On the other hand, his entrepreneurial talents and his inventiveness were impressive. But, it struck me as a slimy sort of endeavor, the kind that made you want to take a shower.
Not to mention that I absolutely hated the idea of him being around a bunch of loose, oversexed women, screwing themselves with his machines. Some of them would be thinking about him while they did it, and that got me pissed.
I picked up my phone and started typing.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting an Uber.”
“Where are you going?”
“Home. I need to process this.”
He closed his eyes. “I knew this was going to happen.”
“If you knew it, why didn’t you just tell me about it?” I snipped.
His face fell, and he looked broken. “Because I knew there was no way this was going to have a good outcome, and I was greedy. I wanted to be with you every minute I could. It was selfish of me, I know, but I loved every minute we spent together, and I never wanted it to end.”
He moved to kiss me, but I turned away.
“I’m sorry, Dynassy. All of this is my fault.”
My chest tightened, and I choked down a sob. “So why did you have to lie?” I asked, balling my fists.
“Because I’ve fallen in love with you.”
I looked away. “There’s a lot here for me to process.”
“I understand. If the media finds out the guy you’re dating is a porn king, they will crucify you.”
“I know,” I said, wondering why my life had to be so complicated.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Dynassy
I spent the next few days moping around, and I have to admit I shed a few tears—angry tears. Tears that said, “Why did he have to do this?”
Because the lie was worse than what he was lying about.
How could I trust a man who lied to me about something as fundamental as what he did for a living, how he made money? How he made the majority of his money!
He’d let me go on believing he was just some guy who worked as a mechanic. In light of this new information, I gathered what he’d said about having an inheritance was something he made up to explain how he could afford a car like the Viper.
And then, right when I was about to leave, he hits me with the “I love you.” That just burned me up. Did he think that could manipulate me? That I would hear those words, and they would make everything okay?
Lucinda had been asking me what was wrong, but I told her I thought I was coming down with a cold. I was not ready to talk with her about this yet, didn’t need her poisonous opinions injected into the issue right now.
Ivy and Leo were at some film festival this weekend, not that I would have wanted them to know about this latest development. I had a handful of girlfriends, but I didn’t trust anyone with information this big besides family. The tabloids would have a field day with this crap, and the last thing I needed was the news of Bridger’s occupation to be plastered all over the checkout lines at the grocery store.
I picked up my phone and called the only person I could.
“Hello?” Eden answered after three rings. She and Nick were staying for the week at a rental about thirty minutes away while Nick had meetings with his agent and a couple of sponsors.
“Hey. You sound out of breath.”
“I was just running for the phone. I’m surprised I made it there. I usually don’t these days.”
“Oh, how are the babies?”
“Fine.”
“Nick?”
“He’s fine. Taking a nap right now. I’m jealous.”
“You want to come over here and sleep? Ivy and Leo are gone. Mom’s out for the day. It’s quiet.”
“Oh my God. That sounds heavenly. I wish I could.”
“Just wait until Nick wakes up and come over.”
“Maybe I could get a nanny. Lucinda gave me the number for a service out here.”
“Do it. Also, I kinda need to talk to you.”
She laughed softly. “I see. So you have an ulterior motive for this offer of peaceful sleep?”
“Guilty. Sorry.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice more serious now. “Is everything okay?”
“Not with me and Bridger.”
“Oh no! What happened?”
“I’ll tell you when you come over?”
“You sure?”
“Yes, it can wait until then.”
We hung up, and I tried to busy myself until she came over. I rearranged my makeup drawers, checked my email (more than once), texted my assistant about my upcoming travel plans. Then I went to the kitchen and alphabetized the spices in the spice rack. I considered cleaning out the fridge, but I was saved by the front door bell.
As soon as I opened the door, the first words out of Eden’s mouth were, “You’re sure Lucinda’s not here?”
“Yes. And she’s going to a dinner party tonight so she’s not going to be home until late. You’re safe.”
My mother had tried her best to break up the relationship between Eden and my brother Nick. None of us knew why exactly, but I think it had more to do with a falling out Lucinda had with Eden’s mother after her father, Ray Evans, and mine were killed in a plane crash when we were kids. My dad, Ziggy, was the front man for their band, Blacksmith, but Ray was the creative genius behind the scenes.
Before the accident, our families were best friends. We spent lots of time together, went on family vacations; Nick and I practically grew up with Eden.
But my mother held some kind of grudge against Eden’s mother, and she allowed it to trickle down to Eden. I think Lucinda was getting closer all the time to accepting Eden. The birth of the twins had helped with that, plus the fact that Nick had made it clear he was going to marry Eden, no matter what our mother thought.
However, Eden was still wary of my mother, and I didn’t blame her.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” I asked her.
“No, I just had something on the way over. It was good to get out of the house. To drive. I don’t think I’ve been anywhere since last week.”
