Heartbreaker (Hollywood Hearts Book 2)

by Belinda Williams

  “Who Lena? Who has you in there?”

  I flattened my palms on the door in desperation. “Ben! Ben does. Can’t you see? Don’t you have cameras in here?” I knew for a fact they had installed security cameras.

  Ben’s deep laughter echoed behind me.

  “No cameras, Lena,” Marc called back. “We’ve got no feed. Something’s faulty. We’ll get it fixed. Are you alright? You’ll just have to hang tight until we get you both out.”

  Oh fuck. They had no idea what was going on. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the door, my whole body shaking with fear.

  Ben’s laughter stopped. “You see, Lena? He’s no match for me. Did you think I’d leave the cameras running down here?”

  It was the look of triumph on his face that did it and I turned around and slammed my fists against the door with renewed energy. “The fire, Marc! Ben started the fire! He’s delusional! Please help me!”

  Ben’s arm reached around my waist and he pulled me away from the door kicking and screaming. His breath was hot on my ear. “It won’t matter, Lena. They can’t get in. I can do whatever I like in here.”

  “Go to hell!” I hit out at him but he caught my wrists and twisted my arms behind my back. I cried out in agony as my injured shoulder sent a bolt of pain shooting down my arm.

  “Lena!” Marc yelled through the door but this time he got no reply.

  Ben chuckled in my ear, ignoring my whimpering. “Poor Lena. Your boyfriend can’t help you now.”

  Chapter 37

  Ben threw me to the ground and I fell on my sore shoulder. This time the pain was so severe I wasn’t able to cry out, and it took all my strength not to pass out.

  I’d landed flat on my stomach and rested my head on the floor, willing the room to stop spinning. I saw that one of the metal pieces from the shelves had come free and lay about two feet from me.

  I heard Ben take a step toward me and inhaled a shuddering breath. I had to stay conscious.

  “Ben,” I said, my voice sounding weak. “Think about what you’re doing.” I tried to drag myself forward, closer to the metal frame, but only moved half a foot if I was lucky.

  “I’ve thought about you so much, Lena. I’m sick of thinking.”

  I swallowed down the fear and focused hard on the piece of metal. “No, I mean, think about your career. Think about what you’re throwing away.”

  Where was Marc? Why couldn’t I hear him anymore?

  “My career? You’re the star, Lena. Haven’t you figured that out? My light will shine and then fade, but you’re the real deal. I can’t compete with that.”

  “You can! Ben, you can. You’re so talented. You must see that. Once this movie comes out, you’re going to be in high demand, you’ll see. Don’t ruin this fantastic chance you have.” I dragged myself across the floor another half foot.

  Ben didn’t seem to notice or care. “What chance? You ruined any chance I had the minute I locked myself in this room with you. All you had to do was admit you love me and everything would have been fine.”

  “I do love you, Ben, I—”

  “Liar!”

  I jolted at his shout and felt, rather than saw, Ben close the distance between us. As he reached down to scoop me up I lunged for the piece of metal. At the same time, the sound of gunshots slamming into the door rang out. It was all the distraction I needed to twist painfully in Ben’s arms and bring the piece of metal down on his head. It made a sickening thud as it connected with the top of his skull and he let go of me, his eyes wide with shock. I fell to the ground and saw him do the same, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I scrambled backward to the far wall and that was how Marc, Kaden and Jay found me—shaking uncontrollably, the cold concrete against my back as I watched blood pool around Ben’s head.

  Then I passed out.

  *

  I didn’t argue about being taken to the hospital this time. I was in and out of consciousness anyway. I was vaguely aware I had concussion and there were moments I was lucid enough to catch what was going on.

  Marc’s bloodshot eyes. Ally holding my hand in the back of the ambulance. Jay’s deep voice. Jacob’s concerned whispers. I didn’t fight the lapses because I knew I was safe. I knew it was finally over.

