Page 131 of The Price of Scandal

I thought of the name on the screen of her phone. “Yeah. And she didn’t succeed with Van Winston.”

“I fucking hate backstabbing. Why can’t everyone settle their differences civilly in the ring?” Jude complained.

“Then you and I would be out of jobs,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder.

“Would that be such a bad thing?”

“Do me a favor,” I said. “Before you start planning your retirement, run this name through whatever appalling database you’ve got access to.” I scrawled the name on a bar napkin and handed it over.

Jude’s eyebrows winged up. “Seriously?”

“I’m afraid so. Something’s going down, and we need to get ahead of it.” I had a very bad feeling.

“You going to give Dragon Lady a heads up?” Jude asked, tucking the napkin into his pocket.

Lita’s words echoed in my head. “I need proof first.”

42

Emily

Iclosed my eyes and enjoyed being completely alone for the first time all day. I kicked off my shoes and squished my abused toes in the thick carpet under my desk. Derek, who had been cryptically “busy” last night, was taking care of something in his own office. Lona, my constant shadow, was checking in with her office. And Jane was off either eating a burrito or flirting with a man.

My cell phone and desk phones rang simultaneously. Derek was calling my cell.

“Hey, how are you?” I asked.

“Emily.” The tension in his voice on that one word, my name.

“What is it?”

Jane burst through my office door, Valerie and Easton were hot on her heels. She looked pissed. My assistants looked nauseated.

“I’m emailing you an article,” Derek said tersely.

Subject: Emergency.

With dread oozing into my intestines, I opened the message.

Flawless ‘miracle’ scar treatment a flawed disaster.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, skimming the article.Nina.

“There are others,” he said.

“Where is this coming from? Why is my subject from the trial telling the press she was scarred by the treatment?” I demanded. I was a volcano nearing eruption. Nina, the bubbly girl who’d taken two dozen selfies after the biobandages came off, was now saying my scar treatment had permanently disfigured her.

“I’m going to find that out,” Derek said.

“Who do you want me to stun gun?” Jane asked.

“Call me as soon as you know something,” I told Derek.

“I will. She’s not going to win, Emily,” he promised.

I didn’t have time to ask what he meant by that because my desk phone was ringing.

I disconnected with Derek. “Get me Nina, now,” I told the hovering assistants.