Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22648 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22648 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“Why?”
“Because you’re my client, and I’m here to protect you.” I don’t miss the way her shoulders relax at the reassurance. “The only side of the story that matters to me is yours. Everything you say stays between us, and from here on out, I’m your shield. It’s my job to keep you safe, and I’m going to do everything I can to give you back your power.”
She’s silent for a long moment before a single tear streams down her cheek.
“Oh fuck.” I’m out of my chair and around my desk in two seconds. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“No, no, it’s actually wonderful to hear.” She’s wiping the tears away as I grab the box of tissues on my desk and hold it out to her. “It’s just that I’ve been really scared for a while now, and it’s just nice to hear that someone wants to help.”
“You’ve been scared?” Scout mentioned harassment from her boss and some stuff online, but Abbie is shaking as she uses the tissue to dry her eyes. “Are you hungry?”
“What?” Her eyes meet mine, and I realize they’re not just brown like I originally thought but have a little green in them too.
“I think we’re going to need some wings.” She looks at me with confusion as I reach over and grab my cell. “I’ve done the research, and it’s easier to talk about painful shit while eating chicken wings. Trust me.”
“Okay,” she says, and I see the barest hint of a smile turning up at the corner of her mouth.
Chapter Three
ABBIE
Spencer is far more charming than I thought he would be. It’s not in a cocky way either. I get a sense of calm from him, like he wants to put me at ease. After only a few minutes with him, I’m already feeling a tad safer.
That, however, is easy to achieve while I’m a million floors up from the city, with security at the front desk. On top of having a very tall, handsome man in a suit who wants to protect and feed me.
Right now, though, the glare on his face is kind of scary. I'm glad it's not directed at me and is fully on the printed-out papers in front of him. He’s reading the contract I signed, and he is not happy.
"Geoff Hale. I recognize the name,” Spencer says, and it doesn't temper his anger about the contract.
I was worried he could be a fan of Geoff's. Scout told me how Spencer collects comics, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility. But the scowl on Spencer's face deepens as he scans the pages.
"You've been doing the illustrations for his new series?”
"I'm not supposed to admit that. There’s an NDA.” It’s more common that a person does both the drawings and the writing, but drawing wasn’t Geoff’s strong suit.
"I'm your lawyer, you can tell me anything,” Spencer says, and I relax at the finality of his statement. He’s my lawyer, and he’s going to help me. "Do you want to wait for the food to arrive before we dig into the things he's been doing to violate this contract?"
Spencer's eyes search my face longer than most people would when asking a question. He's done it more than once, but I don't think he's checking me out. It’s like he’s trying to figure out if he knows me.
Getting all dressed up in cosplay lets me appear completely different. It's part of the fun. But I have been good about keeping my real name away from any of this. Only Geoff knows who I really am. When finalizing the contract, I didn’t have a choice but to give him my real name. That’s come back to bite me on the ass.
As far as I can tell, Spencer hasn't connected my real name with my persona.
"I would rather get it all out now." It’s not easy to talk about this, but I want to keep pushing forward. I’m worried that if I stop, I’ll change my mind.
"Then let's start at the beginning. How did you and Geoff come to work together?"
I huff and put my face in my hands. I hate telling this story because I see how naïve I was. Spencer must sense my frustration because he comes around his deck to sit in the chair next to mine.
“It’s going to be okay. You can trust me.”
“I think that’s what got me here. I’m too trusting.” When I look up, he’s smiling softly.
“Maybe, but I’m willing to bet it’s a series of events.”
That’s probably true. It wasn’t until all the red flags were out and smacking me in the face that I really saw how much I’d missed or brushed aside.
“Okay, the beginning would have to be at the convention.” I’m telling Spencer about meeting Geoff when all of a sudden Spencer’s eyes widen.