  The only words I managed to utter as my stretcher was wheeled from the ambulance were, “Ben? Dead?”

  Ally gripped my hand tightly and kissed my forehead. “No. He’s going to live.”

  After that, I succumbed to the pain and welcomed the oblivion.

  *

  The sound of deep voices was the first thing I heard, but I couldn’t open my eyelids. They were too heavy.

  “There’s no question he’ll be charged with multiple offenses. He won’t come near her again.”

  It felt like I was surrounded by fog and I fought hard to identify the voice. Kaden. It was Aaron.

  “I know that. It doesn’t make it any better.”

  Relief settled over me when I heard Marc’s hushed voice.

  “Stop beating yourself up,” said Kaden.

  “I almost lost her.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “It’s my fault she’s in here.”

  “No, Marc, it’s no one’s fault except that sick kid’s, you got that?”

  “He had a history. I knew, damn it. I knew.”

  “What? So the kid was a pyromaniac when he was a teenager? Sure, you knew there was a link, but Campbell made sense.”

  “I fucked up. I had a piece of information that I disregarded.”

  “No, you didn’t. We’ve been through this.”

  I thought I heard footsteps, like someone was pacing.

  “Then I should have warned her.”

  “And what? Have her eyeing her co-star with fear? We all made the right call on that one, trust me . . .”

  There was a long pause.

  “That’s the problem. After all this, I’m not sure who to trust anymore.”

  I tried to hold onto the voices but they slipped away and I disappeared somewhere else.

  *

  When I awoke properly, I didn’t remember my hazy dream and Ally’s worried brown eyes met mine.

  “Lena. Hi.”

  I managed a tired smile. “Hi. I’m in the hospital, right?”

  “Right.”

  “I hate hospitals.”

  She reached over and rubbed my arm. “I know.”

  “Am I OK?”

  “Yes. The scans confirm it’s only concussion. No major damage.”

  “Scans?”

  “Yeah. You don’t remember?”

  “Maybe.” I had a vague recollection of being pushed somewhere on the stretcher for tests but it felt like it had happened to someone else. “How long have I got to be here for?”

  “Ask the doctors, but I think if everything’s OK they’ll release you the day after tomorrow.”

  “Good.”

  We sat in silence for a while, which was so unlike Ally I knew it must have been bad.

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “Who? Marc?”

  “No. Ben.”

  Ally’s eye’s pooled with tears. “I don’t know. He could be dead for all I care.”

  “But he’s not?”

  Ally pouted. “No. He’ll be OK. You should have hit him harder.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean that, I’m just so, so . . . ”

  I grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I know. Me too.”

  We fell quiet again, until I let out a sigh. “I can’t go home.”

  “Yet,” said Ally, “but in a day or two—”

  “No. I’m not going back there.”

  Ally’s face fell. “Oh. Of course not. You can come to my—”

  “No, it’s OK. I’ll head back to Duncan’s estate, it’s big enough and I’ll sleep downstairs. Then I need to go see my father.”

  “What?” Ally’s breath came out in a whoosh.

  I gave her a sad smile, then explai
ned the letter I had received before the party.

  “Oh, Lena. I’m so sorry. Everything’s just so messed-up right now.”

  “Hey, I’m alive. It could be worse.”

  “Don’t say that!” She appeared horrified by my dark humor.

  “Where’s Marc?”

  Ally frowned and looked away. “I’m not sure. He should be back soon though.”

  “What?”

  Ally shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “Ally.”

  “No, it’s really nothing.”

  “Allegra Valenti.”

  She focused on her lap and when she met my eyes again they were worried. “He’s been acting really strange. But I think it was from seeing you like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Ally avoided my eyes again. “When they found you, and you passed out, he . . . he didn’t take it very well.”

  “I don’t imagine he did.” I couldn’t begin to understand how horrible it must have been for him to come in and find me like that.

  “No, I mean, he really didn’t take it well. He lost it.”

