Read Online Annihilate Me (Vol. 3) (The Annihilate Me Series) by Christina Ross - Free Book Online Page B

overachiever.   She wrote a book right after college,
and tried to get it published in New York, but had no luck selling it.   So, she went the indie route and
self-published through Amazon.   She
hit it big.   She’s written another
recently, but I’ve been so out if it lately, I don’t know how it is doing.   It was just published.”   A thought occurred to me.   “Not that I can’t check its rankings on
my phone.   Hold on.”  
    I pulled out my cell, pressed the bottom
button, and spoke to Siri.   “Amazon.com,” I said.
    Siri’s mechanical voice said, “Searching
the Web for Amazon.com.”
    “I think Siri is the undead,” Tank
offered.
    I giggled at that.   The site came up and I searched for
Lisa’s new book.   After a bit of
clicking around, I found it—and was shocked.   It was seventeen in the Amazon overall Top 100.   Why hadn’t she told me that?   That was huge news.   “She’s got the number seventeen
best-seller on Amazon with her new book.   It’s only been out for a few days.   She never told me, but that’s just like her.   Humble to the end.   I’m so happy for her!”
    “What’s the title?   I want to read it before we have
coffee.”
    Reading
her book before coffee?   Another
point for you, Tank.   “When Worlds Fall Apart.”
    “Great title.   What’s her other book?”
    “When Worlds Collide.”
    “Is this a sequel?”
    “It is.”
    “I have an iPad with the Amazon app.   I’ll get them and read both before I
call her.”
    “They’re pretty big books.”
    “I’m a pretty big guy, and I happen to
read quickly.”
    Noted.   “Excellent.   You’ll have something to talk about.”
    “I have a feeling we’d have something to
talk about anyway.”
    This guy is totally scoring
points.   I need to ask Alex about
him.   Blackwell loves him, so
that’s a plus.   She’d castrate him
if she didn’t like him.   “Do I
really need to call you Tank?” I asked.
    “Not if you don’t want to, but it works in
our situation.   If you should ever
need me and I’m not near you, call for me and say ‘Tank’ and I’ll know to bust
my ass to get to you.   It’s a kind
of code between us.   In a crowd,
anyone could be called Mitch, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be the only Tank in the
vicinity.   That’s how I look at
it.”
    And that, I understood.  
    When we arrived at Wenn, I asked Tank to
come up with me.  
    “I need a man’s opinion.”
    “You have Bernie.”
    “And I love him.   But he’ll be less likely to criticize his own work.   I need to know from a straight guy
whether Bernie has hit the mark or not.”
    “I don’t think Mr. Wenn would appreciate
me looking at you that way.”
    “Mr. Wenn is a businessman.   I’m going into a serious business deal,
one potentially filled with sharks.   Blackwell isn’t here.   I
need a second opinion—your opinion.   Will you help?   It’s just an
opinion.”
    “Who said I’m straight, anyway?” he said.
    I felt my heart sink for Lisa, but then he
laughed.   I met his eyes in the
rearview and saw them crinkle.
    “You’re too easy,” he said.   “I’ll go up and give you my opinion so
long as it doesn’t get back to Mr. Wenn.   We all know how he feels about you, ma’am.”
    “Please.   Jennifer.”
    “Jennifer.”
    “And it won’t get back to him.   But even if it somehow does, Alex is
smart and confident enough to understand why I need your opinion.   I’m meeting Henri Dufort tonight.   I need to turn it out however I
can.   Hopefully my brain will be
enough, but you never know.   The
right dress never hurts.   Just be
brutally honest with me, OK?”
    “OK.”

 
 
    *   *   *

 
 
    Before I got out of the car, Tank made
sure the sidewalk on Fifth was safe.   He then swiftly ushered me inside while my heart pounded in my
throat.   Soon we were on the
seventy-first floor, where Bernie was waiting for us and where I could
relax.  
    Bernie was