Chapter 18
Evie
The Renegotiation
“Are you mad at me?”
“You just told the world I lost my virginity to you when I was sixteen. Yes, I’m fucking mad at you!” I yelled in front of everyone, storming off the stage and leaving him standing there, looking confused.
How could he? I went straight to the green room. Once the door was shut, I went to the couch, grabbed one of the small pillows, shoved it into my face, and screamed.
There was a knock, and the door creaked open.
“Hey, Evie, it’s me. Are you okay?” Skye crept in. I lifted my head from the pillow. She was staring at me with pity. “I’m sorry that happened. Sebastian is an idiot.”
“That’s an understatement.” I threw the pillow down and stomped on it in frustration. The door opened farther, and I turned to see Sebastian standing at the door, his eyes downcast and his mouth stretched tightly. He waved awkwardly then shoved his hands into his jeans.
“Technically, you did.”
“Did what?” I snapped.
“Told the world we—did that with each other first. I just said we did it. Not when.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, Sebastian. Fuck off.” I shoved past him, leaving the room and then the building altogether. I took the long way back to my trailer, avoiding all the main paths so that he couldn’t follow me.
I couldn’t believe him. This was all another ploy to convince me to give him a real chance.
As if the world thinking we were together would cause me to rethink my plans.
I couldn’t be with him romantically even if I wanted to.
The moment my revenge was complete, I was leaving this town. I would run before I got caught.
Reaching my trailer, I slammed the door behind me.
I went to the bed and tossed myself face first onto it, screaming into the pillows once more.
I was going to blow my voice, and I didn’t care.
I was so fucking mad. I valued my privacy, and Sebastian revealing such an intimate detail about my past felt like I’d been stripped bare in front of the world, and not in the good way.
If people knew we’d had sex, they’d want us to be together.
The pressure, as it stood, was overwhelming. Now? It’d be downright unbearable.
I can’t let my feelings get involved in this.
Sometime later, the trailer door opened, and he called for me.
“Evie, come on. I didn’t mean to make you so upset.”
I sat up and rolled off the bed. I went to him and poked his hard chest.
“And what exactly did you mean to do? What is your end game here?”
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“It’s been a month. I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. I let you touch me. I laugh at your jokes. I do everything to sell this stupid showmance, but you act like you forgot your promise.”
“Promise?” He frowned, then his expression relaxed as he huffed and fell back, plopping onto my couch.
“There was no timeline on that promise. Nor was it ever discussed in detail. I’ve tried, several times, but I’m always shut down.
” He put his arms behind his head and crossed his feet at his ankles.
“What do you mean? It’s a pretty cut-and-dry deal. I do this stupid pretend-dating, and you help me kill the men who murdered my mother.” I crossed my arms and stared at him, making himself at home on my couch.
“Nuh-uh.” He shook his head and shifted, putting his legs up onto the couch and stretching. “That’s not what I promised. I said I’d get you close to them. Which, while doable, is difficult. I can’t just walk next door and pull some Princess Bride shit.”
I stared at him until he elaborated.
“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father?”
“Prepare to die,” I finished with a sigh. I swatted his legs down to the floor and sat where they’d just been. “Fuck. I’ve been here a month, and only Thornton is crossed off my list. And he was dead before I got here!” I fell backward, and he sat up.
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up. Killing isn’t easy.” He pinched my chin teasingly.
I swatted him away with an eye roll. He made it sound like I’d accidentally spilled paint, not killed a man. The memory of Glenn, naked and covered in vomit on my carpet, flashed across my mind.
He continued. “Did you have a plan when you got here? Knowing might help me keep good on my promise.”
I rolled my head to look at him. “Plans? I figured I’d stalk them, learn their schedule or something, and meet them in a dark corner and just—take them out.” I pointed my fingers like a handgun and pretended to shoot.
“Have you practiced shooting a gun?”
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. One time.
“Okay, that’s a good start. You know some of them will also have guns. Unless you’re locked and loaded, they’d easily draw faster.”
“I’m prepared to die for this,” I muttered. “You know that, right?”
“Anthony C. Hopkins, Evie,” he swore and ran his hand through his hair. “Don’t—okay, fuck it. Show me the list.”
“I thought you already knew it.”
“I’m a visual learner. Hold on. I’ll be back.
” He leaped up and left my trailer, returning a moment later with a whiteboard and a handful of markers.
I cocked my head, and he grinned. “Connor writes my schedule on this every day. Here, let’s plan.
