Page 12 of Dirty Little Sins

I couldn't resist the small dig. Because I was right and we both knew it.

Brian initially ignored it and accepted a drink from the bartender, taking a swallow before he continued his little spiel.

"I'm happy to get those details, man, if they are that important to you. But this isn't an offer to trifle with. Especially if there is a chance you'll lose this fight. You've got to strike now while your star is at its brightest. As a non-experienced actor, an offer like this isn't going to come around every day."

"And when I win this fight? Huh? What will that do for my cred in Hollywood? You really think I'm that fucking stupid?"

He did. I knew it. Hell, most people did. I was a boxer who made a living getting knocked around a ring. Athletes were often underestimated, but fighters more than most.

I may not have lost a fight in almost eighteen years, but that didn't mean I didn't get knocked around a lot. I'd lost count of the number of concussions I'd ended up with. This sport was dangerous and long term brain injuries weren't unheard of.

But they were still wrong. I may not have come from some bullshit Beverly Hills family who were born with silver spoons in their mouths, but that didn't mean shit in my book.

I'd worked hard every single day of my life. Including fighting my way through college. I'd graduated too. I had a degree in sports medicine for Christ's sake. I'd even had the grades to go to med school if I'd wanted to. (I didn't, but that wasn't the point.) There were also half a dozen businesses around the world I either owned or had a stake in. I wrote my own goddamned future and that wasn't about to change any time—ever.

So getting treated by a manager I didn't think I could trust any more like a stupid child was about the last straw.

Like it or not his days were numbered. Just as soon as I figured out how he was involved in the Italy incident. My gut wouldn't let it go and Zia deserved the truth and after I made him pay, I wanted to make sure that shit couldn't happen again.

"I'm not saying you're stupid. You take my words far too personally. I only mean it's a risk you shouldn't have taken. It's a professional opinion, which is again, what I'm paid to give you. Same goes for the movie offer. If this is truly the direction you want to go in, then I think this is the deal. Take it before fickle Hollywood changes their mind and it disappears." He swallowed more of his drink and then smiled. "Not to mention it's one hell of a guaranteed payday."

I couldn't disagree. According to reports I'd been given, it was far more than a debut actor, even an already famous one, usually got paid.

"You provide me with the missing details and then I'll make a decision. Until then I've got a party to get to."

Brian set down his drink and turned fully to me. "Yeah about that. You sure this is the right time for that kind of thing? You seem to be splitting your focus more than usual before a fight. What's really going on?"

I wasn't about to divulge to him why I needed to have this party. That wasn't anyone's business but my own. He'd probably figure it out soon enough when I got Zia back where she belonged.

In my fucking bed.

"Maybe you should keep your head on your job and less on what I do in my personal time."

This time I didn't even try to hide my irritation. I'd had enough of this conversation and enough of Brian. His expiration date loomed and it was time to lay the groundwork for breaking our contract in the near future. If he'd had a hand in the picture incident I wanted him gonebeforeI signed the Hollywood deal.

My future held many interesting possibilities that I needed to grab by the balls.

Without anyone I couldn't fully trust hanging on my coattails.

Chapter Five

ZIA

As sweat trickled down my back and my nerves jangled endlessly, I continued to slave over this evening's recipes.

To say that Vincent had disrupted my day was a hell of an understatement. I'd thought of little else as I went through the motions of preparing a virtual feast for this last minute party I had to cater. Not to mention all the details that I had taken care of in prep for the restaurant opening later this month.

I'd also had to mostly rely on myself to prepare everything. There hadn't yet been time to hire a full kitchen staff and today I was working with the barest of bones for help. A few servers and a line cook who managed to fill in as a half decent sous chef.

"Hello?"

I heard the feminine call from somewhere outside my kitchen, but I chose to ignore it. I did not have time for interruptions. Not if I wanted to get everything prepared on time.

"Zia, are you back here?"

This time the voice sounded closer and I recognized its owner. Something I probably didn't want to ignore if I wanted this gig to go smoothly. And I did. I wiped my hands on my towel, braced myself for whatever might come and turned in time to see Nina pushing through my kitchen door.

I swallowed down the almost automatic desire to apologize for my behavior from the night before, deciding that if she was going to hold that against me no apology would wipe that away. What's done was done and I didn't like to apologize for anything so frivolous.

---