The Barrington Billionaires Collection 1

by Danielle Stewart

  “I’m listening to the audio of all my lines again,” Evie boasted excitedly, desperate for Pierre’s approval.

  “You are going to do marvelous,” he assured her as he ran a thumb down her cheek. “Especially since you are in the hands of the most talented makeup artist I have ever had the pleasure,”—he emphasized the word—“of working with. Her talent is only surpassed by her ability to love.”

  “I’m on a tight schedule here, Pierre,” Jessica said coolly, guiding a buzzing Evie back to her chair. “If you want your star ready, I’ve got to get back to work.”

  “Yes, yes. I just need a minute with you in private please,” he cooed, clasping a warm hand to her elbow and leading her toward the door. Emmitt sprang to his feet until she shot him a look to cool it. Her advice to the bodyguard wasn’t meant for her protection, and there was no use getting fired already.

  When they were outside Jessica was completely prepared to tell Pierre she wasn’t interested in whatever he had to say. She didn’t want to hop on a plane with him and go back to the restaurant in Paris where they used to sneak away to all the time. No offer of anything would be welcomed. She was ready. Bring it on.

  “I need you to keep an eye on Evie,” Pierre said in a hushed voice. “You have a way with actresses. It’s why I was so anxious to have you on set. Evie has potential I haven’t seen in years. But she’s very new and vulnerable. She’s never even been away from home before, a Midwest girl. I’d like you to care for her, take her to dinner, and make her comfortable. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I trust you. More than anyone else on this set, I trust you to take care of her.”

  There was an intimacy to the conversation, and she couldn’t tell if it was calculated or not. The connection he was trying to make was an angle she hadn’t expected and one she had a hard time saying no to.

  “I will,” she conceded after a long moment. “I’ll make sure she is busy and stays out of trouble. Plus she has her bodyguard too. He seems like a good one.”

  “I don’t like him,” Pierre said in a hushed voice. Jessica added that to the list of reasons to like Emmitt. If Pierre wasn’t a fan, it meant he was doing his job.

  “Is there anything else?” Jessica asked, her hand on the door of the trailer ready to get back to her job.

  “No,” he sang disappointedly, though his face screamed that was a lie. “I won’t say anything else to you. Because I know right now you don’t want me to.”

  “Bye, Pierre,” she moaned as she stepped back into the trailer and tightly closed the door, fighting the urge to flip the lock.

  “Is everything all right? Is he upset with me?” Evie looked frantic, her hands fidgeting nervously. Her heart-shaped face was suddenly pale.

  “No,” Jessica assured, patting Evie’s tiny shoulder. “Quite the contrary. He said some really nice things about you. All he asked was that I show you the town and make sure you settle in. You don’t have any family here, right? It can be overwhelming at first, and he wants to make sure you have everything you need.”

  “Oh that’s so nice. Isn’t he so nice?” she asked, clasping her hands together and looking back and forth between Emmitt and Jessica, neither of them agreeing or having the heart to disagree. “I’m really glad, Jessica. You and I could be great friends.”

  “Yes,” Jessica said, handing her back her ear buds. “You remind me so much of myself at your age.”

  Her eyes cut over to Emmitt who blew out a long breath as though to say he understood Jessica’s words were not a compliment but a worry.

  “He doesn’t like you,” Jessica said to Emmitt once Evie was back in the world of listening to her lines and playing pretend in her own mind.

  “Good,” Emmitt replied, relaxing his shoulders again. “I like when feelings are mutual. Is that all he wanted? For you to keep an eye out for her? You two clearly had some chemistry.”

  “Don’t call it that,” she snapped. “It’s history not chemistry. Just do your job and keep this girl from making stupid mistakes.”

  “Sounds like it’s both our jobs now,” he snickered.

  Chapter 16

  “I don’t know, Bro, she seems like she has this under control. She’s not the lovesick, batting-eyelash girl I was expecting. As far as I can tell she thinks this Pierre guy is a tool.”

