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I knew that voice.
I’d had to listen to it every goddamn morning for four and a half years.
Stewart Allsheim had been my co-anchor through blizzards, hurricanes, presidential campaigns and TikTok.
For all that he’d played one of the biggest parts in my life of late, we’d never liked each other. While he never did or said anything to indicate he was a creep, that was because he was too smart. Smarmy, to boot.
Grimacing as he approached from a table that was near the door—something I recognized as being low on the real estate at the restaurant—I plastered on a fake smile because people were watching.
His hands were outstretched, his arms wide as he moved in to give me a hug, but before he could, before he could even try to air kiss me, Aidan stepped right in front of me, and asked, "Who the hell are you?"
Stewart frowned like he didn’t understand the question.
I had to smile because we’d played a large role in a massive chunk of New York’s breakfasts together, and Aidan also owned a part of TVGM so there was no way in hell he didn’t know exactly who Stewart was. It was a power play. God, that sent shivers down my spine.
I didn’t mind him being a possessive asshole, not when it meant I didn’t have to endure a hug from my creep ex-co-worker.
Resting a hand on the center of his back, I peered around him to ask, "Stewart, long time no see."
"You know how it goes, Savannah. The news never stops. Seeing as you’re front and center of it right now, I guess you’d know that more than me." He beamed at me like he was on some kind of deranged happy pills. "I know the station’s been trying to get in touch with you."
"I’m well aware, Stewart. I have no desire to talk to the people who fired me for raising awareness about the toxic workplace that TVGM has been for the last few years." I made sure I didn’t lower my voice, and because people were listening in, the hush that fell at that moment was classic. As was how Stewart’s face fell. "I won’t be selling my story to TVGM any time soon, and if you think you can try and hoodwink me, well..." I leaned around Aidan and pressed a hand to Stewart’s chest before I gently patted him there. "...you and I both know we never had that type of friendship. Now, I hope you enjoy your meal, but you can tell TVGM from me that they can go straight to hell."
I strode off, aware that Aidan was at my back, and the doors opened wide like they were being pulled open by magic as I stalked through them.
The maître d’ looked like he was going to bow, but if he did, I didn’t notice, I was too busy storming into the private elevator. I turned around when I felt it dip slightly, and seeing Aidan pull out a pass and swipe it, I watched as the doors closed, and relaxed at once.
"I didn’t expect to see him tonight," I grumbled.
"No love lost between you, was there?"
There was a faint growl to his voice, and it was second nature to reach for his hand and to slide my fingers through his. "He never said or did anything to agitate me."
"A miracle in itself," Aidan half-mocked, making me grin up at him.
"He was just a creep. That’s all."
"That’s enough."
I shrugged. "It wasn’t that bad that you need to repeat whatever you did to my guards… You did beat them up, right?"
"Their incompetence almost cost you your life." He arched a brow at me. "What do you think?"
"And Wintersen…" I eyed him beneath my lashes. "What didyou do to him?"
"Culpable deniability. I know you’ve heard of—" Before he could finish that sentence, the elevator jerked to a halt.
"Oh, great," I growled, sure that it was a power shortage or something.
Then, the lights cut out, before they flickered on again and the elevator car rattled once more, jolting us both. Aidan let out a gasp of pain which told me he’d rocked back on his bad leg.
Before I could even screech that this was weird, and I’d been in a broken-down elevator many times—this was New York, after all—it dropped.
Literally dropped.
Heart in my ears, I fell back against the corner, hands coming up to cup the wall, flattening them there. The glass was slick beneath my palms thanks to the perspiration beading my skin. My reaction was as instantaneous as the breakdown of this fucking machine.
"Aidan," I screamed when the damn thing jerked to a stop.
