“Are you trying to tell me that you’re the reason I was hired for this film?” I replied, angry at the idea. Especially the way he was putting it out there.
His smile widened. “Let’s just say… the director and I are good friends.”
Trying to keep my cool, I tossed back the rest of the champagne and set the glass in the sink. “While I appreciate that you may have been involved with me getting hired, I hope you’re not insinuating that I owe you anything for it.”
His eyes turned cool. “It wasn’t easy talking the director into using someone he’d never heard of.”
So I’d been right about him in the very beginning. He was an arrogant, self-serving ass. It reminded me of the shit I’d been exposed to in foster care. One person in particular had used a similar tactic to sexually abuse me. I’d been vulnerable back then—but I wasn’t anymore.
I pointed toward the front door. “Get out.”
Hunter’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
I picked up the champagne bottle and shoved it at him. “I see right through you, Hunter, and the hell if I’m going to let you bully me into whatever it is you came here for.”
He tried backtracking. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. A mistake—”
“I agree. The mistake was that I let you in here, thinking maybe I was wrong about you. I should have known better.”
He tried reaching out to touch my arm. “Listen, I’m sorry if—”
I slapped his hand away. “Touch me and you’ll really know what ‘sorry’ is, you piece of shit.”
Hunter’s face turned red. “You’re crazy,” he said, walking around the island toward the door. “Maybe even too crazy to be in this movie.”
I knew a threat when I heard it. “I’ve got one word for you, Hunter: Borgenstein.”
He stopped in his tracks and turned around.
I smiled. Harold Borgenstein was a famous movie producer who was currently being sued by dozens of actresses for sexual harassment. I’d never met him myself, but everyone in the business knew that the accusations were true. It was also a scandal that nobody wanted to find themselves in, guilty or not. Something told me I wasn’t the only woman Hunter had tried pressuring into sex, and it certainly wouldn’t be that difficult to find other victims.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t fuck with me or my career, Hunter. You’ll regret it.”
He walked toward me with a sneer. “Listen here, bitch. You’ve got nothing on me. Nothing. I could make one phone call right now and get you kicked off of the set faster than you can pat yourself on the back for being a stupid, mouthy cunt.”
I clenched my hands into fists, ready to wipe the ugly smile from his face. “Excuse—”
He went on. “In fact, I have so many friends in this business, some who could actually make you disappear, so it would be in your best interest to be nice to me,” he said, setting the bottle back down on the counter with a little too much force.
I gasped. “Are you threatening me with murder?”
“Your words. Not mine,” he replied. Hunter moved closer to me until I was backed up against the counter. “Look, this is obviously getting out of hand. I didn’t come here to fight.”
“Fuck you. I know exactly what you came here for,” I said between clenched teeth.
He tilted his head and smiled. “You’re so beautiful. Probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Especially when you’re angry.” Before I could reply, he leaned forward and tried kissing me.
Horrified, I shoved him away from me. The way he was trying to manipulate me brought back so many terrible memories. “If you don’t get out of my house right now, I’m calling the police.”
“Ava—”
I tried moving around him but he blocked me and smirked. “Last chance to keep your career.”
Having had enough, I punched him in the jaw.
Gasping, he stumbled slightly and then grabbed me by the ponytail, jerking my head back.
“You bitch,” he growled, crushing his mouth against mine and roughly fondling my breasts.
Crying out, I bit his lip, drawing blood. He swore and released me, but not before I kneed him between the legs.
Hunter howled in pain and leaned forward clutching his balls. “Fuck!”
I raced over to the butcher block and pulled out the largest knife. I turned around and held it up in front of me. “Get the hell out of here!”
Still hunched over, he glared at me and backed away. “Your career is finished, you cheap, trashy cunt!”
Now I was triggered. “You forgot psycho!” I snarled, moving toward him.
Hunter’s eyes widened. He turned and bolted out of the kitchen. I followed him until I knew he was out of the house and locked the deadbolt. Turning around, I leaned against the door, trembling. When I heard his car pull away, I slid to the floor and began to sob.
Chapter 4
Ava
THE NEXT MORNING when my alarm went off, it was a struggle to get moving. I’d had a hell of a time falling asleep after stewing about Hunter all night. I’d even considered about calling the cops, but in the end knew it would have been his word against mine. Not only was he famous, but he had money and the kind of power that really could get me killed. I decided that the best thing to do was return to the set, finish up the last couple of scenes I’d been hired to do, and never work on another movie with Hunter.
After rolling out of bed, I forced myself into the shower and then made myself a container of coffee to take with me. As I was adding cream, my cell phone rang. Hoping it was Andrew, I quickly grabbed it and answered.
“Ava? It’s Ben Jones.”
Realizing that it was the assistant director, my stomach clenched as Hunter’s threats resurfaced. “Oh, hey, Ben. What’s up?”
“How’s it going?”
I could tell by the sound of his voice that he had bad news for me.