  “How do you mean?”

  Ally bit her lip. “He punched a wall. It was his cry that made me come running. He sounded like . . . like an injured animal or something. For a second I thought he was going to attack Ben, but he was already out cold, and Kaden had to drag Marc from the room. I’m pretty sure he had to have stitches on his hand.”

  I closed my eyes. The poor man. “He served in Afghanistan.”

  “What?”

  I opened my eyes. I wouldn’t breach Marc’s confidence, but I knew Ally could be trusted. “He lost men there. Nearly lost his own life, too.”

  Ally’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, Lena. You need to talk to him. I think, I think he might be going through something, but I’m not sure.”

  “It’s OK, I will. Everything will be alright.”

  Ally dropped her hand and her eyes darted to the doorway. “Marc.”

  I followed her gaze and the immediate sense of relief was replaced with a stab of fear.

  The man standing in the doorway was Marc, but it didn’t look like him. It was rare to see him so unkempt. His shirt was creased and so were his trousers, but it was the lines I saw on his face that knotted my stomach.

  He met my eyes then looked away. For the first time ever, I wondered where the calm, impassive mask he wore so easily had gone.

  He didn’t say anything and Ally didn’t seem to know where to look. I put my hand to my cheek, something tugging at my memory. Deep voices. An earlier discussion that I couldn’t quite remember.

  He met my eyes again and in his anguished expression I saw it.

  “You knew,” I accused. “You knew, and you lied to me.”

  Chapter 38

  Ally watched in disbelief as Marc turned to go. She jumped up to go after him, but I caught her arm.

  “Let him go.”

  She sat down again, appearing slightly shell-shocked, which was how I felt, too.

  “Why?” she said.

  “Because I need time to make sense of everything.”

  Why had I just let him go? I knew how hard this was for him, how he was haunted by a past I was unable to imagine, yet I couldn’t bring myself to call him back.

  “Are you sure?” Ally asked.

  “Yes.” Regardless of his past, he’d deliberately concealed information. If I’d known, I never would have gone with Ben into the panic room. If I’d suspected, even remotely, that Ben might have unhealthy feelings for me, I would never have allowed myself to be alone with him.

  It didn’t matter how well meaning Marc’s intentions were. Or how much he cared about me. It mattered that he trusted me, that he respected me enough not to have any secrets between us. After my inauthentic Hollywood marriage, I refused to have another relationship based on lies.

  “You know why?” I told Ally. “Because he never gave me a chance to protect myself.”

  Ally frowned at me, but didn’t say anything. She knew me well enough to understand I needed time to sort through my feelings.

  My thoughts whirling, I looked out the window past Ally. It was a sunny day. No clouds in sight. It was warm in the hospital room but I knew the air outside would have a cool edge to it now it was almost winter.

  Almost awards season.

  Had it really been nearly a year ago I’d won my first award? An Oscar for my performance in Duncan’s production, A Long Night.

  I was yet to find out if I would be nominated again, but I’d had plans for Marc to join me on the red carpet.

  Now I would go alone.

  *

  “You’re fussing.”

  Ally smoothed my skirt again. “I’m not fussing, I’m working.”

  I hid a smile. “I know you are.”

  At the fondness in my voice, she glanced up. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “I’m fine.” There was that word again. Since Ben’s attack, I’d been using it a lot more.

  I looked over her head at the full-length mirror. This time last year, I had debuted Ally’s first awards ceremony gown. Twelve months on, I would be one of five actresses wearing a Valenti gown to attend the Golden Globes. Once again Ally had outdone herself.

  The silver strapless princess style gown twinkled like a star under the foyer lights. I had no idea where Ally had sourced the material from, but I was sure she had stolen tulle from every fairy-tale heroine there ever was. The skirt was enormous and I loved it.

  “You may not be nominated for any awards this year, but you’re going to turn heads,” Ally told me.

  “Jay’s going to love getting me into the car in this.”

