Free Trainwreck 2 (Trainwreck #2) by Nelle L'Amour Page A

up here?” I barked at her, my blood curdling.
    Twirling her long strand of pearls, she smirked. “Honestly, Ari darling, is that any way to make me feel warm and welcomed?”
    “You’re not welcomed here,” I bit back. “Leave or I’ll call security.” Andre was unfortunately on a short lunch break as was my secretary, Miss Thatcher.
    Her serpentine eyes burnt into mine. A terrifying thought jolted my mind. She could be armed and dangerous. Eyeing the letter opener I’d used to open the envelope of photos, I tried to stay calm and collected. “What do you want, Cassandra?”
    “A case of Dermadoo would be nice for starters. It’s so hard to find.”
    “No problem. A case will be waiting for you at reception.”
    “Wonderful.” She smiled smugly but didn’t budge. “But that’s not all.”
    Gritting my teeth, I narrowed my eyes at her. “Tell me what else you want.”
    “I want you to stop seeing that little slut.”
    Rage was pouring through my veins, but I needed to placate her. “Don’t worry. It’s over between us.” It pained me to say the words whether they were true or not. My eyes shot to the photograph of Sarah I kept on my desk and then met Cassandra’s venomous ones. A poisonous smile snaked across her face.
    “Excellent. I knew you’d come to your senses.”
    “Are we done here?” Each word was a sharp staccato.
    She fluttered her eyes, but her seductiveness was lost on me. I just wanted her to get the hell out of my office and get the fuck out of my life.
    She smirked. “Just one more itsy bitsy little thing.”
    “What?” I flung the word at her.
    In a breath, the expression on her face went from coy and calculating to cold and ruthless. A chill washed over me as she hissed out the next words.
    “I want access to Ben.”
    That was it. She had pushed the wrong button. Fury filled every crevice of my being. She was never going to see my son. No, never…even over my dead body.
    “Get the hell out of here, you sick bitch.” Impulsively, I grabbed the sharp letter opener. I swear I might have plunged it into her heart just the way she had plunged a knife into me had not Andre barged into the office. Without wasting a second, my strapping bodyguard wrapped his brawny arms around Cassandra, holding her captive.
    “Let go of me, you barbarian,” she screamed, writhing futilely to set herself free.
    “You okay, Mr. Golden?” asked Andre.
    “I’m more than fine. Just get her the fuck out of here.”
    With a sharp turn of her head, Cassandra’s murderous gaze met mine. I didn’t let her unnerve me.
    “Andre will escort you out of the building. If I ever see you here again or if you step within ten feet of my son, you’ll pay the price.”
    She spat at me and then laughed. “You’re the one who’s going to be sorry.”
    “Is that a threat?”
    She smiled wickedly. “No, it’s a warning.”
    And then they disappeared, leaving me alone to contemplate her words. A shiver skittered down my spine as I went back to studying the photos on my desk. To say my life was a complicated mess was the understatement of the century. I was a fucking trainwreck.

Sarah
    E xiting the hospital, I had a lot on my mind. How was I going to pay for my mother’s cancer treatments? How was I going to fend off Catherine and keep my job? And how was I going to win Ari back? I had no answers. My mind was spinning out of control. At least I hadn’t heard a peep from Catherine, who was far from pleased that I’d taken the day off.
    As I headed back to 30th Street Station, I had the uncomfortable feeling I was being followed. I looked over my shoulder, saw nothing out of the ordinary, and decided I was being paranoid. My stressful worries were messing with my head. Nonetheless, I picked up my pace. Rounding the corner onto Market Street, I suddenly felt myself being shoved from behind and, with a shriek, found myself tumbling to the pavement. Roaring pain ripped through my palms and my knees as I hit