Leaning back on the door, a dry croak then snarl of rage and regret fills the hallway. I’ve only got one thing on my mind.
Getting Ashlee back.
Bringing her home again.
CHAPTER NINE
Ashlee
I know deep down it's all bull.
To be honest, I only go with Stacy, I only ever call her that when I’m furious with her, because I’m so embarrassed.
Stepping out past Tony, who I know wants me to go back inside, I see Stacy and feel so vulnerable.
I only realize what a huge mistake I’ve made, how dumb I am once Stacy shunts me into a waiting car, driven by some sleaze who’s telling all the photographers to make sure they send him everything they’ve got.
We’re both in the back seat, and Stacy gives our driver a knowing look before he pulls away, talking into his phone.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask her, feeling anger more than shock or embarrassment now.
“The fuck was what, sweetie? I just saved your ass and all you can say is ‘what the fuck?’” she says calmly, deliberately looking out the window.
“What about the cleaning job? My cleaning job?” I whine.
What about Tony?
It’s all I can really think about now.
I can still smell him on me, taste him in my mouth…
The dry, sardonic laugh that Stacy has tells me everything without words, but I know she won’t be able to help herself.
She’s not a bad person, or so I thought. She raised me, fed and clothed me… never let me go without the basics, but made damned sure I worked for everything else, like putting myself through college.
After driving in silence for some time, she breaks the ice between us.
“You saw what he did, Ashlee. He took one look at you then bundled me out of the house like I was chopped liver. I got scared, worried for you baby,” she coos, putting her cold hand under my chin.
Her scrawny fingers like claws compared to Tony’s manly hands.
Tony.
I won’t believe it, there’s no way he had anything but true feelings for me. I just know it. I felt it in his house and I still do.
I can overhear the guy driving. He's already doing the rounds, selling the story and pictures to trashy magazines and websites, but the news won’t touch it.
Tony Fontana has a reputation for defending his personal rights, as well as being an all-round nice guy.
They’ve picked the wrong man to fuck with, while I know I’ve picked the right one.
But how can I get back to him?
“Turn around, Mom,” I tell her. “I want to go back. I’m an adult now, you can’t do this to me… to Tony.”
She clicks her tongue and looks upward, holding her hands wide.
“Tony now, is it. You see? See how much that man has control over young minds.” She grabs my arm suddenly, pulling me over toward her, her face an inch from mine.
“He didn’t touch you did he? He didn’t…?” But I shake my head firmly.
“I was doing my job, Stacy,” I spit out. “A job I won’t get paid for now… probably never get another job from that agency either,” I admit aloud.
Her curled lip tells me she’s done cleaning anything for a while. Whatever deal she’s made with puke face driving here, I can just tell it means she’s made a truckload of money and all for selling out on Tony Fontana who’s done nothing wrong.
“You’ll get paid, dear,” she coos again, letting her eyes drift off to someplace where revenge is sweet and nobody’s happy except herself.
Heaving a short sigh, she loosens her grip on me, taking my hand in hers and patting it instead, she relays how much she loves me and how I’m her number one priority.
It’s a speech I don’t hear often, but whenever I do, I want to believe it somehow. It makes me feel wanted, like I belong.
“It’s been a shock, Ashlee. Let’s go home and I’ll order some food in. We can have a girl’s night, eh? I’ll even let you choose what we watch,” she adds with a wink.
Her hand becomes warm in mine, making her human again, less like a creature.
“We’ll have plenty of money soon enough, then we can redecorate your room, go shopping for some clothes. You need new clothes darling, always getting bigger,” she says matter of fact, making me feel like I’m nine years old again.
I make a silent vow to myself, to Tony.
I promised myself to you Tony Fontana, and it’s me you’ll have… nobody else. I’m sorry Tony!
Stacy’s not the only one in the family who can act, I did four years of performance art in college and I figure I can bluff my way through this until I can figure out a way back to Tony.
I decide silence is golden, and sit out the attempts at conversation all the way back home, with only a short smile or a nod of my head.
Stacy knows me well enough to know I won’t play her game, not yet but it’s pretty clear too that she doesn’t want me gravitating back to Tony anytime soon.
“We can even go to Mexico,” she muses, implicating herself further in my mind.
What the hell have you done, woman?
The only place I want to go, and be with is Tony. And I’m already counting the minutes and wracking my brains for an idea how I can do that.
After what’s just happened, I imagine he’ll go to France and maybe never come back, or lock himself in his mansion forever, not opening the gate to anyone.
There has to be a way, this is just a setback.
Oh! Why, oh why did I follow my stupid mom out of his house instead of staying there with him?
Idiot!
I almost feel myself getting worked up to the point of tears, until the two words he said echo in my mind, telling me how he really feels about me.
Mine.
Beautiful.
CHAPTER TEN
Tony
Once I can see the coast is clear, and the crowd has been moved along, I close the gates from the security keypad, setting the alarm as well.
I never used to think too much about security, but today’s just gone and changed all that.
Stacy’s gone and changed that.
