Wicked Grind (Stark World #1)(64)

He sighed. "Go on."

"He's looking for an exclusive advance peek. In exchange, he's offering a guaranteed series of articles on you and the exhibit."

No way No fucking way. "In other words, he's poked into my family life and wants to get closer than he can just by trolling public records."

"The upside is publicity," Siobhan said. "And my boss thinks he's making a solid offer. I think-"

But she didn't get the words out, because Wyatt threw up his hand with a very firm, "No. It's not solid, it's bullshit. He's interested in my family, not my art. Give him a sneak peek and we get all those perks? More like we give him an early look and that gives him time to aim the knives. Start to criticize. Leak bogus statements that the work is flawed. Unoriginal. That it's all just hype, and the grandson of a Hollywood legend is a no-talent hack who changed his damn name because he doesn't deserve it."

"Or they could rave," Siobhan said flatly.

"The answer is no."

"Good," she said, then shrugged when Wyatt looked at her with genuine surprise. "I told Keisha and Jensen I'd present the offer. I didn't say I agreed with it."

Wyatt actually laughed. "There's a reason we're friends," he said. "And now I need to go see about another woman." He gave them each a quick hug, then started across the room for a second time.

Only this time, Kelsey wasn't there.

"I think she and Griffin went home," Evelyn said. "Too bad, too. I like that girl, and I hate to drink alone. Join me?" she asked, holding up an empty glass.

"What the hell," he agreed. "Let's go see where we can fill that for you and find a fresh one for me. And while we're chatting, maybe you can write down Griff's phone number for me."

When she did, he offered to trade a favor for a favor, but just the suggestion insulted her. "I play a lot of Hollywood games, but I don't trade like that. Not with friends. What do you need with my client? You planning his photo shoot?"

"His sister's," Wyatt admitted.

"Ah. Looks like I'm getting a tiny peek into the Wyatt Royce secret sanctuary. I know about Cass, of course. But I don't think you've formally announced any of the models, have you?"

"And I won't be announcing Kelsey, either. I really do want it kept secret, Evelyn."

"I know, and I will. Trust me, I've been working in this town for decades." She tapped her head. "There's a lifetime of secrets locked up here. I can hold on to one more."

"Hey," Griffin said the next morning when Wyatt called from his studio. "If you're looking for my sister, she's not here."



       
         
       
        

"I am, actually. I know she's teaching a dance class today, but I don't know where. I was hoping you could help me out with an address." He was pacing the studio, ignoring the curious looks from JP, who was seated at a worktable across the room. Beside him sat Mike, the contractor who was overseeing the creation of the stand-alone hall and stage that Kelsey would ultimately dance on.

Assuming Wyatt could find her and convince her.

"Griffin?" he pressed, when the man at the other end of the line stayed silent.

"Listen, it's none of my business, but-actually, you know what? It is my business."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know all the details of what happened between you two in Santa Barbara, but what I do know is that it took forever for her to get over it. Hell, I'm not even sure she did get over it, because it's all twisted up in her head with what happened to-shit. Fuck. Never mind. All I'm saying is that if you hurt my sister, I'll hunt you down and kill you. Okay?"

Wyatt frowned, trying to parse out the undercurrent of what Griff was saying. But he definitely caught the major theme. "I'm not going to hurt her. I'm trying to hire her. Well, I'm trying to hire her again."

"Hire-wait. You're the job? The one she got and then lost?"

"I've got a show coming up. I want her to model for me."

"It's not a dance thing?"

"No, not really."

"Huh."

Wyatt could picture the other man's confusion, but he wasn't about to explain that he wanted his sister to pose for erotic photos.

"I thought you fired her," Griffin finally said.

"Did she tell you that?"

"Actually, no." Griff paused, and Wyatt could hear him take a sip of something, probably water. "She said she lost it. You wanna tell me what happened?"

"No," Wyatt said. "I just want to know where she is."