Page 58 of Jason
“So you came back,” Jason said curtly.The lack of professionalism galled him, and by the look of things, Cass was up to no good.“Who’s your friend?”
“Who, him?”Cass looked at the young man.“This is Davis Markham.He is an investigative reporter.”
Jason had never wanted to kill a man with his bare hands, but he did in that moment.He might have done it, too, if he could have moved without being driven to his knees in pain.He looked at Mallory—her expression of sick astonishment mirrored what he felt.He knew, instinctively, that Graham’s calls had something to do with this, and he needed to handle it.“Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll join you in a moment,” he said softly.
Mallory blinked.“Maybe I should—”
"Please.”
“Yes, be a good little girl and run on, Mallory,” Cass drawled.
She snapped her gaze to him.“You know what, Cass?”
“No, what?”he sneered.
She looked like she was going to launch herself at him.Jason reached for her hand, but she took one look at Mr.Davis Markham, and abruptly pivoted about, striding away.
Cass chuckled.“Shall we sit?”he asked pleasantly, and pointed to a settee.
There was no way Jason could sit on that settee.“Over here,” he said, and hobbled to a tall table with barstools he could slide onto.
“What’s wrong with you?”Cass asked.“Why are you walking like that?”
“Never mind,” Jason muttered.
Cass arranged himself on a stool.The young man stood.“Davis and I have been talking about Darien’s problem,” Cass said, as if they were catching up on old friends.
Jason said nothing.
“You remember Candice Herrera, do you not?”
Candice Herrera was an actress who had read for the part of the ex-wife.She didn’t get the part.As Jason recalled, she interpreted the role as if the character was a mob boss, not a woman scorned.“What about her?”
“She had accused Darien of molesting her,” Cass said easily, without any sort of emotion that Jason could detect.
This was news to Jason.He was uncomfortably aware of the reporter watching him.His phone began to ping again.He didn’t have to look to know it was Uncle Graham.
“Not sure where you’re going with this, Cass.”
“Candice is filing a lawsuit.”
Jason clenched his jaw in a supreme effort to remain silent.
“Here is the interesting part,” he said, almost gleefully.“She says you knew of it, and you hired Darien anyway.She was forced to decline the role.She lost work because you were coddling a sex offender.”
This was staggeringly unbelievable.What was Cass doing?Was his ego so fucking fragile that he would go to such lengths?Did he want out of a contract so bad as this?If he did, why didn’t he just say so?
“What do you say to that charge, Mr.Blackthorne?”the reporter asked him.
“That there is absolutely no truth to it.Now, if you will excuse me, I have a call to take.”
He got up and walked away as best he could, his back screaming at him with every step.Davis Markham shouted, “Did you know Darien Simmons was a sexual predator, Mr.Blackthorne?”
“Oh, and by the way, Jason,” Cass called out.“I quit.I won’t be associated with a film company that hires sex offenders.”
Jason could not believe that douche.He should have terminated their agreement the moment he wouldn’t take Jason’s calls, but he hadn’t, because in the back of his head he feared another potential lawsuit and the stain on the Blackthorne name.
His phone began to ping again.He dug it out of his pocket as he managed his way up the stairs, sweat pouring down his back.It was over.He punched the button on the phone.“Hi, Uncle Graham.I know why you’re calling.I was just waylaid at the Bickmore.”
