She’s wary and shifting drunkenly, but she still carries that air of superiority. ‘She shouldn’t have got in the way.’ She dismisses the whole incident easily, gulping down the rest of the vodka.
Tony moves in and takes Cassie’s arm. ‘Let’s go,’ he orders, removing the bottle from her hand and slamming it down.
‘No!’
‘Get her out!’ Miller yells. ‘Get her the f**k out before I kill her!’
‘You wouldn’t hurt me!’ she laughs. ‘You couldn’t!’
Tony starts pulling her to the door, but she doggedly fights him off. She’s relentless. ‘For crying out loud, Cassie! Sober up and sort this shit out later.’
‘I’m fine!’ She wriggles from Tony’s hold and staggers over to the desk, plonking herself down in Miller’s chair. I may have only just got my clear sight back, but I definitely don’t mistake her flip a scowl in my direction. Even now? She’s just clobbered me one, attacked Miller, and she’s still all hostile. Can she not detect the aggression radiating from every refined pore of my part-time gentleman? Is she stupid? ‘Give me a f**king break,’ she grumbles, reaching up to the intricate cross that’s always decorating her neck. She fumbles with it, cursing under her breath.
‘Cassie,’ Miller warns. I can feel his chest heaving double in pace under me. ‘Don’t.’
‘Fuck off!’
Tony’s very quickly by her side, leaning down to get level with her, his palms flat on Miller’s desk. ‘I won’t allow it, Cassandra.’
She turns a defiant chin up to Tony and moves in close, getting nose to nose with him as she continues to play with her silver cross. ‘Fuck . . . off.’
‘Cassie!’
‘He wants out! Have you ever heard something so funny? They’ll never allow it.’
I want to scream that all those women don’t have a choice, that he’s mine now, but Miller squeezes me to him. It’s a reassuring squeeze.
She laughs. ‘It’s f**king hilarious.’ The metal of her necklace splits into two pieces and I watch in horror as white powder scatters Miller’s perfect white desk. I gasp, Tony curses, and Miller tenses from head to toe.
Cocaine?
If I hadn’t seen the fine particles drop from Cassie’s beautiful piece of jewellery, I probably would never know it was there; the residue is camouflaged perfectly by the expanse of white gloss beneath it. I’m speechless as I watch her snatch a credit card from her bra, along with a note, before she starts shifting the powder around on Miller’s desk, encouraging it into a perfect, long line. She’s an expert.
Tony’s pacing the room, swearing profusely, and Miller is just staring at her while keeping me in his vicelike grip. The tension in the room is palpable, and I’m truly anxious about who’s going to make the next move. There’s an overwhelming need to free myself from Miller, but that would leave him to let loose. Everyone is safer while I’m in his arms, but then I’m suddenly not in his arms any more. I’ve been placed on a couch in the corner and Miller is on his way over to Cassie, not that she’s aware. She’s too busy hoovering up the powder on Miller’s desk through a rolled note.
‘Easy, son,’ Tony soothes, flicking his worried eyes to me. The pain in my face has been replaced by awful apprehension. Every person in this room, except me, is like a ticking bomb. And it’s Miller’s fuse that’s burning the fastest.
His palms hit the desk and his bare chest leans forward, getting close to Cassie. She’s now sniffing and wiping at her nose, a smug smile creeping onto her face. ‘I’ve asked more than once. If you make me ask again, I will not be held accountable for my actions.’
She huffs her lack of concern and relaxes back in his chair. I can see arrogance slinking its way across her face. Fearlessness.
‘Smile,’ she says simply, crossing one leg over the other and . . . smiling.
I frown. Smile? What is there to smile about? Nothing.
‘Miller, come on.’ Tony’s trying his hardest to talk some calm into the situation, and I’m willing him to succeed.
Cassie’s perfectly arched eyebrows arch further. ‘Want some?’
‘No,’ Miller spits.
She pouts and lets it drift slowly into a sly smile. ‘That’s a first.’
I gasp, I cough, unable to halt any of the shocked reactions from spilling from my mouth. He does drugs? On top of everything else, I now have addict to add to my list?
‘I f**king hate you,’ Miller seethes, moving closer.
‘She’s ruining you.’
He leans closer to her, threateningly, his palms twitching where they rest on the glossy white surface. ‘She’s saving me.’
