“I suppose anyone would feel that way when their skills are questioned.”
Wade smirked. “It’s not as if I can ask for references.”
The kind of work that Uriel did for the company came through recommendations from Synder and Kayne. It was the way Uriel liked it. Confidentiality was important to the company. It protected himself and his clients. Uriel didn’t justify the man with a response and continued as if his words slid off him like water.
“You're the one who needs my help, Mister Wade, not the other way around.”
“Touche, and I hope you are not offended by what I'm about to say, but do you know how to sing and dance, Mister DeVine?”
“This isn’t my first celebrity rodeo, Mister Wade.” Uriel furrowed his brows. “But what does that have to do with my question?”
“Khray, please.”
Uriel stared at the man, wondering what was more important at the moment, being called by his first name or getting to the bottom of who was targeting his friend who was in a coma in the next room.
“Since you’ve doubled for an entertainer before, you can also gather that even though there are people who love Blue, there are people who don’t like him and are vying for the spot he’s in; they want his sponsors, acting gigs, you name it, they want it,” Wade explained. “It’s the reason why I need you to pretend to be Blue until he can get back on his feet. He cannot lose gigs when his solo career is taking off. Especially the new role he just got. Blue has always wanted to work with Director Fang. You have no idea how many people auditioned for the part he got in the new series he's developing.”
Uriel nodded and let the information sink in. Although he wasn’t the investigator on the case, he still needed to be on guard.
“Is that your real face?” Wade asked.
There was a collective gasp at his question, and Uriel looked at his friends, wondering if the guy was really asking that question. He expected them to be as outraged as he felt, but they were doing their best, trying not to laugh, yet their eyes betrayed them. It cemented Uriel’s desire that he didn’t like being around rude individuals, especially meeting them for the first time.
“How about you? Were you born with that face?” Uriel snapped.
“Again, I’m trying not to be offensive, it’s just that you’re far more good-looking than I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, Blue’s looks are comparable to some, however, around you—” He paused, as if searching for the proper words to not get further on Uriel’s bad side. “—I just don’t understand why you’d want to cover it up when you could be a star off your looks alone.”
Uriel controlled his expression, although he heard the compliment. He was tired of others seeing his good looks rather than seeing the real him. “Looks aren’t everything, Mister Wade. I might pretend to be another person for a short time, but I love my job. It gives me the satisfaction I need, and that’s all that matters. I'm not interested in being a celebrity.”
“I see,” Wade said, then looked at Kayne and Synder. “I’m satisfied.”
“Good,” Kayne said with a smile.
“So do we have a deal?” Synder asked.
“Yes, he’s just as cocky and short-tempered as Blue. Other than the difference in their appearance they could be related,” Wade said. “There are a few things we still have to work out, but he’ll do.”
Uriel looked at them and got the feeling that he'd missed something important. “Wait a damn minute,” Uriel said, getting their attention. “Did you bastards just sit there and watch me get played?”
Synder went to speak, but Wade spoke up instead.
“They warned me against it. Your friends told me you wouldn’t appreciate your skills being questioned.”
“Ya think?” Uriel cursed the man and his friends a thousand times in his heart. In all the years he’s been doing his job, no one has ever questioned his abilities—well, that he knew of.
“Uri, don’t get angry,” Kayne tried to soothe. He went to say more, but the look on Uriel’s face stopped him.
“I will not apologize for my actions,” Wade said. “Blue is very important to me, and like I said earlier, I don’t want to see what will happen if word gets out about him being threatened. Sure, fans and the media would sympathize for a short time, Uriel, but their emotions change as quick as the damn wind blows. They’d second-guess the validity of everything and come up with all kinds of conspiracies that would paint Blue as a liar, and I won’t have that done to him. So fuck your hurt feelings.”
The tension in the room spiked and, to save face, Uriel pulled back on his emotions and focused on the matter at hand. He didn’t want to think how some of Wade’s words rang true when it came to the entertainment industry. One minute you were loved and the next you were hated. He looked at his friends and conveyed his thoughts clearly.
This is the last time I’m meeting with clients so early in the case.
Synder rolled his eyes, and Kayne grunted in response. Uriel turned his gaze away from his friends and back to Khray Wade.
“All right, now that you’re satisfied with my performance, let’s get to work.”
Wade stared at him for a few moments before he spoke. “What do you need?”
