Read Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) for Free Online Page B

do that.   But I ’ m afraid that your
skin is going to have to be very thick when he launches into all that he feels
is wrong with your book.   Especially
after what happened today. ”
    “ Look,
I grew a thick hide years ago.   When
I was taking creative writing courses at UMaine, my professors and classmates
ripped my work apart weekly.   I was
the only one in my classes who wrote commercial fiction.   All the other students had big ideas
about writing the next great American novel.   Not for me — in fact, I don ’ t even have that in
me.   But writing about zombies in a
post-apocalyptic world?   That
interested me.   So did earning a
living from my writing.   What my
peers never understood is that writing poetry or serious prose wasn ’ t going to get them
far in life.   They wanted critical
success.   They wanted to be lauded
and awarded for their brilliance.   I
couldn ’ t
care less about that.   I just wanted
to write page turners that pleased people. ”
    “ And
you ’ ve
succeeded. ”
    “ I
have a long way to go in terms of improving my writing skills, but I love what
I do.   The masses want entertainment.   I like to write entertainment.   In college, people thought I was a
sell-out.   And whenever I had to
read a chapter aloud to them, they let me have it because I didn ’ t conform to what a
writer was for them .   What
they didn ’ t
understand was that I was writing what I loved to write — stories
that thrill, not stories that pandered to get to the heart of the human
experience.   They were pretentious
snobs, and I ’ m
fairly certain that ’ s
the kind of person I ’ m
going to face when I meet with Boss.   So, as I said before, he doesn ’ t intimidate me for good reason.   Now you know why. ”
    “ What
concerns me is that you ’ re
not going to be prepared for just how ruthless he ’ ll be.   This is
not college — it ’ s different.   Right now, it ’ s real in ways I ’ m not sure you ’ ve wrapped your head
around.   You no longer own the
rights to your work.   Today, you
signed away those rights.   Wenn now
owns the rights to your next two books and to your recently self-published
title.   When it comes to that book,
you won ’ t
have any say if Boss makes you rewrite the entire thing, which he ’ s already
threatened.   That ’ s what worries
me.   With self-publishing, you haven ’ t had to answer to
anyone but yourself.   Now, at least
for these three books, all of that has changed.   You ’ re going to be answering to a man who mistreated you the
moment he saw you — and
whom you turned into an enemy. ”
    “ I
guess I ’ ll
deal with that when it comes, ” I
said.   “ What else can I do? ”
    As we cut through traffic, bands of
light slipped across her face, illuminating it for an instant before casting it
back into darkness.   This time, when
I saw her expression before the interior of the car went dark, it was
grim.  
    “ Unless
he ’ s
truly abusive, which I know he can be, you can ’ t do anything, ” she said.   “ So.   Make sure you tell me if he crosses that
line.   Alex will likely reprimand
him for his behavior today.   But if
Boss goes there again?   Neither Alex
nor I will tolerate it.   If he goes
there with you, tell me.   And then
Boss will be gone. ”

 
 
    *   *   *

 
 
    Tank ’ s apartment building was on Fifth.   It was a Wenn-owned property where
Blackwell also lived, so we took the elevator together after arriving.   We parted ways with a kiss on the cheek
when the elevator reached Tank ’ s
floor.
    “ I ’ ll talk with you
tomorrow, ” she
said when I stepped onto Tank ’ s
floor.
    “ Thank
you for everything, Barbara. ”
    “ Thank
you for being professional.   And
good luck tomorrow.   Remember — come
to me if anything goes wrong. ”  
    I went down the long hallway, took a
left, came upon Tank ’ s
apartment, and knocked on the door.   I was still in the