Fatal Attraction (Dark Desires 4)

“Because she won’t talk to me,” I said.

“Can you blame her?” She cut her eyes at me and wrinkled her nose like I was a bad smell. “You’re a backstabbing asshole. You stole her uncle’s company and used her to do it. She doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

“I did not steal her uncle’s company,” I shot back. I took a deep breath and forced the anger back down. “Look, that’s now what happened. But regardless, I can make things right if Katie will give me the chance.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “How are you gonna make things right? You fucked her, and you fucked her uncle. You used her to get what you wanted and once you got it, you just expected her to go on like nothing happened.”

“That’s not entirely true,” I said. “I knew she would be mad, but I thought—"

“Of course, she would be mad, you idiot,” she said, frowning, shaking her head. “Look, you got what you wanted. Why don’t you just leave her alone?”

“Because I didn’t get what I wanted,” I said desperately. “I didn’t get what I wanted.”

She blinked at me for a moment. “What does that mean?”

I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Look, Monique…”

“Don’t bullshit me now,” she said. “Shoot me straight or open that fucking door.”

I held up my hands in defeat. “It means that what I really want is Katie. I don’t care about anything else. Just her. And I need you to help me win her back. I can make things right if she’ll just give me the chance.”

“Don’t expect me to play on your team,” she said warily. She folded her arms across her large breasts and wrinkled her nose at me again. “I doubt there’s anything you can say or do to win her back at this point.”

I said, “I think you’re wrong. I have a plan that will make everyone happy. Katie. Allen Benson. You. Me. I just need your help to make it all work.”

She narrowed her dark eyes and bit at the inside of her lip.

“You really like her, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Will you help me?”

“That depends” she said, turning in the seat to face me. She tapped a long fingernail playfully to her chin and narrowed her eyes at me. “Tell me your plan, then I’ll tell you if I can help.”

Chapter 30: Katie

Saturday, March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day

Boston, Massachusetts

I had to get out of New York City before Conner McGee drove me completely bonkers. It wasn’t bad enough that he had screwed over my Uncle Allen and broken my heart. Now he wouldn’t leave me alone.

He kept calling and texting.

I ignored them all, finally blocking his number from my phone.

He showed up at my apartment two or three times.

I refused to open the door.

When he wouldn’t go away, I had to get the door man to throw him out and threaten to call the cops if he returned.

Then he showed up at my office, but since Yates Hamilton & Booz had filed an injunction against Price Bean & Whitlock to block the sale of Benson Digital’s manufacturing arm, he was politely told he shouldn’t be there and escorted out of the building.

I had to give it to him.