Stardust (The Starlight Trilogy #3)

by Alexandra Richland

  “You can’t hit me.” Mr. Mertz’s eyes narrowed. “As much as you may despise me, my influence in this town is unmatched. I’m invincible. You’d never get away with it.”

  “Are you sure about that, old man?” Aidan clenched his fist tighter.

  “You hit me and I’ll charge you with assault—”

  Aidan slammed his fist into Mr. Mertz’s face. Mr. Mertz’s eyes rolled back and his legs buckled. He hit the studio boss again and again, utilizing all the boxing training he’d received while working on Golden Gloves.

  “I always knew you were no good.” Mr. Mertz had the audacity to smirk at him.

  “Fuck you.” Aidan delivered more ruthless punches, but Mr. Mertz didn’t fight back. “Come on. Aren’t you going to defend yourself, you sick bastard?”

  “I’d never give you the satisfaction.” Blood spilled from Mr. Mertz’s nose and mouth. “You’re not a man. You’re a monster. And if you keep this up, murderer will be added to your resume.”

  Aidan staggered backward, as though Mr. Mertz had landed a punch. “No. No, you’re wrong.”

  He surveyed his swollen, bloody hands—hands that had caressed Beth, which were now used as weapons. The drifter who killed his mother…he’d had blood on his hands, too.

  Aidan’s stomach lurched. He closed his eyes.

  Damn it. He was going to be sick.

  Mr. Mertz chuckled. “You and your whore deserve each other.”

  Aidan’s eyes snapped open. His rage resurfaced and he hit Mr. Mertz as hard as he could. “Don’t you ever talk about her that way, you fucking piece of shit…fucking bastard…” His fists flew fast and furiously, pounding into Mr. Mertz’s pudgy face and gut over and over again.

  “Monster…murderer.” Mr. Mertz murmurs faded as he slumped to the floor, spewing blood all over his fancy clothes.

  Aidan reached for him again.

  “Aidan, stop!”

  He wheeled around. Beth entered the office with their four friends. She stopped short when their eyes met. Beth, so innocent, so kind, and so precious stared at him like he was a stranger. Shock dilated her pupils. Her mouth hung open—the mouth he’d claimed and cherished, tasted and savored.

  His armor shattered, the tension eased from his body. A kiss. It used to be such an easy thing to obtain—a gift readily given to him by his beloved. Now it was a privilege he had lost, and rightly so. What a fool he’d been. He should’ve stayed away from her. Now she blamed herself for everything that happened.

  Disgust and regret curled his hands into fists again…that all-consuming rage returned. It was time for her to see what he was truly capable of, so there would never be any doubt in her mind that they shouldn’t be together. He’d show her once and for all that she’d been wrong. He’d never achieve redemption, and never was—nor would he ever be—worthy of her love.

  Aidan turned away from her and yanked Mr. Mertz upright.

  “No, Aidan. Don’t!”

  He drew his fist back and connected a punch to Mr. Mertz’s face, unleashing a roar loud enough to drown out the haunting cries from across the room—a tragic melody of love and loss, sung by a broken little dove.

  Chapter Seven

  As Nathan turned into the studio’s driveway, Matthew’s Bentley approached from the opposite direction and fell in queue behind him. Nathan announced his name into the speaker box and the wrought-iron gates opened.

  Beth’s heart constricted. Up ahead, the security arm was cracked off and lying on the ground. Nathan cursed under his breath and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

  Charlie popped his head out of the security hut’s open window. Terror deepened the wrinkles in his face. “Aidan Evans has gone on a rampage! I notified the rest of security of his arrival, but I have no idea where he is on the lot. Be careful. Be very careful!”

  Nathan drove over the broken security arm and they continued on their way. Once they arrived at Mr. Mertz’s office building, Beth didn’t wait for him to park. She jumped out of the car and ran inside. By the time her friends joined her in the lobby, she had already pressed the button for the elevator.

  Matthew tugged at his tie. “What the heck is going on?”

  Nathan frowned. “Aidan is going after Luther.”

  “That’s crazy! Why?”

  “Luther made a sexual advance toward Beth and wanted to pass her off to Kenneth Locke, too. Thankfully, I got her out of there before things progressed.”

