, all it takes is the smallest of smiles and I’m melting.
He seems to be reading my mind, because now he’s grinning.
“Get in,” he orders. “There’s no air conditioning in the trunk.”
I waver, unsure. “I forgot my bag upstairs.”
“Jess, if you go back into that building, we’re through.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “We?”
“Me and you. Don’t deny you feel it, too. I want to show you something, but if you walk away, I’ll never trust you.”
“You trust me now?”
He lowers his head and gives me a forceful look through his dark eyebrows. “Get in my car. Now.”
What was that thing Nick told me? When you think you have no choice, it’s probably because your destiny is right in front of you.
My legs tremble as I walk forward.
I slide into the leather seat, barely breathing.
Dylan walks around and gets in the driver’s side.
The engine starts with a loud rumble.
Dylan cranks the wheel and floors the gas.
The tires squeal as he whips the car out onto the road and crosses three lanes of traffic. Vehicles all around us are honking and squealing their tires to avoid hitting us.
Dylan doesn’t even flinch or glance over at me.
He drives the sports car right over a low median and whips around in a U-turn.
Tires squealing, we take off in the opposite direction.
The Morris Music building disappears behind us.
I have a terrible feeling I made the wrong choice.
Revenge - Part 2
Chapter 1
Dylan Wolf drives like a criminal on the run.
“Look out!”
I cover my eyes with both hands.
Dylan keeps driving like a maniac. The engine of his black sports car roars as we race down the street.
I peek through my fingers.
We narrowly miss being crashed into by a white van.
“You’re insane!” I yell at him.
He laughs, just loud enough to be heard over the roaring engine.
My heart feels like it’s trying to burst out of my chest. I look down at my right foot. My pink shoe is pressing hard against the floor’s car mat. Even though I’m not driving, my body is trying to press the brakes.
What else can I do? I can’t open the door and roll out, or I’ll be killed.
There’s no other choice but to grab my seat belt and buckle up. I pull it on with a click.
By now, Dylan has slowed down a little. We’re still speeding down the street, but at least he’s sticking to one lane.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” I ask him. “That you’re a crazy driver?”
He reaches up and sweeps one hand through his shiny, dark hair. I feel like I’m in an action movie, with a sexy spy or detective. Even during a car chase, the spy always looks perfect and sexy. Dylan’s gorgeous profile is relaxed and confident. He could totally be a movie star.
He tosses a flirty smile my way, then returns his dark brown eyes to the road.
“Are we having fun yet?” he asks.
I grumble something in response. This makes him smile.
I could just punch that smug look off his face. Since we met, less than a week ago, Dylan Wolf has done nothing but mess up my life.
He stormed out of a big meeting at Morris Music just now. My new bosses were trying to put together a music recording deal with him, but he freaked out over some stuff in his past. That was about ten minutes ago.
Today is Wednesday, only my third day working at Morris Music as an intern. I barely know where the cafeteria is, but I’ve already been promoted to the mysterious job of Eye Candy. I was in the big meeting when all hell broke
loose over Dylan’s past. Apparently, his name used to be Brandon, and he’s got someone named Susan “stashed away.” I have no idea what that means.
Dylan slammed his fist on the table and walked out. The music executives acted like this was pretty normal for musicians.
My boss sent me to follow Dylan out of the building, and get close to him.
I figured I’d give it a shot, since he’s so cute. Big mistake. He might be cute, but he’s already lied to me at least once.
Those majestic brown eyes of his looked right into me, stole my heart, and lied to me.
Right before I got into his car, I found out he was the one responsible for me getting mugged on my first full day in LA. My eye is barely healed, and I’ll probably never feel safe in crowds again.
And then, if all that wasn’t bad enough, he grabbed me. Physically. I fought my way free, but he threatened to kidnap me and throw me in the trunk of his car.
I’m pretty sure he was joking about the kidnapping. But I’m not 100% sure. Especially now that I see how he drives.
He whips the wheel and changes lanes again without signaling.
I yell at him, “Have you heard of a turn signal? It’s right on the steering column! You can’t miss it. Big stick. Goes up and down.”
“This thing?” He clicks on the windshield wipers.
“Very funny.”
“Are you comfortable over there, Jess? Your face looks red. Or maybe it’s the reflection of that pretty pink shirt you’re wearing. Would you like the air conditioning turned up?”
“I’d like to not die in this car today, thank you.”
He reaches over and presses a button on the dash. Cool air jets out of the dash. Sweet, sweet air conditioning.
He mutters, “I suppose I could slow down a bit. Would that make you happy?”
“Yes.”
He keeps muttering to himself. “Should have put her in the trunk.”
“I heard that.”
He turns off the windshield wipers, then pushes the turn signal on. It clicks rhythmically.
He shoulder-checks, then changes lanes perfectly, and flicks it off.
“Do I pass?” he asks.
“If this was a driving test, you’d fail. I failed you the second you pulled out of the parking spot and nearly hit three cars.”