  “I didn’t say she was all dumbstruck and in love,” Mathew argued as he waved James into his office. “I’ve given it plenty of thought. Jessica can handle herself. I don’t doubt that, but I want you there anyway.”

  “Oh, I’ll be here,” Emmitt said in his jesting tone. “I’m taking her to dinner.”

  “You’re what?” Mathew boomed, hopping to his feet like he might just run the fifteen miles that separated them and beat the shit out of his brother.

  “Chill,” Emmitt laughed. “I guess this Pierre guy wants your girl to mentor my girl.”

  “Who’s your girl?” Mathew asked, waving off James’s attempts at getting his attention.

  “Evie, the actress I was hired to protect, so I could spy on Jessica for you.”

  “Stop saying that. It’s not spying.”

  “I’m just fucking with you. Everything’s good. I really am going to dinner tonight with Jessica and Evie but on a completely professional basis. I’ll be sitting back watching for any danger.”

  “So you saw Pierre,” Mathew said, sitting back down and relaxing slightly, though his fist was still balled up. “What’s your read on him?”

  “Grade A douchebag for sure. He’s super touchy feely with Evie, and Jessica already warned me to keep an eye out for him. That’s a good sign.”

  “If she feels that way, why the hell is she working there?” That was the question keeping Mathew up at night. Usually when he found himself staring at the ceiling it was plotting out the next big move at work. Instead he was dissecting what the hell might be going through Jessica’s mind. And unlike most tasks he took on, he was failing miserably.

  “Not everyone was born into a rich family, dude. Some folks have to make the coin any way they can. Stop being such a pretentious jerk about it. This is her job; I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but I’ll stick around.”

  “But why does he want her getting close to this Evie girl? What’s his angle?” Mathew tapped the desk with his pen and raked a hand through his hair.

  “Don’t know,” Emmitt replied, too casually for Mathew’s jagged nerves.

  “Find out,” he demanded. “That’s what you’re there for. Pierre is not just sitting back and letting Jessica go. Even if she says she’s over him, I don’t trust the situation. He’s a scumbag.”

  “I’m on it, Bro. But have you thought that maybe you should just tell her all this rather than spy—I mean rather than having me watch her. Just level with her.”

  “I did,” Mathew growled. “I told her not to take the job. That he was using her, and she didn’t like me telling her what to do.”

  “But obviously you want her, and I can see why; she’s a knockout with a fiery side. Not usually your type, but I think she’d be good for you. I bet if you just told her how you feel instead of what to do she’d ditch this French loser.”

  “Who are you?” Mathew asked, pulling the phone from his ear and making sure it still read his brother’s name on the screen. “This from the man who thinks woman secretly love being treated like garbage?”

  “I don’t treat women like garbage,” Emmitt corrected. “Just stop being an idiot, will you?”

  “Thanks for your adept look at the situation, but how about you stick to what you’re good at?”

  “Which is?” Emmitt asked, fishing for the elusive compliment from his older brother.

  “Which is keeping good people from getting hurt by bad ones.”

  “You bet your ass I’m good at it,” Emmitt said, and Mathew could imagine his prideful smile. For a kid who swore he didn’t give a shit about what people thought, he always seemed to want to hear Mathew’s opinion.

  Ma
thew hung up the phone and finally turned his attention back to his business partner, who’d been waiting impatiently for him. “You’re back.”

  “Good to see you too,” James said through his uncharacteristically relaxed smile. “It sounds like you are royally fucking things up with Jessica. Nice work. Hopefully West Oil isn’t on your list of things to screw up too.”

  “I’m not fucking anything up. I’m trying to look out for her, but she’s not acting rationally.”

  “Does she strike you as the kind of woman who frequently acts rationally? Because what I see in her is someone who goes where her gut tells her. Someone who does what she believes is right and won’t be told otherwise.”

  “Exactly, and it’s frustrating the shit out of me. Why can’t she see this snake in the grass for what he is?” Mathew slammed his hand down on the desk.

  “You really think having your bullheaded brother handle this is going to work out well? He’s going to make a mess of the situation and cause even more problems. I wish you’d have waited until I came back so we could have figured this shit out.”