  “Oh, my gosh.” The color emptied from Connie’s face and she wobbled on her feet.

  Matthew steadied her by curling his arm around her waist. “Wow. That’s deplorable. Even for Luther.”

  Beth looked away. Although nothing happened between her and Mr. Mertz, she was still ashamed she allowed herself to be put in that position in the first place.

  The elevator arrived. They piled inside.

  “Take us to the top floor. Make no stops along the way.”

  The elevator operator nodded. “Yes, Mr. Taggart.”

  “Did you take Aidan Evans for a ride recently?” Matthew asked on their ascent.

  “The actor? No, sir.”

  Beth peered at Nathan. “Maybe he didn’t come here, after all. I didn’t see his Porsche out front.”

  Nathan shook his head. “Not a chance. He could’ve parked in the back and taken the stairs.”

  Even before the elevator doors opened on the sixth floor, Beth heard Ethel and Caroline’s screams. The group raced into Mr. Mertz’s office. Scattered papers, an overturned chair…the room was a mess.

  Beth zeroed in on Aidan. He had Mr. Mertz cornered and was unrelenting with his punches and profanities.

  “Aidan, stop!”

  He turned around. Beth sucked in a breath. She couldn’t believe his transformation. In spite of his predatory gaze and the grit of his teeth, the vulnerable, tortured boy within him was so evident. His anger was a reflection of a pain far greater than she’d ever expected. How could she have been so naïve? How could she have thought she alone could save him?

  Still, maybe she could stop him before this went any further. Maybe she could—

  She saw the exact moment Aidan gave up on himself. His eyes darkened, his muscles engaged. Blood flooded his face, turning his complexion a deep red. He pulled Mr. Mertz off the floor.

  “No, Aidan. Don’t!”

  Ignoring her plea, Aidan launched his fist in perfect form and collided with Mr. Mertz’s jaw. Beth screamed along with Connie and Olivia. He said he’d die for her, do anything to defend her. She should’ve known he would kill for her.

  “Stay back, ladies!”

  Nathan and Matthew charged at Aidan like a pair of football players. It was two against one, but they still had difficulty forcing him off Mr. Mertz. When they finally succeeded, the studio boss fell to the floor, thrashing and moaning.

  Matthew caged Aidan against the wall. “Stop it, man. What are you doing?”

  Aidan lashed out over Matthew’s shoulders, swinging his fists as if he thought he could reach Mr. Mertz from ten feet away. “Let me go, damn it. I’m not done with him!”

  Nathan helped Matthew restrain him. “Aidan, you’re going to kill him if you continue!”

  Mr. Mertz used his desk as leverage to stand up. Once he was back on his feet, he gripped his stomach and coughed, fighting to catch his breath. His left eye was swollen shut and his lips bled. Small cuts lacerated his cheeks and jaw.

  Amidst Aidan’s curses and attempts to free himself, Connie approached Mr. Mertz. Beth couldn’t decipher the emotion on her face. She blinked a few times and just stood there, staring at him. Beth and Olivia exchanged perplexed glances.

  Mr. Mertz removed a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his forehead. “What the hell do you want?”

  Connie’s face distorted. She released a wail and lunged at him, tears streaming down her face. “You bastard. You horrible bastard!” She pounded her fists against his chest. “I hate you. I hate you!”

  Aidan
froze. Matthew darted to his fiancée’s side.

  Mr. Mertz raised his hands in front of his face to shield himself, but Connie’s determination was inexorable.

  Matthew dragged her away from Mr. Mertz. He hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, but nothing sedated her. Tangled hair, red eyes, mascara streaked cheeks…the blonde bombshell with the world at her feet had fallen into a dark abyss.

  “What’s wrong?” Matthew framed her face with his hands. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  Connie only cried harder, but it was enough. Beth knew the answer. The shame in her eyes was unmistakable. Familiar.

  Mr. Mertz tucked his handkerchief back in his pocket. “Come now, Mr. McKenna. Surely your lover’s escapades in her pre-stardom days are no secret to you. I’m surprised you would stoop to marry such a trollop!”

