Chapter 10
chapter
ten
Olivier
T he sound of raised voices wasn’t uncommon in our house. Living with two hothead identical twins came with its ups and downs…lately a lot more downs than ups as Seven struggled to accept Gemini’s quiet distancing from the Hollywood scene. But the inclusion of a husky female voice arguing back was what roused me from slightly hungover sleep.
That wasn’t Clara Belle. She was a hell of a lot more shrill when she was mad.
Stumbling out of bed, I scrubbed the heel of my hand over my eyes and grimaced at the sting in my knuckles. That was the reminder I needed to recall the events of the night before. I’d been decently drunk, in my defense. Really, really should not have driven, but I’d perfected the art of functioning under the influence before I was even legal to buy alcohol.
Hollywood taught us former child stars all kinds of shit that we had no right learning.
Still, I found it hard to regret my actions in saving that sexy waitress from the piece of shit beating her head into that car. The whole Gem thing when we got home was just a perk. I’d heard them going at it a few hours ago, and it sounded… hot .
Lucky bastard.
“…want to say anything to your fans to add to that little rant?” the sexy-legged vixen sneered right as I stepped into the room where she was brandishing a phone in Seven’s face.
She was barefoot and disheveled but still blazing hot. Goddamn Gem, I owed him a punch in the dick for robbing me of this hottie.
Seven’s jaw clenched and his eye twitched, but he was 100 percent aware that her video was recording. He’d never jeopardize his Carriage Pictures deal. Not now that it was so close to being signed.
“Okay, what’s going on here?” I interrupted before things could get out of control—or more out of control than they already were.
The dark-haired bombshell whipped her head around in surprise at my voice, and Seven took advantage of her distraction to snatch the phone out of her hand.
“Hey! That’s my private property, asshole!” she snapped, that voice just as husky as I remembered from the night before. It reminded me of her injuries, and I tried to get a better look at her throat. Was it bruised?
Seven retreated a few steps out of her reach as he deleted the video, then pocketed her phone with a smug smirk. “Okay…and? What’s your point?”
“Give it back!” she demanded, advancing on him like she planned to pin him down to retrieve her phone. Seven put out his hand to keep her at bay and shot a frustrated look my way.
“A little help, Ollie? This feral trash panda is refusing to sign the NDA, and I, for one, am not letting her fuck up my career any more than she already has.” He pointed to the paperwork sitting on the table. “Just sign it and you can leave with your phone. It’s that simple.”
“This is kidnapping!” the woman exclaimed in outrage, her high cheekbones tinted with color, betraying how angry she was as she turned to address me. “This dickwad won’t let me leave until I sign his shitty contract.”
I yawned, ruffling my fingers through my hair. “Technically not kidnapping, Snow. More like…uhh…false imprisonment, maybe? Or unlawful detention? Something like that. I guess maybe it would fall under kidnapping except Sev didn’t abduct you from anywhere; he’s just not allowing you to leave. Hmm, I dunno, there must be a word for it.”
Seven shot me the most perplexed look, shaking his head slightly. “Ollie, bro…what the fuck are you talking about?”
I shrugged. “Beats me, I’m still half-asleep. How’s your head, Snow? You took some wicked knocks from that prick last night.”
The sexy thing just blinked at me in confusion. “It’s fine,” she muttered. “I mean, it hurts but I’ll live.”
“What happened?” Seven asked, looking between the two of us like we’d both just grown tails and started dancing the macarena. “How do you two know each other? Didn’t Gem bring this bitch home with him?”
I shook my head. “Nope, I did. You want a coffee before you go, Snow? Hah, that rhymed.” Chuckling to myself, I headed for the kitchen and silently prayed she would follow.
To my relief, she was either still concussed enough or simply confused enough to do just that and leave Seven pacing around like a bear with a sore head while I fired up the Italian espresso machine that sat in pride of place on the marble countertop.
“Wait, hold up,” Seven called out, following us a moment later. “What do you mean you brought her home? Gem?—”
“How do you take your coffee, Snow?” I asked the leggy brunette as she leaned her hip against the island. I wasn’t in the mood to walk Seven through all the events he’d missed, so it seemed easier to ignore him entirely.
She pursed her lush pink lips, and gave Seven a long side-eye before replying. “Black, please. No sugar.”
I nodded thoughtfully, prepping the hopper with fresh beans. “Coming up. Want it in a takeout cup so you can complete your sneak out before Gem wakes up?” I shot her a teasing wink and was rewarded with a pretty blush.
“She’s not going anywhere until she signs the fucking NDA!” Seven roared, slapping the contract down on the island counter. We had dozens of them and used them like fucking toilet paper. Literally everyone in our lives has been required to sign one.
I rolled my eyes, yawning again. “Obviously. Snow, sweetheart, I know Sev is being a boorish idiot, but surely you understand the need for our privacy.”
Her expression blanched a little and her eyes softened. “Yeah…I do. But I’m not signing that. Sorry, Olivier, I really do appreciate your help last night—Dillon could have killed me if you didn’t intervene—but signing that does nothing for me. Thanks but no thanks.”
Conversation had to pause a moment while I ground fresh coffee into the group head, the burrs loudly whirring and making it impossible to be heard. Then when it finished, I gave the total babe a curious look.
“I don’t get it. Why won’t you sign it anyway? Unless you were planning on sharing all the intimate details of your night in our house with People Magazine for some ludicrous payout?” I snickered at my joke, but no one else did. In fact, the pretty girl shifted her weight from foot to foot and smoothed her hand over her hair in a clear sign that she was uncomfortable.
