Page 42 of Silver Edge
I shot from Drake’s arms. Margo’s voice tasered my flesh. The sound flipped my switch from tantalized to terrorized.
Drake swung around. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
A key on an Audi key chain dangled from her petite, rose-colored fingernail.
I heard a growl come from Drake. He looked me up and down then sauntered toward me with sexuality oozing from every part of his body. “Scarlet, can you go to my office and wait for me, please?” He swallowed and his eyebrows rose on his face. “Please, don’t leave.”
I looked at the tall model-esque woman with the power to have me fired once, and decided I wouldn’t let her take anything else from me.
“Stay,” Drake said again.
I nodded then sauntered past him with more courage than I felt. “I’ll be upstairs when you’re ready for bed.”
Blondie’s mouth fell open. “Ah, taken on a homeless charity case for the night?”
“Margo,” Drake said in a guttural tone.
I didn’t reply, as I’d already made my point and anything further only gave her more power. The last thing my head wanted was to listen to that high-pitched screeching any longer. Although, once I reached the top of the stairs I stopped just beyond their view and listened. From the distance, I could manage to handle her voice.
“I know I hurt you, but it’s time to get over it. What are you doing with your life, Drake?”
“I don’t need to get over anything. I’m moving on.”
“With that reject?” she huffed.
I heard footsteps cross the stage. “Watch yourself.”
“Watch myself? You should be down on your knees, begging for me to take you back after sleeping with that skank.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I haven’t slept with her.”
“Ah, maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
“I respect Scarlet. I know that’s a foreign concept for a girl who slept with my business partner five minutes after leaving my office.” His voice sounded strained.
I rubbed my forehead and tried to keep up with their conversation, but something warned me I shouldn’t be listening in.
“Stop acting all high and mighty. You slept with your secretary, two girls in accounting, and God knows how many others.”
“Not after I agreed to be together with you. Not after you stood by my side at my family’s funeral and told me you were there for me.” His voice cracked.
“I tried, but you were so damn depressed I needed something to get me through it, too. It was just a one-nighter, a way to be happy for five minutes. But now I’m here and I’m ready to commit. All you have to do is give up this place and go back to your real job. Then everything will return to normal, and we can move on with our lives. It’s time to settle down and be grown-ups.” She spoke softer, with a sweeter tone. Her heels clicked twice against the concrete floor.
“Don’t touch me,” Drake snapped.
She sighed. “It’s time to let them go and stop punishing yourself.”
“I’m not punishing myself…anymore. I’m finally letting myself live and enjoy life. You need to let go and move on,” Drake said.
“No, you’ve lost it. You’re slumming here with white trash instead of where you belong, with me. It’s like you lost yourself and you don’t feel worthy anymore.”
That low growl from Drake echoed again, then stomps sounded across the stage, down the steps. “You’ll never insult my club, friends, or the people I care about again. Get out.” The front door squealed open. “And I’ll take my key back.”
Her heels clicked with aggressive speed. “No, you won’t. I’ll own this place when you can’t pay up at the end of this month.”
“Don’t you meanDaddywill? And I have six weeks,” Drake retorted.
“No, actually I mean me. You didn’t think my father really loaned you that money. I took it out of my trust fund. This is commercial real estate, I only need to give you thirty days. I’ve already filed to foreclose due to payment delinquency. There won’t be an extension this time. I’ll foreclose and sell this place to my father at a profit. So if I were you, I’d go get whatever that is out of your system and come crawling back. Otherwise, you’ll lose everything, including me.”