  Matthew withdrew his hands from Connie’s tear-soaked face and stared at Mr. Mertz blankly, as if trying to decipher exactly what the inference meant.

  “Luther, please don’t,” Nathan said from the far corner, where he still guarded Aidan.

  “It’s important he know the truth, boy.” Mr. Mertz seemed steadier in his perch against the edge of his desk. “And don’t you dare ever tell me what to do.”

  Mr. Mertz’s attempt to regain his power ended there. Matthew flew at his flank and knocked him off his feet, pinning him against the wall and unleashing a fresh set of punches and venomous curses.

  Nathan stood in stunned silence. The distraction allowed Aidan to wrestle free. He raced across the room and joined in the fight, leaving Nathan as referee.

  The men gathered in a mob of flying fists and savage noises. All Beth could do was huddle with Olivia and Connie out of the path of destruction and scream for the fight to finish before someone ended up dead.

  As Nathan held back Matthew and Aidan and tried to reason with them, Mr. Mertz seized the opportunity and crawled away. When he rose to his feet, he let out wheezy, labored breaths and stumbled against his desk.

  “You’re fired. All of you!” He pointed at Nathan. “Except you, boy.”

  Nathan paled. “You can’t do this!”

  Mr. Mertz sneered. “I can do whatever I want. It’s my studio.”

  “That’s fine with me.” Matthew walked to Connie and pulled her into his arms again. “I don’t want my fiancée working here anymore, and I sure as hell don’t want any part in the Golden Gloves theme song if your name is attached to the film.”

  Beth’s eyes widened. Golden Gloves. She had destroyed Aidan and Mr. Kazan’s dream project.

  Her gaze landed on Aidan. He wiped his face, smearing it with blood. He’d won the physical fight, but emotionally, he was more scarred than ever. His pain ran deep, creating a trench around his heart, which prevented anyone from reaching him and making him understand that he was a good man, regardless of his past.

  Beth ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, Aidan! Are you all right?”

  He went rigid and didn’t return her embrace. “After today, you’ll never see me again. There’s nothing between us anymore. I’m nothing.”

  Beth recoiled. That word—nothing. It floated over them, suspended in the air like a dense storm cloud. She searched for a tangible sign in his face, in his body language—evidence that something was still there, that her hope that they could move on from this wasn’t futile. That he still cared about her, loved her, in spite of everything.

  There was nothing.

  Nothing.

  She tightened her hold on him, as if she was physically capable of preventing him from leaving. “You told me we would be together forever. You promised!”

  Aidan squeezed his eyes shut. “Beth…Beth…Beth…” He repeated her name again and again like he was devouring all the memories accompanying it. Then the dam protecting him from his self-loathing cracked down the center. He fixed her with a granite gaze that shocked her into releasing him. “Consider my promise broken.”

  Without further regard for her or their friends, he left the office. Beth doubled over. She reached for her angel pendant, but she was still in costume, so it wasn’t hanging from her neck. Somehow, that made everything worse.

  “Aidan’s got the right idea. Let’s get out of here.” Olivia linked her arm with Nathan’s.

  Beth hurried with them to the door. Maybe as a group they could convince Aidan to stay.

  Four security guards arrived and crowded the exit, blocking their departure.

  “Get out of our way!” Beth tried to push past them, but it was no use.

  “Didn’t you hear, Miss Sutton?” Mr. Mertz rounded his desk, straightening his tie. “The foul-mouthed hooligan wants nothing to do with you.”

  Hatred flashed in Nathan’s eyes. “Let us out, Luther.”

  Mr. Mertz scowled. “Now, now, boy. Remember our arrangement.”

  Nathan flinched.

  Olivia gaped at him. “Nathan, what is he talking about?”

  Mr. Mertz clutched his belly and expelled a chuckle. Unlike his usual modus operandi, his amusement exuded sincerity. “Miss Weston, you don’t know Mr. Taggart as well as you think you do.”

  Nathan clenched his teeth. “Olivia, I want you to leave. And take your friends with you.”

  “My friends? You mean our friends!” Tears trailed down her cheeks. “You must come with us! We’re your future, not Mr. Mertz!”

  “I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” Mr. Mertz’s bleeding lips stretched into a sinister grin. “He belongs to me.”

