As we are tumbling—knees and elbows hitting the floor—our bodies bump into the podium and it topples into the audience with a crash of the wood against hard floor. You can hear the static of the microphone pop and give off a squeal of static feedback. I vaguely hear some people scream, but my focus is on Liam. Every muscle fiber is poised to take him down. My pulse is racing and my entire body feels like it’s on fire, from the anger coursing through my veins, to the thumping pulse in my temple.
"Admit it," I say, through gritted teeth.
"Admit what?" Liam asks. "Admit that you're going to fucking lose this battle?"
"No, admit that you and Vivian were conspiring against me!" I yell, swinging for him again and connecting with his shoulder.#p#分页标题#e#
"Ha! Is that what you think, Carter?" Liam snaps. "You're the one with conspiracies. Why are you making things so much harder than they need to be?"
Just then, two police officers jump on the stage.
"Break it up," one officer says, spreading his arms between Liam and I. "Step away from each other!"
We're still breathing heavy, but we've stopped fighting. Another officer steps behind Liam and places his arms in handcuffs.
"We're taking you in," the officer commands.
I step back and brush the hair from my eyes. Liam looks at me with a gaze that flashes pure anger.
"Not this again," Liam mutters, lifting his gaze to the ceiling. He turns to me and asks, "When will you learn, Carter?"
As I watch the officer escort him out of the building I wonder, learn what?
87
Liam
"There's someone here to see you," the guard says. "Looks like you're being released." He says this as I'm tracing the swollen lumps on my face with the tips of my fingers. I can't fucking believe Carter had the nerve to throw me under the bus in front of all those people—in front of the fucking media! It was downhill after that. Everyone fucking knows that. But did you really think I was going to fucking stand there and take it? No way in fucking hell. I'm just glad I'm getting out of this place. I swear, if one more nut job was going to approach me, I think I was going to lose my shit. Being thrown in jail for a second time wasn't—and still isn't—on my fucking agenda. I have better fucking things to do with my time, like maybe give Carter another fucking piece of my mind.
"Looks like you've had better days." I hear a velvety voice behind me and I turn around, seeing Vivian. Gorgeous Vivian with her blonde hair cascading down her face and shoulders, and her perfect curves highlighted in a small, strappy dress. Fuck, can a woman be any more perfect? Seems unlikely, and like I said, I don't use the word 'perfect' often. I'm glad to see her. I mean it, and not just because she's bailing me out of this fucking place—although that helps. In fact, I've never wanted to see someone so badly in my life. She's exactly what I need to get my mind off of all the shit that transpired over the last fucking day.
"Let's get out of here," she says, motioning us to the door.
"Vivian, my intention wasn't to turn Carter's press conference into a media circus. I hope you know that. I just—"
She stops me mid-sentence, placing one of her delicate fingers across my lips. "You don't need to explain. I know."
Feeling her touch—her skin on mine, sends a jolt down my spine.
"There' a limo waiting for us outside," she says, and sure enough, as soon as the glaring sun of the day hit our eyes, I see the black limo waiting for us by the curb. We both walk over to it, open a back door, and slide into the long leather seat. She tells the driver to take us to her apartment, and he nods approvingly without question.
"Your place?" I ask. I thought maybe she'd want to go straight to the office.
"Oh come on, do you really think you can go back to your office—or even your own apartment right now? You know there will be a frenzy of reporters vying to snap pictures and to get you to explain what happened back there at Carter's press conference. They're out for blood and just like wild animals; they can smell a drop of it a mile away. Liam, you pushed past three security guards and toppled a podium into a crowd of people, remember? Do you really want to have to explain that right now?"#p#分页标题#e#
When she says this, my temple throbs. I realize I have a fierce headache, and I know she's right. The press conference was a mess. It didn't look good. I need to lay low, at least for the moment. And looking at Vivian right here and now, the tops of her perfect breasts spilling out of her dress, her perfume and the warmth of her body sitting next to mine—I have a sudden urge to touch her. It may not be the perfect moment, but it's the truth, and going to her apartment seems like the best possible outcome after spending an afternoon in jail.