  “Hasn’t he organized you a pumpkin carriage?” Ally quipped.

  “Not necessary,” said a deep voice behind us.

  I grinned at Jay in the mirror. “Are you sure?”

  He let out a low whistle. “That’s some dress. You’ll fit in the car but I hope you made other arrangements, Ally. Ain’t gonna be room for you, too.”

  “No problem. Jacob should be here in a minute to pick me up.”

  Jay nodded and strolled away. It was just another day at the office for him.

  “Ally, seriously. The dress looks perfect.”

  Ally straightened. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Ally sighed and glanced around us, nodding at the Gone with the Wind staircase. “Well, you’re here for one.”

  “Yes, I am. The renovations are finished now, too, so what’s wrong with here?”

  “You wanted to be living in your own house.”

  “This is a house.”

  “Home. Your own home.”

  I gave her a gentle smile. “Stop worrying about me, I’m fine. Really. I may not have found my home yet but this is acceptable for now.”

  I hadn’t returned to the house in Beverly Hills. I’d had my things moved back to my Hollywood Hills estate and put the house on the market. It hadn’t sold yet, which was no surprise given the media speculation surrounding Ben’s two-year imprisonment and what had happened in the panic room.

  “What about tonight? Are you going to be OK?”

  “Of course.”

  She stepped back and looked at me. “But you’re going alone.”

  “I’m fine with that.”

  She bit her lip. “Have you spoken to him?”

  “No.”

  “But—”

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Ally, you know that.”

  Her shoulders drooped. “I guess.”

  “I’m happy being alone.”

  “I didn’t say you weren’t.”

  “But?”

  “But I guess I just thought Marc was it,” she blurted.

  I stared at her. “It?”

  She waved her hands at me in true Italian style. “It! The One. The man for you!”

  I blinked. “Since when?” This was the first I’d heard about it.
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  Ally sighed. “Since I saw the way you looked at him.”

  “When?”

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Whenever you thought no one was looking, Lena! You’ve never looked at a guy like that. Certainly not Duncan.”

  I walked over to her. With my giant skirt it felt like I was floating. I threaded my fingers through hers. “No, you’re right. I never looked at Duncan like that.”

  “So?”

  I glanced down at my fairy-tale dress, all too aware of the painful irony. “Not everyone gets a happy ending, Ally.”

  Ally looked close to tears. “But you deserve one.”

  Gosh, she was a good friend. And in my weaker moments, I’d thought the same thing too. Especially when the loss of my mother became too much and my father’s tragic situation made me feel powerless. Still, it didn’t help anyone to play the victim.

  “I tried contacting him. You know that.”

  After he’d left my hospital room, Marc hadn’t returned. While I was angry at the breach of trust, once I’d had time to think, I was prepared to talk to him and had left several messages. It had been three days before I’d finally received a reply:

  On assignment outside LA. Probably better this way.

  And that had been it. No mention of how long he would be gone. No, ‘Our relationship is over’. Or, ‘It’s not over, but I need time to think, so can you wait for me?’ Just some vague indication that things had gone wrong and we were probably better off without each other.

  Probably.

  That one text pretty much summed up our relationship: lack of communication.

  And Ally was right, I’d never looked at a guy that way before, and maybe I wouldn’t again. I’d fallen in love with him. I could admit that, but I was also smart enough to recognize that no matter how much you loved someone, sometimes things didn’t work out.

  My parents had taught me that lesson without ever intending to.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Ally’s apology cut through my thoughts.

  “I didn’t mean to ruin the mood,” she said. “Come on. Jake will be here soon and I need to get dressed. It’s time for you to shine, Lena Lyons.”

  Chapter 39

  An hour into the after-party and I was ready to go home.

  Ally’s dress had the desired effect and turned heads. And, despite people’s reassuring comments that it was great to see me and how I was doing well, all I wanted to do was get as far away from everybody as possible.