by Nadia Lee
No long line snaking around the building. No lights. No throbbing heartbeat of club music. It looks as empty as an old hermit crab shell.
I knock on the main door, and it opens soundlessly. A man stands on the other side. He’s in a dark crew neck t-shirt and black shorts, revealing legs like sequoias. His arms bulge as he crosses them. “Hey, Paige.”
“Hi, TJ.”
“Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you.” He jerks his chin toward the back. “I’ll show you.”
“Thanks.”
Sunlight beams inside through the thin vertical windows. Little motes of dust float in the air, glinting. The A/C isn’t on, but it’s comfortably cool inside.
The small clacking my sandals make seem to echo in the vast empty space. It looks much bigger without anybody around.
The office is in the back, past the VIP room. The basic dark door has nothing on it except a small plastic sign that reads MANAGEMENT in all caps.
TJ knocks. “Paige Johnson is here.”
“Send her in.”
TJ opens it and stands aside to let me go in. The door closes behind me, then locks automatically with a loud metallic click.
The office is surprisingly small and plain. It doesn’t have any windows. The desk is neat with a large monitor, keyboard and mouse on it, all wired together. The wall to my right has five large filing cabinets, each one of them locked with a vertical rod through the drawer handles.
Anthony sits behind his desk in a cheap office chair with his blazer hanging off the back. The top two buttons of his white shirt are undone, and he’s rolled up his sleeves. The big watch on his wrist has several round displays, probably telling him what time it is elsewhere in the world where he has clubs and other business holdings.
He stands at the sight of me. “Hello, Paige.”
“Anthony.” I nod once.
“What a pleasure.”
“I wish I could say the same.” I give him a cold stare. “You made me think you were still friendly with Ryder so you could get invited to the party.”
“Don’t be angry with me. It isn’t my fault you assumed.” He gives me a thin smile. “I was always curious about what kind of woman Ryder would marry.”
“Well, you’ve wasted your curiosity on nothing of importance.” Anthony has no idea about the circumstances of our marriage. Not that I plan to tell him.
“I doubt that. You are nothing like I imagined.” He gestures at one of two plastic chairs. “Do sit down.”
“I just want to hear about Lauren and how she was involved with you and Ryder.”
“It’s a rather long story…”
Since I seem to have no choice, I sit, clutching my purse in front of me like a shield. “Well?”
He takes his seat behind the desk. “Her name was Lauren Tater. She was my fiancée for all intents and purposes.”
My mouth dries as a sinking sensation pulls at me.
“She had big dreams of being a star in Hollywood. I was a nobody back then. Well, I had the family name, but it didn’t mean much without money.”
“Your father didn’t give you any? Not even a little bit?”
“My father’s rather old fashioned about things like inheritances. I’m the second son. Virtually everything is going to my older brother, all because I had the misfortune of being born two years later.” His mouth widens into a smile that reminds me of a straight-razor. “Not that I’m bitter, of course.”
I wait as he takes his time. If he were smoking a cigar, he’d be letting out thoughtful puffs just about now.
“Ryder was a rising star back then. Every movie he made was a bigger hit, and people were starting to notice. Lauren thought he could take her along for the ride. All he had to do was have her costar in one of his movies. Then she’d be discovered.”
“That’s not a bad assumption, but he doesn’t do stuff like that for anybody.”
Anthony laughs. “He doesn’t now. But back then… Well, he was far less protective of himself, and besides, he did promise to help her. Told her she could be famous, a star in the firmament…somebody who mattered, somebody that people paid attention to.”
The revelation surprises me. A lot of aspiring actresses have slept with Ryder for that chance. Or at least they did it because they thought publicity from the affair would help them get the attention they so desperately wanted.
“The pressure and anxiety to be exactly that got to her, because becoming a star was taking longer than she liked. Eventually she started to experiment with drugs. Then, while she was down in Mexico on a shoot, there was a fire. And she died.”
I gasp. That ending for Lauren never crossed my mind.
