Slowly standing up, Abby places her hands on her hips and looks down at Sienna.
“But you’ll have enough time to discuss that with him ... I hear the prison’s mailing system is a really efficient one,” she tells Sienna, and you can see defeat clouding her eyes. I’m just surprised she hasn’t burst into tears.
“Take her away,” Abby finishes then, waving toward the end of the stage as two federal agents march onto the stage, handcuffs hanging from their belts. Sienna doesn’t even resist as they place her arms behind her back and throw the handcuffs on her wrists. “You’re arrested on conspiracy charges,” they tell her, hauling her to her feet as if she were a sack of potatoes, and they actually have to drag her off the stage. Her whole body has grown limp, and she’s just staring at the floor. It almost looks like her soul has wandered off her body.
One thing’s for sure: Abby doesn’t fuck around.
>> Click here to go to BATCH 5 <3
Chapter 29
Abby
Cara.
One look into her eyes and I see myself. A younger version of me, that’s for sure, but there’s that hunger ... that desire to do so much more. To become someone who’s stronger.
“Thank you,” she tells me, slowly walking up to me. She looks into my eyes, but then averts her gaze, her cheeks flushing. “I...I don’t even know what to say. If it weren’t for you, I’d be the one leaving in the back of a police car.”
“That would never happen,” I tell her softly, reaching for her and grabbing her hand. “Naughty Angel cares for their own,” I continue and I smile as I see the look of confusion in her eyes. “We’d never let Sienna get away with this. And you don’t have to thank me
for anything; I’m the one who should be thanking you right now. If it weren’t for you, Sienna and Grady could’ve caused some serious damage to NAP.”
“I didn’t do anything, really,” she tells me, flushing some more. “If it weren’t for them,” she nods at Parker, Mason, and Derek, “I wouldn’t have been able to go up against Sienna.”
“The four of you make quite a team, don’t you?” I whisper, watching as three men crowd around her, their adoring smiles letting me know that they’re more than just a team. “I see,” I chuckle, remembering the way it felt once I found out that it was more than just lust between Aidan and I.
“Cara’s just being humble, Abby,” Parker tells me, placing one hand on her shoulder. “She’s the one who came up to us. If it weren’t for her, we’d have no idea that Sienna was plotting against us.”
“I guess I owe you all a debt of gratitude then.”
“Ah, crap, what did I miss?” I suddenly hear someone say from the far side of the stage, and I turn around to see Lana climbing up the stairs, her high heels tapping the floor steadily as she rushes toward us. “Crap, I missed it, didn’t I?”
“You did,” I laugh. “But someone has probably put the whole thing up on Youtube. Where were you, anyway?”
“I was...busy,” she tells me, flushing as she grins. Yeah, after 24 Inches came out, Lana’s always busy. Between writing and taking care of the two men she shares a bed with, I’m actually surprised she managed to get here. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t introduce myself,” she continues in that rapid-fire way of hers, offering Cara her hand. Cara shakes it softly, but then Lana just takes one step forward and wraps both her arms around Cara. “I heard what you did for us. We owe you, Cara.”
At that, Cara’s face turns red. She opens her mouth to speak, but I can tell she’s struggling with her words. She’s completely star-struck. Kinda funny, if you ask me; just two years ago and nobody would care if I walked into a room. Now, with all the books, movie deals, VR apps, and what have you...I’m one-third entrepreneur, one-third author, and one-third celebrity. And these three thirds combine into a kickass whole. Yeah, I’m bragging, so what? You already know me, so I feel comfortable with letting my hair down around you.
“I can’t believe all this…” Cara starts to say then, finally managing to look me in the eyes. “I’ve been reading your books for so long, and now here I am, right in front of you. It’s unreal.”
“No, it’s actually very real,” Lana laughs, and I can’t help but join in.
“Yes, Cara, this is pretty real. And there’s something else. Something I’d like to ask you.”
“Something ... you want to ask me?” she whispers, and I just smile at her. I almost want to tease her, but she’s so dazed with everything that just happened that I can’t bring myself to do it.
“That’s right, how would you like to become an Angel?” I finally ask her, and I gotta tell you, the look on her face right now is priceless. Her eyes widen, her lips part, and her whole face seems to shine.
“An ... angel?”
“An angel,” I nod. “If you want to, I’d love to bring you aboard Naughty Angel Publishing.”
“I ... I don’t even know what to say,” she mumbles, and the three men around her just grin.
“Say yes,” Parker tells her as he laughs. His laugh is bright and generous, and I can see why she fell for him. Hell, just one look at these guys and I can see why she fell for them.
“I want to say yes, but…” she starts to say, running her tongue between her lips. She trails off before finishing her sentence, and hesitantly looks at the men around her. “Where I go, they go.”