“I’ll cut right to the chase,” she says, getting up and walking to the window in the corner with her back to me. “Tyler Beckett’s new film.”
“Adrenaline Run?” I ask, thinking of the big box office hit or at least that is the word on the street. “I’ve seen some of the trailers and I’m not going to lie. No matter how much I want to hate the movie just because of Tyler, it looks like a good one.”
“Yes,” she says, turning around. “Hill Crest is going all out for this film and putting together a press junket.”
“That isn’t something new.” I stand and walk over next to her at the window.
“No, it’s not,” she says and then turns to me, “but it isn’t going to be your ordinary hotel junket.”
“Well, then what are they doing?” I ask her, crossing my arms over my chest. “Knowing Tyler Beckett, it will no doubt be a spectacle.”
“You can say that.” She turns and walks back to her chair. “Something no one has seen before.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, he’s so irritating,” I say, looking back at her, and she just stares at me. I can’t tell you why I feel like this when it comes to Tyler, but I just do. I don’t know if it’s because he is always one step ahead of me when I have a scoop. It’s like he knows I’m going to blow the lid on him and releases a statement on his own. He is known to play hard. Three years ago, I got an exclusive video of him and a certain woman—a married woman, no doubt—who was his best friend’s wife. On a yacht somewhere in the middle of Italy, the hour before the story was set to run, he put out a press release that they were dating, and she was getting a divorce. I spent much of that night getting drunk. I don’t know where his spies are, but they are all around, so I learned very fast not to show my hand to anyone. But even then, he is still one step ahead. It’s the most irritating thing.
“Thirty days,” she says. “They are going on a thirty-day tour.”
“Thirty days?” I look up and then down, rolling my eyes. “That’s insane.” I walk back to the chair and sit down. “How the hell are they going to do that?”
“They bought a plane, and selective press will travel with them. They are doing ten stops, stopping in Paris where they will have the movie premier.”
“That schedule alone is crazy. Can you imagine a whole press tour?” I ask, shaking my head.
“I can’t,” she says. “But they are taking ten journalists with them, and you are one of them.”
“No,” I say, sitting up straight. “No way.”
“It’s funny,” she says, smiling leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms, “because that is exactly what Tyler said when he saw your name on the list.”
“He said no for me?” I ask shocked. I mean, I’m not shocked but still. “Me?”
“I need to know what that is all about,” she says, and I shrug my shoulders.
“I have no idea. We don’t exactly run in the same circles.”
“Well, according to Ryan from Hill Crest, you were the only one he dragged his heels on.”
“Good.” I cross my arms over my stomach. “Asshole,” I mumble under my breath.
“Ryan overrode him,” she tells me, and I look at her now. “Pack your bags, Jessica. You’re going on tour.”
Books By Natasha Madison
When one man’s death exposes a complex web of lies, three couples discover the true meaning of love, loss and redemption.
Fall in love with the Love Series
* * *
Chapter One
Hailey
* * *
“Hello.” Turning down “Glorious” by Macklemore blasting in the background while I washed the kitchen floor with Pine Sol and water, I answer the phone after the first ring.
* * *
“It’s me.” I hear my best friend and cousin, Crystal, say from the other end. “Where are you?” I can’t see her face, but I know something is wrong. Even though she’s asked me that question a million times before, this time it’s different. There is no carefree tone. This time, it’s curt and to the point with no laughter in her voice.
* * *
“I’m home,” I say, almost whispering as my hand shakes against my ear. My mouth suddenly goes dry, my neck starting to get hot. Something inside my stomach suddenly drops when a slow burn sets in.
* * *
“You need to come to the hospital.” Crystal is an emergency room nurse at St. Mary’s, so whatever feeling I was having before has now doubled. “Blake is on his way to get you.” When she mentions my brother, I now know something is gravely wrong. The honk outside doesn’t allow me to question her any further. “You need to get in the car, okay?” she says softly but firmly. “Listen to me, Hailey. Go outside and get here.” My head nods as the hand holding my phone to my ear falls away.
* * *
The front door opens, and Blake comes in, looking at me with sorrow and sadness. His brown eyes meet mine briefly, and then he looks down. He doesn’t say anything to me; he simply holds out his hand to me. I put my hand in his, and he leads me out to his truck. He opens the door for me, helping me take that step in.
* * *
As I’m looking at him, he pulls the seat belt over my chest and buckles me in. My mind’s still playing the phone call, trying to dissect the conversation. Trying to find one little word that can be the clue. “It’s going to be okay.” His voice breaks through the haze.
