Chapter 14
The waiting room is in an office on the outskirts of downtown, a place that looks barely used and sterile as an operating room.
The sign on the door said Independent Media Management, which seems like a pretty small outfit considering they are sharing the floor with three other businesses.
From what little I was told, Quinn’s mother hired someone here to help with the situation.
“I want you to behave professionally when you’re in there, do you hear me?” Sheila hisses under her breath. “I’m here as your manager, not your mother.”
Quinn nods. “I know.” She keeps her eyes locked down on her hands.
“And you…” Sheila looks at me like I’m a stray dog who followed them in. “Associating with your gang is a risk to my daughter’s career. I might have to put up with you for the moment, but I don’t like it and I’ll do my best to make our time together short. Stay back and out of our business.”
Apparently me, Priest and Sinner are considered part of the situation needing handling.
I’m starting to see why Priest warned me about her.
Staying visible but out of the way was already my plan, but her attitude makes me want to live up to her worst expectations.
“With all due respect, you aren’t my boss. ”
The corner of Quinn’s mouth turns up in a stealthy little smile.
Sheila glares at me.
“Can we afford this?” Quinn asks.
“You’re one to ask, hiring them without even talking to me first. But if it makes you feel better, the guy I’ve been seeing handled it.” Sheila says it in an offhand way, but she looks smug.
“The same one you’re borrowing the car from? Am I ever going to meet this one?”
Sheila’s hand clenches. “Yes it’s his car, and yes actually. He suggested that we have dinner together but with everything that’s been going on it just hasn’t worked out.”
Quinn hums in acknowledgment, but there’s a sarcastic tinge to it.
Curious.
I like Quinn. She’s pretty, has a nice body, and she’s fun to be around, but her life doesn’t quite add up. It smells like a con. A beautiful, successful actress on the outside, but underneath is an empty apartment, a questionable history, and someone else pulling her strings.
Priest is blinded by his memory of her and her brother.
As soon as he sensed that everything wasn’t as it seemed and she was in trouble, he was all in.
And Sinner? For a guy who got fucked hard by the system and can make a weapon out of just about anything, slit someone’s throat and go back to dinner without blinking, he has his blind spots.
A struggling little sister whose brother was taken away? Quinn couldn’t be more perfect.
The inner door opens and a young guy with a sun tattoo on his neck and curly hair darts past us before a dark haired man with bloodshot eyes eventually sticks his head out. “Callahan? Come on in.”
I follow Quinn and her mother into his office, positioning myself between them and the door. Straight off the bat I don’t like the look of the guy, and the office itself feels hastily thrown together.
He shakes Quinn’s hand. “My name’s Greg Cook. I spoke with your manager a few days ago after your first scare. It’s a real shame we didn’t push up this meeting or we could’ve saved a lot of trouble.” Greg pulls out a tablet and starts flipping through headlines.
You Won’t Believe What’s Happening With Quinn Callahan!
Media Darling or Bad News?
Viral Star Linked To Organized Crime?
Sheila taps her finger on the screen. “Do you see this? This is what happens when you don’t listen to me.”
“I was doing what you told me. It’s not my fault someone attacked me!” Quinn argues.
“What’s done is done,” Greg interjects. “It’s important to remember that this isn’t the end of the world. All PR might not be good PR when you’re trying to sell a particular image, but the assault isn’t really the problem from an optics standpoint. It’s the direct association with the Outlaw Sons.”
“It wasn’t exactly something I planned.” Quinn glances my way in apology.
“I know it makes things complicated, but I trust them and I thought that since there would already be pictures linking us, that it would be best to hire them officially. Unless you want me to let people speculate that Sinner was there for… other reasons?”
Sheila curls her lip at the implication.
Thanks to the planned photographers, there’s plenty of high quality footage from the abduction attempt.
The photos of the fight are the most popular, followed by a few that caught Sinner and Quinn before she met with her friend.
It’s not completely clear what she and Sinner were up to, but it definitely suggests they’re more than casually friendly.
“God no,” Sheila says with disgust. “I just wish you’d talked to me, honey. Greg was already planning to handle your security before this ever happened. You didn’t think I forgot the drink or the scary messages, did you honey? He knows real professionals that specialize in this sort of thing.”
“I did talk to you! You said it was being looked into.”
I reach out and pick up the tablet. There’s a detail buzzing in my brain but I haven’t figured out what yet.
Wait. I look between the screen and Greg a couple of times to be sure before I accuse him.
“You were there. That’s you near the coffee place.
What the hell were you doing there when she was attacked? ”
Quinn’s head whips towards Greg.
“Good eye,” he says, like it pains him. “I was observing Quinn, exactly as Sheila hired me to do. Obviously we weren’t aware of the extent of the danger or I would’ve already had men on site.
I was just about to step in when your buddy came barreling in, escalating the situation.
He could’ve easily gotten her killed the way he acted. Amateurs.”
Is he trying to insult me? Cute. “I honestly don’t give two shits what you think about my qualifications. Contracts have been written and signed. For a minimum of two weeks, we’ll be sticking to Ms. Callahan whether you like it or not.”
“Contract,” Sheila says with a snort. “You’re a bunch of thugs.”
“Take it up with our lawyers. I have a feeling our pockets are quite a bit deeper than yours, and if you really think we’re nothing but a nest of violent criminals, maybe you should think long and hard before you decide to cross us.
” I let that sit there. They can read whatever they want into the implications.
Greg holds up his hands. “Let’s not get carried away and forget our common goal. Quinn’s safety and reputation.”
“Fine by me. But I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.
Quinn hired us, so she’s the only one that can fire us.
In the meantime, get used to seeing my ugly face because we’ll be here to do our fucking jobs.
I don’t give a shit what you need to do to spin this in her favor.
That’s your job. Mine is to stand between her and anything that might be a threat. ”
Sheila looks uncertain, glancing at Greg and then back at me. It’s obvious how much she fucking hates not being in control. “I still think—”
“Enough!” Quinn finally looks fed up with everything.
“Is it my turn to remind you to be professional? I thought I was here to discuss how to go forward, not to loop back and forth about a decision that’s already settled and things we can’t change.
I’ve looked through the articles. More than one outlet is speculating that I’m dating Sinner.
I don’t mind, but do you want to encourage that or not? ”
“Not. Obviously,” Sheila says.
Greg nods. “Exactly. Here’s my suggestion.
The bikers are already being reported as your bodyguards.
It’s better to let the story fade naturally than to force it and just make people curious.
I’ll continue to coordinate the moving parts and let you know what we need. Will that be a problem?” He asks me.
We stare at each other, and I’m more convinced than ever that he’s an asshole. I don’t know shit about media or PR, but it sounds like a lot of nothing to me. I’ve yet to hear a single concrete thing that he’s actually doing, and the one chance he’s already had to defend Quinn, he fucked it up.
“If you want to coordinate the moving parts, go for it. Like I said, I work for Quinn. As long as it doesn’t impact our ability to keep her safe, I don’t give a shit.”
“Fine, but remember that I’m in charge of Quinn’s finances,” Sheila snaps. “I don’t know what she’s promised you, but if you want to actually get your money, you’ll stay on my good side. Mr. Cook is in charge.”
We’re getting nowhere. I step back and close my fucking mouth. I won’t be taking orders from either of them, but it’s like dealing with small, yappy dogs. No matter how much noise they make, it doesn’t change reality.
The instant they turn on us, we’ll put them the fuck down.