Wow. Those twins were really a handful. Times two! “All right. Then let me take you to the darkest, quietest guestroom.”
“Oh,” Eden sighed. “You are saving me. That sounds wonderful.”
I laughed. “Who knew a person could get this excited over sleep?”
She grimaced. “Just wait until you have kids.”
We started up the back stairs.
“I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen.”
“Okay, what did Bridger do?”
“You’re not going to believe this.”
“What?”
“He runs a porn business.”
“A what?”
“A porn business. He creates and sells pornography.”
We reached the landing on the second floor and I led the way to the room at the far end of the hall. It was decked out in yellow, but the window had blackout curtains, which I started to close.
Eden sat down on the bed, and I perched on the arm of a chair next to it.
“So wait, he’s a porn star?” Her eyes widened in alarm.
“No, it’s not as bad as that…” And I explained the situation to her as Bridger had explained it to me.
“Have you looked it up online? Have you seen it?”
I bit my lip and nodded, admitting I had.
“And?”
“And it’s porn. I mean, it’s not as bad as if he was screwing those girls, but the whole thing is disgusting. Plus, he lied to me about it. That’s the part that bothers me the most.”
“I can understand that part.” Eden shrugged.
“What? How can you understand him lying to me?” I squared my shoulders indignantly. “That just proves that I can’t trust him.”
“Not necessarily.” Eden shook her head.
“I don’t know how you can say that!”
“Because
, Dynassy, you have no idea what it’s like to be involved with someone in your family.”
I stared at her blankly.
“The Barnes family is very intimidating. When you fall in love with one of you, it’s like you get the whole Barnes family package, whether you want it or not.”
“But that’s what happens in any relationship—the person’s family comes with them. Some are better than others, but I don’t see what that has to do with Bridger keeping such a huge secret from me.”
“You may not, but I do. You see, you’re a public figure. You’re Dynassy Barnes—supermodel, queen of social media and reality TV. The person you date will be under a lot of scrutiny in the press, whether you like it or not.”
“You’re right, I know.” I sank down into the chair.
“It’ll be worse for Bridger than it was for me. No one is all that interested in the girlfriend of an NBA player, and Nick likes to keep a low profile as a player. The only time he gets really public is when he’s on your mom’s show or does something for the family. Your whole life is on display, girl. Your followers want to know all about your private life. They are starving for crumbs of information about what goes on behind the scenes in your life. Any man you choose is fair game for all kinds of stuff—good and bad.”
“I guess so...”
Eden sighed. “You’re lucky you’ve got a guy who’s willing to go through all that just to have you. Because the flip side is…”
I finished her sentence. “Those guys who want me because of the media coverage and attention.”
“Yeah, that’s not the kind of guy you want. Because if he wants you for that, he’ll take, take, take, and once he has what he wants, he’ll move on.”
“I had no idea you were going to be this depressing when I asked you to come over here,” I teased. Eden had been my friend since before I could remember, and I appreciated her commonsense approach to life. She must have developed that when her mother took her to Texas after our dads died. Her mom wanted to shield Eden from the spotlight of Hollywood, while ours thrust us right into it.
Eden ignored my joke. “The point is, Dynassy, this isn’t going to go over well with your fans. You’ve spent the last few months trying to improve your reputation with the public. Dating a man who runs a porn business isn’t going to fly with them.”
Damn. I hadn’t really thought that through. I was so busy worrying about how I felt about the whole thing, that my fans had only been a peripheral concern. “You’re right. What am I going to do?”
“I have no idea, girl. I don’t envy you being in this position. On one hand, I don’t know Bridger well, but he seems like a great guy, and I can tell he’s crazy about you. You make an adorable couple. When you’re together, I see how happy you two are, but I’m not sure it’s worth tanking your career.”
“Yeah. What if it doesn’t work out? Then I will have sacrificed everything for him, and I might wind up with nothing.”
Eden yawned. Then that yawn turned into another yawn. “I’m sorry. I’m just so tired.”
“No, I’m sorry. You go on to sleep. Talking to you has been a big help.”
“Are you sure?” she asked as she crawled under the covers and stretched out in the bed.
“Yes. I’ve got lots to think about, but you get some sleep, little mommy.” I patted her cheek and tiptoed to the door. “Thank you for the chat,” I whispered before I closed the door, but I think she was already asleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Bridger
After the big reveal at the Luv Machines offices, the only return message I got from all the texts I’d sent Dynassy was one that said, “I need some time to figure things out.”
That was three days ago, and following her social media accounts, I knew she’d gone on a modeling trip to Milan.
Dynassy had been the best thing that had ever happened to me. I loved her completely. She was everything I could want in a woman—beautiful, smart, spirited, and she got me. Our connection had been so powerful from the beginning.
But, I’d known my time with her was limited. If I could give up the porn business overnight and make it disappear to be with her, I would. Since I was steeped in the damned thing, that wasn’t possible, so I came out the loser when it came to love.
