Page 134 of Never Tell Secrets

“So, if I do well you have another job for me and if I don’t you’re cutting me loose?”

She chuckled. “What else is a mentor for but to hold her mentee’s feet to the fire?”

I laughed, shaking my head. She wasn’t joking. If I failed at this, I truly believed she would leave me in her dust.

“As for your project, I think you need to shake yourself up a bit.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning do something extreme. Something to break the dam.”

“I’ve just been jet skiing in Greece with a temperamental billionaire, doesn’t that count?” The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. I’d never once mentioned Alfie to Imani before and suddenly exposing him to the light of her scrutiny had me nervous. I wondered what she’d make of me being with someone like Alfie. Would she think I was cheating my way to the top like Mark had?

“Yes, I had heard about that. My point is to do something that makes you feel extreme. Extreme rage, extreme fear, extreme ecstasy, whatever. Jump out of a plane, try shrooms, have an orgy. Something.”

I understood what she was saying.‘When in doubt, change the status quo.’That had been one of the first lessons she’d taught me.

“Orgy isn’t really my style.”

She shrugged. “What makes you feel extreme?”

The answer to that was easy.Alfie Tell.He’d made extreme a standard state of being for me once and a part of me missed it. Extreme ecstasy, it had been too long since he’d made me feel that.

I sat there, gnawing on my thoughts when I heard my phone ringing at my desk. Imani waved, dismissing me from our meeting.

I picked up my phone to see my sister's name flashing on the screen. I winced as I accepted the call, already knowing the reason for it.

“Care to tell me why you’re back together with a man who stole your birth control?” Natalie’s voice was harsh, anger laced with fear pouring through every syllable. This was going to take some explaining and I just had to hope my sister would have my back. I took a deep breath. Here we go.

Forty-Two

The rest of the phone call went about as well as I could have expected. Natalie was reserving judgement and I didn’t blame her.

So much was riding on Alfie proving himself to be good. Riley and Damien were so deeply connected to him that Natalie and Keira had labelled them guilty by association. If he came through, they got a shot with the women they wanted, if he didn’t…

I sighed, annoyed with myself. I had to stop thinking like that. He would come through, he already had.

Just like old times, Elliot was waiting outside my work when I finished.

“More reporters?”

“I’m afraid they multiplied. Luckily they haven’t appeared at your work yet.” His lips thinned in disgust, telling me exactly what he thought of the paparazzi. “Miss Larson is going to stay with Mr Marx tonight and Miss Hyde is staying with a friend I believe.”

I blinked in surprise, Keira hadn’t told me that but then again, I wasn’t her parent. She wasn’t obligated to report to me.“Okay, well, I’m sure they won’t bother me once I’m inside the apartment.”

Elliot folded his hands in front of him, a stern look in his eye. “Alfie wants you with him tonight.”

“Does he?” I said, getting a strong sense of deja vu. “Do I get a say in this?”

“Of course, but if you don’t go to him then he’ll come to you which is just going to fuel the gossip.”

“There aren’t reporters outside his house?”

“There are plenty of reporters outside his hotel where they believe he’s staying.”

I bit back a smile, of course Alfie was one step ahead of them. “Very clever.”

Much to Elliots’ relief, I climbed into the car without further argument. I settled into the soothing tones of soft classical music as he wound us through the London traffic.