AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vaughn followed. “Talk to me, T. What is it about this one?”
“Hell, man, what’s the big deal?” His grin was forced. “I only asked if she’s attached to her bodyguards.”
“Simple as that, huh?” Vaughn rubbed at the receding edge of his hairline. His handsome honey-toned face was a picture of disbelief. “How many times did you zone out this morning, man?”
“Understandable.” Therin tapped his hand to the front of the sweatshirt he wore. “I wasn’t particularly interested in the conversation when I walked out of here earlier.”
“Mmm-hmm, and you weren’t all too pleased that I interrupted your breakfast to ask you to join us back up here.”
“Like I said, just didn’t want to be part of the discussion.”
“What do you expect could come of this, T? All right, all right,” he said when Therin flashed him a cold look. “May I at least ask if you’re trying to make sure you’re not playing with someone else’s toy?”
Therin smiled then. “No. I only want to know whose toy I’m about to take away.”
Vaughn burst into laughter and nodded when his boss asked that he check out Kianti Lawrence and her crew.
Kianti bit her lip and tried to cast covert glances around the lobby. She and the guys would be leaving for the airport as soon as the car was packed. Therin had promised to say goodbye.
She bowed her head, snuggling into the high collar of the black cashmere coat she wore. Idiot, she chastised herself. That brief acquaintance was over and done with. What else could it have been?
Distance wasn’t the only deciding factor there, either. She was sick of involvements that dissolved because of a weak heart. She smiled unamused and wondered what had done more damage to her heart—her illness or the amount of times her heart had been broken. She felt hands squeeze her arms and masked her disappointment when she saw Winton at her side.
“We’re all set. You got everything?”
Kianti risked another glance around the spacious lobby and then nodded. “Let’s go home,” she said.
“Ruby? Ruby, calm down. For the third time, I didn’t call to fire you.”
“Sorry, Therin. Sorry,” Ruby Loro blubbered, sniffled and gasped over the phone. “I shouldn’t have done it—keeping my past a secret like that. I just—just felt like I didn’t have a choice. Stupid!” she called herself and hiccupped on a few more sobs. “I thought…the movies were the easiest choice—quickest path to success, or so I thought. God…” she moaned and broke into another stretch of tears. “I’m sorry…”
“Ruby. Calm yourself.” Therin’s voice was patience personified.
“I’ll resign.” Ruby hiccupped the words. “I’ll resign my post. The last thing I want is to cast a shadow over all the good you’re doing.”
“And you know me well enough to know I don’t want a resignation any more than I want to fire you.” Leaning forward on the sofa, Therin braced elbows to his knees. “What I want is for you to think. Did anyone approach you about this? Who knew Ruby Loro was once Spanish Heat?”
“Jesus,” Ruby hissed at the sound of the name she’d filmed under. “No one knew my real name. Not even the movie people.” She laughed shortly. “They really didn’t care about background checks, or whether I knew English for that matter. Knowing lines wasn’t a big issue, you see?”
“Right…” His hand flexed around the slim cordless. “I’m sorry, Ruby, for making you remember this crap.”
“I don’t have any family or friends except for the ones I’ve made while living and working in Canada.”
“Does that mean you could handle this coming out?” Silence met Therin’s question. “I don’t intend on bending over for these fools.”
“And I’m tired of hiding. You can rip them a new one for all I care.”
“Don’t you have vacation time you’ve been hoarding?”
“Almost a month,” Ruby boasted.
“Take it and longer if you need it.” Therin left the sofa and went to look out over the Spokane view. “I’m about to call the bluff on these jackasses. I don’t need you caught up in it yet if it’s not necessary.”
“Thank you, Therin. Thanks for believing in me. Most…” She sniffled lightly. “Most would have judged and not given another thought to firing me.”
“Well, I happen to know, like and respect Ruby Loro too much to lose her.” He turned his back on the view then. “You get lost and I’ll be in touch when the coast is halfway clear.”