Bitch.
Foster mom indeed.
Maybe that was another scam of hers?
No.
I can’t let myself start thinking like that, I won’t. Not for anything.
I need Ashlee back and I’ll get her, plain and simple.
Her foster mom, I can let karma sort out or maybe the law.
The phone pulses again, at the same time as the security gate.
Max, my attorney, is here, and my manager is on the phone.
I buzz Max in, making sure he shuts the gate and re-activate the system once he’s inside.
I show him through while I chat with my manager, Jarred.
“Heard you had some trouble there,” Jarred starts.
“How’d you hear that?” I ask, noting Max’s guilty expression.
“Social media, actually,” Jarred adds defensively. “Those snakes don’t waste any time. You called Max yet?” he asks.
“He’s right in front of me,” I tell Jarred, deadpan, wanting to add that I’m thinking about suing him still too, but I think better of it.
I hear Jarred gulp audibly, which is enough for me.
I’ve had enough of all this for one day already.
I just want her back. I want my Ashlee where she belongs.
“Well, I’ve managed to smooth things over with Marcel. You can miss a few days of shooting, they’ll work around it.”
I shake my head to myself, this guy’s so far up himself.
“Oh, you smoothed it over with Marcel, did you?” I ask, not trying to hide my mood. He says something else but I hang up.
Asshole.
“Max, thanks for coming,” I tell him sincerely, making a mental note to ask him advice on finding new management and suing the one I have at some point.
But right now, I need Ashlee back. I need to
hurt those pricks who are trying to make me out to be something I’m not.
“It’s cut and dry from what I gather,” Max says, thumbing his phone, tittering to himself.
Anyone else would think he’s ignoring me, but I know how he works. Six things on the go, and all at the same time. Max Schubert is always listening and he’s always planning his next move for his clients.
“Who’s the girl?” he asks, catching me off guard.
My face says it all, and without even looking up properly, he hums to himself.
“I see,” he murmurs, a coy smile playing on his lips.
“Oh, not you too Max!” I complain, but his hand is up.
“Easy, Tony, easy. I’m very happy for you. About time you found some peace in this life. A woman to settle down with, eh? I would never have thought I’d live to see the day,” he muses.
My own smile, then flushed face tells it all over again, I can’t slip anything by Max.
“This… mother of hers…” he continues without looking up, revealing how much he knows already.
“Foster mother,” I correct, making his brows arch and his pale gray eyes finally settle on mine.
“Foster mother then… even though the girl’s past the age of consent,” he concedes. “You know who she is?” he asks, a look of suspicion in his eyes.
“I have a fair idea, I think she’s…” I start to say, but the piercing wail of the security system makes us both jump, then Max covers his ears while I dash to the front of the house, killing the alarm before I reach the front door.
Swinging it open, I can see someone struggling to make it over the gate. More paparazzi.
Bastards.
“You’ll have to do something, and fast, Tony,” Max calls out from down the hall without getting out of his seat.
He’s older, and about three times larger than I am. Not the physical type and once he’s settled into a chair he likes to stay in it.
“I’d recommend swift civil and criminal action, the police are already communicating with my office,” he drawls, sounding disinterested but I can tell he’s enjoying himself.
Knowing he’ll win before he lifts a finger. It’s the kind of work he loves, why he became an attorney.
“We’ll start with that Kane fellow but moving along, we really need to do something about this girl’s foster mother,” he adds with a note of finality.
“You don’t need to worry about your movie either,” he continues.
“Cases like this, with the history that prick Kane has, his association with that woman… you’ll be rich,” he teases me, as we both know neither of them have any real money.
I’ll be paying more than anything I could possibly win in damages with his fee, but I’m a man of principle.
And where Ashlee’s concerned, it’s nothing. I need to clear my name and get her back, but getting her back means more than anything else.
“How long ago was it, Tony?” Max asks, suddenly. “Twenty… twenty-two years ago?”
I rub my chin with my thumb, hearing the stubble scrape and still tasting Ashlee, feeling her sweet drenched pussy in my mouth.
“How long ago was what?” I ask Max naively.
“You know,” Max says firmly, almost looking like he’ll stand up to lecture me, but thinking better of it, he decides to give me a serving from his chair.
“You should have pursued it back then!” he says. “See how these crazy fans never forget? They bear a grudge far longer than you can recall, long after they’re hushed up and forgotten about. I told you to file a restraining order back then and you ignored me.”
“That was before Ashlee,” I hear myself growl, getting defensive again, wanting her instead of all this crap in my day.
Things were going great until that prick started filming us, until her mother…
Her foster mother.
“Alright, Max. I do know her, I do remember. What do we do now?” I ask him, holding my hands out, palms up in resignation.
But not resigning myself from my own secret mission to bring Ashlee home.
The rest of the world can burn for all I care, I just want Ashlee.
I will have Ashlee.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ashlee
Stacy’s playing the underdog foster parent, all the way home and then all the way up the path to our front door. I pretend not to notice her schmoozing with the guy who drove us home, but figure she’s putting out a lot more than just photos and information.
