Page 37 of The Mastermind

I waited to see if he’d call security, but he didn’t want this conversation to go further than the three of us.

Teresa covered her mouth with both hands, looking frantic.

Besides my regular workout at the gym, I boxed and practiced martial arts to release stress. Lawrence was lucky I held back––I still had a lot of shit to do and being hauled down to the police station for questions would be a waste of my time.

I inhaled a deep breath and remained standing.

“I traced your messages to burner phones, which were bought at local stores with cameras at various angles. I have copies of those recordings, so I know you sent those messages to her.” I shoved my phone back into my pants pocket.

“You were still texting her?” Teresa furrowed her eyebrows. “You said it was over.”

“Itisover,” Lawrence replied, a hand rubbing his face.

“Itneverstarted,” I corrected. “You don’t mess with what’s mine. This is my final warning. Consider it a gift. I won’t have a problem sending all the files over to the police.”

If I offered him to the authorities, they’d need to do their own investigation, which would intrude on Audri’s life. A trial could drag on and on before his lawyer got him off with a fine his parents would pay. I’d rather he feared me.

“It was just a joke,” Lawrence said. “It started out as a game and just escalated. I didn’t understand why she wasn’t interested in me.”

“Harassing people is no joke. It’s a crime.”

I turned my attention to Teresa, who sat in silence. She didn’t look like the confident woman who had given me a sexual invitation before. Right now, she looked insecure about her status with a wealthy man. Her eyes held envy, humiliation, and something lethal. She was probably scheming to get back at Lawrence. Good luck to him dealing with the wrath of a woman scorned.

“Teresa, you’re fired. Do not enter Starke Vision tomorrow, or security will arrest you.” I sent her a haughty stare. “The tech team will scan your computer and search your office. If I find out you’ve stolen confidential information from the company and gave it to someone else, youwillbe arrested and charged.”

She sucked in a breath and flicked a frightened glare at Lawrence.

“I don’t think prison is a place for either of you.” With that, I strode out of the restaurant.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

AUDRI

“Well,I’m heading to California in a few days, so I wanted to give you details about what I’m thinking.” Kiera scooped the avocado dip with her tortilla chip and stuffed it in her mouth.

We were sitting inside Tacos & More, a new restaurant, two blocks from my apartment. We avoided the Krazee Tavern today in case Remi showed up.

“I just booked a flight for Friday.” Michelle nibbled on her baby carrots. “Heading over to London, then Ireland for a special travel series with a wine company. I’m getting paid well for this project.”

“That’s fantastic! Take me with you!” I exclaimed.

“Next time, you can tag along as my assistant.” Michelle smiled, her eyes glittering with joy. “If this pans out, I could do it again next year. Who knows? My life is an open meadow. I’ll take whatever comes my way. They’re looking to expand their social media platform. They’re rolling out a new wine and want the world to see it from the beginning stages. I’ll be documenting every step of the way. It’s good to be away . . . fresh air to think and stuff.”

She had just broken up with her boyfriend of two years, so I didn’t blame her for wanting the space to think. Being with someone for that long and suddenly breaking it off was a big change. I understood that.

“Don’t forget to come back,” I said.

Kiera held up a finger. “Don’t forget to have fun. Maybe you’ll meet some hunky Brit or an Irish lad.”

Michelle just shook her head. “My job isn’t like yours. I’m not surrounded by hot male models. I deal with real people.”

“My models are real . . . made of flesh andbones.”

We all laughed.

I hadn’t shared the barbecue sauce incident with my friends. It seemed surreal, almost like a secret that shouldn’t be revealed yet. Besides, I didn’t even know what I wanted. If I told them what I hadallowedto happen, they’d assume we were together.

We weren’t. We were just . . . reacting from an overly high dose of sexual tension?

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