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I don’t know whether to scream in anger or sit down and let the tears fall. Why do I always seem to find the bastards in this world. And the guy that just stormed out of here I think takes the top of the list of bastards I’ve ever met. All the craziness is racing around my head, but the loudest thought that pushes to the front is that I’m so freaking confused.
“What the hell just happened?” The whisper finally leaves my lips.
“Well, my guess is… Nic just gave away more about himself than you will understand.” Mr. Taylor walks to me and places his hand gently on my arm as a sign of kindness after a moment of sheer hostility. “Come with me and I’ll get you a stiff drink in the boardroom. I have a feeling we could both use one.” As he motions toward the door, I don’t even know how to move my feet.
“Mr. Taylor…”
“Please, call me Flynn. I have a feeling we are about to become firm friends,” he says, his eyes softening.
“Flynn, am I in danger with him?” I know it’s a stupid question to ask his friend because he is not the most objective to give me the truth, but I can’t help but panic slightly.
“Oh, Tori, the answer is, yes, absolutely. But not in the terrible way you are picturing. Trust me, he is worth the risk of finding out.” Flynn opens the door in front of me. I’m still totally confused, and I know the last thing I need is alcohol. That is what got me into all this trouble.
“I think I’ll skip the drink, Flynn. I need to leave now,” I say, walking toward Lucy who gives me a soft compassionate look of feeling sorry for me.
“I understand. Let’s just give Lucy what she needs, and then I’ll take you downstairs and arrange a car to take you home. It’s the least we can do.”
Just wanting to get out of this office, I tell Lucy everything she asks. The ride down in the elevator is deathly quiet. I’m not sure Flynn knows what to say to me, so it’s easier to say nothing.
Exiting the building, I see the familiar navy-colored Range Rover SUV from Friday night, and there’s a man waiting at the passenger door for me.
“Thank you, Wallace. Please get Ms. Packer home safely.”
Feeling so numb, I just want to escape this mess and work out how I can disappear before tomorrow morning.
“Tori.” Flynn once again places his hand softly on my arm. Turning to look over my shoulder, I see a genuine man who wants to help me in the only way he can.
“Give him a chance to show you the real man he is. What you just saw upstairs is thirty-nine years of pain breaking free. No one has ever scratched the surface of his tough outer shell, but you, little lady, just made the first crack in it. It’s something I never thought would be possible.”
“I don’t understand.” And to be honest, I’m too mentally exhausted to think about it.
“No, but if you get on that plane tomorrow, I have a feeling by the end of the week, you will.”
“I don’t know… I just don’t know.” Sliding into the car, the driver closes the door, and I burst into tears.
ChapterEight
VICTORIA
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Elouise is laughing at me from the other end of the couch.
“Ummm, I don’t know. I get on some private jet, fly to fuck knows where, never to be seen again,” I huff, throwing my hands in the air with frustration at the absolute mess my brain feels right now.
She’s typing away on her laptop, where she has been googling Nicholas Darby for the last thirty minutes since she arrived at my house from work, because I sent her an SOS message. Girl code for I’m freaking the fuck out over a guy, so get your ass here right now!
“Or better still, you could join the mile-high club in a private jet, with some billionaire hottie who owns a hotel chain spread all over Europe. Sounds really freaking terrible to me too. I mean, he is the talk of social media and all over the internet. It’s not like he would do something that stupid, like kidnap a woman and take her to his lair.”
“Why do I get the sense you are enjoying this? If you were really my friend, you would be telling me it’s the stupidest idea ever on this planet and I should lock myself in my house tomorrow, claiming I have the plague or something drastic!” I can’t help thinking back to Friday when all I wanted was for it to be a new start of something fantastic. For my life to change for the better. Then Nic appears out of nowhere and everything turns upside down in a heartbeat. There is no way he is the new something-better I was praying for. He drives me insane!
“Have you even searched this man? His story is pretty interesting.” She looks across at me, her head still stuck in the computer.
“Like I even had time to do anything in the limited days I had. If you remember Saturday, I was a hungover mess, and then Sunday all I could think about was the man that drove me home to keep me safe, yet I was missing part of the night. Don’t tell me that wouldn’t freak you out too!” I’m not sure she is even listening to me, obviously engrossed in what she is reading. While she is busy stalking Nic, I need to message Suzi and Theo before they arrive at the office tomorrow and wonder what the hell is going on.
Tori: I won’t be in the office for the rest of the week. Have to travel for work.
Suzi: What? I didn’t have that in your diary.
Theo: WTF you’ve been here 4 days and are getting to travel. I’ve never travelled for a job.