  “We should have brought Emmitt on from the beginning. I know West Oil has a security department but nothing like my brother. You know he’s the best.”

  “He’s the best at situations that require illegal solutions, brute force, or reckless abandon. West Oil won’t be facing any of those if I can help it.”

  “We burned him up there. I left him hanging and waiting around to see what the hell was going on down here.”

  “I’ve known you a lot of years, Mathew, and for the first time I don’t recognize the guy sitting in front of me. Where is your focus? Where is your deliberate approach to things? I need your head in the game here.”

  “I can do more than one thing,” Mathew bit back. “I just saved West Oil half a million dollars by partnering with Dean Henderson on manufacturing some needed parts to modernize our rigs.”

  “Dean Henderson, as in Brice Henderson’s brother?”

  “Yes, but he stonewalled me on getting through to Brice. I’ve got a plan for Asher though. I have some leads. He and Emily, the woman he proposed to, have to get married at some point.”

  “And we should crash their wedding? I’ll level with you: if someone tried pitching me anything at my wedding I’d throw them out on their ass.”

  “No, we don’t need to crash their wedding, but there’s a whole lot of ways to connect with someone as they make plans. I have a few ideas. The rumor is, and please don’t ask me how I know this, they are thinking September.”

  “You need to sort out this shit with Jessica first. I need my partner back. I need your head in the game. Let me try to help with it. Maybe Libby can talk some sense into her.”

  “No,” Mathew said, waving him off. “The last thing I want to do is cause a riff between the two of them. I’ll figure this out. I have to.”

  “Well, hurry up,” James asserted as he stood. “I don’t think a woman like Jessica tolerates dumbasses too long.”

  “Everyone’s a fucking expert these days,” Mathew barked to James’s back as he walked away.

  “Not everyone,” James laughed. “You certainly aren’t.”

  Chapter 17

  “Swanky place,” Emmitt commented quietly to Jessica as she tried to keep up with Evie’s frantic and excited steps.

  “It’s one of the nicest in the city. Nothing but the best for one of Pierre’s lead actresses,” Jessica whispered back. She didn’t add that it was one of the first restaurants Pierre had taken her to many years ago. At the time Jessica hadn’t been sure which piece of silverware to use. She’d felt small and foolish, like everyone was judging her. Back then the only pair of eyes that seemed to matter were the deep blue pools Pierre kept flashing in her direction. The entire situation had intimidated her, but Pierre treated her so delicately, she melted into the night, blindly trusting his guidance . . . what a kind man he was to share a meal with such an unsophisticated fool . . . how generous of him to put up with her silliness.

  She shook the memories as Emmitt sped ahead to open the door for them, but a man in a crisp suit was already there to do it. “A guy just to open the door. Is that his only job?”

  “Yep,” Jessica said with a tiny laugh. “And he probably makes more than either of us.”

  “We have reservation for two,” Jessica announced to the hostess. “It’s under Pierre Jacques.”

  “Oh yes,” the hostess said, lighting with excitement. “Pierre called earlier and said to move the reservation to three people. He is joining you and arrived a little bit ago.” She leaned in and said brightly, “How exciting.”

  “Make the reservation for four people please,” Jessica said sternly. “Emmitt, you’ll be joining us tonight.”

  “I . . . um . . .” Emmitt stuttered. “That’s not really how this works. I grab a seat at the bar and just lay low. I don’t dine with the royalty here.”

  “You do tonight,” she insisted, tugging his arm. “Didn’t you know? You and I hit it off today. You are here as my guest. I can’t get enough of your company.”

  “I didn’t know,” Emmitt said, cocking an eyebrow up and then suddenly seeming to understand. “You’re really dragging me into this?”

  “Just go along with me here. You want to do your job then you’ll want to be at this table, trust me.”

  “All right, but at least make sure I can take the seat with a good view of the door.”

  “Oh ladies,” Pierre sang out as they approached the quiet table in the corner.

