Read Online Losing Control by Summer Mackenzie - Free Book Online

would be awkward to work for him, in that office. What if his turning up keeps reminding me of that night? I don’t really want to do this, I shouldn’t. Because I will end up doing something stupid. I took this job because I wanted to work, because I wanted to get away from all this relationship crap.
    I wanted to work, to find out who Elena Monroe really was. I didn’t just want to give up on everything that is mine to have a meaningless fling with someone I found attractive. I don’t even talk to men in bars anymore, I hardly look at them and I make it a point to dress down as much as possible when I go these places. I’ve been careful not to get into that kind of situation so far. After everything that happened with Nick, I need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Because I just can’t go through that sort of pain. If it wasn’t for Thorne, I’d be doing an even better job. But now, it had all become confusing.
    But the decision was still in my hands.
    And if working for Thorne ever came between my new life and me, then I would leave that place, there was no doubt about it.

THORNE

     
     
     
     
    That day after work, I was tired and just wanted to go home. I stepped into the elevator and saw her, Elena and her friend whose face I seemed to recognize for some reason, they stepped in the elevator with me. I pushed the button for the ground floor and we waited. Her friend was smiling at me.
    “I know you from somewhere,” I said.
    “Yes,” the friend said. “We met at a corporate event, it’s not important. I’m sure you attend a lot of them.”
    “You’re Jane’s friend,” I said, finally remembering where I had seen her.
    “Wow,” she seemed either impressed or confused, I couldn’t tell.
    I was trying hard to remember her name. “Penny?”
    This time she looked positively charmed. “You…remembered my name.”
    “Of course,” I said. “We were at the same table at the event, remember?”
    “Yeah.”
    Elena was watching the exchange silently and her gaze was fixed at the moving numbers on top. When the floor finally came I let them walk through before I came out.
    “Well,” I said. “It was nice running into you.”
    We parted ways and again trying to act like I wasn’t noticing her was hard. I took out the keys to the Lexus and drove home.
    I tried calling Lane from the car, but he wasn’t picking up. For some reason I just felt uneasy. And then Stanton confirmed that uneasiness by calling me.
    “Stanton?”
    “Sir,” he said. “You said you wanted me to keep an eye on your brother.”
    “Yes, I did. Did you find something?”
    “Sir,” Stanton said, and it was obviously hard for him to say the next words. “I think you need to come with me.”
    “Come with you? Where?”

ELENA

     
     
     
     
    We were walking down the street after just having run into Thorne.
    “He remembered me,” it was the third time Penny had said it. “He actually remembered my name, how’s that even possible? I mean, he must meet like a million people every week so how does he remember me?”
    “I can’t tell if you’re mad or happy about it,” I said.
    “It’s just strange.”
    “So he remembers names, so what?” I said.
    “Elena,” Penny said. “He doesn’t have to remember people. Maybe he’s not as awful as some people make him out to be.”
    “That’s your final conclusion?”
    “It’s a working theory.”
    I think Penny had actually started liking him, even though she wouldn’t admit it.
    The idea made me smile.
    The bus stop came and we stopped walking.

THORNE

     
     
     
     
    The place Stanton had driven me to, was an abandoned building. Peeling plaster and graffiti all over the walls, broken windows with years of dust collecting on them. In fact the whole neighborhood looked the same way, abandoned and a bit off. Stanton got off with me and stood next to me. “Sir,” he gestured to the building. “This is the place.”
    “You saw them?”
    “Yes sir.”
    “And