Chapter 1: Angel
“I can’t believe that cocky son of a bitch pulled it off,” I heard someone say.
I was keeping my own rage at bay as I sat in the boardroom and kept my attention on my coffee cup, my coffee cup that was filled with hot water and a slice of lemon. I avoided caffeine, not because I didn’t like it but because I just knew that with caffeine in my system, I was more likely to smackhissmug face in with my five-inch heels.
“He sure does have the devil’s charm,” one of my colleagues murmured in appreciation.
My snort brought attention. “Hey, wasn’t Hudson supposed to be one of yours?” Johnathan asked me as he leaned over in his chair. “I thought you had him tied up?”
“Now, we don’t discuss the vampire’s sexual preferences; you know she’ll slap a lawsuit on you for suggesting she likes bondage.”
Closing my eyes briefly, I looked up and plastered a smile on my face as the dickhead of the century — no,millennium— strolled into the room like he owned it. Okay, so he didownit, but that was moot.
“You’re juvenile,” I told him sweetly.
“You’re jealous,” he said pleasantly. Turning to Johnathan, he gave him that smirk that made me fantasize about how I would kill him. “I do believe that Angel was in talks with the star of LA’s finest, but he’s more of anactionkind of guy — less talking moredoing.”
God, I hated him. Trying to tune him out, I focused on my drink.
“Isn’t that the fourth rookie he’s taken off you this year?” Glenn asked me quietly from beside me.
With a deep breath and a forced smile, I turned to look at my older colleague. “Fifth actually, but hey, who’s counting? We’re all a team, right?”
“You’re more graceful than I am, Angel,” Glenn said as he leaned back in his chair. “I’d have punched him by now. It’s not like he needs the fee.”
That earned him a genuine smile, and when I turned back to face the table, my smile caught when I saw the Devil looking back at me.
“What?” I snapped at him. His raised eyebrow infuriated me more. “What do youwant, Onyx?”
“So hostile,” he mused before he rested his elbow on the table and dropped his chin in his hand. “Maybe if you were more pleasant, you may find it easier to secure more clients.”
“Maybe if you choked on your saliva in your sleep, my ears wouldn’t bleed every time I heard your voice.”
Dark eyes glittered back at me as he smiled, and the room fell quiet as he watched me, tension high as our co-workers waited for his scathing reply. Me included. I was saved when our boss walked into the room, completely oblivious that he had just saved me.
“Morning, folks,” Neil greeted. “I had a nice weekend off. Did everyone enjoy their weekend?” He beamed at Onyx. “Of course,someof us were working on the weekend and snagged the company a very,veryprestigious client. Onyx, you did it again. Is there no end to your talents?”
I was going to puke.
I tuned them out as they congratulated the entitled prick on hiswin. Not his win —mywin. I had worked tirelessly to get Trent Hudson to sign with us and have me represent him as his agent. He told me he needed the weekend to think about it. I was furious. He hadn’t needed the weekend tothinkabout my offer; he had spent the weekend being sweet-talked by the devil.ThatDevil who sat across from me now and who was all but laughing openly in my face. But I saw it, the amusement when he looked at me. I wished I could slap him. It may even be worth getting fired for.
“Angel, how was your weekend?”
Mediocre. Lonely. Soul-destroying. “It was good, thanks, Neil,” I said instead. “No complaints.” I ignored the snort from across the table.
“Good leg work you did in getting Hudson on our radar,” Neil said to me, and I couldn’t even be angry at him, because his praise was genuine.
“Very nicelegwork,” Onyx taunted me as he nodded alongside Neil in agreement.
“What percentage did you take?” I asked him boldly. It had to be the fee I had presented that he slashed. There was no other explanation for the guy signing with him and not me.
“Three percent.” He winked at me.
“How?” I asked with clenched jaw. He got the full three percent, how?
His grin was wide as he reached for his coffee cup. “What did you offer? Two?”
And now he was letting the whole room know not only did he take my potential client, but that client was willing to payhimmore. “I am sure you discussed in great detail my offer to Trent.”
