Chapter 56 Red
Chapter fifty-six
Red
The end of filming. Who’d have thought I’d make it this far?
We wrap at midday, and Director Yun brings out champagne to celebrate our achievement.
When I watched the actresses on screen, I thought their job must be easy.
Five months of early starts, late nights, and memorizing endless lines sobered me right up.
Although I’ve learned so much and loved most of the filming, I’m also looking forward to a long break.
Rickon hasn’t lined up another contract yet, also suggesting we take a break, and with a big payment due to hit my bank account next week, it’s not like we need to work for a while.
And I know Ricky’s just as tired as me, because instead of driving he’s been calling a service for the past two days. Maybe just this time I’ll take a break to focus on me and my pack.
As I wait for Ri-ckon to finish talking to the director, I dip my nose into a giant bouquet of red roses wrapped in palm fronds. Callisto might be stuck in court today, but he hasn’t forgotten me. The attached card reads: Congratulations on a mountain climbed. I’m in awe of all you’ve accomplished.
Remembering makes me smile. Even with all the chaos, I finished this giant challenge and got my name in the Ommywood headlines.
Of course, it’s not for my acting skills per se—yet.
But that will change once the movie releases.
Because the film already has so much publicity, Director Yun plans to push the post-production team to get it finished in six months.
“Red?”
I turn to find Sebastien walking toward me.
He salutes me. “Well, how do you feel about being done with your first project?”
I grin. “I’m more tired than I expected.”
He nods. “Yeah, keeping up the energy gets tough by the last month. But I just wanted to say how impressed I am with what you’ve done.”
“Thanks, Sebastien. I definitely appreciated all your advice.” The more seasoned actor kept his word to maintain the boundaries of friendship, and I’ve learned a lot from him.
He offers his hand, casting a sly glance over at Zack who waits on the leash with Rickon. “This much is allowed, right?”
I laugh and shake his hand. “Of course. I hope we get to act together again sometime.”
Sebastien lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “So do I, but I’m considering a long-term role in a French production. A bit off the beaten path for me, but it’s drawing me.”
I perk up, remembering the research Doc Woods mentioned related to pre-bonds possibly being responsible for packs moving countries to find each other.
“Hey,” I say, grabbing his shoulder. “If your gut’s saying go for it, then get on that plane tomorrow.”
He brightens. “Yeah, it just feels right, you know? Even though my agent says it’s a career killer.”
“Tell that to Kayla Grant,” I shoot back.
Sebastien grunts. “True. She was barely known before Crime Scene Squad.”
“Exactly. And now she’s a household name.” I won’t mention the research since I don’t want to get his hopes up. If he does something new and fun and meets his scent-match on the side, well that would be a nice bonus. “Am I allowed to know any details?”
He winces. “Not really, since I haven’t signed . . . but I will say dystopian crime boss.”
Well shit. Sebastien in a dark role? That’ll be interesting. “I’ll watch the show,” I promise.
I glance around, but Rickon’s now talking with a producer who came to congratulate us on the wrap. Zack waits patiently, gnawing on a protein bar while keeping both eyes on Sebastien. I chuckle weakly.
My feet burn and my head’s a little achy, I think from not enough water today, especially given how the weather’s warming up. We have the gala in a week, and I have final fittings with Hannah Sorentito for my dress in two days, but I just want to crawl into bed for a month. With my pack, of course.
“Rickon,” I call, waving. When he pauses his conversation, I say, “I’ll wait in the car.” I point toward the vehicle with our service’s logo on the door in the car park.
He flashes me a thumbs-up.
I should go over and grab Zack, but it seems like too far to walk, so I head for the car. Plus, that’ll make Rickon hurry because Zack’ll get restless. Hitching my purse up higher on my shoulder, I carry my roses with both hands and head for the car.
I throw open the backseat door and push in, the huge bouquet barely fitting through the door. “Hey, the rest of my party will be here in a minute,” I tell the driver.
Maybe I’ll text Callisto while I wait, but then again, I better not since I don’t want to distract him. It’s his big day after all. How nice that our celebrations can happen at the same time.
As I set the flowers down on the seat beside me and reach for my purse looking for the small bottle of water Rickon always slips inside, the car rolls forward. I flail, grabbing for the door handle. “Hey! My pack aren’t—”
The driver looks up in the mirror.
My blood curdles. “You!” I spit out furiously.
Rickon’s mother hits a button, and the doors lock with a sharp click.
“Let me out!” I shout, throwing myself at the handle. But it’s no use; I’m trapped.
