Page 24 of Finding Storm

For a big man, I can move fast.

I lunge forward and swipe his cell off the table before he even gets a chance to move. I drop it on the floor and stamp my boot on it, crushing it. The crack of glass beneath my foot is satisfying as fuck.

“You’ll pay me for that.”

It’s my turn to laugh. I grab some more bills out of my wallet and throw them in his face. “This should cover it.”

The money flutters to the floor. He makes no attempt to get it.

I watch as he puts his hand in his pants pocket and pulls out a small recording device. Holding it up, he curls his fingers around it. And my brief, momentary sense of relief is gone.

“I always have a backup.” The smug cunt shrugs. “I enjoyed our chat today, Storm. I’ll send the finished article over before it’s published.”

Motherfucker.

I grind my teeth so hard that I’m surprised I don’t crack a tooth.

He walks around the table, coming toward me.

He’s got some balls; I’ll give him that.

I clench my hands at my sides.

Jasper stops directly in front of me.

I stare down at him. He’s sweating. He’s not as calm as he likes to make out he is.

“Jonny died in his prime,” he says in a low voice. “Twenty-five years old, and he was already a musical genius. Just think what the music industry would’ve been like if he’d lived. He died because of you. You deprived the world of what could have been. And what were we left with? A once-great band that could never recover the loss of its main talent. And your shitty attempt at playing dress-up with your lame excuse for a band. You’re a fucking insult to Jonny’s memory.”

My hand snaps out before I can stop it, and I grab the fucker by the throat, lifting him up onto his toes. I lean my face into his. “You sure have a hard-on for Jonny.”

I hear someone shout something, but I ignore them.

My sole focus is on this prick.

“Nothing to say now, fucker? Or have you run out of shit to talk?”

I flex my fingers around his neck, applying more pressure.

“Nah,” he croaks out, face red. “I just knew how to push your buttons. So predictable. Smile for the cameras, Storm.”

Stone sinks into my stomach.

I don’t even bother to look up.

A fucking setup. How could I have been so stupid?

This was about money.

Of course it was about money.

He wound me up to get me to react, and I played right into his hands.

I push him away from me, not even enjoying the satisfaction of hearing him hit the floor.

I push past the people who have gathered around to watch the show.

And I’m well aware of how many fucking phones are held up, recording this, even still now.