“It’s his fault,” Anthony says, his voice without any inflection, as though he’s reciting facts from an encyclopedia. “If Ryder hadn’t dragged her into his crazy world, feeding her impossible dreams, she would’ve never left me or gotten herself killed in that apartment. You know the place was owned by another drug user who ‘shared’ with her for sex and money?” His voice remains the same, but his hands clench his armrests, his eyes burning with repressed anger and a sense of betrayal. “Ryder was supposed to be my best friend. Well, now I know how much that’s worth.”
“It’s not his fault,” I say. “If Lauren had really been deserving of your love, she would’ve never left you, no matter what. She would’ve stayed true to you, stayed with you even if you didn’t get a penny of your family’s fortune. And if she was as strong as you said, she would’ve never used drugs, no matter how much the pressure and anxiety got to her. She would’ve worked toward her dream.”
“What the fuck do you know? You weren’t even there!” His fist slams down on the desk, the sound ringing like a gunshot.
Apprehension and outrage mingle, knot into a tight ball and pulse in my throat. I hold myself together, unwilling to be cowed by the display of his anger. “If you believe that it’s all Ryder’s fault, why haven’t you hurt Ryder already? Why did you wait until now?”
Dull red colors his face. It takes him several moments to bring himself back under control, but finally he relaxes. “I needed power and influence to fight. It undoubtedly hasn’t escaped your notice that, in addition to striking good looks, Ryder is possessed of a fairly high net worth. Do you think people like him ever pay the price for what they do?”
“Don’t act like it’s unfair. You’re just as high-society as he is.”
He goes still, and for a moment I wonder if he’s going to come out of his chair and strike me.
Still, I can’t shut up. I have to say my piece. “You’ve had both power and money for a while now. If you wanted, you could’ve hurt Ryder…but you haven’t.”
“And how do you know?” Anthony’s smile is cold, and my spine prickles like a cube of ice is gliding along the vertebrae. “I promised I’d hurt him the same way he hurt me.”
“So what now? Are you going to kill me?”
He leans closer over the desk. “Why not? You are his fiancée, aren’t you?”
“I don’t think you’re quite that depraved.” I might believe him capable of doing it if Lauren’s death was still fresh, but it’s been years now. People will overcome grief, no matter how harsh and painful, given enough time. I look into his eyes. Sure, there’s heat, but he’s still rational. Or else he’s a damn good actor. “You probably didn’t build your financial empire just to throw it away by committing a crime and going to jail. That’s not winning. That isn’t even close to revenge. If you want to show Ryder, then live an amazing life, the kind that will make him want to vomit with envy.”
Anthony stands up. Despite his leanness, he’s an imposing man. It’s the force of his gaze, the implacable set of his jaw. They both say that, if he wants to, he can hurt me. “It would be best if you weren’t quite so presumptuous. Don’t speak as if you know me.”
“Then don’t be an asshat. Either have it out with Ryder, man to man, or just…let it go. I’m not interested in being in the middle of a vendetta.”
I s
tand up, ready to leave. As I undo the lock on the door, Anthony’s hand snakes out and tightens around my wrist with crushing force.
I cry out and immediately there’s a commotion outside.
The door to the office crashes open, and Ryder is standing there, feet firmly planted and fists cocked and ready. “Get your hands off my fiancée!” Before I get a chance to gasp, he leaps and punches his former best friend in the jaw.
Anthony shoves me away even as he gets hit; I land hard on my butt. The impact against the cold concrete floor travels along my spine, jarring everything inside.
My neck snaps back, and I hit the wall with the back of my head. My vision dims for a moment; sounds suddenly seem like they’re coming from far away. Pain burns in my back, and my belly cramps hard, as though I’m about to throw up. I have to get out of here before I become collateral damage.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Paige
I blink hard. When my vision focuses again, I see two men—Anthony and Ryder.
Teeth bared, they are throwing punches at each other with a wild savagery that makes my mouth dry. Neither seems to care if he gets hit, only that he hits the other man.