Cassie’s laugh is cold and sardonic as she moves in nearer to him. ‘Nothing can save you.’
I’m completely numb, trying to process this new blast of enlightenment while desperately trying to cling on to the strength I need to help Miller. I look to Tony, pleading with my eyes for him to intervene.
But it’s too late.
Miller launches himself across his desk, grabbing Cassie by the throat.
I scream.
The scene is manic. Unreal. Miller has lost control, and when the crazy woman seated at his desk should be fearing for her life, she’s just laughing at him instead.
‘For f**k’s sake!’ Tony throws himself into the mix, getting a smack across his jaw for his trouble, but instead of yielding, he fights harder. He knows, just as well as I do, that this will end only one way, and that’ll be with Cassie in the hospital. ‘Get off her!’
‘She’s a f**king parasite!’ Miller roars. ‘Life is miserable enough without her help!’
‘Miller!’ Tony jabs him in the ribs, making Miller shriek and me wince. ‘Back off!’
Miller pushes away from his desk and swings around aggressively. ‘Get her out and back in rehab!’
‘I don’t need help!’ Cassie spits nastily. ‘You’re the one who needs f**king help.’ She squirms free of Tony’s hold and starts pulling at her untidy dress, yanking the hem back down to her knee. ‘You’re prepared to risk everything for that?’ Her arm shoots out towards me.
It? That? Oh, I might be stunned by the events unravelling before me, but her persistent insolence and insults are beginning to piss me off. ‘Who the hell do you think you are?’ I stand, immediately aware that Miller has halted with his gritty marching. ‘You think a few temper tantrums and bitter words will break him?’ I step forward, feeling my confidence swell, especially when Cassie snaps her rotten mouth shut. ‘You can’t stop him.’
‘It’s not me you should be worried about.’ Her lip curls. They’re just more words, but the acute manner in which they are delivered sends anxious tingles shooting up my spine.
‘That’s it.’ Tony intervenes, taking Cassie’s arm and leading her from the office. ‘You are your own worst enemy, Cassandra.’
‘Always have been,’ she agrees on a laugh, allowing herself to be guided to the doorway without a fuss or fight. But then she slows to a halt at the threshold and turns leisurely, sniffing as she does. ‘It was nice knowing you, Miller Hart.’
Tony moves in and takes Cassie’s arm. ‘Let’s go,’ he orders, removing the bottle from her hand and slamming it down.
‘No!’
‘Get her out!’ Miller yells. ‘Get her the f**k out before I kill her!’
‘You wouldn’t hurt me!’ she laughs. ‘You couldn’t!’
Tony starts pulling her to the door, but she doggedly fights him off. She’s relentless. ‘For crying out loud, Cassie! Sober up and sort this shit out later.’
‘I’m fine!’ She wriggles from Tony’s hold and staggers over to the desk, plonking herself down in Miller’s chair. I may have only just got my clear sight back, but I definitely don’t mistake her flip a scowl in my direction. Even now? She’s just clobbered me one, attacked Miller, and she’s still all hostile. Can she not detect the aggression radiating from every refined pore of my part-time gentleman? Is she stupid? ‘Give me a f**king break,’ she grumbles, reaching up to the intricate cross that’s always decorating her neck. She fumbles with it, cursing under her breath.
‘Cassie,’ Miller warns. I can feel his chest heaving double in pace under me. ‘Don’t.’
‘Fuck off!’
Tony’s very quickly by her side, leaning down to get level with her, his palms flat on Miller’s desk. ‘I won’t allow it, Cassandra.’
She turns a defiant chin up to Tony and moves in close, getting nose to nose with him as she continues to play with her silver cross. ‘Fuck . . . off.’
‘Cassie!’
‘He wants out! Have you ever heard something so funny? They’ll never allow it.’
I want to scream that all those women don’t have a choice, that he’s mine now, but Miller squeezes me to him. It’s a reassuring squeeze.
She laughs. ‘It’s f**king hilarious.’ The metal of her necklace splits into two pieces and I watch in horror as white powder scatters Miller’s perfect white desk. I gasp, Tony curses, and Miller tenses from head to toe.
Cocaine?
If I hadn’t seen the fine particles drop from Cassie’s beautiful piece of jewellery, I probably would never know it was there; the residue is camouflaged perfectly by the expanse of white gloss beneath it. I’m speechless as I watch her snatch a credit card from her bra, along with a note, before she starts shifting the powder around on Miller’s desk, encouraging it into a perfect, long line. She’s an expert.
