Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“Stone’s lawyer specifically requested that I lead this campaign.”
“And lead you have,” he says, looking irritated that I’m arguing this right in front of our killer company. “However, that doesn’t mean that you will host the interview portion of this project. You have prepared me well. You have done your job spectacularly, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed, but now it’s time for a senior journalist to take over.”
“But—”
“No. You may submit an official complaint once you return to the office if you feel so inclined. However, my judgment is final. Now, move aside, Aria. I would like to get this interview underway and be out of here by lunch.”
“Lunch?”
I gape at him. Lunch?
Is he out of his fucking mind? I have enough questions here to last us three full days of filming, and he wants to be out of here by lunch. He can fuck all the way off.
Clearly, Jedd hasn’t even attempted to review the notes I’ve slaved over this past week. He’s hoping to come in here, wing it with a few bullshit questions, and be on his way, taking credit for all the work that I put in.
Fuck me. I’ve never been so angry in my life. I don’t even care that Stone Blackthorne is still staring at me like he wants to tear my head right off my shoulders and watch the way my blood spurts from my torn arteries. I’d even let him try if he promised to let me watch him do it to Jedd first.
Fucking men. Why do they always have to ruin everything?
Having no choice but to step back, I watch Jedd settle into my seat while Andy and Doug share knowing glances as though they’ve seen this exact scene play out a million times before.
“Alright, Mr. Blackthorne, my name is Jedd Harrison, CEO of Pulse Media. I’ll be running your interview today. If you need a break or aren’t willing to answer any particular question, all you have to do is speak up,” he says. “Now, let’s not keep you waiting.”
Jedd glances back at Andy and Doug. “Ready?”
“Ready when you are,” Doug confirms with a nod as I hover behind Jedd, my arms crossed over my chest, silently raging. Stone clenches his jaw, giving me just a moment of reprieve as he focuses that haunting stare on my piece-of-shit boss. Though I have to admit, I get a kick out of the way Jedd seems to shrink under Stone’s scrutiny. He doesn’t all-out wet his pants, but it’s enough to shatter that egotistical confidence.
“Not so fucking brave now, asshole,” I mutter under my breath, so silently that not a soul could hear me. Only the guard closest to me seems to smirk, and I can’t help but wonder if perhaps my version of quiet isn’t as silent as I’d always hoped. Perhaps this is why Janette, in the office, has always had such big issues with me.
Fuck her, though. And fuck Jedd too.
“Stone Blackthorne, twenty-seven years old, and serving four life sentences,” Jedd starts as though he’s introducing an MMA heavyweight champion to the ring. “A hundred and ninety-six years. That couldn’t have been easy news to hear.”
I scoff. A hundred and ninety-six? It was a hundred and ninety-two, but one quick glance at my notes and he would have known that.
Stone’s laser-sharp gaze slices toward me for just a moment before settling back on Jedd. “That’s your fucking question?”
“I, ummm . . .” Jedd pushes his hand through his graying hair, looking frazzled, and I try not to smirk at the way this murderer has somehow got me doing an internal happy dance. “I thought we’d do a quick introduction, you know, ease into it, and then we’ll get down to some of the heavier questions. You know, warm up to it.”
Stone just stares at him, not impressed, and I can tell without a doubt that this is about to be the biggest waste of everyone’s time. Jedd has shot us all in the foot. We might as well start packing up.
“Alright, Mr. Blackthorne, how would you prefer to do this?”
His gaze shifts to me again, sailing over my face before dropping to my throat. “A blade would be nice. I’d start with that pretty little throat.”
I swallow over the fear and fix him with a stare of my own. “He is not asking how you’d like to murder me, Mr. Blackthorne. He’s asking what we need to provide you with in order to gain your cooperation.”
Stone just stares again like that cold-hearted killer in the courtroom, not giving a flying fuck about the people around him.
Jedd sighs. “So you’re not going to give us anything? You’re just content with having us drive two hours out of our way to sit here and watch you scowl at my team? Content with wasting my time?”