Athena's Jewel (Aya Harris Collection 2)

“Fine.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the effort. “Get yourself killed. That’s really great, Aya. Trust the harpies that you’ve hated for years. Sounds like a solid plan.”

He turned and stormed through the exit, leaving me to tremble with rage in his absence. So much of my life I couldn’t control. I couldn’t control Gideon’s job or the fact that we’d broken up. I couldn’t control the HQ and their plans for me. I couldn’t control the fact that my mother had been kept hostage by a trafficking organization for the past decade. But, there was one thing I might still have a bit of control over.

With renewed courage, I spun on my heels and spotted Trent McAllister on the other side of the room with Mr. Jones. A dinner date didn’t sound so bad, especially if Trent was really willing to listen to my ideas. Maybe he’d even be willing to let me buy into the museum after all. The last spark of my hope refused to be snuffed out in spite of the drama of this week.

Chapter Seven

I stared at myself in the mirror. The strapless royal blue cocktail dress hugged my curves in all the right places, showing off my wings as they rested in tattoo form on my shoulders. Athena’s Jewel was tucked underneath the bust line, the thin golden chain wrapped around my neck.

I’d spent an hour digging through my closet for the perfect outfit; a little flirty and a lot of business. Hopefully, this hit it on the head. If I wanted to schmooze Trent McAllister into letting me buy into the museum tonight, I had to pull out all the stops.

Declaring myself ready, I headed for the living room. Johnny and Angel were hanging out on the couch, browsing through the channels for something to watch. They whistled when I walked in, bringing a flush to my cheeks.

“Hot momma!” Angel stopped the TV on a cooking channel and dropped the remote. “Is this a business meeting or a date?”

I rolled my eyes at her. “You should know better than anyone that I need to look my best tonight. I’m pitching to Trent. I need to impress him.”

“Oh, he’ll be impressed alright.” She leaned back in the couch, crossing her arms over her chest and pursing her lips. “It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s an insanely sexy rich vampire, does it?”

Johnny moaned and slapped a hand on his forehead. “You’re dating a bloodsucker?”

“I’m not dating him,” I said in a huff. “It’s a business meeting. Besides, Gideon and I just broke up. I’m not ready for all that.”

“Fine.” Johnny raised an eyebrow at me and ran a hand over his smooth bare head. “But just remember, you’re allowed to have a little fun. Sometimes, a rebound is exactly what you need to get over someone.”

With a sigh, I picked up my purse from the table. No matter what my friends said, I wasn’t ready to move on from Gideon yet. Tonight was just about the proposal and the museum. They were the only things keeping me from falling apart at the thought of my impending mission. In my purse were figures and plans I’d outlined during the past couple of months. I had intended to share them with Mr. Jones once I made my bid for partner, but I had chickened out time and time again. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by this time.

“Good luck,” Angel said when I headed for the door. “Let us know how it goes.”

I nodded and shut the door behind me. The guilty feeling plaguing me all day wouldn’t leave. Angel and Johnny would kill me if they knew about my secret mission with the HQ, but I didn’t feel good lying to them. Every fiber of my being was bursting to come clean and let them in on the news. But I knew that wouldn’t go so well.

They didn’t know what it was like to think your mother was dead, and then suddenly see her alive and well in a picture. They didn’t know what it was like to be the only hope to rescue your mother. I did. And that’s why I was taking this mission.

Shaking my head, I smoothed my dress and refocused on the notes in my purse. My mission with the HQ didn’t start until tomorrow night, when I would be meeting their contact. Today was all about the museum and the rest of my life. I had to focus if I wanted to give a killer presentation.

A long stretch limo was waiting outside my apartment. I stopped and looked around. No one else was getting into it. Surely it wasn’t for me. That seemed over the top for a business meeting – even if Trent McAllister was a filthy rich business man.

Just as I was thinking about pulling my cellphone out to call Mr. McAllister, the limo’s window rolled down. A handsome pale man leaned out, smiling and flashing his long canine teeth.

“Ms. Harris, would you like to join me?”

I squinted at the vehicle. Sure enough, that was Trent McAllister. He must be used to driving around in style.

With a reluctant sigh, I approached the door. If Gideon were here, he’d probably freak out. This looked like a prom date. All that was missing was a frilly pink dress and corsage. Hopefully, Mr. McAllister hadn’t brought flowers.

“I’m not used to riding in such luxury,” I said, scooting into the back seat.

Mr. McAllister was leaning back casually in the seat next to me, his legs crossed. In his right hand was a glass of champagne. He handed it to me and poured another glass.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m celebrating.” He sipped from the crystal glass, his exquisitely sculpted lips lingering close to the rim. “It’s not every day that you get to invest in a childhood dream.”

The limo driver put the vehicle in drive and took off. I took a huge swallow of the champagne, relishing the way it felt going down. Definitely not the cheap stuff.

“Why did you get involved in the museum?” I put my glass down and opened my purse on my lap. There was no harm in starting the business meeting early. “I have a hard time imagining someone like you having an interest in our little operation.”

He chuckled and threw back his head. “Someone like me? Goodness, what could that even mean?”

A blush came to my cheeks. “I only meant…”