Page 57 of Silk and Steel

“Julian, what on Earth makes you think that?”

“I showed you a world you had only dreamed of. Like Alladin on the fucking magic carpet, I took you to places you’d never have gotten into alone. You really think you landed all those high profile gigs because you’re a good choreographer with a tight ass?”

I flinch, but I have to take his abuse. I have to keep him talking long enough for the trace.

“You drove me to this, Emory. You tore my heart out and left it bleeding on the floor. No amount of suffering is too much for what you’ve done to me.”

“What I’ve done to you?”

“You got restraining orders against me! You sent me to Prison.”

“I had to protect myself from you, Julian. You sent yourself to prison because you couldn’t stop yourself from making really bad decisions.”

I look up hopefully at Cole. He shakes his head. Damn it, how much longer do I have to talk to this monster?

“I know you’re just trying to drag this conversation out so the cops can track my location, Emory, so I’ll make this short and sweet. Get rid of the bodyguard and be ready to obey by sunset today, or someone you care about will die. Period. End of story. You’ve been warned.”

“Wait, Julian.”

The call ends. I want to throw my phone across the room but I stop myself. Cole rests a hand on my shoulder and purses his lips in a worried frown.

“I’m so sorry you have to keep talking to him.”

I shake my head. “This is a nightmare.”

He takes me in his arms and holds me. I want to cry, but the tears just won’t come. It’s like they’re burning behind my eyes, but can’t actually come out.

“I have to get ready for work,” I say at last. “God, I just want to forget about this morning.”

I really want some sense of normalcy. But when we arrive at the studio, I discover there’s another surprise waiting for me. A mob of people have gathered outside the studio gates, formed of reporters, looky-loos, and, apparently, protestors.

Emory, cash in those frequent flier miles already,says one of the signs carried by the angry mob. And that’s one of the nicer ones. Men’s rights activists have posters proclaiming the whole thing is my fault for driving Julian mad. Great, he’s got the public on his side.

But there are people there to support me, too. Only, they’re getting in my way to work just as much as the haters.

“Julian is making it impossible for me to do my job.”

“I know. I’m sorry. We’re going to get this mother fucker, all right?”

I nod, but then I break down in sobs. It all seems so hopeless. After last night, I thought things were getting better.

Now I can tell the universe was just setting me up for a bigger fall.

14

COLE

Jake used to say something that’s stuck with me.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to say fuck it and do the thing, whatever it is.

Some voice of reason inside of me is saying, ‘don’t do the thing, Cole. Don’t do the thing.’

But you know what? Jake’s right. It’s time to do the thing. Time to put my money where my mouth is.

“Stay put,” I say, undoing my seatbelt. “And lock the doors once I’m out.”

“What are you doing? Cole?” Emory looks worried. “Try not to kill anyone.”

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