Page 7 of Scream
“You’ve… gained a few unhealthy pounds…”
She screams and hurls something at her father and it shatters behind him.
“There was another man-“
“Who?”
David exhales and it sounds painful. “Kane-“
She audibly gags, tensing even further.“Stop it, don't even say that name.”
Interesting…
“Parker said-“
“Parker doesn’t know shit.” she snaps.
“-Not to trust him.”
She relaxes. Her ample chest heaves in slow, even breaths. “So, because I’vegained a few poundsit’s eitherhim… or the most dangerous man in New York. The literal Devil of New York.”
Oh, so she knows about me. Good. It’ll make staying away from each other easy.
“Sabrina if there were any other way…”
“What is it you once told me when that musician asked for my hand?You can’t turn a heathen into a husband?Andthisis who you’ve chosen for me?”
David hangs his head in defeat and repeats himself. “If there were any other way, I would have chosen that route.”
She nods in resignation while staring blankly at her father. I should’ve had Niko install another camera so I could see more of her facial expressions. “You will walk me down the aisle… andnothingmore. Show me the contract. I’ll… connect with his… I don’t know, does he even have an assistant? Or is it like, a lieutenant of some sort?”
Without even wanting to, I laugh, practically choking on the espresso. I grab a napkin and wipe what sputtered out from my chin and the counter and a bit on the screen.
“Yes, he has an assistant at Eden, but he also has a right hand.”
“Don’t be silly, we all have one of those unless you’re born without it.”
David pinches the bridge of his nose at the same time I roll my eyes. “His right hand, Niko, is hisenforceror his consigliere, like an advisor. I’m sure you’ll meet him soon enough.”
“I pray I have absolutely fuck-all to do with meeting anyone or anything that has to do with his…coven.”
“Christ, Sabrina, he’s not a bloody vampire or a general of war.”
“Isn’t he?” She asks after a beat, stepping away from her end of the table and walking out of the conference room. “You’ve signed my life away for three million dollars.”
“Plus ten percent interest.”
She stops halfway to the door, and I finally catch a small glimpse of her face. She squares her shoulders and tugs the hem of her blazer down. “Every time you open your mouth I lose more respect for you,David. I hope you enjoy the next few months because once that band is on my finger, we’re through. You willneverask of me another favor. Not. A. Dime. So clean up your act, Mr. Winters. If you are to go destitute, it’ll be myhusbandyou will ask for coin. After all, I’ll no longer be your puppet.”
“Sabrina… I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head, looking at the ceiling, searching for something. “And I’m embarrassed,” she says over her shoulder, closing the glass conference room door behind her.
I move to the next camera feed showing her office where she closes the door, leaning against it, inhaling sharply. Her head shoots up and she goes to her desk, pressing something and a buzzer sounds.
“Miss Winters?”
“Yes, Lily, could you please get me in contact with Maksim Giordano? Please let him know I’d like us to go over this contract face-to-face, in a public setting.”