  “Are you kidding?” Matthew rushed over to Nathan. “You’re choosing Mertz over us?”

  Nathan’s gaze chilled. “Yes. Now get out.”

  Mr. Mertz nodded at the security guards. They moved out of the way.

  With a gut-wrenching sob, Olivia dashed out of the office. Beth, Matthew, and Connie followed. While her friends approached the elevator, Beth made a beeline for the stairs.

  She ran all the way down to the main floor and burst through the front doors. Twice she scoured the perimeter of the building, but she was too late. Aidan was gone.

  Chapter Eight

  After Aidan left, Beth gravitated to the only place she belonged. As she lay curled up in his bed, wearing his T-shirt, time slipped by uneventfully. Neither morning nor night held significance anymore. Even the day seemed smothered in blackness.

  She had no idea how long she had been at his house but was thankful he’d given her a key on Valentine’s Day. All she wanted to do was shut herself off from the world and mourn his loss without distractions.

  Even in his absence, Aidan was still with her, dominating her universe. She couldn’t shed him, nor did she want to. She didn’t want to forget the details of his face, how she felt when he touched her, the way her heart swelled whenever he said he loved her. It was all she had left now.

  Although she wished to remember only the good times between them, she was tortured by the fact that she hadn’t fought hard enough for their relationship. Aidan had been right in front of her, and foolishly, she had let him go. She should’ve held him tighter, or argued with the security guards blocking the exit so she could’ve run after him right away. Something, anything, other than what she’d done.

  Her appetite was gone. Every movement fatigued her. Her head ached, and a muddy haze hampered her thoughts. In an effort to cope, she hummed the tune Aidan wrote for her or immersed herself in the scent of his clothing and bed sheets, but it only made her miss him more. Sleep brought no relief. She dreamed of them together, kissing, laughing, and so in love—only to wake up screaming, shaking, and sweaty, forced to come to terms with her lonely, pointless existence all over again.

  She hoped Aidan would stop by his house before leaving town. He didn’t specify a departure, but there was no way he’d remain in L.A. New York City was the most logical destination, and he’d want to bring his belongings with him, right? Well, when he did show up, she’d be waiting. And this time, she would not allow him to leave without her.

&n
bsp; A noise echoed through the house. Beth shot up in bed, straining to hear more. A thump followed, then a creaking door. “Aidan!” She jumped out of bed and shot down the hallway. When she reached the front foyer, she collapsed into a sobbing heap on the floor. “Aidan! Aidan!”

  “Beth!” Connie kneeled next to her. “Are you all right?”

  “All right?” Beth screeched the words through her parched throat. “Of course I’m not all right. You’re not him. He’s gone. He’s gone!”

  “Come on. Get up.” Connie held her arm and coaxed her to stand.

  Beth jerked away and dropped back to the floor. “Leave me alone.”

  “I’m not leaving unless you’re coming with me.”

  Beth pulled her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. “I can’t. I need to be here when he returns.”

  “And what if he doesn’t return?”

  Beth hiccupped. “He must. All of his clothes are here. His Triumph. He…he loves that motorcycle.”

  Connie sighed. “Oh, Beth. What’s happened to you?”

  “I can’t go on.” Beth cried so hard she could barely talk. “Not if he’s not with me. I…I can’t…”

  “Okay, relax. You’ve worked yourself up into such a state. Take some slow, deep breaths.” Connie rubbed her back. “How about we move from the hallway? We won’t leave the house. I promise. The floor just isn’t very comfortable.”

  Beth nodded and allowed Connie to escort her back to Aidan’s bedroom. Connie turned on the table lamp while Beth crawled under the covers. Even in the dim light, her eyes stung. She was so used to darkness.

  Connie sat at the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. “Beth, it’s not beneficial for you to stay here. You won’t heal this way.”

  “I don’t want to heal. Don’t you understand?” Beth let out a whimper. “I won’t feel whole again until I’m reunited with Aidan.”

  Connie rolled her eyes. “That’s ludicrous. I knew you before you officially began dating Aidan. You weren’t helpless. In fact, you were doing very well on your own.”

  “I don’t want to live if he’s not with me.”