“Fine. I certainly wasn’t expecting a call from you so early. Is anything wrong?” I asked, my blood boiling with anger. Last night Hunter had gotten under my skin and I’d felt vulnerable and weak. Today, I wanted to attach a chain to his neck and the other end of it to my motorcycle and drag him across the desert, naked.
“Actually,” he cleared his throat, “I hate to be the one to break the news, but we’re not going to be needing you today.”
“And why is that?” I asked clenching my teeth.
“The actress has decided that she’s going to do her own stunts.”
Now that surprised me. Valerie was afraid of breaking a nail, let alone her neck. It definitely didn’t sound like her. “What? Seriously?”
“Yeah. The gas station scene will be easy for her, especially since we made a couple of changes, and then the last love scene, she’s going to do it. We’ve decided to not make her fully nude, so she’s okay with it.”
I wouldn’t have questioned the change had Hunter not made his threats the night before.
I began pacing across the floor. “Does this have anything to do with Hunter?”
“Hunter Calloway? No. Not at all.”
I rolled my eyes. Ben was a horrible liar. “I’m sorry, but I don’t buy it. And by the way, my contract states—”
“Relax, Ava. You’re still getting paid what we promised,” he said quickly. “Your contract still stands. It’s just that you don’t have to do all the work now. You should actually be relieved.”
He was right, I should have been, but I wasn’t. Hunter had pushed his weight around and that irritated the fuck out of me.
“Ava?”
“I’m here.” I wanted to tell him all about Hunter and his threats, but somehow I knew that it would fall on deaf ears. Hell, even worse, he wouldn’t offer me any support, after all… Hunter was the star of the show and his name sold millions of movie tickets. At least I could go to the funeral now without missing any work.
“I thought you’d be happy. You should be happy.”
“Yeah, I kn
ow.” I sighed. “Thank you for calling me so I didn’t have to waste time driving in.”
“No problem and if there’s anything you need, call me, okay?”
“Sure. Thanks, Ben.”
“You’re welcome.”
I was about to tell him to call me if Valerie changed her mind, but he hung up before I could get the words out. I pictured Hunter, grinning smugly, and hoped to hell that one day someone would put the bastard in his place.
Chapter 5
Ava
LATER THAT DAY, I returned the motorcycle to the rental company, and took the first flight back to my condo in Miami. After walking through the door, I called my mother and left a message, letting her know that I’d returned. I then attempted to call Andrew again, but there was still no answer. I began to wonder if he’d chosen to avoid me as well. It was a sad thought, although I didn’t know what kind of life he had now, and the fact that he was mixed in with an outlaw biker club spoke volumes. It was very possible that he’d changed and wasn’t the sweet guy I used to know. I hoped I was wrong, but life could do a number on an individual. I knew that more than anyone.
Later that evening, Mom called and asked if I wanted her to go with me to the funeral. I knew she wanted to support me, but for some reason, I wanted to keep my past and present separate. I guess part of me was worried that something might change between us when Millie saw my mother. It was probably a silly notion, but I couldn’t seem to shake it.
“No, I’m just going by myself. Thank you, though.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know. We should get together though.”
“Yes. I would like that.”
We arranged to have lunch later in the week and then talked about the movie.
“So, why did they let you leave early?” she asked.
I thought about shielding her from what happened, but decided to tell her the truth. When I was finished, she was furious.
“You should have called the police on that jerk,” she said angrily.
“I know. With my luck, they would have arrested me for punching him in the chin,” I mused, looking down at my knuckles. They were actually still a little sore from hitting him.
“Do you think he has the power to keep you from getting other stunt jobs?”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I replied. “I’m hoping he forgets about it.”
“You should report him to someone,” she said. “Especially if he’s threatening to blackball you like that. You know, there’s a woman at church who used to work in the media. She was a reporter. I bet she could talk to someone for you and set up an interview, I’d be happy to talk to her if you’d like.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’d rather just put this behind me. I mean, if I have problems getting jobs down the line, I might take you up on it then.”
“I hope so. He sounds like a real creep. I’m not watching any of his movies anymore,” she said angrily.
I smiled.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied. “Really.”
“Have you heard from Andrew yet?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Maybe something happened to him? He is mixed up with some dangerous people.”
The same thought had crossed my mind. “I hope not.”
“I have to go. My show is almost on. Call me tomorrow?”
I told her I would and then we hung up.
My thoughts returned to Andrew. Had he fallen into harm’s way?
My gut was telling me that something might indeed wrong. I decided that if he didn’t return any of my calls by the following week, I’d consult with a private investigator to see if he could help locate Andrew. At the very least, I wanted to make sure he was alive and doing okay, even if he didn’t want a relationship with me.
Chapter 6
Ava
I ARRIVED A few minutes early to Sheila’s visitation on Wednesday. As I entered the church, I found myself face-to-face with Dwayne, who was standing just inside of the double-doors wearing a dark gray suit.
“Ava?” he said, staring at me with wide eyes.
I managed a smile and nodded.
