“I didn’t find her. She found me.” Hex held out his arms. “And I can’t believe you don’t recognize her. She’s Michael’s Archangel. You are looking at the only reason why Michael’s works were relative in the past ten years.”

Alvarez studied my face. My stomach twisted in nervousness. I figured Hex had realized who I was when I sent him my portfolio, but I didn’t think he would bring it up so soon or that it would’ve been a big factor in him hiring me. How naïve. I should have never applied. The last thing I wanted was to be a pawn in Hex’s and Michael’s game of wits and war.

Alvarez inched back. “Dear God, you are Michael’s Archangel.”

“I’m not his anything anymore. I’m no longer employed by him.”

“Do you have this in writing?” Alvarez’s gaze traveled from my head to my toes. “If you’re in contract with him and end up working for my brother this would cause major complications.”

“We didn’t have a contract,” I lied. As far as I was concerned Michael’s employment contract with me was null and void once he broke the agreement to my heart. We didn’t have an official pact of love, at least not one that was written in ink and preserved on paper. We promised each other forever, that our bodies, souls, hearts, and possessions belonged to the other for the rest of our lives. We swore to always forgive during the broken moments of our love. And after ten years, he corrupted our promises with lies, emotional abuse, and my shattered heart. Our heartfelt deal was now done and I couldn’t care less if Michael liked my posing for Hex or not.

I just need to get the chance to pose and not have Michael find out while I’m doing it. I won’t let him mess this up for me.

Alvarez pointed at me. “I’m going to need to verify this with Michael. If you’re under contract with him, then it will keep any works produced by Hex with you in them from being revealed until we have Michael’s permission to use you.”

“I assure you I’m not working for him anymore.”

“Nevertheless, if you don’t have a contract, then I want Michael saying that in writing. I’ll call him.”

“Why?” I forced myself not to bite my lip or show any of my nervous habits. “I have the official documents where he releases me from working with him. I just have to get my mother to send them. I don’t want Michael contacted.”

“Why not?”

“We didn’t end on good terms.”

And Michael would do everything in his power to stop me from working with Hex or anyone else.

Hex clapped. “Good, that bastard Michael never deserved you anyway. He didn’t have any idea how to truly display your beauty. We don’t need any official documents.”

“Yes. We do.” Alvarez formed his lips into a frown. “Until then, I don’t want you working with her.”

“Her name’s Elle and I’ll do what I like.” Hex headed over to me and hooked his skinny arm under mine. “Now back to round two. What’s your biggest talent outside of modeling?”

“Excuse me?” I struggled to keep up with Hex’s fast pace. For a small guy, he had speed. The lilies around us blurred into a palette of morphed spring colors. Alvarez speed-walked behind us and spouted out more legal terms before finally giving up and blurting out a few Spanish words. I recognized them as popular curse words used in many films.

“What’s something you’re good at?” Hex bumped my hip with his. Instead of dragging me to the front double doors carved in mahogany, he guided me around the huge castle. I would’ve loved a slower pace, to take in the intricate details in gray stone or ask how they’d managed to build a castle in the southern part of Miami. But I couldn’t. Hex was too fast and I was too desperate to get this job.

What is my talent?

I burned ninety percent of the things I cooked, had many pets and plants die on me from my own neglect, and failed most of the classes I took years ago in high school, which is why I didn’t have my diploma. Once Michael’s first painting of me surged to national success while we were only in our senior year, we decided to drop out and use his royalties to live in California. What the hell is my talent? All of my art sucked. My paintings were abstract blobs of colors. My photographs held blurry images. I’d dreamed of sculpting, but never did it. My singing caused most to escape the room. My dancing triggered the same. The only thing I knew and loved was movies.

“I’m a movie buff.”

“That’s not a talent.” Hex snorted and increased his pace. If we went any faster, we would be jogging.

Tags: Kenya Wright Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net