“Nora, stop it!” Wesley yelled, bounding down the basement stairs three at a time. He tried to grab her, but she slipped through his hands and hit her punching bag even harder.

She pulled back, ready for one more punch, but Wesley stood in front of her.

“Get out of my way, Wes,” she ordered, wiping sweat off her forehead. It rained off her, down her bare arms, soaking her hand wraps all the way through.

“Nora,” Wesley said, taking her by the wrists. She struggled a little but he wouldn’t let her go. “You’re out of your mind. You’re going to hurt your hands.”

“I don’t care.”

“Yes, you do. You don’t even have gloves on. You’re going to hurt yourself and you’re not going to be able to write for a week.”

Nora pulled away from him.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said.

“Why?”

“It’s off. The whole thing’s off. Some jackass at Royal knew about me and told Zach before I could,” she said, panting the words. “He was, to say the least, unhappy.”

“He called off the contract?” Wesley asked, looking shaken to the core.

“Yeah. It’s dead. He’s done with me and the book.”

Wesley shook his head. “He can’t do that. I’ll call him. I’ll talk to him.”

Nora laughed coldly. “Not even you could sweet-talk him, kid. He said it’s over. He meant it.”

“There are other editors.”

Nora shook her head. “Zach knew my book better than I know it. I can’t finish it without him.”

“Yes, you can. You’ve gotten five books published already.”

“Gutter stories from the guttersnipe writer,” she said, untwining her hand wraps. “And now it’s back to the gutter.”

“They were good stories. You know I don’t like stuff like that and even I enjoyed reading them. You don’t need Zach or me or anyone else to tell you how to write. You’re a good writer, Nora. You’re my favorite writer.”

“Your favorite writer,” she said and laughed. She took a long, slow breath. “Too bad. I’m now a retired writer.”

Wesley’s eyes widened in terror.

“Nora…don’t.”

“I don’t know why I even thought about quitting the game. I make more in a month with King than I did on my first and second books combined.”

Nora threw her hand wraps on the floor and started up the basement stairs. Wesley followed hard on her heels.

“You don’t have to go back. I balance your bank statements. You’ve got enough money to live on for five years or longer.”

“I plan on living longer than thirty-eight. Life’s expensive.”

Nora stood in the kitchen and pulled a cup from the cabinet and filled it with water. She drank it down in a few hard gulps.

She slammed the cup down on the counter and reached for her red hotline phone.

Wesley reached out and put his hand on hers.

“I’ll give you every penny I have.” His eyes were black with fear.

“That’s sweet, Wes. But you’re an unpaid intern, remember?”

With that she hit the number eight on her speed dial and held it down.

“Enchantée, madame. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Kingsley asked.

“My waiting list…who’s on it?”

“It would take less time to tell you who isn’t, chérie.”

“Call them. Set it up.”

“Call whom?”

“All of them. You’re right. Luxembourg is a small kingdom. Let’s expand the realm, shall we?”

She expected Kingsley to laugh or thank her. Instead, she heard him exhale and speak in a way she very rarely heard—with sincerity.

“Elle, are you sure about this?”

“Yes.”

“As you wish, chérie.”

“Smile, King,” Nora said with a laugh. “Let’s make lots of money.”

27

Two weeks left…

Zach paced around his flat trying to decide where to begin packing. His flight to L.A. was in exactly thirteen days. He’d arrive on Sunday morning, get settled into the temporary quarters that Royal had rented for him and he’d start work on Monday. There was little to pack so he wasn’t sure why he was bothering about it so soon. With his work at Royal New York almost finished, he didn’t know what else to do with himself.

He opened a cardboard box and starting packing his books. The Great Gatsby…the book that first turned him on to modern American literature when he was a university student. Atonement by Ian McEwan…a glorious story, one of McEwan’s best. Zach stared a long time at the title of the next book—Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. Nora had joked about that book once; that she was quite disappointed that no one actually got tied up in it.

When he realized he was smiling at the memory he made himself stop. Everything was over with Nora now—the book, the deal, the promise of a few nights together before he was gone. He was so angry with himself. He thought that once he was settled out in L.A. she would come visit for a few days. He’d offhandedly mentioned the idea a week ago. She asked him if he’d ever heard of something called “Goths in Hot Weather.” Apparently leather and tropical weather didn’t mix. But she’d said she would consider it…if he begged enough.