Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 119184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Can’t blame him when Luis isn’t subtle about loving the cloak-and-dagger subterfuge.
“Good, fuck him,” I snarl.
“The local press is a stampede, falling all over each other to get interviews with him. From what I’ve gathered, his office is vacated, basically locked up.” He blows out a breath. “So many lawsuits, man. It’s an avalanche. I guess he’s decided to come out with his own, but it won’t get anywhere fast.”
“He’s suing me?” I snort. “Desperation. That fuck doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“I know, you know, and the lawyers know, but he’s suing for defamation, anyway. Just a rabid dog, lashing out at this point for something to bite.”
“I love the smell of panic.” For the first time in days, I smile.
“He knows how crushing this is. Even if he can wriggle out of criminal charges—and I’m pretty sure he won’t—it’s so rancid no one will want to work with him again in this town. There are calls coming to boycott him entirely.”
“Perfect,” I repeat.
I don’t know Harry personally from Adam, but we share one thing in common.
Image is everything.
And now, if he’s flailing and chasing his own tail like a deluded beast, hiding from the press while they burn him down—it means he’s a broken mirror.
He never expected his illegal fuckery to come to light, and it’s busted him into a million pieces.
His threats don’t scare me. Empty bluster.
Hell, anybody in code enforcement he corrupted is probably fleeing across the state line by now if they have an IQ above frozen lasagna.
“There’s something else.” Luis clears his throat, his usual tell when he wants to change the subject—and when he knows I won’t like it. “Have you heard from Miss Joly yet?”
“No. After these fireworks, hopefully soon.”
But why does it feel so unlikely with every passing hour of radio silence?
“I hate to throw this on your shoulders, but people are starting to notice she’s missing, boss man.”
Goddammit, I know.
I haven’t posted anything new for days.
With a social media presence like mine, I could hand off content to others to fill in the gaps, or just repost old videos. But it’s always been important that my fans know they’re talking to authentic Brady, and they have a near-daily connection to my adventures.
Of course, that also means I’m front and center, and when I’m not, it’s a recipe for controversy.
People are talking. Whispers are becoming a dull roar, asking why my last few posts and live streams had no mention of my lovely fiancée.
And my latest ghosting act just pours fuel on the fire.
A dozen variations of #BradyBreakup hashtags are trending.
Fucking hell.
“Where is she? Any updates?” I growl.
“Nope, but I have a few guesses you wouldn’t let me pursue.”
“No. I’m not invading her damn privacy.”
I’ve done that enough.
“In that case, I don’t think we’ll uncover her location unless she decides she wants you to find her, my man.”
Damn.
And judging by the total silence, even more than twelve hours after I unleashed the hounds on Harry’s ass, that’s unlikely.
I scowl at my computer screen, the satisfaction of destroying Harry Jay running through my fingers like fine sand.
I need to find Lena ASAP.
“I hate to add insult to injury, but your mother’s been asking about her too,” Luis says. “She’s wondering when you’ll bring her around the house to talk wedding plans. She couldn’t believe your father sang her praises after that charity thing.”
“Fuck me, I know.” I rake a hand through my hair, clenching my jaw. “But what the hell do I say? That she dumped me and ran off into the sunset?”
Luis goes quiet. “You want to give them the truth?”
“Absolutely not. Shit, I need to find her and make this right.” Even if it’ll take her time to understand why I hit Harry Jay the way I did, and a miracle to ever fall in love with me again.
I’m ready to become a praying man for the first time in my life if she’ll talk to me.
If I can prove that her devil ex is gone for good.
“Did you send the article to Dr. Ezzie?” Luis asks after a second.
“Yeah. She said she passed it along.”
“Damn. I guess we’ll just have to wait until she comes back. Hopefully a few more days. She didn’t quit her job, right?”
“Not likely.”
I believe that, but I shrug because I just don’t fucking know, and that’s infuriating.
A few days might be an eternity. That’s what Lena said originally when I asked about her plans to run off with a friend and escape from me.
“I don’t want to wait, Luis. I need her now.”
“Don’t know what to tell you. If I could summon her back in a maid outfit and a cloud of sparkles, I would’ve by now.”
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you too! Respectfully.”
“I could have you fired.”
“But you never will,” he says, a grin in his voice. “Do you want me to go digging? You figured she’s off with that Elle Marshall girl, and there’s a lot of material there. A lot of places they could be with her money, unfortunately.”