Chapter 1
The noise can be heard from well outside the house and she moves quickly along the pavement.
The guard stops her before she can sneak past.
"This is private property, m'am," he says and turns back to his collegue.
"Don't call me m'am," the woman says, "I'm not that old"
The guard takes a step forward and tries to look threatening, baring his teeth like a dog. The woman snorts.
"You're not on the guest list. Leave"
She leans in and spits in front of him.
"Check. Again."
"This is private property, m'am," he says and turns back to his collegue.
"Don't call me m'am," the woman says, "I'm not that old"
The guard takes a step forward and tries to look threatening, baring his teeth like a dog. The woman snorts.
"You're not on the guest list. Leave"
She leans in and spits in front of him.
"Check. Again."
He sighs and looks over to his collegue, who presumably keeps everything in check while he just stands there looking tough. She grabs her smartphone and taps a couple of times, before looking up and rolling her eyes.
"Name?"
"Goodwin. Suzanne Goodwin"
The guard woman taps a couple more times and only moments later looks back up again. The other guard makes a small hand gesture, as a 'so?', and gives both of them an annoyed look.
"Name?"
"Goodwin. Suzanne Goodwin"
The guard woman taps a couple more times and only moments later looks back up again. The other guard makes a small hand gesture, as a 'so?', and gives both of them an annoyed look.
"She's in"
The woman smiles sweetly at the two guards as she walks by, and no one in a mile radius could miss the utterly pleased look on her face.
The woman smiles sweetly at the two guards as she walks by, and no one in a mile radius could miss the utterly pleased look on her face.
She touches her ear piece and speaks quickly and quietly as she goes into the large kitchen.
"Viper here. I'm inside"
"And the target?"
"Localizing. Situation under control"
"Good. And before you go?"
The voice on the other end softens.
"Be careful, Justine. It's a powerful man you're dealing with here. Don't forget that"
Justine chuckles quietly.
"Yeah. Viper out"
She lets her hair down over the reciever and moves toward the fridge to get a drink.
"Viper here. I'm inside"
"And the target?"
"Localizing. Situation under control"
"Good. And before you go?"
The voice on the other end softens.
"Be careful, Justine. It's a powerful man you're dealing with here. Don't forget that"
Justine chuckles quietly.
"Yeah. Viper out"
She lets her hair down over the reciever and moves toward the fridge to get a drink.
"So this is where you're hiding"
She turns around quickly and is met with the icy blue eyes of a very handsome man whose face she knows very, very well. She smiles and tries to look guilty.
She turns around quickly and is met with the icy blue eyes of a very handsome man whose face she knows very, very well. She smiles and tries to look guilty.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she says innocently, "sir"
He laughs.
"My secretary, miss Prescott, is the only one who has access to the original guest list. You are very sneaky, miss Goodwin. I've had journalists try to sneak in before, but I don't think anyone has hacked the computers before. I have to admire your determination"
He smiles broadly and Justine shoots him a flirty look.
He laughs.
"My secretary, miss Prescott, is the only one who has access to the original guest list. You are very sneaky, miss Goodwin. I've had journalists try to sneak in before, but I don't think anyone has hacked the computers before. I have to admire your determination"
He smiles broadly and Justine shoots him a flirty look.
"Oh, mr Blackquill, whatever wouldn't you do for an exclusive interview. Please don't kick me out, I've worked so hard for this"
"Please, love, call me Axel," Blackquill says, "and I won't tell if you won't"
Justine laughs sweetly and, mimicking the enthusiasm of an excited journalist, takes her phone out to record the conversation for her newest hit article.
"So, Axel," she begins, tasting his name, "what's your story?"
"Please, love, call me Axel," Blackquill says, "and I won't tell if you won't"
Justine laughs sweetly and, mimicking the enthusiasm of an excited journalist, takes her phone out to record the conversation for her newest hit article.
"So, Axel," she begins, tasting his name, "what's your story?"
He leans against the wall, cocky expression forming on his face.
"Very broad question, miss Goodwin," he says. She giggles.
"Please, love, call me Suzanne," she says, mocking him, "and yes, I wanted to leave it open for interpretation. You have to have some sort of secret, being as young as you are and dashingly handsome at that and rising to the top of your game in no time at all"
She winks.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Suzanne," Blackquill says and winks back, "and just between you and me, my father had some contacts"
Justine takes a step towards him, making sure to sway her hips seductively as she does. She can feel his eyes roam over her body, and it's a very good thing.
"Oh really, now, Axel," she says, voice low, "nowhere at all?"
"Very broad question, miss Goodwin," he says. She giggles.
"Please, love, call me Suzanne," she says, mocking him, "and yes, I wanted to leave it open for interpretation. You have to have some sort of secret, being as young as you are and dashingly handsome at that and rising to the top of your game in no time at all"
She winks.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Suzanne," Blackquill says and winks back, "and just between you and me, my father had some contacts"
Justine takes a step towards him, making sure to sway her hips seductively as she does. She can feel his eyes roam over her body, and it's a very good thing.
"Oh really, now, Axel," she says, voice low, "nowhere at all?"
She walks up to him and whispers something in his ear.
"Now that isn't very ladylike, miss Goodwin," he chuckles, voice low and husky.
"How about, mr Blackquill, I show you just how much of a lady I can be?"
"Now that isn't very ladylike, miss Goodwin," he chuckles, voice low and husky.
"How about, mr Blackquill, I show you just how much of a lady I can be?"