Seven, on the other hand, smirked like a Cheshire Cat. “Funny you should say that, Ollie. I guess you don’t know what your stray cat does for a living, then?”
She rolled her eyes, giving Seven a sneer. “Don’t be so fucking dramatic, Harrison. I have no intention of selling my story to People .”
I frowned, sure I was missing some vital piece of information. “What do you do for a living, Snow? Aren’t you a waitress?” Because the skirt and blouse were identical to the cater waiters who’d been working the party last night. I had assumed…
She gritted her teeth, glaring absolute daggers at Seven. “I’m a photographer.”
Sev scoffed. “She’s paparazzi. And she’s the one who sold those pics of Gem, knowing full fucking well that it was Gem and labeled them as me.”
My jaw must have hit the floor. Then I mentally replayed the events of the night before…how I’d heard the commotion and seen the asshole assaulting her from across the street. I hadn’t thought my actions through—thanks, alcohol—and acted on instinct to protect her. But if she was a pap…
“Did you set that up?” I exclaimed, horrified. “What the fuck would have happened if I didn’t step in to save you? That guy wasn’t faking!”
Outrage flooded her gorgeous face. “Don’t be ridiculous! For one thing, I don’t set shit up , and I sure as goddamn fuck wouldn’t let my psycho abusive ex beat the crap out of me in the miniscule hope a celebrity would step in to save me.”
“Wait, what the fuck?” Seven asked, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’m missing some details.”
“So that’s why you won’t sign?” I demanded, folding my arms over my chest. “Sev, you better check her camera roll before you give that phone back. She might have nudes of Gem that she plans to peddle as you.”
The pretty, little liar threw her hands up in exasperation. “I’m not a fucking pervert! Jesus, you two are carrying on like I’m some sort of?—”
The loud chime of our doorbell interrupted whatever weak defense she was about to offer up, and I glared at Seven to go answer it. He huffed a frustrated sound, then crossed to the video intercom on the wall to check who was on our doorstep.
“Jerry,” he announced, pressing the button to allow him entry. “Maybe he can offer better incentive for this bottom-feeding scum to sign the fucking NDA.”
Snow’s lip curled in disdain. “I doubt it. And unless you wanna find yourself facing charges of extortion and imprisonment, I suggest you make your peace with the fact that I will not sign shit .”
“Ollie!” our manager bellowed from the foyer, sounding fucking irate. “Ollie! Get your happy ass down here and explain what the fuck you were thinking!”
Seven looked to me with genuine curiosity, but I cringed. Now that I knew Snow was paparazzi and not just an innocent waitress…I’d bet my favorite boxer shorts her punch-happy ex was also in the sleaze-media game.
“In here, Jerry!” I called back, already cursing the moment I decided to play white knight and save Gem’s damsel in distress. Damn it all to hell.
Our manager strode through with brisk steps, his suit as immaculate as always despite the steam coming out his ears when he glared at me. “You fucking idiot!” he spat, throwing a glossy magazine down on the counter, then frowning at Snow. “Who is this?”
“Gem’s girl,” I muttered, picking up the magazine and scanning the contents of the double-page spread Jerry had it open to. “That was fast, I guess.” The images were all of the douchebag's injuries and the article content was purely allegation and speculation.
Jerry was squinting at Snow with heavy suspicion, like he recognized her but couldn’t place where he’d seen her before. Of course he probably paid a lot more attention to the camera sharks than I did. I just kept my head down and pretended they didn’t exist.
“Is it true?” Jerry snapped, dismissing Snow from his attention. “Did you beat the crap out of a pap because you were drunk and he insulted you?”
I scoffed, tossing the magazine down. “Absolutely the fuck not.” Jerry’s shoulders sagged with visible relief, and I realized he thought I meant none of it was true. I’d best clarify. “I was a little drunk, yes, and I did beat the crap out of him, also yes. But he didn’t insult me, nor did I know he was a fucking pap.”
Jerry’s eyes bugged out and he spluttered like he couldn’t quite find the words to tell me how utterly stupid I had been. Totally not necessary—I was already aware, and I scowled at the sexy culprit herself.
“You set me up, Snow,” I accused.
She rolled her eyes again, like I was being petulant. “I already said, no, I didn’t. And while we’re on the topic, I specifically told you not to bring me home with you. I remember being quite adamant that I was just fine and did not want to go anywhere with you… It was you who made me come here.”
With impeccable timing, Gem thumped his way down the stairs with a loud yawn. “Did I hear Jerry yelling at someone?” he called out ahead of himself. “Also has anyone seen—” He broke off as he entered the room with us and locked eyes on his duplicitous girl, a huge grin lighting his face. “Slick, you’re still here! I thought you snuck out again.”
Totally failing to read the room, he swept her up in his arms, perching her butt on the counter and kissing her so intimately, it nearly got me hard just watching.
“Fucking hell,” Seven muttered, and I kicked the back of Gem’s leg to get his attention.
He broke away from kissing the raven-haired troublemaker with a scowl, then glanced between us all with more focus. “Uh…did I interrupt something?”
“Yes,” Jerry snapped. “Ollie was about to explain why he beat up a paparazzo wanker last night, and Seven was about to explain why he has an NDA form out for this woman to sign…though I think that part is now obvious. I assume you failed, once again, to get the necessary paperwork before getting your dick wet, Gem?”
Seven cleared his throat, looking like a smug fuck. “Actually, I was about to enlighten my twin to the fact that he has been sleeping with the scavengers. Literally. Your girl is a vulture, bro.”
If I was under any uncertainty whether Gem knew about Snow’s profession, the shock on his face would have cleared it right up. Same for the guilt and regret all over hers. Damn, this was a clusterfuck and a half.