” He gave me a marker and set the board on the table.
I stood and went to it, writing down the names of the five men still alive who had murdered my mom.
Jason Dourif
Frederick Castle
Charles Hodder
Arthur Englund
Elliott Bradley
He leaned over me and nodded. “Okay, this was who I thought. Well, not him. I don’t know who that is.” He pointed at Charles.
I explained that he was a realtor, and he continued.
“You want to meet them?”
“I want to kill them.”
He snickered. “Well, you’re on your own for that. Murder assistance comes at a much higher price than some public flirting.” He gave me a wicked smile.
“What exactly are you proposing?” My heart sped up as his green eyes bored into mine with such intensity, I felt it in my core.
“You seem really insistent on not letting me shoot my shot. I’ve tried playful flirting, throwing my emotions on the table, I fucking killed a guy for you, and I got nothing. You want help ending these sick fucks? Then I want a real shot for each one.”
I straightened and put my hand on my hip. “Okay. And what exactly is a real shot?”
Sebastian followed suit, standing straight and turning to face me. His green eyes were hypnotic as they stared down at me.
“Sex.”
The air slid out of my lungs in one quick whoosh. The world grew silent as his word settled around me.
“Huh?” My voice came out small, confused, and...not uninterested.
“I want to fuck you five times.”
“Why?” I shook my head, not entirely understanding.
“Because I know the moment this is over, you’re going to leave.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he inhaled deeply. “I want five shots to try to change that. One for each man dead.”
“You think you can convince me to stay with the power of your dick?” I smirked, despite the very thought making my nipples harden. My breathing was labored as we maintained eye contact.
“Yes.”
“And when will this be done? Before or after each kill?” I crossed my arms over my chest, covering my intrigue.
He grimaced. “That makes it sound like work. This isn’t a transaction, Evie.”
“What is it, then?”
“It’s my last-ditch effort to get you to love me as hard as I fucking love you.”
Guilt seeped into my gut, causing any feeling of arousal to quickly disappear.
“Sebastian, I—” I looked down at my feet.
“Just…hear me out. Have you heard of free use?”
I looked up, raising an eyebrow.
“Free use?”
“You consent to letting me fuck you five times, whenever, wherever I want. There’s no timeline, no strict rules. We could do all five times in one night or throughout our killing spree. Just…let me try.”
The desperation in his expression was enough to give me pause. I looked into his pleading eyes, reevaluating my original plan.
Nothing he did would convince me to stay.
Even if I survived all this, I’d be on the run.
Sebastian Shaw was far too famous to just slip into obscurity somewhere.
There were no Mexican beaches in our future.
Once this was over, he’d stay here, grow even more famous, and I. ..would most likely be dead.
I stared at the handsome man I’d once loved deeply. It had hurt to let him go, but I couldn’t stay here after my mom died. And he couldn’t leave Hollywood. Would this be a cycle for us?
The chemistry test flashed through my mind. Him naked on his knees between my thighs. It’d been the most erotic thing I’d ever experienced. I’d thought about it entirely too often in bed and in the shower. Would agreeing to have that again, even just briefly, be that bad?
“Fine. Five times. Once you use them, that’s it. I am not promising I’ll change my mind about things. I came here to do one thing and one thing only. Nothing is going to deter me from that.”
He put his hand out, and begrudgingly, I shook it.
His goofy, charming smile returned, and he looked back down at my list.
“Talent manager, lawyer, realtor, executive, and a fucking A-list celebrity.” He clicked his tongue. “Okay, let’s start low. I can get us close to Dourif.”
“You can?” My nervousness over Sebastian’s free use idea disappeared in an instant. I could taste the revenge on my tongue, and it was sweet. “When?”
“Let me make some calls. I might be able to make that happen soon, actually. I had an invite that I blew off. I bet I can get on the list again.” He pulled out his phone and began texting.
“What event?” I asked.
He brought the phone to his ear, and it started ringing.
“A movie premiere. You’ll need a dress.” His gaze slid over my body, going down then slowly back up.
“Something tight.” The other line picked up, and he turned to leave.
“Hey, can I still get into that premiere for Slice Slice Baby? I think it’d be a great PR stunt, taking Evie to something public.
” He opened the door and then paused, turning back.
He gave me a thumbs-up and nodded. “Cool, and the after-party?”
The door shut behind him, and air seemed to finally return to my lungs. I replayed the conversation we’d just had in my head.
Five times. Free use.
What had I just agreed to?