Page 174 of Bona Fide

“Call Jed Hardison, Shelton. You’ve got one minute before I pull the plug.”

“On what?” Wade rolls his eyes and extends the cell to me. I eye it before hesitantly taking it and bringing it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Miss Shelton,” a monotone and all-business like voice responds back. “My name is Bob, I’m here pending the word from Mr. Lockwood to send an email out to the head of North Region Hospital that the pharmaceutical rep named Enzo Junus is stealing other samples of their drugs that are similar to his so they order more. Therefore, he makes more money, more contacts, more distribution to one of the largest hospitals in the state. Upon hearing Mr. Lockwood’s other request, I will also be sending additional emails to every single one of the hospitals and doctor’s offices that he frequents and works with. This will terminate his relationships and—”

“You send out any of those emails, Bob, I will fucking kill you,” I seethe.

“I have my own protection, Miss Shelton. No need to—” Wade’s phone is plucked from my hand and brought back to his ear.

“Stand by, I’ll call you back.” He hangs up, pocketing the cell into his back pocket, and looks at me expectedly. “Did you want to call him or no?”

My fingers burnto slap him in the fucking face.

The moment I kissed this man in his office over a stupid kid named Harry Styles was the instant I signed away my life.

I’m not sure in what world or exactly how he was raised, but in mine, you don’t get to own someone like he’s trying to do with me over a kiss.

And a bunch of sex, carryout, and everything else in between.

“Time’s a ticking,” Wade mocks, pointing at his gold Rolex wrapped around his wrist.

I do what he says, swiping up my phone off the bed, and dial Jed’s number. I have no choice or any clever words to get out of it. Wade has me by the throat, ready to pull the trigger on screwing up someone’s career.

And I’m not going to be the cause of another man’s ruin because I couldn’t do or accept what needed to be dealt with. It’s the greatest favor he’ll ever not know that I’ve done for him.

“Put it on speaker,” Wade orders, standing in front of me as I sit on the mattress and listen to the rings on the other end.

Again, I follow his instructions when the phone halts its chiming.

“Hello?”

Fuck, Jed.

“Hey,” I nervously greet back. My skull is on fire from Wade’s penetrating eyes, and I forgot to ask him what he wanted me to fucking do if he answered the line.

“Hey,” he answers back solemnly. “What’s up?”

“Uhh…” I glance up at Wade, looking for further directions, but he just glares at me in return. Great. “I was just...calling.”

No, shit, Sherlock.

“What for?” Jed challenges, a hint of annoyance rightfully in his tone.

“I...how are you?”

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“Umm, well—” A mirthless laugh comes from the other line. “How do you think I’m doing, Rea Rea? You only told me that we were done and that I deserved better. That you didn’t want to fuck anymore but that we could be just friends. Just friends, Rea, that’s great. Because I never got a say in it and you’re just—” Wade rips the phone out of my hands and hangs up before tossing it to the side.

“What the fuck was that all about?”

“I got my evidence,” he solicits, yanking off his hat and flinging that to the side too.

“I already told you that I ended it.” He bends towards me, his nostrils flaring as he inhales me with his next breath.

“When are you going to apologize and beg for me again, Sox? Your body is screaming for me to have my way with it. Especially with that lapse of judgement you had in Mexico. That was all the confirmation I needed.”

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