“You brought this on to yourself,” Chris interjected.
She raised a brow. “How did I? You set this up. You made the arrangements.” Tori looked at him, catching his foreign accent.
“You used your friend’s invitation,” Lady D explained.
Tori dragged her gaze to Lady D. “How did you know?”
“We didn’t until a few hours ago.” Chris leaned on the wall and curled his fingers in his pockets, crossing one booted foot over the other.
She blinked. “Well, you’re a little too late if you came to rescue me. Where the hell are you from?”
He laughed. “We find you naked and cuffed to the headboard and all you do is ask me where I’m from?”
“He’s Scottish,” Lady D said, giving him a side-glance. “You and your friends are breaking our system. None of this would be happening if your friend Vivienne would’ve used the invitation meant for her.”
Ugh, Tori should’ve stood her ground and never listened to Vivienne. “So, now what?”
“Nothing.” Chris shrugged. “You go on with your life and hope you don’t end up with a hell ever after. It’s simple.”
“A hell ever after is what that jackass deserves,” Tori said through clenched teeth.
“Be nice. You don’t mean it,” Chris warned.
Tori held her blanket tight and stood, looking from Chris to Lady D and back. “I don’t want to be nice. I do wish Jack a hell ever after.” She paused. “Better yet, I’d give anything to find him so I can give him hell for what he did to me. I’d make him sorry he messed with me.”
Lady D glanced around the room. “Our job here is done.” She walked to the door.
Chris angled his head, locking his gaze with Tori’s. “Revenge can bring you heartbreak. Are you willing to risk it all?”
Tori stared back, a crease formed between her brows.
Chris didn’t wait for her reply. He spun on his heel and stopped by the door. Turning his head, he patted the chair where Jack’s jacket still laid. He winked at her and then left.
Chapter Three
“He did what?” Vivienne asked.
Tori leaned over the proof sheets positioned in a perfectly straight line on the standing desk. She moved her lens from thumbnail to thumbnail, looking for errors. “You know this all happened to me because of you.” She straightened and pulled out the keyboard below the desktop. Tori hit the enter key, which brought up the images on the computer monitors to her right.
“What’s your plan to get even?” Claire bent over the proofs.
Tori put up her hand. “Don’t touch those.”
Claire snapped her head up and stepped away from the table. “You’re the boss,” she murmured.
“What do you want to do?” Scarlett asked.
“Nothing. It’s better if she lets it go.” Ariana sat on one of the visitors’ chairs.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. She cannot not do something. Sheesh, didn’t you hear what the jackass did to her?” Vivienne crossed her arms, staring down at Ariana.
Tori glanced around her large office, which seemed a lot smaller now since it was crowded by all four of her friends. She’d skipped on her girls’ night out with them, so they’d crashed her office at the magazine instead. Tori didn’t have to relate every little detail of her date night to them. Understanding dawned on them the moment she mentioned handcuffs and Jack Bloomberg. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or embarrassed they’d figured out what happened to her without her giving them anymore details.
“Oh, shut up, Vivienne. If you recall, the same thing happened to me with Fernando.” Ariana crossed her legs.
“What? He handcuffed you, too?” Vivienne arched a brow.
Ariana blushed. “No. Not that.”
“Then, you should be thanking me. It worked out, didn’t it?” Vivienne replied.
A sly smile formed on Ariana’s face. “Well, yes, it did. Still, you shouldn’t be passing on invitations meant for you.”
“So, wait.” Tori furrowed her brow. “Did you meet Lady D and Chris?”
Ariana eased back in her chair. “I met Lady D. I don’t know who Chris is. Why?”
“Who are those two?” Claire sat next to Ariana.
Tori exchanged a look with Ariana.
“It doesn’t matter who they are. What matters is what Tori’s going to do. Are you going to try to find Jack?” Scarlett placed her designer bag on the table next to the proof sheets.
Her friends’ expectant gazes were on her. “I already did.” Her lips twitched into a smile. Holding up a finger, Tori pulled open a drawer on her desk. “Voilà.” She flashed his wallet.