Page 1 of Interception

Chapter One

Zee

Guys can be such assholes. I’m about to spend the next week of my life making sure a tiny man, who I’m sure has a tiny dick, keeps his grubby little fingers to himself in the future.

My best friend, Faith, called me last night, panicking and begging me to help her. Of course, I got the first plane out to Seattle to be by her side. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. She’s like a sister to me, even more so than my actual sister. Hearing her upset and knowing she’s hurting got me all riled up. I spend the entire flight planning what I needed to do to help her deal with the situation quickly.

Faith isn’t like me. She’s lived a sheltered life with overbearing parents trying to keep her as their ‘little girl’ for way too long. I know she finds it frustrating, but it’s not the worst thing in the world to have parents who care too much. I had the opposite problem. My dad has never given a damn what I do, he never has. And my mom’s a doormat, and that’s me being polite.

When I left for college, I swore I’d never let anyone make me feel as worthless as they did. Holidays are the only time I see them. I perform my duties as a daughter, and they pretend they actually want me around. To be honest, I think they’d be relieved if I just stopped visiting.

My sister is the kid my parents planned. They only wanted one child, and I was a mistake long after they were over the novelty of being parents.

Faith is all the family I need. We’ve been inseparable since the day we met. Fate made us roommates, and although we’re polar opposites in so many ways, we just clicked. The idea of someone hurting her in any way makes me want to go on a bloody rampage. One thing’s for sure, I’m going to make this guy pay for hurting her.

When I arrive at the hotel, Faith is there waiting for me with a heartfelt hug and bloodshot eyes. She’s been crying.

“Thank you so much for coming, Zee. I didn’t know if I should just forget about it, but I can’t.”

“Let’s sit down and order some food. You can walk me through everything that happened, and we’ll make a plan from there. Where’s Hunter in all this?”

“He broke his hand after I told him what happened. He’s recovering from surgery at his friend, Cooper’s house.”

“Cooper Danford? The Titan?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s so unbelievably sexy. All rugged and bad boy, and just sex on a stick.”

“I haven’t met him, but Hunter speaks highly of him.”

“So you told him what happened, and he broke his hand?”

“Yeah. And at this point, Malcolm isn’t his manager anymore.”

“Tell me everything.” Faith walks me through weeks of this guy making suggestive comments and warning her about messing with his precious cash cow, Hunter Vaughn. When she gets to his actions on the flight, I’m about ready to explode.

“Is there even any point in trying to do something about this?”

“Of course, there is. He’s a weasel and deserves everything he gets.”

We spend the next few days tracking down flight numbers, staff names, passenger manifests, and contact details for people who were in the surrounding seats and may have seen something. Our methods may be somewhat questionable, but it paid off. Jackpot!

When we have enough information, we go to the police, and I’m glad to say they take Faith’s complaint seriously. It turns out this guy has numerous prior claims against him, though nothing they could take to court and charge him with. By the time the detective finishes taking Faith’s statement, she seems exhausted by the whole thing. She has a naturally bubbly personality—she has to be when she’s a klutz of comedic proportions.

Today, she seems weary and downtrodden. It doesn’t help that Hunter Vaughn isn’t in the picture right now. She’s been pretty closed off about him since I arrived, but I know she’ll tell me everything when she’s ready. For tonight, I’m going to spoil her with room service, trashy movies, and all the candy she can eat. Throw in a bottle of champagne, and we’re good to go.

The sooner we put this maggot of a human being, Malcolm, behind us, the better.

* * *

My head is pounding.

I shouldn’t have indulged in that second bottle last night. Faith clatters around the room like a bull in a china shop, tripping over anything in her path. I give myself a few minutes for the room to stop spinning before I venture out of bed and stand upright.

I’m never drinking again… at least not today.

When Faith appears as fresh as a daisy from the shower, her voice is like a gong ringing out in my ears.

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