Page 159 of Collateral Damage
He winks, and I grimace. “If you think I have that kind of sway with the board, you’re delusional.”
Lance leans back in his chair, voice cold, the butt of his gun tapping against his desk. “They will listen to you because you’re a Laurence, and if they won’t listen to you, they’ll listen to your mother.”
“Why?” Jonathan snorts. “They’re just trophies. She needs a man to speak for her.”
I give him a dark glare. “I don’t need a man.”
“You need Cooper,” he challenges. “You’re a slut who sleeps around and had an affair with your co-producer. Pretty sure you’d like to keep that private, wouldn’t you?”
Lance grins and nods at his nephew. “She’s always cared about her privacy.”
And therein lies the problem…
The video message that got me here contained far more than I expected. It’s a mix of moments I want to keep private, starting with the day on Nantucket when Gloria confronted me about Benton, and ending with footage of me and Cooper having sex on the beach. In between are lots of stolen kisses between the two of us.
I want to scream, knowing someone was filming those private moments. “You guys are sick for filming those things.”
Jonathan and Lance both roll their eyes, and I’m forced to bite my tongue. They had someone on the crew working for them, and I want to know who.
The sharp edge of desperation hangs in the air like a battle ax about to fall.
I’m desperate for my private life to stay private, and they’re dead set on using me to fix their mess. How the hell am I supposed to convince the board to reinstate Vale? Cooper already revealed Vale’s true colors. These men will never work at Laurence International again.
And my private moments will end up on some disgusting porn website for public fodder.
Fucking fantastic.
My thoughts return to the night on the beach. Not only was it my first time with Cooper, but it was the first time he’d had been with a woman since getting his prosthetic leg. That was a special moment and not something for anyone else to know about, let alone watch.
I fucking hate these men.
“I have a great idea,” Jonathan says, smiling like a viper. “If threatening you and your little boyfriend isn’t enough to convince you to do the right thing, how about we add someone else to the mix? Hmm, maybe your other boyfriend, Benton?”
I straighten and swallow hard. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s simple,” Lance says. “We got our hands on the full, unedited footage fromTop of the World. Since you wrongfully removed me from my position with the foundation, I’ve spent weeks combing through the footage. I think America would love to see exactly how much of a jackass New York City’s favorite hockey player really is.”
My stomach twists.
“It’s at a new network,” I say carefully.
Lance grins. “Yes, thanks to my connections. As I recall, you’re the one who said sex sells. We have all the footage ready to go. All I have to do is send one email, and I guarantee we’ll twist everything needed to make Benton public enemy number one within the month.”
I wince. I want to help Benton, but not at the price they want me to pay. I can’t call another board meeting, and I can’t change the outcome of the last one. Despite everything they have on me, their time for blackmail is over. They don’t know it yet, but I’m not going to change my mind. If they want to share my sex life with the world, so be it. If they want to screw over Benton, it’s out of my control, and I’ll do everything in my power to help him rehab his image when this is all over.
My eyes flick to the gun, and I swallow hard. It’s got to be for show, right? Lance wouldn’t actuallyhurtme.
He’d end up in prison, because while he may have wealth and influence, so does my family. It’s not like he could kill me and get away with it. My phone was on me when I drove over here, pinging off cell phone towers.
“I’m curious,” Lance says, “why did you even come here today if you have no intention of negotiating? Did you think you could cry your crocodile tears and expect me to feel sorry for you? I’m not your daddy. You have no influence on me.”
Coming here was obviously a mistake, but I was hoping to protect not only my future at Laurence International but the privacy of my intimate moments with the man I love.
“I thought you’d be reasonable,” I try. “I don’t have enough sway to change the board’s mind after everything that’s happened. Ask for something that’s within my capabilities to give you.”
Lance’s tone drips with condescension. “You were never the brightest crayon in the box, were you? The idea that you did as well as you did boggles my mind.”
Jonathan laughs. “It’s because she’s a rich white woman.”
