Dirty Bad Boys Box Set: Forbidden Romance Collection
Page 103
Hollywood.
The place that created Bad Boy Rich.
Actor, husband, father—former drug addict.
The people surrounding me seem so foreign. A lifetime of memories ago, and ones that I hate to relive. You can smell the ego-maniacs in the air. Each one willing to draw each other’s blood for a place at the top. I could do a fucking line, and I hated admitting that, especially since I’ve been clean for almost a year.
“Baby, just breathe. You’ve got this.”
Simple enough to say, but what if I don’t want this?
I have everything I want. A beautiful wife who married me on the beach in The Maldives while Katya, Flynn, Phoebe, and Katerina stood beside us and witnessed our moment. Hell, even Barry Manilow was there. Sung his little heart out and made it all the more special.
We have a home that sits on the side of a lake, private and serene with a big, open yard for Katerina to run around in. I just want to go fishing.
Who would have thought, Wesley Rich, fisherman?
Fuck, not me. But I fucking love it, even considering buying one of the local bait shops.
Finally, I have a home and people inside it who love me. I left this rat race behind and never regretted it. And here, in this moment, I so desperately want to escape and go back to the comfort of the life that Milana and I created for each other.
“And our nominees for best actor in a motion picture…”
The names are called out, and then, my name sounds on the loudspeaker.
“Wesley Rich, Riding the High.”
They play my scene, the part of the movie where I scream at the nurse in the mental asylum to let me go. The crowd claps right after, nothing loud, nothing more than the other actors nominated.
“And the Academy Award for best actor goes to…”
I feel all eyes on me, and the fucking cameras on my face. There are five of us nominated, and the reality is, I have no chance against these big A-listers. I have removed myself from this industry as much as I could and escaped to a better life up north.
Milana insisted I continue acting, it’s my passion according to her. I still doubt that, of course. Insecurities run deep when it comes to Hollywood, and it isn’t the acting that I hate, it’s the media and publicity attached to it. A double-edged sword with the sharpest of blades.
Instead of moving to Alaska, she suggested we move somewhere still driveable but more secluded. Knowing how much I love San Francisco, the home we bought was close enough but away from the city life.
The media had a frenzy with discovering that I became a dad, this time, for real. Not Farrah’s bullshit lies she often fed them. And it didn’t dwindle, at least, not immediately. They followed us around the world, each time we traveled with Katya and Flynn to somewhere new. It made headlines, but much like anything, people eventually get bored. Or I assume they got bored. Milana never said a thing, ignoring the stories they conjured up.
Phoebe’s the annoying one and pointed out that people are fascinated with Bad Boy Rich settling down with a small-town gal. We were offered a five-million-dollar contract to star in our own reality television show which I flatly refused. That’s a part of my life is well over and done with. It works well for Em despite my intolerance for Carrington—they are a huge success.
Although my annoyance with Phoebe runs deep at times, she makes a great manager. Exactly what I need. Fierce, headstrong, and has become this shark of a woman. She moved to Los Angeles, knowing so much about this industry which surprised the hell out of me considering she came from Alaska and has no actual experience being a manager. Between her and my assistant, Diedre, I’m surrounded by the right people. They run a tight ship when it comes to business and my trust in them, combined, allows me to focus on my family.
And now, it boils down to this moment.
“And the winner is… Wesley Rich, Riding the High.”
The crowd applauds loudly, many standing and shouting my name with pride. My nerves are in shock, and in that moment, I glance toward the hand nestled in mine and see the emerald gold ring staring back at me.
My wife.
My savior.
My fucking life.
“You did it,” she squeals as I turn to kiss her, openly in front of the cameras.
She’s fucking beautiful, and each time I look into her eyes, I wonder what I did to deserve her. She’s mine, she’s the mother of my child, and I want to spend every day making her happy.
Taking a deep breath, I let go, just for this final moment, and slowly make my way to the stage. Every step I take becomes more and more surreal. Is this happening? I’m being rewarded in the greatest of ways for my ability to portray a character.
I don’t deserve to be here.