I look away. I can’t even watch a mixed martial arts match on TV. There’s no way I’m watching a real fight between Ryder and Anthony.
The door shakes with a loud boom, and I almost jump. “Open the damn door!” comes TJ’s voice from the other side.
TJ! He’ll know what to do.
Pushing myself up with my hands, I manage to stand. Pain sears my hips, but I ignore that and undo the latch.
TJ and another bouncer rush in. Anthony and Ryder are no match for two bouncers who have tons of practice dealing with unruly patrons.
Thankfully they didn’t have enough time to break anything serious. Anthony’s left eye is swollen and red—probably going to turn purple and puff up until it closes altogether—while Ryder has a split lower lip that’s going to blow up like a balloon.
From the way Ryder is holding a hand against his ribs, I know he got punched there pretty hard. Anthony doesn’t seem to be doing much better. His posture’s bent forward as though he’s in pain.
A fresh surge of irritation floods me. Why is it beyond the two to talk things out like civilized human beings?
Anthony turns his head toward his bouncers. “Let me go.”
“Only if you promise to behave,” TJ says, his voice stern but respectful.
“Do you know who I am?” Anthony snarls. “You work for me.”
“I know who you are. You’re the guy who hired us to keep him safe, and we’re doing exactly that.” TJ does let him go, but plants himself squarely between him and Ryder. “Sir, you just had a fist fight with one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. And we have a witness.” He looks at me briefly.
“She won’t say anything.”
Ryder sneers. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She’s my fiancée. And she doesn’t owe you anything.”
I’m tired of this ludicrous macho display. Besides, my back aches, and my pelvis is throbbing. The fall must’ve really done some damage.
I want to leave and go soak in a hot bath. I should also make an appointment with my doctor to see if the baby’s okay. Since I landed on my butt, I’m pretty sure the baby’s fine, but just in case.
“Both of you are beyond help. I’m done here.” I shake my head and start limping away.
I’m not even at the door to the club when Ryder’s hand takes my elbow. Unlike Anthony’s, his touch is gentle, designed to restrain without hurting me.
“You aren’t going home by yourself,” he says.
“Oh, I’m not? Funny…I’ve been going to and from places on my own for quite a while now.”
“Don’t argue with me. We need to talk. I should never have let you leave the house until we did. Come on. To my car.”
“But I can’t leave my car here.”
“I’ll have somebody bring it back.
My teeth bite into my lower lip. I don’t want to talk or share a ride. But given the circumstances, it’s probably not a good idea to provoke Ryder. Male aggression still pours out of him. Even though I know he won’t hurt me, who knows what idiotic stunt he’ll come up with if left to his own devices?
But since I’m still angry with him, I give him one clipped word: “Fine.”
* * *
Ryder
The silence inside the Ferrari presses down on me. Sweat slickens my back.
Paige’s arms are crossed, her body angled away. She stares out the window, her eyes focused on the lane to her right. I get a weird sense of déjà vu.
When I heard from my men that she’d gone out again, I followed her—despite my better judgment—to see what the hell could be more important than resolving the situation between us. I certainly didn’t intend to rush into Anthony’s club and get into a fight. I was just trying to stop her from doing something rash. She might think that Anthony would give her some answers, but I’m afraid he’s changed. The Anthony I knew would never have laid a hand on a woman, no matter what.
“That was a stupid ass thing to do!” I say, my rage barely suppressed. “You know how I feel about him.”
“Did I have a choice?”
“A choice? Yeah, I think you had a choice. I didn’t see anybody holding a gun to your head back there.” My knuckles are white around the steering wheel.
“Anthony told me about Lauren.”
That stuns me out of my anger. “He did? What did he say?” There’s no way Anthony told her everything. There are a lot of things he just doesn’t know, and he’ll never find them out because we’re beyond talking at this point. Besides, even if I told him everything, nothing would change. He’d still hate me with everything he’s got.