Tony’s pacing the room, swearing profusely, and Miller is just staring at her while keeping me in his vicelike grip. The tension in the room is palpable, and I’m truly anxious about who’s going to make the next move. There’s an overwhelming need to free myself from Miller, but that would leave him to let loose. Everyone is safer while I’m in his arms, but then I’m suddenly not in his arms any more. I’ve been placed on a couch in the corner and Miller is on his way over to Cassie, not that she’s aware. She’s too busy hoovering up the powder on Miller’s desk through a rolled note.
‘Easy, son,’ Tony soothes, flicking his worried eyes to me. The pain in my face has been replaced by awful apprehension. Every person in this room, except me, is like a ticking bomb. And it’s Miller’s fuse that’s burning the fastest.
His palms hit the desk and his bare chest leans forward, getting close to Cassie. She’s now sniffing and wiping at her nose, a smug smile creeping onto her face. ‘I’ve asked more than once. If you make me ask again, I will not be held accountable for my actions.’
She huffs her lack of concern and relaxes back in his chair. I can see arrogance slinking its way across her face. Fearlessness.
‘Smile,’ she says simply, crossing one leg over the other and . . . smiling.
I frown. Smile? What is there to smile about? Nothing.
‘Miller, come on.’ Tony’s trying his hardest to talk some calm into the situation, and I’m willing him to succeed.
Cassie’s perfectly arched eyebrows arch further. ‘Want some?’
‘No,’ Miller spits.
She pouts and lets it drift slowly into a sly smile. ‘That’s a first.’
I gasp, I cough, unable to halt any of the shocked reactions from spilling from my mouth. He does drugs? On top of everything else, I now have addict to add to my list?
‘I f**king hate you,’ Miller seethes, moving closer.
‘She’s ruining you.’
He leans closer to her, threateningly, his palms twitching where they rest on the glossy white surface. ‘She’s saving me.’
Cassie’s laugh is cold and sardonic as she moves in nearer to him. ‘Nothing can save you.’
I’m completely numb, trying to process this new blast of enlightenment while desperately trying to cling on to the strength I need to help Miller. I look to Tony, pleading with my eyes for him to intervene.
But it’s too late.
Miller launches himself across his desk, grabbing Cassie by the throat.
I scream.
The scene is manic. Unreal. Miller has lost control, and when the crazy woman seated at his desk should be fearing for her life, she’s just laughing at him instead.
‘For f**k’s sake!’ Tony throws himself into the mix, getting a smack across his jaw for his trouble, but instead of yielding, he fights harder. He knows, just as well as I do, that this will end only one way, and that’ll be with Cassie in the hospital. ‘Get off her!’
‘She’s a f**king parasite!’ Miller roars. ‘Life is miserable enough without her help!’
‘Miller!’ Tony jabs him in the ribs, making Miller shriek and me wince. ‘Back off!’
Miller pushes away from his desk and swings around aggressively. ‘Get her out and back in rehab!’
‘I don’t need help!’ Cassie spits nastily. ‘You’re the one who needs f**king help.’ She squirms free of Tony’s hold and starts pulling at her untidy dress, yanking the hem back down to her knee. ‘You’re prepared to risk everything for that?’ Her arm shoots out towards me.
It? That? Oh, I might be stunned by the events unravelling before me, but her persistent insolence and insults are beginning to piss me off. ‘Who the hell do you think you are?’ I stand, immediately aware that Miller has halted with his gritty marching. ‘You think a few temper tantrums and bitter words will break him?’ I step forward, feeling my confidence swell, especially when Cassie snaps her rotten mouth shut. ‘You can’t stop him.’
‘It’s not me you should be worried about.’ Her lip curls. They’re just more words, but the acute manner in which they are delivered sends anxious tingles shooting up my spine.
‘That’s it.’ Tony intervenes, taking Cassie’s arm and leading her from the office. ‘You are your own worst enemy, Cassandra.’
‘Always have been,’ she agrees on a laugh, allowing herself to be guided to the doorway without a fuss or fight. But then she slows to a halt at the threshold and turns leisurely, sniffing as she does. ‘It was nice knowing you, Miller Hart.’
