“Yeah… yes,” Alicia stuttered. “That’s my name.”
Russell Moreau turned his body toward her. That was not a welcoming expression on his face. “Alicia Marie Colbert. Born on Long Island, a New York girl at heart.” His arms were folded on the table. “Does that sound about right?”
Creepy, but right. “Can I help you, sir?”
Russell glanced at his bodyguard. “She wants to cut to the chase, Sam.” The bodyguard flinched with a smile. “All right. I’ll cut to the chase. How much is my daughter paying you for your services, young lady?”
Alicia gasped. “I’m… I’m not!” The audacity! “She’s not paying me anything!”
“Worse than I feared, then. Too bad. Because I was going to offer to pay double your rate for the next six months if you cut her off. Do you have a rate now?”
Alicia was too aghast to properly respond.
“I’ll take that look as a no.” Russell sighed, although a grin remained on his face.At least I know where Danica gets that smirk from.There was nothing cheeky in Russell’s expression, though. “Fine. Then let me be blunt, Ms. Colbert.” Nope. His saying her name was not sexy at all. “My daughter is not available to you. I don’t care what she’s said or what she’s offered you. Do you understand? You are not now, or ever will be, her girlfriend. There are far better prospects out there for my daughter.”
Alicia swallowed. “With all due respect, sir, Danica’s gotta be thirty years old.”
“Yes, a grand age, isn’t it? I remember when I was thirty. I had a marriage of convenience. Should’ve done the same for her. Cut the chaff out much more easily. Less messy.”
What the hell do I say?Alicia took a step back. “Excuse me, sir. I really must be going.” Could someone please unlock this door for her?
“I don’t think you understood me, Ms. Colbert.” There went the grandfatherly demeanor. “I don’t want to see you around here again. I warned you once. I’ve warned you twice now. Do not make me warn you a third time. The third time will not be so cordial.”
Alicia nodded. Anything to make this man leave her alone.
“I’m sure you’re a lovely woman, Ms. Colbert. Smart, too, am I correct? My daughter does not trifle with ignorant women, that much I can say about her. Be that as it may, though, I cannot afford to have my family infiltrated by a stained woman such as yourself. Do us both a favor and move on. If it’s money you’re after, we may work out some sort of arrangement.”
The conference room door opened, and Mr. Clayborn stood on the other side, ready to escort Alicia out.
“Sorry for taking up your time, Ms. Colbert. Have a nice day.”
Nigel took her arm more gently this time. Alicia, too dumbfounded to fight him off, allowed herself to be escorted to the elevator and down to the main lobby of the building. The driver Danica promised her waited there.
“Have a good afternoon, Ms. Colbert,” Nigel said, timid. “Sorry for any trouble.”
She turned to him before the driver could make off with her, too. “Does Danica know about that?”
Nigel did not respond. He bowed and returned to the elevator.
“This way, ma’am,” the driver bade, gesturing to the revolving door leading to the sidewalk and the car parked beyond it. “I’ll get you home quickly.”
Alicia went. She was still in a daze when the driver opened the door, and she crawled into the back of a limo. Being dragged into a conference room and threatened by her girlfriend’s father was enough to shock her for the rest of the week.
“Excuse me, ma’am, I need to make a call.” The driver held up his phone before stepping to the corner of the sidewalk. Alicia was ready to curl up in the backseat and call Candice to tell her about what had happened. Where was she now? At work? Cooking dinner at home?
As Alicia pulled out her phone, however, the limo door opened and admitted a frazzled middle-aged woman she had never seen before.
“Holy shit!” Alicia exclaimed, holding herself to the back seat as this woman hurried to close the door behind her. “Who the hell are you?” She couldn’t take any more surprises!
The woman’s curly red hair created a frizzy perimeter as she swung her head around.Oh my God! What is wrong with her face!Burn scars concealed themselves beneath a forest of curls. Half of the woman’s face was burned, restored with plastic surgery, then seemingly left to fend for itself again. Alicia gaped to see how it affected the corner of the woman’s right eye.
“Are you her? Are you the girl from the papers? The one with Danica?”
Alicia’s mouth dropped open. She went to open the door and make her escape, or at least scream for help, but the woman lunged forward and clapped her veiny hands over Alicia’s.
“Wait! Please! You’re her, right? I don’t know your name. I’m sorry for scaring you.” The woman released Alicia, hesitating. “I had to find you. To warn you.”
Alicia closed her eyes.What now?Who else wanted to threaten her?Sheesh. Was dating Danica really worth this stress? “If you want to threaten me like her father did, then save your breath. I got the message.”
