The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy 1)

Straight to the point. Damn. A not-so-subtle reminder of what I was guessing the PR team didn’t know about, based on their confusion now.

Understanding brought some color back to Matt’s face. “Oh. I see.” He glanced to me, embarrassment showing, then that cleared too. Resolve had him raising his head farther, and he nodded again. “Okay. Yes.” He said to Martha, “Use me. I can release texts from Amanda and any other sordid detail you’ll need.”

Martha was looking from Peter to me to Kash and to Matt. Back and forth. Her eyebrows firmly pinched downward. Then she came to a decision, and they smoothed out.

“Okay,” she said to Kash. “You are not our client. I was not aware. Good that I am now, and our most important priority is shielding Bailey. We can adjust to these parameters and do this. You’ll cooperate?” The last question was to Matt.

He nodded, his lips thinning once again. “I said I would.” But he wasn’t doing it happily. That was clear.

Martha turned to her team. “Okay. We can go and start moving on this.” Her gaze fell to Chrissy, and she faltered as her workers began leaving the room. “Unless there’s another matter we haven’t addressed?”

“There isn’t.” Peter spoke up before my mom could. He had gone back to his computer. “Bailey’s mother is here for her daughter. That is all.”

It was a nice dismissal, but I was sure there was an added sting being sent in my mother’s direction. Her eyes clouded over, so I was right, but Kash was standing. His hand on my wrist. He was pulling me with him, shaking his head when I looked up at him. He was warning me against getting between the two.

Matt was trailing behind the PR team, talking to the two girls.

Martha was moving ahead of us, so once we cleared the doors, we still didn’t say a word. Kash didn’t want my father’s PR team to learn anything more, but we did move to the elevator with them all.

I glanced back.

Chrissy was coming down the hallway with Marie, their heads together, talking in quiet tones.

The elevator opened. Kash waited as most of the publicists got on. Matt looked to remain once it was filled, but Martha stepped back and nodded to him. “You stay. Go with them. I’ll catch the next one.”

The door closed.

Marie and Chrissy joined us, and we were all silent. Waiting for another elevator to ping its arrival.

Once it did, Kash still didn’t go.

Marie and Chrissy moved around us, pausing as they stepped inside.

He said to Marie, “Take Bailey’s mother to the estate. We’ll be coming later.”

Martha was clearly hoping to go with us, but when he gave her a pointed look, she got on. Slapping a hand to hold the doors open, she lowered her voice. “I have been aware of who you are while I’ve worked for Peter Francis. I didn’t know all the details, and I’m impressed with how much you were able to keep quiet. But make no mistake. That time is gone, Mr. Colello. You are firmly, and I believe permanently, in the spotlight—your holdings with Phoenix Tech, who your grandfather is … and I have a feeling you have more you are attempting to hide. But you are not only a national interest but global as well. Governments are going to be interested in you. Do not put off moving on your public perception. You will be shocked how much it will help if we work with the press rather than against them.”

Those were her parting words before she stepped back.

The door closed between us and them.

FORTY-EIGHT

I assumed we weren’t going with them.

Kash’s hand was on the back of my shoulders, guiding me into the elevator when it opened again, and as soon as the door shut he was crowding me against the wall. There was a camera in here, but damn. I was not caring. Watching me, almost close enough to kiss, he hovered over me as he pushed the button for us. I thought he’d close the distance, but he didn’t. He was just standing against me, looking into me, and feeling my heartbeat speeding up.

Not one word was spoken.

We were there, right there, with each other. Seeing each other. Feeling each other. Our chests were rising, matching, and as soon as that started, I saw him. He was torn. He was tired. He was twisted inside. And seeing that I was seeing him, his hand raised like it always did. He touched my chin, his thumb grazing over my lips. His eyes darkened and he began to bend down, his lips just a trace away from touching mine.

The door opened, and someone cleared their throat.

He swore under his breath, moving with his hand behind my back, and we pushed past a small group of onlookers. Eyes were wide as they put two and two together. I was assuming Kash wasn’t a regular fixture at the building. I was wondering if my father was, because we weren’t at the headquarters, just one of his buildings downtown.