Manic Deception (Gray Tower Book 5) by J. M. Brister

Author:J. M. Brister [Brister, J. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

Valerie nervously stood next to Joel’s desk and shifted uncomfortably. He hadn’t offered her one of the chairs beside it, so she stiffened her back and tried to make herself as tall as possible, even though Joel dwarfed over her, his arms crossed in annoyance. It was obvious that he was not happy to see her—almost as if he had his fun with her over the weekend, and now it was Monday. Time to get back to work and forget about poor Valerie. It was off-putting, and she was now second-guessing coming back here. However, Joel did need to know about what had happened with his father and his dad’s business partner. Valerie could not let that slide. She might have been forced into early retirement, but the journalist in her wouldn’t stand for it.

“Well?” Joel said, his voice harsh, similar to the way he talked to Morelli.

Valerie blinked but didn’t let him deter her, saying, “This may come as a shock to you, Joel. I don’t know how to tell you. Maybe I’ll just come out and say it: I think there was foul play involved in your father’s death. He may have even been murdered. His business partner may be involved.”

Joel stared at her for the longest time, his expression stony. The longer his gaze remained on her, the more uneasy she got.

Oh, this was a terrible mistake, she realized.

“And why the fuck would you think that?” Joel said darkly, his voice low.

His eyes narrowed, and she swallowed hard. She suddenly wondered if she knew Joel as well as she thought. After all, she had only been with him for a weekend. He wouldn’t harm her. Right? Because the look in his eyes right now made her wonder if she was in trouble.

“I have received information…” Valerie began but was cut off as Joel moved toward her quickly.

She gasped and stepped back as hastily as she could. His movement pushed her against his closed office door until she hit it with a sudden thud. She inhaled sharply as her back hit the fiberglass. Joel pushed right up against her, his arms coming up beside her so that they pushed against the wall, trapping her in. He glared down at her, his green eyes narrowing as a scowl crossed his face. Valerie began to panic.

“Joel, please…” she said quietly, her voice barely a squeak.

“What was this really all about, angel?” he asked, his voice low. “What did you actually come to me for? I’m sure a Reaper story was a bonus, but I think you were here to dig up shit on me, right? The real scoop on Joel Keller is a popular story in Akron, especially when tied to my dad’s death.”

“N—no!” she said, shaking her head. Tears pricked her eyes. “I saw something that didn’t look right, and I checked it out. I wasn’t trying to snoop. I swear!”

“Bullshit!” Joel said as his body moved even closer to hers.

There were only a few inches between them now. Valerie’s heart began to beat even faster.

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