Trix. She can always ruin a good moment without even trying.
“Good morning, Trix,” Gennie said. “Didn’t my mom do great?”
“She was fine. Listen, I’ve got crazy news. TMZ leaked photographs of you and Stefan this morning.”
Photographs? “What are you talking about?”
“Photos of you guys having freaking hot sex. I mean, I’d love to be sad about it, but it’s the most amazing publicity you two could ever get for your film. And so tender and sweet. Not like some of the ones people leak with their asses in every shot.”
Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. It made no sense. How would photos leak from inside their room?
She looked over at Stefan. He had his ear to his phone, nodding, a grim expression on his face. He’s getting the same news.
“How did this happen?” he asked into the phone.
Trix continued to babble, but Gennie wasn’t listening. She disconnected. Sweaty and trembling, she sank into the chair. Think. Think. How could this have happened? There must be a hidden camera somewhere inside this room. Where was it? She leaped from the bed, scanning the space. Her gaze stopped at the bedside lamp. A white object was clipped to the lampshade. Stefan’s lamp had the same. They were tiny cameras, pointing directly at the bed. She snatched them from the shades and tossed them to the floor. Stefan stared at her with a dazed expression. Who had done this? A housekeeper? No, there hadn’t been one in the guest house yet this week. They came tomorrow. Annie had told her that yesterday.
“Did you do this?” she screamed.
“Gennie, of course I didn’t. I would never do something like this.”
“How else did they get in here? No one’s been here but us.”
“I don’t know.”
She was so enraged she couldn’t think. It had to be Stefan. No one else has been in here. “Is it that important to you for the world to know about us?” Angry sobs hurt her chest, but she talked through them. “You know how hard it was for me. And to spread it around the world? What’s the matter with you?”
His hands were in front of him like she might physically attack him. “Sweetheart, I would never do this to you. Think about it a second. What do I have to gain? I’m famous enough. I don’t need money. Think of how long I waited for you. If I cared about any of that, I would not even be here.”
All this was true. Stefan wouldn’t do this to do you. Don’t be an idiot. Then, she knew. Trix. Trix was here yesterday. She was in the bathroom long enough to slip these on the shades. “It was Trix.”
“Oh, shit. Right. She was here with her fucking coffee. I knew she was a conniving bitch, but this is beyond anything I would have expected from her.”
Everything was clear now. Murphy had paid her off—exchanged money for betrayal. Trix was always about the money. She would have been an easy target.
“It’s Murphy,” Stefan said, echoing her thoughts. “I’m going to kill him.”
“This is payback. I knew if we went after him, he’d come back hard. Especially since we’ve ruined his chances for the presidency.” She looked at Stefan. He was ashen. Ashamed, she reached out to him. “I’m sorry, Stefan. I don’t know what I was thinking. I went crazy for a moment.”
He held her tightly against his chest. “It’s okay. I know.”
“I have to call Trix,” she said.
“Yeah. Right now.”
Her cell phone. What had she done with it? Was she still connected to Trix? She found the phone under the blanket. She punched in Trix’s number.
“Hey, what happened to you?” Trix asked. “I wasn’t finished telling you. It’s gone viral. I mean, everyone and their mother are looking at it.”
“How in the world do you think this is a good thing? I was raped and almost killed when I was fifteen years old. I was a child and Rick Murphy took my innocence. You violated the most sacred act anyone can do and made it public. My God, Trix, how could you do this?”
“Wait a minute,” Trix said. “You’ve got this all wrong.”
“I know it was you. After all the years together. After all the money you’ve made from my work. To betray me for money from the devil? If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll ruin you. Do you hear me? I hope whatever he paid you was worth it because you’re going to jail.”
She didn’t wait to hear Trix’s response. Her hands itched to throw the phone, but instead, she picked up the paperback book on the bedside table and hurled it at the wall. Damn you to hell, Trix. She turned to Stefan. “Again, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened to me. I wasn’t thinking right. I know you’d never do something this heinous.”
He took her in his arms. “Sweetie, I forgive you. You were upset. It’s awful.” He sighed into her hair. “Never forget that we’re on the same team. I would never hurt you. After everything you’ve gone through. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m sorry, baby.”
She was too angry to cry. Later, maybe, but right now she was seeking revenge. She would make Trix pay if it was the last thing she ever did.
“I’m calling Grant. I’m pressing charges against her for invasion of privacy.” The world will know it was her. Even if she didn’t go to jail, she would never work again. She dialed Grant’s number. He picked up right away.
“I wish I didn’t know why you’re calling,” he said.
“How bad is it?” she asked. “I mean, how explicit?”
“I haven’t looked at them, out of courtesy to you and Stefan, but my assistant says they’re fuzzy and it’s not even completely obvious it’s you. Stefan’s face is clear, though, so I don’t think they’re fakes.”
“We know how it happened.” She told him about Trix.
“Son of a bitch. Isn’t she supposed to be on your side?”
“I want to press charges.”
“I’m on it.”
“Could she face jail time?” Gennie asked.
“Yes. Photographing without consent. Invasion of privacy. Voyeurism. We can get her on all of it. If we can prove it was her.”
