Page 10 of Perfect Order
“I’m not certain. But when it’s about the music, he’s great. He’s been an incredible mentor about how to improve my sound. But when the conversation turns to anything personal, he clams up. Completely annoying.”
“Not everyone wants the world to know every detail about their life personal life, my darling. Maybe he keeps his shit locked up tight, despite the trash the tabloids report about him,” I remind her, but mentally, I’m wondering if I need to run a more thorough check on Beckett Miller.
Uproarious laughter ensues. “You’d know that better than anyone, my little secret keeper.” Before I can retort, she continues. “My record label thinks I can do no wrong.”
I scoff. “If they only knew. By the way, where’s the gift of my new Dolce & Gabbana handbag for intercepting the photo of you table dancing at Redemption that your former douchebag bedwarmer released to Sexy&Social?”
“You’re going to hold me to that?” Kylie tries to inject a wounded tone into her voice, but I know her better. I hear the underlying laughter.
“Damn straight.”
“Okay, fine. I assume you want black to match your soul? Black leather? Like those sadist hacking skills you keep under wraps?”
“Technically, I’m a white hat.”
She snorts. “Yeah. Okay. Sell it to someone who doesn’t know you the way I do.”
“Now, now. Play nice with the person who holds your reputation intact.” I give it a moment’s thought. “But black works. I’m not certain I own much white. Frankly, do I own anything that doesn’t match black?”
“Yeah, the answer’s no. I’ve seen your wardrobe. I tend to be the one a bit more colorful when it comes to clothes.”
“When you wear them at all, darling,” I inform her sweetly.
A wicked smile crosses her face. “There is that. But there’s something about being so good at being bad that’s completely freeing. You should give it a try sometime.”
I make a mental note to dig deeper in the dark corners of the web to make certain I’m not missing anything to protect my sister’s image. “You worry me. You know that, right?”
“Everything worries you.”
“There might be some small grain of truth to that,” I admit, relaxing in my chair, and change the subject. “How does it feel to be represented by Wildcard?”
“Oh, a million times better than that douchebag at the Neo Agency. Have I mentioned how grateful I am you managed to find that information on Hutnik for me to back away from my contract with him with barely a word?”
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t just ask your lawyer…” I stumble over her name.
“Carys. Carys Burke. And that’s because I was embarrassed as hell.”
“Over what?” I demand.
“She encouraged me to hold out before I signed with anyone. But I was impatient. I wanted tobesomeone, Leanne. I had stars in my eyes, I guess. I saw the glamor of what was being offered without understanding what was being asked of me.” Her eyes take on a faraway look. “I’ll never do that again.”
“And you didn’t.” My sister’s recently departed agent tried one too many times to imply she owed him sexual favors for the success of her career. Using sleuthing search skills I’m certain I taught myself in the eighth grade, I collected enough information about him to find out she wasn’t the only one he’d tried that crap on. I was infuriated to find some of his attempts were successful, and Kylie used it to get him to cancel their contract, leaving her open to be signed by Wildcard right before handing the evidence over to the heads of the Neo Agency.
When I last checked, Mr. Hutnik was seeking out other employment. Too bad, so sad.
As satisfied as I was at the easy resolution, I worried the ass was going to seek out retribution. After all, Kylie’s now asomeone, and I’m not certain how quiet I could have kept this if the shit went to the press since technically what I did wasn’t exactly legal, nor was it sanctioned. But she’s my Lee, and I’ll do anything, take on anyone, to protect her.
My voice softens. “Have I mentioned how proud I am of you lately?”
“And even though I understand about every fourth sentence you utter when you start talking about a new system you’ve overtaken, you must know I feel the same about you. I mean, look at what you’ve built.”
I twirl away from the quad monitor setup that has a constant flow of data streaming to wonder, “We both have what we’ve always wanted.” I hold my fingers crossed in my lap. There’s actually a great deal I want I still haven’t achieved, but those discussions can’t be had here.
They never can.
“Looks like.”
If it had been anyone but the other half of myself saying that to me, I might have believed her cheerful rejoinder. But something in her voice sends chills up my spine. I tread carefully. “Something up?”
