Page 1 of Mind

Chapter 1

Gillian

Turns out that the moment the paparazzi find out you have taken one of United States’ most eligible bachelors off the market, you also become famous. Unfortunately. It was not something I had ever considered would be a part of my reality when I agreed to marry Chase Davis. No, seeing my face splashed across countless magazines was not high on my list of life achievements. Worse is what comes with that fame. The backlash. I’ve been labeled everything from a gold digger to the first ofmanywives Chase is sure to have. One woman couldn’t possibly keep a billionaire business tycoon like Chase Davis fulfilled. Surely, he’d need a truckload of harlots to do that job.

“Check this one out.” My best friend and soon-to-be ex-roommate, Maria, laughs behind her hand while flipping through the most recent smut magazine. “’Triple B, Big Business Billionaire Chase Davis to wed Triple D Toting Gillian Callahan’.”

“What!” I screech. “Let me see that.” Maria tosses the magazine at me over the mountain of moving boxes. Scanning the page, I see Chase with his arm around me, possessively gripping my hip. He’s devastatingly beautiful even in a candid paparazzi shot like this. It was taken at a charity ball we’d recently attended. Only the image clearly shows me with a digitally enlarged bust at least twice the size of what God Himself gave me. Internally, I seethe. “They made my boobs huge!”

Maria laughs, and I toss the trash back at her, whacking her in the head with it. “¡Puta!” She calls me a bitch in Spanish.

“I’m just so tired of the garbage being written about me. I try not to read it. Chase ignores it completely. If only it was that easy.” A long overdue sigh escapes my lungs as I place more books into a box already overloaded with books.

“Cara bonita, you cannot let strangers make you feel like shit. You’re better than that.” She punctuates her statement with a tug on my ponytail. “Oh, theKama Sutra. That book is mine!” Her long fingers rip it from the stack I was going through. “Heaven forbid I accidentally steal your sex book.” I roll my eyes and stick out my tongue.

She ignores me and shimmies over to the kitchen. “You know what this party needs? More bitches and vino! Ohhhh...and pizza!” Lightning fast, she’s on the phone dialing. One of our girls must have answered right away, because she doesn’t say hello and starts right in on what she wants. “Why are you not here helping your best friends moveputa perezosa! ... Yes, I just called you a lazy bitch. Get off Carson’spolla,and get yourculoover here to help us.” She hangs up without so much as a goodbye.

“Did you just tell Kat to get off Carson’s dick?” I giggle.

“Yes, as a matter fact, I did. Next, Bree.” She dials quickly and waits, drumming her fingers on the kitchen counter. While she waits, she stretches one long dancer’s leg out behind her then crooks it up and grabs her ankle. With one arm, she pulls it up the back of her body. She looks like a contorted ballerina or a pretzel. It’s awe-inspiring. She brings the leg down to the ground gracefully. “Do you have a class?” Maria asks sweetly into the receiver. Too nice for our Italian-Spanish fireball. Poor Bree. She doesn’t even know what’s about to hit her.

Maria continues. “No?” She waits a moment. Then her scathing, mean girl voice barks into the phone. “Get your flexible, tinyculoover here and help yourhermanaspack their shit. And don’t even try to pull an excuse that you’re spending time with Phillip.” Maria pauses and listens for a moment. “¡Mierda!We all know your va-jay-jay hasn’t seen any action in months. Bring wine.” She hangs up.

Laughter bubbles up my throat and spills out in a combination between snorting and trying to catch my breath. God, this woman is good for me. She knows exactly how to make life seem lighter, removing the heavy spotlight I’ve been under since my engagement to Chase was announced last week. Over that hurdle, we are still no closer to finding my stalker. When the announcement of our impending nuptials was released, we were inundated with congratulatory flowers. But one person sent a couple dozen dead roses with a card. Those words still give me chills.

Gillian,

Worst decision you ever made. Mark my words.

You’re mine… Bitch.

Remembering those words sends chills skittering down my spine to settle sourly in my gut. Gooseflesh prickles along my skin, and I take a deep breath. A few rounds of yoga style breathing and I’m able to banish the negative and fill my head with positive thoughts. Chase. My fiancé. The band of diamonds around my finger catches the light, twinkling, reminding me what I have to look forward to. A life with the man of my dreams.

The ping of my cellphone brings me back to the present. I grab it off the table and check the display. Instant happiness fills me as I see Chase’s name.

From: Chase Davis

To: Gillian Callahan

Maria’s condo is ready when she is. The sooner the better. I want you and your crazy sister safe.

“Ria, Chase says your condo’s ready!” I holler while typing a thank you message back to my love.

She squeals with glee and dances a jig in the middle of our tiny kitchen. It’s funnier because she’s in the tiniest pair of booty shorts, and a sports bra that makes her overly large breasts bounce in a graphically vulgar display.

“Damn sister! Put those things away. You might poke an eye out,” I laugh and she grins wickedly.

“It’s really cool that Chase scored me a condo within walking distance to your penthouse. It’s weird though; he won’t discuss thedinero.” I cringe and bite my lip. “What? It’s gonna be rent-controlled, right?” She stomps her foot defiantly. “You promised it would be rent-controlled. I’m not living with another crazychica. And by God, I will not move in with Tommy even though he won’t let the idea go.” She grumbles.

“No, it’s not going to be costly at all.” I try to sound vague but she gives me the side-eye, cocking a perfectly sculpted ebony eyebrow. I hate that she can do that. It’s annoyingly cool.

“And how much will I be paying monthly, Mrs. Davis?” She uses my soon-to-be last name in a sickeningly saccharine-sweet voice. Not a good sign. When Maria starts using a sweet tone, it usually means the bear with giant claws is just around the corner and ready for a sneak attack.

“Um, less than your half here actually,” I supply hoping she’ll just wait and push Chase about the issue.

She leans a delicate hip against the island, cocks her head to the side, and purses her lips into a fake smile. “How much less,bonita? ¿Cien? ¿Doscientos?”

“Uh, probably less.” I jump up pushing the fully loaded box of books in the corner with my foot. Pretending to ignore her, I work to close the box and label which house it’s going to. This one’s going to the penthouse.

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