“She’s the only one who’s been in this room, except for us. Murphy’s people paid her off. I’m certain of it.”
“I’ll get started on everything. I’ll call you later. And Gennie, it’s going to be all right. Both these assholes are going to jail. It’s just a matter of time.”
After she hung up, still filled with rage, she turned to Stefan. He stood at the end of the bed, staring at the floor. What’s wrong with me? I’m not the only one hurt over this. She’d lashed out at the one person who understood exactly what it felt like. “Stefan, are you okay?”
His face crumpled as he collapsed onto the bed. “This is not how I wanted to tell my mother about you. It’s going to be on every entertainment program and site. Jesus, Gennie, you were right about Murphy. He’s everywhere.”
“I knew we were in for a fight, but this is too much.” She sat next to him on the bed, resting her head on his shoulder. “I feel like I’ve been violated all over again.”
“I’m going to kill Murphy with my bare hands,” Stefan said.
His eyes, dark and angry, scared her. “Stefan, please, don’t even think about something like that. I don’t want you going to jail. He’s not worth it.”
“We have to fight back somehow. He has to be stopped.”
Her phone rang again. “It’s my mother.”
“Hi, honey. Just wanted to tell you we’re on the way to the airport. We’ll be home soon.”
She hasn’t seen the news. She doesn’t know yet. “You did great, Mom.”
“Tommy said so too. I’m just glad it’s over.”
“Me too. Just come home. I miss you.”
“Tommy’s been so supportive. He’s calling himself my wing man.”
“That’s funny.” Gennie hesitated. “I take it you haven’t been on social media or your phone this morning?”
“No, Tommy told me to stay off my phone. He said trolls might say mean things about us,” said Mom.
“He�
��s right.” She looked over at Stefan. He remained on the bed, looking down at his phone. “Trix did something, Mom. Something awful. I’ll tell you about it when you get home, but stay off the internet.”
After she hung up, she turned back to Stefan. “Do you want some coffee?”
“I don’t think my stomach can handle it right now.” He squeezed her hand. “I think I may have had enough.”
Not of me? Please don’t say of me. “Enough of me?”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Gennie, no. I’ll never get enough of you. But I think I may be done with this whole ridiculous world we live in. This fake Hollywood world. It’s not who I am, Gennie. Press junkets and people who sell sex photographs and stupid action films I have to make to stay on top, to be bankable, to earn money for people who care nothing about art or film. I look at Tommy, you know, the way he lives his life on his own terms. No one owns him. He doesn’t have to answer to a big record label or Hollywood production company. He gets to live here and have a normal life. He swims in the river and attends church and goes to the grocery store without someone trying to take his photo. We’re trapped like animals, Gennie, in our own homes. It’ll be worse now that people know we’re together. They’ll be dying to get photos of us together. It’s embarrassing, really, that this is the world we live in. I made a hundred million dollars last year because of that blockbuster I starred in — a movie so bad I was embarrassed for my mother to see it. I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
“What about the work? Tommy can write his songs and play in bars, but what would we do? Can you imagine never acting again?”
“What if we did it on our own terms? Only scripts we wanted, only the stories we felt compelled to tell? I could start my own production company.”
She stayed in devil’s advocate mode, curious to see how closely his thought process mirrored her own. “Our money runs out fast if we’re funding films.”
“Then we just accept roles that truly speak to us. Maybe we do a film a year. I don’t know. Maybe we move to River Valley and have lots of babies and raise them here so they become awesome kids like Alder.”
Babies? With me? The vision I saw last night? Could it really happen? “I don’t want to be trapped anymore either. I want to swim at the beach without being worried someone will take my photograph in my bikini and plaster it everywhere, and all the haters on social media will comment about how flabby my butt looks. I’m tired. I shouldn’t be this tired at thirty-five. Even before all this with Murphy and finding Sarah, I was tired.” She moved from the bed over to the window, opening the shades. “You know the elk that came to me that night?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
She looked out the window. No sign of elk tracks. She had seen them. They were real. They had to be. “Last night I woke up around two a.m. I was cold, so I got up to put pajamas on and stood by the window, looking out to the yard. Two elk appeared, a male and female. They just stood there looking at me, powerful and peaceful. Then, I had this vison of you and me, with babies, standing in front of the house. A toddler boy and a little baby girl.”
“A boy and a girl?” His voice softened. “Do you want that? A family? With me?”
“I want to be with you. With or without the work. With or without children. Here or anywhere. If you’re with me, I’m good.”
“But you saw babies? A boy and a girl?” He grinned. “Were they cute?”
“The cutest.” She crossed to him, planting herself between his legs and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Then they must’ve looked like you,” he said. “Baby, I’m sorry this happened with the photographs, but I’m not sorry about last night. No matter what she did, we have that special night to remember. You fought so hard to go there with me.”
“You fought so hard to get me there.”
“Don’t let all this bullshit take that memory from you. From us.”
She ran her fingers through his hair. “They’ll be more nights like that one, Stefan. More and more memories until we have a lifetime of them.”
“I never believed in soulmates.” He held her tightly, her chin resting on the top of his head.
