Read One Last Hold for Free Online Page A

stop?” Caitlyn seized the bottle he’d dug out of his desk. “I don’t know why you’re addicted to antacids and I don’t know what’s worse. This,” she shook the bottle in front of him, “or nicotine. You’re going to kill yourself. If you wouldn’t insult people and try to hurt them in the meanest way possible, you might not need these to get you through your day.”
    Blake muttered a curse as he replaced the cap and stored the near-empty bottle in his drawer. Sometimes, Caitlyn missed the acrid smell of smoke lacing his office.
    “I’m not sending Patricia. I’ve already promised the fans more. You’ll go and you’ll write a story on Wesley after each of his races, no matter what it says. A tweet here, a picture there, minor stories on the blog with longer weekly ones for paid subscribers. Building up to something better, like an exclusive interview from him. We’ll play this by ear for now but I expect it to take a least a month, maybe longer.”
    “He wasn’t happy to see me, even told me to stay out of his life. It doesn’t help that I’m a journalist now.”
    “Hmm, you should write about that, too. Write about his childhood. Here’s your plane ticket.”
    Caitlyn waved it away. “No. No, I can’t do it. I won’t do it.”
    Blake ignored her pleas and dropped her stack of papers to the desk. “Your press pass and money. Oh, and I’ve made a reservation for you.”
    “Where? The Hellacious Inn?”
    She’d never told him no. They battled, they talked things over, she gave him her opinion and he listened, and sometimes she convinced him to do something different, but never had he forced her to do an assignment she couldn’t handle.
    Until now.
    “It isn’t the Hilton, but it’ll do,” Blake said. “I even obtained Wesley’s personal number for you.”
    “How’d you manage that?”
    He shrugged. “Connections.”
    “You have connections yet you can’t use them to get your own story, or to get a better hotel?” Caitlyn rose from the chair. She should quit. Walk out. Find another job that wouldn’t punish her.
    “My connections aren’t enough to get me anything other than a phone number. Your job is to get more.”
    Caitlyn stopped and eyed a crooked picture. “You’ve placed me in an impossible situation. How do you expect me to do this?”
    “You’ll do like you always do,” Blake replied. “Nobody has ever denied you before.”
    “Yeah, well most people enjoy the spotlight. He doesn’t.”
    “Well, it’s up to you to find out why.”
    *
    Caitlyn unlocked her apartment and stepped inside, dumping her keys and purse on the table beside the door. She’d prematurely ended her date with her best friend, Rayma, to prepare for her trip.
    Besides, she didn’t want to sit there like a third wheel with Rayma and her newest boyfriend, Keegan. And who wanted to watch them bump noses and kiss all night while whispering to each other? Not her.
    Although, she really needed a friend to talk to right now. Rayma would understand her anxiety and urge her to go for it. Rayma would pick up the phone, dial the number, and hand it to Caitlyn.
    Rayma wouldn’t give her a choice.
    Forewarning might help his attitude. She’d never dare show up out of the blue and ask for an interview with anyone else, so why do it to him? She always called her subject to arrange a meeting over the telephone so both parties were prepared.
    Caitlyn bit down on her breath, exhaled, and dialed Wesley’s number, pressing send before she had a chance to back out.
    Her pulse pounded as she questioned what she’d say.
    “Hello,” he answered.
    Hesitating, she swiped a sweaty palm on her thigh and prayed her voice would not shake. “Wesley?”
    *
    Wesley knew who it was the moment he heard her voice. Smooth like tequila going down but with an aftertaste that bit you in the ass. It wasn’t her voice that was hard to endure, but its effect on him.
    No woman ever caused his heart to sink so far, so fast.