She gives the window a brief summary of what Anthony said. “I think that explains quite a bit, don’t you?”
“Oh for— I didn’t steal her from him!” Frustration and sadness hit me at the same time, winding like ropes around my neck. “She approached me at a party. I had no idea she was dating Anthony at the time. I was busy with work and out of the country a lot. When I was in town, I’d never seen her with him. She was always busy or had something else to do when we were supposed to hang out together. Now that I look back on it, it’s obvious she did all that on purpose.”
Paige finally turns toward me. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
“By the time I found out it was too late.” I unclench my jaw with careful deliberation. “I was young, but it wasn’t that I was dazzled by her flattery and attention. I’ve always had women hanging around, you know? But Lauren was different. She said all the right things, made all sorts of promises. She… She made me feel like I was her everything, like I mattered to her. Outside of my grandfather, nobody in my family did that. My siblings and I are close, but we all learned to fend for ourselves early on.” I let out a rough breath. “I fell for the whole act.”
“She wanted to become famous.”
I don’t want to see the pity in Paige’s eyes. It’s such a fucking pathetic story, and I sound like a fool, which was exactly what I was back then.
“So what happened?” Paige asks.
“I finally wised up…figured out what was going on. At the time we were filming in Mexico. I went to her friend’s apartment, where she said she was staying. Believe me, the guy was no friend. Just a drug user. He’d gotten Lauren hooked, too.”
I can still see the scene:
The door jams when I try to open it. I have to shove it with all my strength to get it to unstick.
Trash litters the cramped apartment. A thick layer of dust covers the cabinets and counters. The kitchen sink has a stack of dirty plates with food stuck to them.
The stale air inside carries a sharp odor: urine and sweat and something sickeningly sweet. The low coffee table has two lit candles that emit a cheap vanilla scent. Near the couch where Lauren lounges are several rolled-up dollar bills and a white powder residue. Doesn’t take
a genius to know what’s going on.
Pushing her stringy, unwashed hair out of her face, she looks up to me. Without makeup, her complexion is sallow. Her good bone structure has become sickeningly prominent; it can’t disguise the fact that she’s unhealthy and needs some serious intervention.
Shock ripples through me, then pity stirs, but then I shake myself out of both. She can get the help she needs from people who give a fuck. I don’t. Not anymore.
Her gray pupils are dilated, but there is still some lucidity in her gaze. Enough to comprehend what I’m about to tell her.
“We’re finished,” I say. “I know everything.”
She waves me away. “You don’t know anything.”
“You’re that ‘hard to meet’ girlfriend of Anthony’s. Elliot never tried to touch you. And Elizabeth never insulted you the way you said she did.”
“Are you going to side with your brother and sister over me?” She tries to sit up, but her balance is too poor. She falls back on the couch. The venom in her voice doesn’t weaken.
“When they have hard evidence on their side? Yup.”
She pales for a moment. But she straightens her shoulders in defiance and glares at me. “What ‘evidence’?”
“Elliot recorded you.”
Her tongue dashes out and licks her slightly cracked lips. “He entrapped me. Can’t you see? He’s trying to tear us apart!”
“He’s trying to prevent me from making the biggest mistake of my life.”
The gorgeous engagement ring I bought for her seems to burn in my pocket. It’s a one-of-a-kind ring that I specially commissioned. Beautiful platinum and rose gold twine to form a band. I thought it would represent our lives together, how we would create something better and greater together. How stupid I’ve been.
“I didn’t even know that you’ve been using.” I suspected she might be drinking too much, but never fooling around with hard drugs. Did I just not know what to look for, or did I ignore all the signs because I didn’t want to believe the worst?
“Fine then! But we’re still doing the movie together, right?”
I shook my head. “I can’t work with an addict. Nobody else is going to work with you either. Addicts are unpredictable…poison when you’re trying to bring a movie in on time. We’re through, Lauren. Go back home, and don’t ever contact me again.”