Five Points Bonus Content

The soft smile the woman sent me edged toward nervousness. It had me tipping my head to the side in silent query as she continued to just hover there, blankly gaping at me. “Is everything okay?” I asked hesitantly.

 

The blonde woman standing beside the redhead giggled. “Aoife’s just fangirling. Give her a moment?”

 

Holding out my hand, I introduced myself, “Serena Akeroyd.”

 

“Is it true your real name is Gemma Mazurke?”

 

“It is. I have another pen name that’s my real name. Maybe you’ve read some books under G.A Mazurke?”

 

It was the blonde’s turn to go bright pink. “Oh, yeah, we’ve read all your Quintessence books.”

 

“They’re the first books I read and loved of yours,” ‘Aoife’ croaked out. “They’re my favorite.”

 

I beamed a smile at them. “I’m so happy to hear that. The Quints will always have a place in my heart. Mostly, I just wish I could be Sascha when I grow up.”

 

The blonde chuckled. “I mean, I’d wish that too but I’m living with a real book boyfriend.”

 

My nose crinkled. “Lucky you. Maybe you can introduce me to one for myself.”

The two women shared a glance, one that was loaded with…

 

Huh.

 

I couldn’t describe it and seeing as I spent half my life studying people’s interactions and reactions to one another rather than, you know, actually living, that came as a surprise. By no means was I an expert in body language, but I was good at reading between the lines.

 

When the silence turned awkward, I cleared my throat. “Do you have some books for me to sign?”

 

That was when a god appeared from nowhere.

 

One worthy of Greek God infamy.

 

One so fucking beautiful I gaped for a moment as he walked toward me.

Me.

 

Mouth round, I studied the stranger and realized that he was—

 

I blinked.

 

Was he dragging a cart loaded with books?

 

I blinked again.

 

Shit, that meant he wasn’t going to sweep me off my feet. He’d already done the sweeping…

 

“Aoife, I almost lost you,” he groused. “How many times did I tell you that you can’t run off?”

 

The redhead huffed and shot me an embarrassed look. “Finn only sounds like an asshole but he really isn’t. He’s just concerned for my safety.”

 

My brows lifted as I glanced around the convention hall. “Safety? Are we in danger?” I asked with no small amount of alarm.

 

The blonde coughed. “No, no danger.”

 

Why didn’t that reassure me?

 

“Inessa, dammit, how did you run off?”

 

The gruff voice had my mouth gaping wider than before when I saw another beautiful specimen of a man appear with a second crate. Both of them wore Brioni, tailored to perfection. Their suits alone had to cost twenty grand, never mind the watches on their wrists.

 

The women looked normal, though. I’d bought Aoife’s dress from Zara last year when I thought I was going on a diet and that I’d stick to it, and the blonde’s boots were UGGs like mine.

 

The blonde beamed a grin at the man… Was he her bodyguard? “Eoghan, you thought we weren’t immediately making a beeline for this table?”

 

“Considering you have forty books here for her to sign, no,” ‘Eoghan’ muttered with a scowl. He stared at me, unblinking for endless moments. It had me feeling like a deer in headlights.

 

Gulping, I muttered, “Well, erm, I guess I need to get started if you both have so many books?”

 

My assistant, Anne, her head bowed as she studied something on her phone, popped out of nowhere, stating, “Only five books per person, I’m afra—” Then she looked up. Then her mouth rounded. And, hell, I couldn’t blame her.

 

She cut me a look. My eyes flared wide. Then hers did the same in a silent byplay that would make sense to only us.

 

These guys were fucking hot and, clearly, they were taken and whipped if they were carting around dozens of paperbacks for their women.

 

Jealous? Yes. I was very, very jealous.

 

“They want all the books signed, Ms. Akeroyd,” Aoife’s man, Finn, intoned.

 

I gulped. “Convention rules—”

 

He shot me a grin that would’ve knocked me out if I weren’t sitting down. “Rules were made to be broken.” That’s when he placed an envelope on the table. “For the charity of your choice.”

 

I swallowed as I picked up the envelope then, as I untucked the fold, my already round mouth gaped even more. “Jesus Christ,” I spat, shoving what had to be ten thousand fucking dollars under the table. Then, I frowned. “Is that a bribe?”

 

“I like to think of it as being persuasive?”

 

“Finn,” Aoife tutted, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. “You don’t have to listen to him. We can line up again if you want—”

 

“We can’t spend all day here, Aoife. We only came because she canceled that other goddamn signing and she doesn’t attend that many,” Eoghan grumbled, glowering at me as if it were my fault that I lived across the pond and not in the US.

 

I squeaked, “Sorry about that.”

 

Anne leaned low and muttered, “Ten thousand dollars for THORN.”

 

I nodded. “Definitely but will I get in trouble?”

 

She snorted in my ear. “You’re such a good girl.”

 

“And you’re not,” I retorted crossly. Blinking at the odd foursome in front of me, I murmured, “I don’t want you to think I’m easily bought but this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me so I’ll do it this once…”

 

That was when Eoghan dropped an envelope on the table. It was bigger than Finn’s. I swallowed at the sight then at him.

 

“There’s a card in there with our address as well as a generous donation for the charity of your choice. I’m sure Aoife and Inessa would love to have afternoon tea with you tomorrow.”

 

My mouth gaped even more than before. I picked up the envelope then gulped. Anne snatched it from my grasp with one hand and held out the other for him. “She’ll be there. What time?”

 

“Two?” Eoghan queried, shaking hands with her.

 

“Two,” Anne agreed. “If you’d prefer, Serena could—”

 

“Gemma,” I interrupted. “My friends call me Gem.”

 

Inessa squealed and elbowed Aoife in the side. “OMG.”

 

Aoife whispered, “Gem.”

 

“I can sign the books when we meet tomorrow?” I offered, glancing around like we were conducting a shady business deal…

 

But then, I guessed we were. I’d just been fucking bribed.

 

Adrenaline shot through me at the notion as Aoife grinned. “We’d love that! Okay, so, tomorrow at two.” She slipped a card on the table. “Here’s my cell number. Feel free to message, you know, if you need anything. I know it’s, like, your second time in the States so…”

 

I smiled. “You follow me on social media?”

 

Inessa chuckled. “We stalk you everywhere.”

 

I picked it up, studied the luxurious vellum card, and read: ‘Aoife O’Grady.’

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aoife.”

 

Another card made an appearance on the table. This one read: ‘Inessa O’Donnelly.’

 

My brow furrowed at the names. “You know I think I’ve seen you in my Diva group…”

 

When I looked up, however, they were gone.

 

Shooting the next person in the line a shaky smile as she surged forward, shrouding the foursome in the crowd of people attending the event, I turned to Anne. “Did that really just happen?”

 

Anne wafted the envelopes in front of her like they were a fan. “Thirty thousand dollars just happened.”

 

I shook my head. “This is the weirdest day of my life.”

 

Anne patted my shoulder. “And this is just your first convention in the US.”

 

Fuck, she was right!