“Wow, look at you,” he said, looking me up and down with a sad smile. “You’ve changed a lot and yet, I still see that sweet little girl Andrew used to brag about.”
“Thank you,” I replied, noticing that he’d aged pretty roughly. There were deep lines and crevices along his face, especially around the lip area, and there were bags under his eyes. He looked haggard and rough. “So, he bragged about me?”
“Of course. You know how big brothers are. He used to talk about you all the time.”
I smiled sadly.
He looked at the doorway, his eyebrows knotted together. “He didn’t call you, huh?”
“No. Unfortunately.”
Dwayne let out a ragged sigh. “That’s too bad. It’s early, though. He might still show up here.”
As much as I wanted him to, my intuition was telling me that we wouldn’t be seeing Andrew at the funeral or anytime soon.
“Come on,” he said, offering his arm. “I’ll walk you over.”
Taking a deep breath, I slid my arm through his and we walked together up to the casket. Sadly, the church was almost empty, with only a couple of older people sitting in pews. They stared at me curiously as we moved past them and I had to wonder who they were as well. As far as I knew, my mother didn’t have any living relatives.
When we reached the casket and I saw her, all of the mental anguish I’d undergone as a child hit me at once, and my eyes filled with tears.
“It’s okay,” Dwayne whispered, patting my hand.
Trying to keep my composure, I stared at the woman who’d given birth to me. Although she had to have been only in her mid-fifties, she looked like a frail, gaunt, old woman. One I barely recognized. The drug abuse had definitely taken its toll on her, and it surprised me that she’d made it as long as she had.
“Hello, are you the daughter?” asked the minister, approaching us from the side of the chapel. He was a gray-haired man with kind eyes and a sympathetic smile.
I nodded.
He offered his condolences and then told me that he’d been with her when she’d passed away.
I stared at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Yes. She’d been coming to my church for the last couple of months, trying to make her peace with God before her time came,” he replied softly.
“Did she die here?” I asked, confused.
“No. She died in hospice,” he said. “In a care facility.”
“Oh,” I replied.
“Sorry, Pastor. We didn’t even know she’d been in hospice,” Dwayne said, looking troubled. “Of course, the cancer had been a surprise, too. She never mentioned it.”
He nodded. “I know. I asked her a couple of weeks ago if she wanted me to gather her family to be with her at the end, but she refused.”
His words stung. “I guess nobody should be surprised by that,” I said bitterly.
“Sheila was ashamed and didn’t want to burden anyone with what she was going through,” he explained. “Especially you. She knew how badly she’d hurt you and didn’t think it would have been fair to walk back into your life as a dying woman.”
I nodded.
“She wanted me to give you this, though,” he said, holding out an envelope with my name on it.
I stared at it.
“Go ahead. Take it,” Dwayne urged.
Swallowing, I took the envelope, folded it, and stuck it into my purse. “I’ll read it later.”
He nodded.
“Was there one for Andrew, too?” I asked.
“Your brother?” the pastor replied, looking confused. “No. She told me he’d died recently.”
I felt like someone had punched me in the gut.
“What?” Dwayne and I asked in unison.
The pastor’s eyes widened.
“I’m so sorry. I feel terrible. You didn’t know?”
“No,” Dwayne replied in a hoarse voice, his face stricken with grief. “Died? Why… h-how did he die?”
“Sheila told me she found out about it on the news. He was… he was killed,” the pastor replied, looking horrified to have to be the one relaying the information. “In Minnesota, last summer.”
Dwayne and I both started asking questions at once.
“Look, I don’t know much about it. I’m sorry,” he said. “Just what I told you.”
“Does anyone know who killed him?” I asked, heartbroken.
“She never said,” he repeated. “I’m sure you can find something about it online or get ahold of someone in law enforcement for the information. She didn’t really want to talk about it with me too much. It really devastated her.”
“I just can’t believe I’m finding out about this now. She could have at least told me,” said Dwayne who was already on his phone, trying to look up information on the Internet. After a few seconds he moaned. “Oh, no. Dear God...”
“What is it?” I asked, moving closer to him. I looked down at his phone and my stomach dropped at the gut-wrenching headlines.
Blood Angel Killed Trying to Assault Local Woman
We read the article, which didn’t make a lot of sense. Apparently, Andrew Bordellini, who they were referring to as “Blade”, had been shot after trying to attack some woman in East Bethel, Minnesota. After reading more into the article, it appeared that the woman was associated with the Gold Vipers, a rival club with a shady past.
“See? This is why I warned him about getting involved with outlaw biker clubs! Obviously, these Gold Vipers had him killed and set it up to look like he was at fault,” Dwayne said angrily.
“You think so?” I asked, stunned.
“Hell, yeah. Especially these Gold Vipers. I’ve seen them in the news more than once and I know damn well that they assassinated him. It’s what those fuckers do.”He glanced at the pastor, who’d been observing us silently. “Excuse my language. Andrew was my son.”
Destroying the Biker (Book 8): (The Biker Series ) Page 3