Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“You like that idea, don’t you?” He puts a finger on my lips before I can answer. “You don’t need to say anything yet. Just think about it.”
It will be impossible not to.
14
Chapter 14 - Colt
The waiting room is in an office on the outskirts of downtown, a place that looks barely used and sterile as an operating room. The sign on the door said Independent Media Management, which seems like a pretty small outfit considering they are sharing the floor with three other businesses. From what little I was told, Quinn’s mother hired someone here to help with the situation.
“I want you to behave professionally when you’re in there, do you hear me?” Sheila hisses under her breath. “I’m here as your manager, not your mother.”
Quinn nods. “I know.” She keeps her eyes locked down on her hands.
“And you…” Sheila looks at me like I’m a stray dog who followed them in. “Associating with your gang is a risk to my daughter’s career. I might have to put up with you for the moment, but I don’t like it and I’ll do my best to make our time together short. Stay back and out of our business.”
Apparently me, Priest and Sinner are considered part of the situation needing handling. I’m starting to see why Priest warned me about her. Staying visible but out of the way was already my plan, but her attitude makes me want to live up to her worst expectations. “With all due respect, you aren’t my boss.”
The corner of Quinn’s mouth turns up in a stealthy little smile.
Sheila glares at me.
“Can we afford this?” Quinn asks.
“You’re one to ask, hiring them without even talking to me first. But if it makes you feel better, the guy I’ve been seeing handled it.” Sheila says it in an offhand way, but she looks smug.
“The same one you’re borrowing the car from? Am I ever going to meet this one?”
Sheila’s hand clenches. “Yes it’s his car, and yes actually. He suggested that we have dinner together but with everything that’s been going on it just hasn’t worked out.”
Quinn hums in acknowledgment, but there’s a sarcastic tinge to it.
Curious.
I like Quinn. She’s pretty, has a nice body, and she’s fun to be around, but her life doesn’t quite add up. It smells like a con. A beautiful, successful actress on the outside, but underneath is an empty apartment, a questionable history, and someone else pulling her strings.
Priest is blinded by his memory of her and her brother. As soon as he sensed that everything wasn’t as it seemed and she was in trouble, he was all in. And Sinner? For a guy who got fucked hard by the system and can make a weapon out of just about anything, slit someone’s throat and go back to dinner without blinking, he has his blind spots. A struggling little sister whose brother was taken away? Quinn couldn’t be more perfect.
The inner door opens and a young guy with a sun tattoo on his neck and curly hair darts past us before a dark haired man with bloodshot eyes eventually sticks his head out. “Callahan? Come on in.”
I follow Quinn and her mother into his office, positioning myself between them and the door. Straight off the bat I don’t like the look of the guy, and the office itself feels hastily thrown together.
He shakes Quinn’s hand. “My name’s Greg Cook. I spoke with your manager a few days ago after your first scare. It’s a real shame we didn’t push up this meeting or we could’ve saved a lot of trouble.” Greg pulls out a tablet and starts flipping through headlines.
You Won’t Believe What’s Happening With Quinn Callahan!
Media Darling or Bad News?
Viral Star Linked To Organized Crime?
Sheila taps her finger on the screen. “Do you see this? This is what happens when you don’t listen to me.”
“I was doing what you told me. It’s not my fault someone attacked me!” Quinn argues.
“What’s done is done,” Greg interjects. “It’s important to remember that this isn’t the end of the world. All PR might not be good PR when you’re trying to sell a particular image, but the assault isn’t really the problem from an optics standpoint. It’s the direct association with the Outlaw Sons.”
“It wasn’t exactly something I planned.” Quinn glances my way in apology. “I know it makes things complicated, but I trust them and I thought that since there would already be pictures linking us, that it would be best to hire them officially. Unless you want me to let people speculate that Sinner was there for… other reasons?”
Sheila curls her lip at the implication.
Thanks to the planned photographers, there’s plenty of high quality footage from the abduction attempt. The photos of the fight are the most popular, followed by a few that caught Sinner and Quinn before she met with her friend. It’s not completely clear what she and Sinner were up to, but it definitely suggests they’re more than casually friendly.