“Me either,” she said.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“Me too.”
“You tell me when you’re ready again, Gennie. I know this may have caused a setback. I can be as patient as you need.”
“I’m ready now,” she said. “Let’s forget the world and make a new memory.”
They fell asleep afterward. She woke an hour later to someone pounding on their door. She sat up, heart hammering. That’s an urgent knock. Something’s wrong. They moved quickly to the front room. It was Drake, looking as if he just ran a mile uphill.
“Gennie, Lee just called. She couldn’t get you, so she called me. The car”—his voice broke—“the car taking Tommy and your mom to the airport crashed.”
“Oh my God.” Gennie reached for Stefan, her legs weak. “How bad is it?”
“We don’t know. They were both taken by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition,” Drake said.
She turned to Stefan, panicked. “I have to go out there.”
“Lee wants to as well,” Drake said. “There’s a flight out in two hours. If we leave now, we can make it.”
“I’m going with you,” Stefan said. “There’s no way you’re going without me.”
“Grab a few things,” Drake said. “I’ll meet you in the driveway in fifteen minutes.”
Chapter 13
Three hours later, they were on a commercial flight to New York City. Luckily, there had been first class seats available for the three of them. Gennie and Stefan sat together, with Lee across the aisle, sitting upright and gripping her cell phone, like Tommy might call her at any moment even though her phone was on airplane mode. She hadn’t said much since they’d boarded the plane, her face pale and drawn. Next to Lee, a young man in a business suit worked on his laptop, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. Good, maybe he won’t notice us.
On the way to the airport, they had called the hospital and were told that both Tommy and her mother were being prepped for surgery. Both were bleeding internally. Surgery would determine how serious the injuries were. Along with the internal bleeding, both of her mother’s legs were broken. The hospital had no details about the accident itself, only that the ambulance brought them into the emergency room around eleven a.m.
“It’s going to be fine.” Stefan reached across the aisle to squeeze Lee’s hand. “They’re alive. The surgeons are probably some of the best in the world.”
“Tommy’s tough. He’ll be okay. He has to be.” Lee dropped her phone into the pocket on the back of the seat in front of her. “I can’t lose him. He’s everything to Ellie-Rose and me.”
Normally Lee appeared reserved and in complete control of the restaurant and everything around her. Lee’s fear flustered Gennie. I’m responsible. I should never have let Tommy or Mom go, knowing the risks as I did. It was selfish. I should have gone myself.
“I just wish we knew more,” Gennie said.
“I wish we could get there faster,” Lee said.
The first class cabin smelled of coffee. Next to her, Stefan sipped a whiskey. She looked across to the seats behind Lee. A man, sitting alone and dressed in a black sweater and jeans, stared at her. She averted her eyes. Great. He probably recognized her despite the cap, sunglasses, and long jacket with a high collar. Usually this type of disguise worked when she traveled on commercial flights, but when they’d sat, she’d taken off her sunglasses for a moment. He must have seen her face. Hopefully he would not try to talk to them—or point them out to anyone. The less fuss around them the better. They needed to stay off the radar. She hoped Murphy would assume they were still at Drake’s. Without Trix giving him information, maybe it would take him longer to catch on to their whereabouts. I just want to get us all back to River Valley in one piece.
Oh, crap. Black Sweater Gu
y’s staring at me because of the photographs. She went instantly hot. He was probably blowing up social media at this very moment. Since she’d heard the news about her mother and Tommy, she hadn’t thought once about the photos; but the reality of them came rushing back to her. Gennie raged with a reignited fury. Dammit, Trix. I hate you.
“What’re you looking at?” Stefan growled, more beast than man.
The guy flinched and turned away, suddenly interested in peering out the window.
“Hey, asshole, I’m talking to you.” Stefan snapped his fingers. “Have a little decency, man.”
Everyone in first class had twisted around to stare at them. So much for incognito.
Black Sweater Guy turned back to address them. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to bother you. It’s just you don’t see two huge stars every day. My wife and I love your work. She’s going to be so mad she wasn’t with me.”
He sounds so innocent. Was it possible he didn’t know about the photos? Maybe not everyone evaluated the world by the traffic on social media. Or, maybe he didn’t care. Maybe there were still decent people in the world, not just in River Valley.
The flight attendant arrived with another whiskey for Stefan. “Is everything okay here?”
“Yeah. We’re good.” Stefan poured from the tiny liquor bottle it into his glass. “Other than I’m acting like an ass. Can I buy all the coach passengers a drink to make up for it?”
She smiled. “I think that would be excellent penance.”
After the flight attendant walked away, Stefan turned to Black Sweater Guy. “Hey, I’m sorry I snapped at you. Not to make excuses, but I’m having a rough day.”
“It’s probably a pain in the ass to be bothered all the time. Everyone deserves a little privacy. My wife’s going to chastise me for being an idiot.”
“No. You tell her it was my fault.” Stefan reached out his hand. “If you give me your cell phone, I’ll send her a selfie and tell her how I’m sorry I am for being an ass to her perfectly nice husband.”
The River Valley Series Page 97