So I’d have money, but not love.
Barvo tried to console me, saying, “Most dudes would pick money over love. And now that your dick’s working again, you can have all the pussy you want. You should be the happiest man in the world.”
When I’d showed less enthusiasm than he’d expected, he changed his tune.
“You’re right, man. You’re never going to get a woman as fine as that one again. Sorry.”
Yeah. The truth hurt. And it wasn’t just about Dynassy’s looks. And I didn’t give a rat’s ass about how famous she was. I loved her—the things we did together, the way we laughed at the same jokes, and liked to watch the same shows. She was my partner, and I didn’t think I was going to get that back, and it sucked. It sucked more than I thought it could.
The best thing I could do was get my mind off Dynassy. I’d lost her, and I knew it. But I refused to allow myself to spiral out of control into a pit of pain.
Instead, I got angry. And the best person to point that anger at was the bastard who stole my machine design.
I remembered that day at work, the day I’d seen something that looked a bit like the basic setup for my machine in the corner of the back room. It didn’t have a fake penis attached to it or anything, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that someone who worked in our shop could have gotten access to my design, but I wasn’t sure how. What if they’d found out about how I made my extra money and decided to get in on the action themselves?
I told everyone at work the story I’d told Dynassy, that I’d gotten an inheritance, that was how I’d gotten the money to buy a Viper, to go to the Super Bowl last year, and a few other things I’d done that cost more money than you could make on an auto mechanic’s salary.
But there were a few guys who’d asked me more questions than the rest.
I decided to go into work one night and see if I could pick up some more clues as to who the thief might be.
It was around eleven o’clock when I went back to the auto shop. The place was dead, and all the lights were off. I had a key, so I let myself in, turned off the alarm, and began my imitation of a detective.
The first place I looked was the in the room with our lockers. Most of them didn’t have a lock. I went through the ones that were unlocked, and with some of them, I wished I hadn’t. I came across more dirty socks and rotten bananas than I care to admit. And one guy had a sandwich in there where the meat had turned green. I tossed that thing in the trash. To hell if he was saving it. I might be saving him from salmonella.
Other than a set of matches from a strip joint, the locker search hadn’t yielded any results.
Then I went back to Sal’s office. I had a key to that too, which most of the other guys didn’t. I searched his desk drawers and everything. In one of them I found a stack of orders for parts.
There, on the sixth page was an order for parts like the ones I used for my machines. Definitely not parts you used when working on cars.
And Sal had been coming to work less and less over the same period of time that someone else had started copying our machine and making videos.
Could it be that Sal was making porn videos instead of coming to work?
His wife had died a few years ago, so he didn’t have a woman in his life who might keep him from doing it.
Dammit, Sal! I’d trusted him. The man always came across as such a stand-up guy, but it appeared that was all an act. I realized I was grinding my teeth hard, and I forced myself to relax.
Now, I had to figure out how to stop him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Bridger
I was just coming in from a run when I got a call from Barvo.
“Man, you need t
o turn on the television.”
“Why? What is it?”
“Just turn it on. Channel 7.”
“Okay.” I hung up and flipped on the TV with the remote.
A handsome reporter with an unusually square jaw was speaking to the camera, “…fans of the reality show ‘The Barnes Bunch’ were shocked today to find out that the man Dynassy Barnes has been dating is the owner of a pornography business.”
I sank down into the nearest chair, feeling like I’d been kicked in the gut.
The reporter continued, “The same young man the Barnes family showed off just last month as kind of an antidote to Dynassy’s remarks about a homeless man, turns out to be the owner, or at least part-owner, of a pornography business called Luv Machines.”
Some guy’s voice-over asked, “He is a veteran though, isn’t that right, Mark?”
The reporter responded, “Yes, Bridger Thompson is a former Navy SEAL who was injured while overseas. That part is accurate. He’s a wounded warrior, but apparently the guy invented some sort of machine that women use to, well…let’s just leave that to your imagination, since this is a family show…”
A family show? Since when was the news a family show? Since when was my profession news?
Unfortunately, since I’d been dating a member of the Barnes family.
Suddenly I was pissed, and I wanted to punch something. That big white wall in front of me looked good.
But I took a deep breath and refrained. I should turn off the damn TV. But I didn’t.
The reporter continued, “…and somehow he started making videos of this, and I guess the rest is history.”
The voice-over guy responded, “Well, this can’t be good for the Barnes family brand. We’ll watch what happens and we’ll be keeping you up-to-date on this story.”
“We sure will,” I snarled, flipping off the TV. What were they going to watch? The Barnes dynasty go up in flames? I doubted it. Lucinda would use this as a way to get more publicity. They’d be rid of me then she’d spearhead another campaign to clean up Dynassy’s reputation again.
The Barnes Family Romances: (Books 1-3) Page 29
