Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“And when MJ interferes?”
I leaned forward, my voice low. “Could you look over my contract, Andi? Let your lawyer friend see it? I think I might be ready for a complete change. But before I discuss it with Mila, I need to know my options.”
She smiled. A real, honest smile. “You’re serious about her.”
“I am. I only want what is best for her. And I want that to be me.”
I saw her skeptical expression.
“I know it’s fast, Andi. I know you think she could do so much better than me. And you’re right. She could. But there is something between us. We both feel it. We both want it. I’m asking you to keep an open mind.” I dropped my voice. “To help me.”
For a moment, she said nothing. She searched my expression then made a decision.
“I know an agent. Big in the business, but lives and works out of Toronto. I am good friends with him and his wife. I could ask him to meet with you while you’re in Toronto. Privately, of course.”
I sat back. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
“If you hurt her, I’ll make you regret it.”
“If I hurt her, it will be the biggest regret of my life.”
She nodded. “Then we understand each other.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
NICHOLAS
“I’m not going to Canada.”
I rested my arm on the back of the director’s chair, looking around the set, hoping to appear casual. “I don’t expect you to. You rarely travel when I go on location.”
“I suppose your new little obsession will be there?”
I shut my eyes and turned to face MJ. “She is not an obsession.”
It was a lie; I was totally obsessed with her, but not the way MJ thought. Mila brought a warmth to my life, a quiet acceptance and sweetness I had been missing. One I didn’t want to give up.
“She lives there, and she’ll be on set on occasion, I imagine.”
“And you’ll fuck her every chance you get. I’m warning you, Nicky boy. She’s a clinger.”
“Christ’s sake, stop calling me Nicky boy. You know I hate it. And she is anything but.” I met MJ’s eyes, noticing how cold and distant they were. “Stop disparaging her. Show a little respect.”
She laughed, the sound unpleasant. “Respect? For what? Your latest attempt at a relationship we both know is doomed to fail?”
“Jesus,” I muttered. “You make me sound like a manwhore. I barely even date. It’s all PR shit, MJ. Shit you create. Stop it.”
“Does she know?” she asked. “Does she know you’re not what everyone thinks? That you’ll never be normal?”
Her words were a punch to my gut. “She knows and accepts it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Wait until she experiences one of your episodes.”
“I’m being very careful with my meds. I’m exercising, watching my alcohol intake, sleeping well, and looking after myself.”
“You fall off the wagon all the time.”
“Mila pointed out all my episodes the past three years correlate to the darker roles I play. The way I tend to stay in character and probably do forget my meds. I’m being extra cautious. She added some more reminders on my phone.”
“Mila, Mila, Mila. God’s gift to you, isn’t she?” The sarcasm in her voice was evident.
I bit back my retort. Mila was a gift to me, but I didn’t want to push MJ anymore.
“Watch your tone, MJ. I swear to God—”
She glared at me, cutting off my words. “What, Nicky? You’ll fire me? You’ll walk away? We both know I own you. You have obligations left to the studio they won’t let you out of either. You’re stuck. You owe them three more movies in the franchise.”
I was tired of her threats. Of her talons dug so deeply into my skin I could feel her pull even when she was elsewhere. MJ had talked me into the franchise. I hated that role. I’d never expected it to skyrocket the way it did and trap me into such a long commitment. I should have listened to my gut.
I stood, matching her glare. She was tall for a woman, with a steely determination, and she could break a man’s balls without chipping a nail. A force to be reckoned with. Once, it worked for my benefit, but now, I was exhausted being caught up in her orbit.
“You are going to push me too far one day, MJ. Despite our history, everything we’ve been through together, my loyalty isn’t endless. I have no idea why you’re so threatened by Mila, but I’m warning you. She is off-limits. You hurt her, you hurt me. And I will not hesitate to hurt you back.”
“I’ll break you,” she hissed. “You’ll never work again.”
“If I have to walk away and leave this life to get away from you, I’ll do it.”
Her cackle made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “You wouldn’t last two weeks without me. You forget who is always there when you break. I clean up the messes and get you back on your feet. Your precious little author has no clue what happens when you hit the wall. And you will. I guarantee it. And when she walks and you’re all alone, drowning in your sorrow and not even sure what your name is? You’ll come crawling back.”