  “Pierre,” Evie sang as she jumped into his open arms and accepted his two kisses on her cheeks. “I’m so glad you could come tonight too.”

  “Oh yes,” he said, moving her aside and opening his arms to Jessica. “I had something cancel, no plans for dinner, and thought I’d get more time with you.” He was looking directly in Jessica’s face as he said it. “There is nothing like good company. Don’t you agree, Jessica?”

  “Emmitt, here sit by me,” she insisted as she sidestepped Pierre.

  “Emmitt will be joining us for dinner?” Pierre asked, looking thoroughly insulted by the idea.

  “Yes, we’re full of surprises tonight, aren’t we?” Jessica was curt as she slid into her seat and clenched her jaw angrily. Of course Pierre would continue to manipulate the situation. Of course he would pull this shit. How stupid she’d been. He’d appealed to her desire to help and then exploited it. Brilliant as always.

  If there had been a more painfully awkward fifteen minutes that existed in the world, Jessica would be surprised. Sitting with these three people felt as though she was being slowly pulled apart like a cooked chicken. She wished to be anywhere but here. She wished she were with Mathew in the bed of that truck, watching the fireworks.

  Pierre’s phone rang suddenly, and he answered it with a look of relief for the break in the discomfort. “Oh no,” he said, looking over at Evie sadly. “I’ll let her know now. Thank you for the quick call.” He tucked his phone away in the breast pocket of his suit and slumped his shoulders. “Evie dear, there has been a change in script that I wasn’t sure they would push through. They need you back on set tonight to run some lines with your counterparts. We need to be ready for shooting it in the morning.”

  “Aw,” Evie sang out in disappointment. “Well, that’s how it is in the business.” She shrugged as she stood and placed her napkin over her unused plate. “I’ll work really hard and get those lines perfect.”

  “Emmitt, you’ll make sure she gets back to the set safely?” Pierre asked as he stood and fished some money from his pocket.

  Emmitt’s jaw clenched tightly as his eyes met Jessica’s. She was filled with a burning anger now, and Emmitt, a perceptive man, was clearly reading the situation correctly. This had all been a well-orchestrated play. A chess match that Pierre felt he was winning. And the only person at the table who didn’t seem to know it was Evie.

  Emmitt waved off the money being offered and kept his eyes
fixed on Jessica. “Can I give you a ride home as well?” he offered.

  Pierre shook his head no, answering the question that hadn’t been his to answer. “Jessica and I are old friends. I’ll make sure she gets home safely. We’re no strangers to this restaurant. It’ll be nostalgic.”

  Jessica bit at her lip as Emmitt continued to try to read her face. Evie was ready to leave, her sweater slipped back on and her small designer bag slung over her shoulder. If Jessica was going with them, it was now or never.

  “I’m tired actually,” Jessica said, pushing her chair back and standing. “I will take you up on that ride.”

  “And leave an old man here to eat alone?” Pierre asked sadly. “A crime.”

  “Jessica,” Evie said, covering her heart. “You should stay. Don’t make Pierre eat alone. I feel terrible for having to leave, and I’ll feel so much better knowing I didn’t ruin the night.”

  “Sit,” Pierre insisted. He had a way to make something sound like an invitation when it was really a demand. “I can’t stand to eat alone. You know that. Not when I’m so close to having such marvelous company.”

  Without words passing between them, Emmitt and Jessica asked and answered important questions.

  Are you sure?

  Yes, it’ll be fine.

  With a few more oblivious goodbyes, Evie and Emmitt disappeared out the entrance of the restaurant as Jessica sat back down.

  “That is a strange man,” Pierre commented casually as he gestured for the waiter to clear the extra plates. “He seems like he wants to say something and then doesn’t. I don’t care for him. I’ll get Evie a different security man.”

  “No stranger than last minute line changes to call an actress back to the set. Amazing how this night turned out exactly how you would have wanted it. As if you orchestrated it all yourself.”

  “Oh, you caught me.” Pierre smiled as he reached a hand out and touched her arm. “I was never very good at pretenses. I just had to have this tonight. I was desperate.”