Free Beautiful Prey: The Storm Series by Phoenix Daniels

continued
with, “I figured since you’re just Jack’s charity, you wouldn’t mind hanging
out with me.”
    Victoria’s steps haltered and again all eyes were on her.
Caroline smiled victoriously. Victoria looked at Jack. His expression was
murderous. Katherine and Emily looked sympathetically at her. Wondering if she
was really Jack’s charity, she stumbled backwards with embarrassment. Victoria
decided that she didn’t belong there. She just didn’t fit. She turned and
hurried for the front door. She heard Katherine call her name. Then she heard
what sounded like glass breaking. But she didn’t look back. In fact, she
started running. She ran from the front door and headed down the winding
driveway. After fifteen minutes of walking, Victoria had to remove her shoes.
The driveway had to be about three miles long. Every time she saw headlights
she hid behind a tree. Victoria didn’t want to be found. Jack had called her
repeatedly, but she’d just hit the ignore button. She wasn’t mad at him. She
just didn’t want to talk. She didn’t share his lifestyle. Maybe he did just
want to get his money’s worth for his donation. She dialed Deon's number and
prayed for an answer. When she heard his voice, she thanked God. She sat on a
rock outside of the Storm’s property, hidden from passing vehicles. Thirty-five
minutes later, she was sitting in Deon's car avoiding all conversation. She
didn’t want to talk. Deon gratefully didn’t push.
    　
     

     

 
    Chapter 13
    STORM
    Jack
was sitting at his desk getting absolutely no work done.
               
He just couldn’t stop thinking about Victoria. He couldn’t understand why he
was missing her so much when they had just met. It had been five days since his
mother’s dinner party, and he still hadn’t spoken to Victoria. It’s not as if
he hadn’t tried. She wouldn’t answer his calls. He thought back to the
horrified look on Victoria’s face when that asshole Gregory called her a
charity; not to mention that jealous bitch Caroline’s attempt to belittle her.
Jack knew that he should have immediately run after her, but he couldn’t resist
beating the shit out of the bastard. What Jack didn’t expect was Emily joining
in and kicking Greg in the balls. Jack’s mother tried to catch Victoria, but Victoria
was just too fast. By time Jack’s father peeled Jack off of Greg, Victoria was
nowhere to be found. He even went to her apartment, and she either ignored her
doorbell or she never went home. He couldn’t show up at her job. She had never
told him that she was a cop, so if he did show up, she’d know that he had her
checked out. Jack was worried, so he decided to play hardball. He knew how much
her charity meant to her, so he had his assistant, Mary, call her with a very
businesslike message. Mary reminded her of his donation and that arrangements
for their date needed to be made. He knew he was hitting below the belt, but he
had lost all patience. He needed to see her, and he knew that this would work.
Jack wondered if she ran because of embarrassment or because she believed what
Greg said about her being charity. If Victoria knew how obsessed he had become
with her in such a short time, she would have stuck around to join the fight.
                “Mr.
Storm, Ms Victoria Price is on line two,” Mary announced over the intercom.
                 Jack
almost knocked over everything on his desk to get to the receiver. He grabbed
the phone and took a deep breath. He needed to control this conversation.
                He
pushed line two and spoke, “Victoria?”
    “Yes, Mr. Storm, I’m calling to make arrangements for our
evening that you so generously donated a million dollars for.” Victoria’s tone
was so formal. Jack leaned back in his chair. He was amused. She was trying to
keep it business.
    “Very good. I’ll have
you picked up tomorrow at seven. Oh... and Victoria... wear something sexy.” Then he