The car speeds up through the gates, engine a terrifying whine in my ears. My pulse pounds under my breast as fear collides with anger in my chest. How dare this bitch come after us again?
A moment later, the bond feeds me a potent horror as my alphas catch on. I choke from the strength of their rage, Zack and Rickon equally furious. My breath hitches and my throat closes, and I can’t tell if it’s the engine or my heartbeat roaring in my ears.
Clarissa Jones steps on the gas, and we shoot forward along the road, overtaking the other cars wildly.
“You’ll regret this,” I hiss at the woman as I drag my seatbelt over my chest. I’ve no desire to die in a car crash if she misjudges a turn.
Her nostrils flare. “Honey, I don’t do things I’ll regret,” she says, the accent lilting her smug words.
“Bullshit!” I roar. “You wouldn’t be here bothering Rickon if you didn’t regret something! Shoulda just stayed wherever you pissed off to after abandoning your child at the zoo.”
Her top lip curls up in annoyance, but she stays silent.
I calculate my options, deciding against jumping into the front and forcing the wheel out of her hands. For one, I don’t know how to drive, although it might not be so different to the golf cart, but for two, we’re more likely to crash and die in a crumple of burning metal if I try.
I’ll sit tight for now . . . because I have other options.
And my alphas will be hot on our trail.
I dig out my phone and type into the group chat: Abducted by Clarissa Jones. Headed west.
She’s an idiot to let me keep my phone. I’ll watch the street names and report everything and an entire OCB team will be on our asses in minutes. And then we’ll—
Clarissa stomps on the brakes, and I jerk forward, snapping back against the seat when the belt grabs me. I scream instinctively and throw up my hands as my spine echoes painfully with the jolt, and the phone goes flying.
My kidnapper swipes it from the floor. “You’ll pay for that,” she hisses, winding down her window and tossing the phone out.
“You’ll be the one paying,” I promise darkly, pressing one hand to my throbbing head.
I dare not move too much for fear my spine’s damaged—every little movement sends warning shocks through my body, and the honking horns around us make my head throb.
Even if I wanted to move, my bond fills with bitter alpha panic as my men register my flash of terror.
Clarissa swears under her breath as she swerves back into the traffic and takes the first side street. We’re no longer heading west, but surely street cameras somewhere will catch our movements.
I groan as every lurch sends pain rattling down my neck, and I hang onto my seatbelt, trying not to move.
Not hard to guess what this is about: Money.
Same thing Ray was chasing while taking all my haze.
Well, for him it was also enjoyment in having power over others.
Look where that got him, talking with a machine and feeding out of a tube for the rest of his life.
I grit my teeth and promise myself it won’t go well for this scum of a human either. She tried approaching Rickon, and he slapped a restraining order on her, so now she’s turned to true crime. What a wonderful mother; I guess some families really do have black sheep. The absurdity makes me chuckle.
“Something about this amusing?” Clarrisa snaps.
“Only how terrible a mother you are,” I say.
Her tone gets blacker than her wretched soul. “I never asked to have a child.”
“You took a dick willingly, didn’t you? Kinda comes with the territory, dumbass.”
“Shut up!” she hisses. “You wouldn’t know anything.”
“Oh?” I ask, bracing one arm on the door to keep still. “Maybe not, but I do know if one of my men gave me a piece of themselves in the form of a baby, my pinky would have more love for that child than you’ve managed in your lifetime.”
“Easy for you to say when you’ve got money to help.”
I scoff. Anger rises to tighten my throat.
Hard to tell if it’s my own or a byproduct of my alphas.
“Easy? I didn’t have a bank account until five months ago.
It hasn’t been easy, but that’s no fucking excuse not to love a person you’re responsible for!
You coulda stuck around and done your best. If you had, now you’d be the mother-in-law not only to a superstar but also the Wren family heir.
But no, you chose the selfish path, and now the joke’s on you.
You deserve everything that’s coming to you, bitch! ”
She swerves on purpose, and metal crunches as she swipes a side mirror off a parked car. I hiss and hold my neck as paralyzing pain runs through my upper body. Fuck. If she messes up my acting career, I’ll tear her apart with my own hands.
“We’ll see who’s laughing at the end of the day,” she promises darkly.
A trickle of fear coils in my belly as my bravado melts in the face of pain. But what can she do to me that hasn’t already been done? I’m no stranger to agony.
And more importantly, my alphas are searching for me. That’s a fact, because I can hardly breathe from the force of Zack’s wrath in the bond. I press a hand to my chest and close my eyes, pushing back on my lover’s energy so he knows I’m alive.
I just need to hold on a little longer.
My alphas are coming.