Read Online A Murderous Game by Patricia Paris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Paris
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image."
"Can't have that," she
said with a chuckle, "can we?"
Gage flipped to the second page and
scanned the numbers. "Matt's going to be here in about twenty minutes.
We'll probably be tied up for a couple of hours."
"You want to make it a working
lunch?"
"You got it." He returned
the bid. "This is fine; go ahead and send it out." When Grace left,
he made a list of concerns he needed to discuss with Matt.
After meeting with his Chief of
Security, he'd call Norwell about his decision. He'd intended to call yesterday
but hadn't had five minutes to himself before Abby showed up.
He was anxious to see her again
tonight. He liked her. He liked her humor. He liked her spirit. And he wanted
her, wanted her in a way he knew he wouldn't be able to ignore.
He hadn't been with a woman since
breaking things off with Shelly over six months ago. Not that anyone would know
it from the gossip columns. He shook his head. It amazed him people actually
believed all that shit. Hell, he'd have to be taking Viagra intravenously to
satisfy all the women he'd supposedly slept with. No one had that kind of
stamina, but the truth was so damn boring no one would want to read it.
Gage frowned. How much had Abby
read about his personal life in her research, or rather his personal life as
portrayed by the press? He'd stopped reading most of it years ago. He couldn't
waste his time worrying about baseless rumors; they'd always be out there. The
select few he counted as friends knew him well enough to know the truth, but Abby
wouldn't, and if she chose to believe some sensationalized account of his
lifestyle without giving him the benefit of the doubt, he refused to defend
himself.
He couldn't believe he was
considering a relationship with her. It surprised him he didn't feel more
conflicted about getting involved with a business associate, given he'd never
allowed it to happen before.
Of course Abby might reject his
advances, a very real possibility that could prove disastrous. Not only would
he feel like a fool, she could refuse to work with him, something he'd be
unwilling to accept even if it made her uncomfortable. He recognized talent
when he saw it, and he wanted that talent behind the campaign.
"Looks serious," Matt
said from the doorway.
Gage rubbed his jaw. "Time
will tell," he said, and with no intention of saying more, picked up the
list he'd been working on before thoughts of Abby had distracted him.
For the next hour and a half he and
Matt reviewed security details. They took a fifteen minute break when lunch arrived
and had only been working a short time again when Brett called to give Gage an
update.
"They've got a witness who's a
desk clerk at the Lincoln
hotel who saw Matheson and the woman there on several occasions," Brett
informed him. "George swears the woman came on to him, and the only reason
she was crying harassment now was because he tried to end it."
"You told me this morning he
denied any involvement with her."
"He did. Now that they've got
a witness he's changing his story. It doesn't look good, Gage. I think
Matheson's lying, and the woman in question said two of her coworkers confided
to her that George pressured them for sex at the risk of losing their jobs.
When I asked him about it, he exploded and threatened to, and I quote, 'teach
that sorry bitch a lesson she wouldn't forget'."
The muscle in Gage's jaw twitched.
"Get rid of him," he said tightly. "Call O'Leary in H.R. and
tell him I want him to do the termination immediately. Matt's here with me, but
make sure two of his agents are present in case Matheson gets out of hand. I
want him escorted off the premises and all access denied."
He glanced at Matt, who nodded.
"Pearson and McElhinny ," he said.
"They know the drill and can both be trusted to keep things quiet until
you decide how you want to handle an announcement."
"Matt wants Ellen Pearson and
Steve McElhinny on it," Gage said. "I also
want you to find out who the other women are and set up a
"Can't have that," she
said with a chuckle, "can we?"
Gage flipped to the second page and
scanned the numbers. "Matt's going to be here in about twenty minutes.
We'll probably be tied up for a couple of hours."
"You want to make it a working
lunch?"
"You got it." He returned
the bid. "This is fine; go ahead and send it out." When Grace left,
he made a list of concerns he needed to discuss with Matt.
After meeting with his Chief of
Security, he'd call Norwell about his decision. He'd intended to call yesterday
but hadn't had five minutes to himself before Abby showed up.
He was anxious to see her again
tonight. He liked her. He liked her humor. He liked her spirit. And he wanted
her, wanted her in a way he knew he wouldn't be able to ignore.
He hadn't been with a woman since
breaking things off with Shelly over six months ago. Not that anyone would know
it from the gossip columns. He shook his head. It amazed him people actually
believed all that shit. Hell, he'd have to be taking Viagra intravenously to
satisfy all the women he'd supposedly slept with. No one had that kind of
stamina, but the truth was so damn boring no one would want to read it.
Gage frowned. How much had Abby
read about his personal life in her research, or rather his personal life as
portrayed by the press? He'd stopped reading most of it years ago. He couldn't
waste his time worrying about baseless rumors; they'd always be out there. The
select few he counted as friends knew him well enough to know the truth, but Abby
wouldn't, and if she chose to believe some sensationalized account of his
lifestyle without giving him the benefit of the doubt, he refused to defend
himself.
He couldn't believe he was
considering a relationship with her. It surprised him he didn't feel more
conflicted about getting involved with a business associate, given he'd never
allowed it to happen before.
Of course Abby might reject his
advances, a very real possibility that could prove disastrous. Not only would
he feel like a fool, she could refuse to work with him, something he'd be
unwilling to accept even if it made her uncomfortable. He recognized talent
when he saw it, and he wanted that talent behind the campaign.
"Looks serious," Matt
said from the doorway.
Gage rubbed his jaw. "Time
will tell," he said, and with no intention of saying more, picked up the
list he'd been working on before thoughts of Abby had distracted him.
For the next hour and a half he and
Matt reviewed security details. They took a fifteen minute break when lunch arrived
and had only been working a short time again when Brett called to give Gage an
update.
"They've got a witness who's a
desk clerk at the Lincoln
hotel who saw Matheson and the woman there on several occasions," Brett
informed him. "George swears the woman came on to him, and the only reason
she was crying harassment now was because he tried to end it."
"You told me this morning he
denied any involvement with her."
"He did. Now that they've got
a witness he's changing his story. It doesn't look good, Gage. I think
Matheson's lying, and the woman in question said two of her coworkers confided
to her that George pressured them for sex at the risk of losing their jobs.
When I asked him about it, he exploded and threatened to, and I quote, 'teach
that sorry bitch a lesson she wouldn't forget'."
The muscle in Gage's jaw twitched.
"Get rid of him," he said tightly. "Call O'Leary in H.R. and
tell him I want him to do the termination immediately. Matt's here with me, but
make sure two of his agents are present in case Matheson gets out of hand. I
want him escorted off the premises and all access denied."
He glanced at Matt, who nodded.
"Pearson and McElhinny ," he said.
"They know the drill and can both be trusted to keep things quiet until
you decide how you want to handle an announcement."
"Matt wants Ellen Pearson and
Steve McElhinny on it," Gage said. "I also
want you to find out who the other women are and set up a
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