Page 78 of Ruthless Ambition
As I took a sip, I closed my eyes as the smooth, silky blackness coated my tongue and excited my taste buds. I think I may have moaned. Wetting my lips as I savored the flavor, I gave a smile of appreciation as I got ready to head back to my office. Onyx was watching me from outside, his face closed off as he saw that I caught him looking. He raised his cup slightly and then walked back to his office.
This time, when my smile slipped free, I couldn’t hide it; had we made progress? Was the ice thawing between us? Fighting with him was exhausting, especially right now. If this was his offer of a truce, I was willing to negotiate.
If he made me this every day, I was willing to agree to terms, I thought, as I took another drink. Heading back to my office, I unlocked the door and settled in my chair to get some work done.
After a very long conversation with a center who wanted an off-season trade to the West Coast, I had so much work to do to make that happen. I called a break and headed out for lunch. When I came back, Sally was coming out of my office.
“You got mail,” she told me with a bright smile. “Also, Clark Fitzpatrick called. Twice.”
“Ugh, awkward. Okay.”
I needed to avoid Clark, but then I thought that wasn’t fair. I didn’t actually blame him for having a crazy wife. Sasha was the kind of woman who you knew was the mean girl in high school; she would also be the most sought after for her looks. High school boys were all about the packaging, and if I were objective, she and Clark deserved each other. They obviously thrived on the misery they caused each other.
Delaying having to call him, I opted to open the mail first. Who even got mail anymore? Flicking through the subscriptions, my fingers paused as I saw the plain, unmarked envelope. My name and my office address were on it, but there was no postmark. It had been hand-delivered?
Dread pooled in the pit of my stomach as I deliberated as to whether I should open it.
I took a drink of water, wishing it were something stronger, and then I carefully opened the letter. Pulling out a folded piece of paper, I unfolded it and saw the pictures first.
Three black-and-white, grainy pictures of me sleeping in my bed at home. I knew I was shaking, but to know they had been in my home when I was there threw me. They had to have been standing right over me, or else there was a camera in my room.
Oh my God, why hadn’t I thought that there was the possibility of a camera in my room?
The paper dropped to the desk, and I noticed the words written on it. I hadn’t even looked for a note.
Only the weak run.
You ran.
You didn’t run far enough.
What the hell did that mean? Did he know I was not at my house? He thought he had chased me away, but did he know I was still here?
A knock on the door jerked my head up, and I saw Glenn waiting. “Hey, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine.” My throat was dry and my voice croaky. Clearing my throat, I forced a smile. “How can I help you?”
“Do you have time to look at a contract for me, Angel? I need your brilliance.”
“Sure.” Picking up the photos and the paper, I scrunched them into my lap, and as Glenn took a seat, I saw Onyx walkpast my office. I saw his frown as he looked between us and then down at my lap as I hastily shoved the papers into my desk.
Running my hand over my ponytail, I tried to give Glenn my attention. “What do you need?” I asked. I needed the distraction, and a contract was exactly what I needed to give me that.
Did I need to tell Onyx about my mail? No. The photos were from my house. If anything, it just proved how much safer I was at the hotel.
