Page 38 of Silk and Steel

It was true that Julian’s connections got me my first really big break. I’d long since stopped being grateful.

“If you really loved me, you wouldn’t torture me like this. I don’t even want to open my eyes when I wake up in the morning, because I’m so afraid of you.”

“Good,” he said with such a snide attitude it made me want to scream.

“Good? You really think this is love, when you feel good about terrifying me?”

“It’s…that’s not what I…you’re always twisting what I say around to make me the bad guy. What about you? What about the things you have done?”

I make eye contact with Cole. His stony expression softens to one of profound sympathy. He checks the time and holds up a single finger. One minute. If I can keep Julian talking for one more minute, we can nab him.

“What kinds of things?” I ask, my voice eerily placid.

“You know what you’ve done. What about that time you humiliated me in front of those Netflix producers?”

“I didn’t humiliate you, Julian. You told them you had a completed script when you didn’t. What was I supposed to do when they asked me directly about it? Lie?”

“You knew good and well that I could have hammered the rest out in a long weekend! You could have said that you had confidence in me.”

“So, lie. You wanted me to lie.”

His voice went silent. I mentally tried to tick down the seconds, but I was too worked up to think straight. I was exerting tremendous willpower not to fling the phone away from me like it was on fire. Or pass out.

“You are so ungrateful! But you’ll see. You’ll learn. You’re going to ditch the bodyguard and meet me at an airport to be disclosed at a later date.”

“I’m going to what? You don’t even make any sense.”

“Listen carefully, Emory.” His tone has the most sinister edge to it. The edge he always got right before becoming abusive. “You’re flying to Colombia, where we’ll finally get to talk all of this out in person. When I’m done saying my piece, I guarantee you’ll understand.”

“Why Colombia?”

“It’s a lovely country. You’re going to be so happy there. It’s a great place to start a family.”

The thought of having Julian’s children literally makes me gag. I choke, and struggle not to drop the phone as I swallow the hot bile back down.

“I hear you’re getting all choked up with sentiment.”

“Julian,” I say in a clear, hard voice. “I’m never going to sleep with you ever again. I hope I never even have to see your face. I’m not moving to Colombia to start a family with you.”

“If you want my friends Phil and Glen to pay a visit to everyone you love, then by all means, don’t do what I tell you.”

The call ends. I look up at Cole hopefully.

He sighs and shakes his head.

“Not quite long enough to make the trace. I’m so sorry you had to hear his voice again.”

“And it was all for nothing. We didn't get the location.”

Cole puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze.

“It wasn’t for nothing. We know what his plans are.”

“We do?”

“He wants to flee to Colombia, for one. And we learned some important things about his mental state. He’s clearly still living in a fantasy world. We might be able to use that to our advantage.”

I sigh, then try to smile and cup my hand over his.

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