Caress by Grayson Cole Read Free Book Online Page B

returned by Hatsheput executives, writing a furious story. Never before in his life had he written a piece with this sort of fallout, especially a correct one. Claudia was right, they were well-respected; if they published something, people trusted it to be true. He took more deep breaths and closed his eyes, praying not to be sick.
    “I can’t believe I did this.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
    “God, Michael,” Claudia breathed sympathetically. “I know this was an accident. If anybody knows that, it’s me. Still, we are in real deep. Luckily, they’re willing to meet us halfway on this. We can fix it. We have to.” Then she turned her eyes back to the files on her desk, the consummate businesswoman. “We have to turn these people into heroes. You understand? Heroes. What you’re gonna do is, first, print a front-page follow-up about how Hatsheput advocates for the young Caribbean community even in the face of imminent danger, and, second, write a feature article for next month’s Harrison Gazette on Hatsheput.” The Harrison Gazette was a monthly full-color magazine that came out with the paper. That once per month issue was always the most popular and it would definitely get the point across. “Then you are going to work this story. I expect an update every damn issue until it’s closed. You understand?”
    “What about the investigation?”
    “You’ve already changed the game, Michael. They’re going to have to do things differently. What’s done in that respect is done.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “I don’t know. Detective Laymon didn’t tell me.”
    Detective Laymon. Michael almost wished he had time to ask Claude about this. When they were married, she had frequently referred to her husband as Detective Laymon. It was at once derisive and affectionate. When the trouble started and thereafter, he’d been Derrick, said hard and forcefully, with a whole lot of edge and aggression. But Michael didn’t have time to prod her about it. He had transformed from reporter to disaster recovery coordinator.
    Setting his jaw, Michael put both his bruised ego and curiosity aside. “When will they meet with me?”
    “Today, nine-thirty.” She shuffled papers around on her desk. “You know where their Birmingham office is? Okay. You’re going to be meeting with Nya Seymour, vice president in charge of the Birmingham office.”
    “Seymour?” Michael asked with curious apprehension.
    “Yeah, Nyron Seymour’s daughter. After I got a call from the president himself, conferenced in with at least two attorneys, she called me and we talked for a long time. She seems reasonable, but you have no idea how upset she is. I assured her that we would make this right.”
    “Nya Seymour?” Michael stroked his chin. He’d read all about her. Nyron’s youngest daughter and the most, if reports were to be believed, like the overbearing man.
    “Looks like she’s going to be running things whenever the old man retires. If he ever retires.” Claudia rolled her eyes. “She’s already done one hell of a job in marketing, from what I hear.”
    “She called you after her dad did?” he queried.
    “Yeah. She didn’t know I’d talked to him already. She tried to cover, but I could tell. I could also tell she was a little annoyed by it. But she went on the offensive so I was obliged to explain that you weren’t some sleazy, incompetent reporter out for any story wild enough to get the public’s attention and increase the circulation of our itty-bitty paper.” Claudia flashed a brilliant smile the same as his at him.
    “That angry, huh?”
    Claudia didn’t answer him, just rolled her eyes and drummed her nails on the desk, a definite yes.
    h
     
    “Don’t tear him up, Nya.”
    “I’m not going to tear him up, Lysette,” Nya retorted.
    “He didn’t have all the facts, and he thought he was doing the right thing. Don’t just destroy him.”
    “The only person who’s going to be destroyed is you