* * *
I nod my head at him, then he steps back and shuts the door, jogging over to his side. He gets in and puts the truck in drive. I’m on the outside looking in, watching my life fall apart without knowing it.
* * *
The only thing I’m certain of is that the sun is shining without a cloud in the sky. As I watch a bird soar through the sky almost in the same direction we are going, I think to myself, Bad things don’t happen when it’s sunny outside, right?
* * *
I watch the bird, not even realizing we’ve made it to the hospital. I don’t have a chance to open my door because Blake has it opened before I even think to reach for the handle. “You’re going to be okay,” he assures me as he raises his baseball cap to run his hands through his short dark hair.
* * *
“What’s going on?” I have a feeling my entire life is about to change, so I beg him to tell me before we walk through those doors. Blake doesn’t answer. He just reaches down to grab my hand and lead me through the revolving doors.
* * *
The harsh smell of antiseptic immediately fills my nose. Voices bombard me, though, none of them are familiar. Glancing around, I take in the hustle and bustle of the emergency room. My heartbeat echoes in my ears as I try in vain to locate a familiar face. I just need to know who we’re here for.
* * *
As we silently walk down the corridor, my mind never stops thinking about why we are here. I look up at Blake, asking the one question that makes my heart squeeze with such intense pain, it feels like it might explode.
* * *
“Is it Mom? Dad?” I can hear the pleading in my tone. He gives me nothing, continuing to look straight ahead. My eyes go back to the floor, following the tile pattern as we make our way beyond the entrance to the emergency room. The first thing I see is both of my parents, alive and healthy. My mother has tears running down her cheeks, and my father has his arm around her shoulders. They are standing next to the nurses’ station. I look back at Blake in horror. “Is it Nanny?”
* * *
He doesn’t have time to answer because Crystal comes out from behind the nurses’ station in her everyday uniform of blue scrubs and Crocs, wearing a stethoscope around her neck.
* * *
With one glance at her face, I stop my feet in their tracks. My feet are stuck to the floor as if someone crazy glued them to that spot. I can see the hurt and tears in her eyes. She looks at me with her head tilted sideways, her bottom lip trembling. My body blocks any movements I try to make. I try to advance to Crystal, but
I can’t. My knees start to give out, and a horrible shrieking sound comes from somewhere.
* * *
I try turning my head to see where the yelling is coming from, but I can’t. I’m on my hands and knees in the hospital corridor. It isn’t until the coldness seeps through my hands that I realize I’m the one screaming. That wretched sound is coming from me. Me. My throat raw, my eyes burning, and my heart irrevocably broken. No words need to be said. No confirmation given. I don’t need them to bring me to a place where we can “talk quietly.” It’s at that moment I finally know what everyone else knows.
* * *
My husband is dead.
* * *
Love Series
Perfect Love Story
Unexpected Love Story
Broken Love Story
* * *
Something So Series
Something So Right
Something So Perfect
Something So Irresistible
Something So Unscripted
Tempt Series
Tempt The Boss
Tempt The Playboy
* * *
Heaven & Hell Series
Hell and Back
Pieces of Heaven
Heaven & Hell Box Set
* * *
Mixed Up Love
Acknowledgments
My Husband: Thank you for being by my side through this whole thing.
My Kids: Matteo, Michael, and Erica, thank you for letting me do this. Thank you for being proud of me, I love you honey bunches and oats!
Rachel: You are my blurb bitch. Whether you wear sloths or bats I still love you. Thank you for writing every single blurb without reading the book!
Dani: You are hands down one of the most genuine person I’ve ever met thank you so much for guiding me, holding my hand and just being there no matter how many times I message you!
Yamina: Thank you so much for making sure the French was perfect. Je t’adore!
Beta girls: Teressa, Lori, Natasha M, Lori, Sandy, Yolanda. I can’t do this without you guys. I wouldn’t even want to.
Madison Maniacs: This little group went from two people to so much more and I can’t thank you guys enough. This group is my go to, my safe place. You push me and get excited for me and I can’t wait to watch us grow even bigger!
Julie: Thank you for taking my book with all its mistakes and making it pretty, or as pretty as it can be.
BLOGGERS. THANK YOU FOR TAKING A CHANCE ON ME. You give so much of yourself effortlessly and you are the voice that we can’t do this without.
And Lastly and most importantly to YOU the reader, Without you none of this would be real. So thank you for reading!
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