Chapter 132

Preston saw me hesitate and shoved down on my shoulder again. I gripped the edge of the table, ready to throw a plate at him, but then he bent low beside my ear. ‘Relax,’ he whispered. ‘Maxwell can’t get it up. He can’t do anything. Just sit still and look pretty.’ I stared at him. He stepped back. I turned slowly and looked at Maxwell again. His lips were parted in a sticky grin. His skin looked waxy. His eyelids drooped. He blinked slow. The man probably couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without collapsing. I sat. Preston’s hand lifted from my shoulder. He moved around the table, filled a glass for Maxwell, poured a second for himself, then said, ‘This is Mr Gary Maxwell, Senior VP of Corporate Procurement. This is my cousin, Mirabelle Vance.’ Franklin chuckled. ‘Come on, Mirabelle. Say hello. Give Mr Maxwell a toast.’ I stared straight ahead and kept my mouth shut. Franklin’s smile twitched. ‘She’s, uh… shy. Not much of a talker. Let’s eat.’ Still blocking the door, he waved for the