Page 34 of Collateral Damage
“Great! We’ve already got three people who have signed contracts. We’re looking for six cast members in all. You and two other people will be in there tonight to talk about the possibility of joining the show.”
He scratches the stubble on his jawline. “Who’s already in?”
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
“Oh, no big deal, only a pop star, an international supermodel, and a movie star.”
He blinks. “Names?”
I shake my head. “Gotta save that for cameras.”
“What about the two who are already in there?”
“Members of the Maguire family.”
He thinks on that for a second. “Aren’t they a political dynasty?”
“And their father plans to run in the next presidential election.”
He shakes his head. “That’s… intense.”
“Indeed.”
He lets out a deep breath, and I realize he’s probably as nervous as I am right now. Maybe it’s contagious.
I knock, and a few seconds later, Perry greets us with his megawatt smile, immediately extending his hand toward Benton. “Benton, we’re so glad you could make it. I’m a huge fan. I’m Perry Hargrove, creator and executive producer of my new show,Top of the World. Please, come in.”
“Uh—hi,” Benton stumbles over his hello, which is unusual for him. The guy is typically as smooth as the ice he plays on. “Thanks for having me. You know, my manager has been wanting me to find something like this. She wanted me to doDancing with the Stars,but I turned it down. I need somethingmore on brand for me, and I don’t want to leave the city. I’ve got my systems here, and it’s important that I keep on top of training.”
“Of course, that makes perfect sense.Top of the Worldwill showcase your lifestyle and let your fans behind the curtain and into your world,” Perry says. “Does that sound like something you’d like to do? For the right price, of course.”
Benton pretends to think about it, but I’m certain he’s in. When he nods, walking into the apartment, I chuckle to myself, my nerves instantly unraveling.
Convincing men to agree with my ideas is one of my specialties. No doubt that by the end of tonight, we’ll have secured our guy.
At least, that’s what I think until I actually step into the apartment and see the icy glare on Cooper’s face… directed right at Benton.
Fifteen
Cooper
Past - Age 22
Something is wrong. After a wild party-weekend in Nantucket with our friends, we’re officially on a small, chartered jet in route to Manhattan. It only fits eight people, so tell me why Ethan and Sybil aren’t sitting together? They’re not even looking at each other. I’ve been watching them the entire flight, waiting for their usual selves to return, for a shared smile or familiar look, but it never happens.
Ethan is in the back, and Sybil is up front. His hood is tugged around his head, and he stares out the window all through takeoff. Meanwhile, Sybil is busy chatting with our friends, putting on a persona of sunshine and rainbows. I see right through that bullshit. Her eyes are weary, and her mouth is tight. Even her voice is strained.
Something is definitely wrong.
We land at the private airport, and everyone says their goodbyes, climbing into their hired cars. Ethan gets into ours without carrying Sybil’s luggage over or even opening the doorfor her.What the fuck?She frowns in his direction, then wheels her bag toward the little terminal building instead of the car. Is she calling herself a cab? The thought makes me want to strangle my brother. I don’t care what is going on between them. He still needs to treat her with respect.
I leave Ethan with a scathing look and catch up to her. “Where are you going?”
“My parents’ place.” Her voice is clipped.
She’s got her hair piled on top of her head. I love when she wears it like this. Her neck and jawline are some of her most feminine features. She’s too pretty for her own good. God, it kills me that she’ll never be mine. Every damn time I think I’ve made peace with it, she’ll do something as simple as putting her hair in a messy bun, and I’m suddenly sixteen again, obsessing over the idea of tracing her creamy neck with my mouth.
I shake the thought away. “Why aren’t you getting a ride with us?”
