Page 234 of The Skeikh's Games

Brandt stared at Milo. “Are you kidding?”

“Does it look like I am?”

Brandt glanced to his left – a cardboard box was indeed stuffed with crap from his desk.

“You manipulated her into this,” Milo’s voice trembled with fury. “You told her the company was in trouble and that if she loved me, she’d step up. You had no idea why she left the business, you didn’t care.”

Brandt smiled. “She told you everything, huh?”

“You don’t deny it?”

“No. And, by the way, you can’t fire me for doing what’s best for the company. If you’ve told her that she doesn’t have to do this, then you’re the one who is hurting the company and you’ll have to explain that to the board. Then we’ll see who they back.”

Milo’s answering smile was wide. “I have. Do you think I’d walk into this office without their backing? And so you know…Ori is still doing this. Not for me, not for the company and certainly not for you, but for herself. She’s sitting down with Rolling Stone right now to tell her side of the story. To say goodbye. The songs she and Rocky have written are amazing…and they’ll be performed by another artist. Astoria Vine is no more, Brandt, but Ori Herd will be remembered as one of the best songwriters of all time. And she gets to keep her life private from now on. Our life. Yours, at least in the music industry, is over.”

Milo stood up. “You’re finished, Brandt. And it’s entirely your own greed that’s done it. Security will be here soon to show you out.”

***

Ori smiled at her last customer of the day as they thanked her. She was pretty exhausted but something happy had settled inside her. She was a songwriter – not a star, not a commodity – but she was now able to feed that part of her psyche. She hadn’t realized she had missed it that much.

She switched off the coffee machine and went to lock the door when it was pushed open. Brandt stood in the doorway and immediately Ori’s stomach contracted.

The raw fury in his eyes was unmistakable.

“What are you doing here?” She cursed the way her voice shook.

He smiled but there was no humor in it. “Just taking care of loose ends.”

And he grabbed her.

***

Milo was pulling up the curb when he saw Yas banging on the door of the bookshop, her face stricken. He jumped from the car, his heart pounding.

“Yas?”

She turned, tears running down her face. “I can’t get in. Ori never locks it before I get home. I can hear screams, shouting – I think there’s someone in there, I think someone’s hurting her.”

Oh god no… Milo, without hesitation, threw himself against the door and broke it down. They both dashed in to find a wild, feral Brandt with his hands around Ori’s throat. She was fighting, clawing at him, but in the split second, before Milo leaped at Brandt, he could see she was hurt, weakening.

Milo pulled Brandt from his love and knocked him cold with one punch. He grabbed a lamp, tugging the cord around Brandt’s wrists and ankles, hog-tying the unconscious man. Yas rushed to Ori’s side. Ori was sitting up now, trying to get her breath. Milo’s stomach dropped at the sight of her throat, bruised and red, covered with bloody scratches. He took her in his arms while a shaking Yas called the police. Ori was trembling but she held him as tightly as he held her.

“I’m so sorry, baby…I’m so sorry…”

Ori kissed him. “I’m okay, it’s okay. It’s over, now….I love you….”

***

A year later….

They watched the ceremony, of course, blocking out the usual fluff of bad jokes and middling performance by making fun of the most ridiculous acts and cheering the winners they liked.

Orianthi Herd and Milo Shaw lazed about in his huge bed, naked limbs entwined. Milo kissed her and smiled down at her.

“You’re a Grammy winner twice over,” he said proudly. It was true – Ori and Rocky’s song Falling had been nominated in three categories, Song of the Year, Best Producers and Record of the Year. They’d swept the first two and Ori and Milo had cheered Rocky on as she headed for the stage in Los Angeles.

Ori had made it clear she didn’t want any of the spotlight but Rocky had years of experience and was happy to do the honors. Her heartfelt thank-you speech moved Ori to tears, especially when Rocky spoke of her love of her new writing partner. Milo hugged a choked-up Ori and smiled.

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