Ugh.
If I had a real dad… hell, even a foster dad, now would be the time they pulled her up and asked her what the fuck she thinks she’s up to.
But, without that in my life, and considering this involves me directly, I do it myself.
“Alright then Stacy,” I announce as soon as she’s inside, closing the door myself and leaning on it so she can’t go anywhere.
“What’s really going on?” I ask her, surprising myself at how angry I actually sound. How powerful I sound.
Her brow arches, and she smiles gently. A sinister glow in her eyes reminds me how much of a cow she can actually be when she wants.
“Oh, you may as well know,” she says trying to sound distant, cryptic.
“Your boyfriend back there? He tried to pull the same stunt on me.”
I feel my jaw drop.
No. Never. Tony would never.
“It was over twenty years ago darling, long before you were even thought of, before you were left at that orphanage,” she adds, never wanting to let me forget that if it wasn’t for her nobody would have taken me in.
“I was trying to break into the acting world,” she continues dreamily, addressing an audience that isn’t there and ignoring me while she delivers her part.
“Tony Fontana… He wasn’t a nobody then either. Best damned looking man on the small and big screen, probably still is,” she muses before her eyes narrow again.
“But! He didn’t get away with it, no sir. I thought if I could ease my way into his arms and then his bed, he might help me on my path as an actress,” she continues.
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. There’s no way Tony would go along with any of this, even all those years ago, I’m certain of it.
I just know he wouldn’t.
And he didn’t.
“But long story short, sugar. I threw myself at Tony Fontana, tore my clothes off and literally threw myself at him.”
It’s not a mental image I like. I feel my own anger bubbling up again, but Stacy has this way of dragging out even the simplest story into a huge dramatic sequence, always adding in stupid phrases like ‘long story short’ when she has no intention of shortening the story.
“What happened?” I ask, needing to know now, not wanting to hear anything else apart from Tony threw her out.
“He threw me out,” she says solemnly, looking past me, back to the past. A tremor in her lip showing she still feels the sting of his rejection.
“So I got even, not mad,” she tells me.
“I called every shitty tattle rag in Hollywood, this was before the internet was a thing you understand, and I told them what Tony Fontana really was. A monster, luring young women into his house and-”
“But that’s just not true!” I shout, feeling my fingers curling into fists.
“It doesn’t have to be true dear,” she answers dryly, her eyes resting on mine lazily. “As long as it’s a good story.”
My eyes are slits and I’m fighting back tears. I want to throw a punch but I’ve never done that either.
A strange, hollow sound is the only thing I can manage, but Stacy’s not worried about what I think.
“But it all backfired. He hired his lawyers and they snooped around, put two and two together and I was the one who was humiliated, not him. Not Tony Fontana… But I decided to get my own back. I vowed to get even.”
My throat crackles as I swallow hard, feeling the dryness inside me. A horrible dry emptiness that’s my new life without Tony
in it.
“The job at the cleaning agency?” I ask, half expecting it to have nothing to do with anything, but Stacy’s thought of everything.
“Oh, it took a while, years of cleaning shitty bathrooms and working my way to the point I could be even considered for working for the big name clients… but I made sure I was on the payroll of Tony Fontana’s cleaners, mark my words,” she says with an air of arrogant pride.
“And me? Was I just bait for you to set him up?” I ask her.
“Not initially, but when I saw how he had a hard on for you, literally, I saw my big chance. I was planning something far more elaborate, but with you there, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity.”
I feel sick, realizing it was my own attraction to Tony that led to all of this.
“I have no idea what he sees in you, Ashlee,” she remarks coldly.
“It does explain how he refused me all those years ago though, some men just go for… well. Some men have no real taste in women at all.” She smiles, looking me up and down, making me feel two inches tall.
“When he threw me out for the second time in his sorry ass life, all I had to do was call my good friends at those shitty magazines all over again. They’ve been waiting for my call. Waiting to bring down Mr. Fontana, the man who can do no wrong. But I’ll show him, I’ll show them all!”
For the first time in my life, it’s like I’m seeing the real Stacy, the real foster mom who’s actually just a crazy messed up bitch with a huge chip on her shoulder.
A part of me wants to ask if she took me in as part of her plan, but I’m too scared the answer will be yes, so I don’t ask.
“I’m leaving now,” I tell her flatly, not even mad anymore, just wanting out and to get back to Tony.
He’ll take me back, won’t he?
What if he doesn’t? What if…
Mine.
Beautiful.
I hear his voice in my mind again, remember his mouth on me.
All at once, I know where I belong, and it’s not in Stacy’s house, or anywhere near her anymore.
“You can’t leave!” she says loudly. “Where will you go, who’ll have you? You’ve got no job either. I already said, give it a few days, maybe a week tops and we’ll have more money than we’ve ever seen. My plan is already working. Trust me Ashlee, you’re far better off here than anywhere else.”
Maid For The Hollywood Heartthrob: An Instalove Possessive Age Gap Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 200) Page 4