Shatter

“That’s too bad.” Angelica’s bottom lip went into a pout. “Because when I go with my story, you better believe it’s going to look bad. Alec Daniels, golden boy no more. Tsk, Tsk, your own brother won’t want to be within ten states of you. You know, since you royally screwed him.”

“So that’s it?” I smirked. “You just ruin my life?”

Angelica’s eyes turned dark. “Yes. Just like you ruined mine.”

“You can’t blame me for your mistakes,” I countered.

“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have stumbled into that hallway. I wouldn’t have been caught—” She poked me in the chest. “I wouldn’t have been locked out of my room. I wouldn’t have passed out in the damn hallway, and I wouldn’t have missed the morning flight for the biggest movie role of my life. They fired me, Alec. Fired me. It was the last straw, according to producers. So yeah. I do blame you. You ruined me, all because you said no. And now I’m going to give you hell until it’s fixed.”

“Three million.” I almost choked on the words as they flew out of my mouth. “Invest in a better publicist, get the right wardrobe, and I’ll get you on the phone with the best casting agent in L.A. You’ll be filming by the end of the month.”

“Tempting.” Angelica winked. “But I like my way better. After all, he’s promised me the lead in the next three movies regardless of what happens. You go to the media and he’s happy. Everyone knows what a whore his wife was, and he gets his production company back because she cheated. I go to the media and the story’s the same. So basically…” She tapped her long fingernails against her chin. “Yeah, basically I win. Have a good night, Alec.”

I grabbed her arm. “You’d sell your soul for the lead in a movie? You’d ruin countless lives — for your career?”

“I’d kill for my career.” Angelica jerked her arm free. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that though.”

“You’ve lost your damn mind.”

“Oh, but Alec…” She sneered. “At least I’m pretty and my fans like me. At least they’ll like me more once they know the truth… in a few weeks, you’re going to be knocking down my door for a favor.”

Chapter Ten

Demetri

“Why’s the devil talking to Alec?” Nat asked as she leaned against my shoulder. We’d both been watching the tense exchange for the past five minutes.

“Beats me.” I wrapped my arm around her and sighed. “But I’ve got a theory, want to hear it?”

“Always.” She grinned, a waiter passed. I grabbed a bottled water and handed her a glass of champagne, knowing it was one of her favorite things in the world. Alec was seriously spoiling the girl. She probably had no idea how much Cristal cost.

She hesitated at first then took a small sip. “So the theory?”

“Ah, yes.” I took a swig of water. “It’s quite simple. She’s the Anti-Christ.”

Nat sighed. “So many things make sense now. Wow, you’re brilliant.”

“I know.”

Angelica leaned into Alec, he didn’t move a muscle but his hand was flexed so tight around his champagne glass I was surprised it didn’t explode into a million tiny pieces.

A few minutes later she was walking toward us. “May-day.” I looked to Nat for help. “Abandon ship, abandon ship.” Seriously why weren’t my feet moving? See? Just like I said. Theory proved. Anti-Christ.

Nat patted me on the back and made a bee-line for Alec. Little traitor. “You’ll pay for your sins!” I yelled after her as cameras went off. Great. Now the papers were going to say I found religion and was preaching to Nat.

Sigh.

“What brings you over to my side of the room?” I asked once Angelica regained her seat where the rest of the crew was sitting. “Bored with my brother and me so soon? Moving on to Jaymeson for real now? Let me see if I can grab him. Hold on…” I whistled and yelled Jaymeson’s name.

Girls were draped all over him. Geez, hope the guy at least knew their names. “What? I’m busy!” He smirked as a girl kissed his neck.

I missed Alyssa.

“Looks like it’s just you and me,” Angelica said in a sing-song voice that made me want to run headfirst through the large bay windows. If I didn’t lose blood from the glass piercing my skin, at least I could look forward to the thirty-foot fall.

“So, it’s weird that Nat doesn’t know, right?” Angelica said after a few minutes of awkward silence where she was drinking like a fish, and I was trying to kill her with my mind.

“Know?”

“Yeah, about Alec.”

“Come again?” I tried not to sound interested, but I was a bit confused, not gonna lie.

“You know… when he left Seaside for a few days last fall.”

“Huh?”

Angelica tilted her head, and then placed her hand on mine. “You really don’t know, do you? And I thought you guys were super close. I mean, think of all you’ve been through. It’s a shame he’s not even man enough to tell you the truth about his naughty little past.”

“Yeah.” I pushed her hand away from mine and poured my bottled water over it just in case I caught an STD from her, not that I should pass judgment but still. “I’m going to call your bluff.”