Page 61 of Spooked

Today, he was viewing properties around Los Angeles. In less time than it would take Carissa to redecorate Brax’s former apartment, Nyx would be reborn as Phoenix, and he needed to find the club’s new home. He’d have the million from the divorce settlement as start-up money, and Violet Miller had offered a two-million-dollar loan. The movie business was going well. Plus she’d first met Dawson in The Dark, and they still dropped by on occasion to use the facilities. She’d get a free lifetime membership in return.

The first property he’d looked at was smaller than the current one, but it benefitted from a good-sized basement, a private parking lot, and a secluded location. There’d be no room for an admin team, and he’d have to live out of a modest studio apartment, but he’d done that in Virginia and survived. Remote working was a possibility, or he could hire a smaller office space nearby when funds allowed. The second property was much larger, a former warehouse, but it would need complete redevelopment. A huge project, but he’d be able to put his own stamp on the place. And then there was the derelict mansion he’d agreed to see tomorrow—that was the most interesting of the three, but would he have time for a major renovation project? Once Brax had put together a shortlist, Justin had agreed to fly in and give his professional opinion, and he’d also oversee the construction project for a sensible fee.

Brax’s phone rang, and his guts seized. The only person he wanted to speak to today was his lawyer, and “wanted” was doing a lot of heavy lifting. But it wasn’t Jeff Benedict. No, it was Alexa.

As usual, she didn’t waste time on pleasantries.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“At this moment? I’m drinking lukewarm coffee and contemplating the meaning of life.”

“Okay, what are you doing with Carissa?”

“Nothing. She’s in New York, thank fuck.”

“Don’t be flippant. You know exactly what I’m asking.”

Brax gave a heavy sigh. “I’m waiting for the divorce paperwork to land on my desk, and then I’m going to sign it.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Probably.”

“Because of your assistant? Chase said you had a thing for her.”

“Because I’m sick of living in purgatory. If I so much as talk to a woman, Carissa finds out and tries to twist it to her own ends.”

“And the assistant?”

“Her name is Meera.”

“Yes, I know that already. So you’d pick her over everything you’ve worked to build? You’d write off a decade, just like that? What if the thing with Meera doesn’t work out?”

“It’s a gamble, true, but at least Carissa will be out of my life.”

“You should wait longer. She’s a sneaky bitch, but she’s gonna fuck up.”

“I’ve waited for years already, and I don’t want to lose my chance with Meera. This is a risk I have to take.”

“It’s a stupid move.”

“Are you telling me you’ve never done anything stupid?”

“I’ve never fucked my assistant or thrown my entire business away for a dumb crush.”

“I know that. Which is why Nolan’s running a winery in the Sierra Foothills and you’re sitting alone in a hotel room with a tub of caviar and a bunch of computers.”

“Fuck you.”

She hung up, and Brax sighed. He’d long suspected that Alexa had liked Nolan, but she’d always refused to admit it. Guess the secret was out now. Screw her too—just because she’d chosen money over love didn’t mean he had to do the same. He took the bottle of Scotch out of his desk drawer and poured the last remaining drops down his throat, then typed out an email to Meera.

I need another bottle of whisky and a driver.Please.

Fuck, let this be over soon.

CHAPTER25

THE ASSISTANT

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