Page 82 of Hot Nights in Morocco
“I know but—”
“I need to concentrate on the business, Charlie. I’ve fought my ass off trying to wrestle it back from Wilson. I couldn’t do it when my father was alive. I’m determined to make up for that now.”
“The enemies you spoke of in Morocco… You were talking about Walt Wilson, weren’t you?”
Jake frowns. “The devil incarnate. All he ever wanted,wants, is Global, and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get it. First, he destroyed my father by taking away my mother. Then he tried to destroy me by taking—”
We’re disturbed by a knock on the door.Already?Trust my luck that he has a driver as fast on his feet as his Maserati.
“Good-bye, Charlie,” he says bleakly. “I hope you find that peace of mind you’re searching for. God knows, you deserve it.”
Wordlessly, I scream after him.
I think I already have.
Chapter Forty-Seven
“Charlie!” squeals Rachel, flinging her arms around my neck. “It’s so great to see you. I can’t believe we’re going to be working together again.”
She looks so glossy and healthy, with her polished blond hair and well-rested skin. I wish I looked that good. My own hair is a shapeless mess, my Moroccan tan has faded into the London pollution, and the dark shadows under my eyes give out the impression that I’m wearing a pair of hideously unfunny comedy glasses.
I’m back on the South Bank again, but it’s a very different atmosphere to the one from yesterday. The sun is shining and the gossip chains are clinking with the news of Brad’s demotion and Ramirez’s demise.
“You wouldn’t believe the relief around here, now that Jake’s in charge,” confides Rachel, letting go of my neck to link arms and walk me over to the production trailer. “He’s such a superstar, even stuck behind that desk in L.A. I heard that the sparks are already offering to work extra hours for no overtime. That’s like Moses parting the Red Sea.”
I nod, but I’m not really listening. I can’t get Jake’s last words to me out of my head. I replayed them over and over until I finally fell asleep at four a.m.
“He’s insisting that you work in the office, and not as Brad’s assistant anymore,” she says, pretending not to notice the state of me. “Shall we grab a coffee and go through stuff? On second thought, let’s hold off until after lunch. Brad wants a run-through for the next scene in half an hour.”
No freaking way.If anything’s going to tip me over the edge, it’ll be speaking to that asshole again. Jake was right. Brad never gave a shit about me. He only used me to take pot shots at his brother, and, like a complete idiot, I allowed him to.
“Hey, Rach? I’m not feeling so good. I think I might just—”
“Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell areyoudoing here?” Max appears out of nowhere, erupting in front of us like a raging volcano. “Jake’s out of his mind to keep you around after all the trouble you’ve caused. You couldn’t help yourself, could you? You knew how he felt about Brad!”
“Good to see you, too, Max,” I say, shattered by his greeting. When did our lighthearted repartee switch to this accusation and regret? “I’m sorry I’m such a crushing disappointment to you.”
“To us both. Talk about the ex-assistant from hell!”
“Max,” whispers Rachel, reprovingly.
“Jake’s had a lucky escape, if you ask me.” He stops after this grand finale of insults, but his eyes are like chips of ice.
“He’s not perfect, you know,” I say, my own temper flaring.Can’t Max see how much I’m hurting here?“I know he slept with Cassie behind Brad’s back.”
“And who did you hear that from? Brad, perchance?”
I go very still. “Are you saying he made it up?”
Of course he did. Everything Brad ever fed me was a lie.
“Max, your first AD is signaling to you,” Rachel says, but Max ignores her.
“Brad’s always had a thing for Jake’s women. Blood’s never thicker than a hot pussy with that asshole. It’s all a twisted game to him. He learned it from the best, from his own fucking father. Jake walked in on him and Cassie last year.” He shakes his head in disgust. “Jesus, I’m going to find that little shit in a minute and knock the living daylights out of him. Jake may have fucked around before you came along, but in reality, he’s the only one of us with any morals. He was there for my father, there for me. He was even there for our sodding mother whenever she deigned to put in an appearance. What Walt Wilson and his devil’s spawn have done to Jake over the years is unforgivable. It’s been layer upon layer of shit and deceit.”
“What did they do to him?” I grab his arm in horror.
“What the hell do you care?” He brushes me off easily.