I don’t deserve this.
And I need to shut my fucking demon up.
Maybe, for once in my life, I do deserve something good.
The gold statue is handed to me. It’s heavy, more so than I imagined, and its weight carries enormous significance.
This is it. My moment.
I may never get a moment like this again, and so, I will do it justice.
“A long time ago, someone told me I wasn’t good enough for anything. And I held onto that, for years. You saw that play out whether you watched my life on reality TV or followed the headlines.
“And despite all that, people still chose to believe in me. Jerry, our director, Nigel, our producer, and all the cast on the set. You put up with me at a time when I was at my lowest, and here we are. This award is a testament to our hard work, not only mine.”
Jerry and Nigel stand, an ovation follows with loud applause and whistles.
“It was at my weakest time that someone told me to fight for my dream. Dreams? I remember looking at her oddly, I didn’t have dreams. I had nightmares. But she pushed me to search inside myself and fight for what I wanted.”
I don’t need to search the crowd. My eyes gravitate toward her, standing at our table, wearing a beautiful red dress that crowns her queen of the night.
“I married my beautiful wife, Milana Richland, and she gave me the greatest dream possible… our daughter. This award is the icing on my already-perfect cake.”
Milana is beaming with pride, and I smile back at her, desperate to take her home and celebrate with her privately.
“And so, I thank the Lord for blessing me. For bringing her into my life, for teaching me how to love myself.
“But lastly, I dedicate this award to Katya Milenov, a woman who so bravely brought two children into this world. Accepted me as a son, with all my flaws, and until the very end, taught me how to love unconditionally. Somewhere, up above, you’re watching over us. We promise to honor you, make you proud, and dedicate our lives to make sure your legacy lives on.”
It was a privilege to spend her last moments with her. And watching her, take that last breath was the moment it all changed for me. Life is short, and what makes you happy is worth fighting for.
I know she’s smiling down and protecting us—always.
And somehow, this was her plan all along. It’s not a coincidence that Milana stumbled into my life. Our two fucked-up stars got together and created the most precious gift of all.
I hold the award into the air, staring above, basking in her presence.
“Thank you, Mom.”
THE END
Check out these books by
Kat T. Masen
The Dark Love Series Box Set (Books 1-4)
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BLURB
He wants her back and will stop at nothing.
It began as an affair and ended as a tragic love story. A tale of two souls fighting to be together with only their love to guide them. It wasn’t enough. People got hurt.
Seven years later, Charlie Mason has fought hard to rebuild her life and find love again. When the ever-so-perfect Julian Baker proposes marriage, she leaves the darkness of her past behind to plan her future in the light.
In a cruel twist of fate, her past and future collide. Charlie is forced to face the man who destroyed her heart: Lex Edwards.
Lex isn’t there to play games. He wants her back and will stop at nothing, even when he realizes the Charlie he knew in high school has changed. She’s guarded now, and forgiveness is not on her agenda.
A dark past threatens the future of everyone involved, and the only way to overcome it is for Charlie to relive her memories. She must let Lex take her back into the darkness...
*** NOTE – Four complete books in this angsty box set series. ***
Other Books by Kat T. Masen
Stand Alone Books
#Jerk
Roomie Wars
Wedding Wars: A Roomie Wars Novella Book 2
Baby Wars: A Roomie Wars Novella Book 3
Mr. Rebound
Kicking Reality
Bad Boy Rich
The Dark Love Series Box Set
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Box set includes:
Into the Darkness Book One
Into the Light Book Two
Julian Book Three
Adriana Book Four
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About the Author
Born and bred in Sydney, Australia, Kat T. Masen is a mother to four crazy boys and wife to one sane husband. Growing up in a generation where social media and fancy gadgets didn’t exist, she enjoyed reading from an early age and found herself immersed in these stories. After meeting friends on Twitter who loved to read as much as she did, her passion for writing began, and the friendships continued on despite the distance.
“I’m known to be crazy and humorous. Show me the most random picture of a dog in a wig, and I’ll be laughing for days.”