Sledgehammer (Hard to Love 2)

“Last time you invited me someplace I wound up in jail, so you’ll excuse me if I invite you to fuck off.”

I’m about to shut the door on him when Parker grabs it.

“Amber, I’m begging you. It’s the film. The dailies came back and Cheyenne…” His shoulders fall. Head tilted away, I watch his lips press so tight they disappear. “She isn’t ready for such a heavy role. We’ve only shot a week’s worth of film. The only person who knows this character as well as I do is you.”

Is this a joke?

“Parker––” Shocked, his name comes out a question. “I…I don’t even…” Exhaling harshly, I begin again, “Let’s start at the beginning. Does your wife know she’s being replaced?”

“We discussed it,” he mumbles, the words cautious. “She understands that my career is at stake. I can’t fuck this up.”

His blue eyes meet mine and in them I see desperation––but not altruism. None. And not one iota of remorse. This is, as usual, about Parker and his career, no regard for other people’s needs or feelings. It doesn’t matter what he has to do to get what he wants. Begging, lying, dumping fiancées, firing his wife. Whatever it takes, he’s willing to do it for the sake of his career. I almost admire his dedication.

“I don’t see why you would come all this way for nothing. Thanks to you and your mother I can’t leave the state until this case is closed. That is, unless I have to go to jail.”

His face twists in confusion. Rubbing his bearded chin, the way he’s contemplating me triggers an uneasy flutter in my stomach.

“You don’t know?”

The flutter kicks up a notch, a pending sense of dread on its coattails. “Know what, Parker? Spit it out, or I’m shutting this door.”

His mouth tilts up in a smug smile. I know that look. This is bad. “The charges were dropped. The case has been closed for a month. Vaughn paid restitution, for the renovations to my mother’s house.”

The last few words are a blur, drowned out by the blood rushing in my ears, my heart pumping hard enough for it to be painful.

A month.

Closed for a month.

Ethan paid for the repairs.

A month. And he never mentioned it. He’s been lying to me for a month…and I turned down the part because they were shooting in Canada. Rage descends upon me, my legs shaking from the adrenaline rush.

“I’m sorry miss, you can’t go in…” Not even bothering to glance at his receptionist, I storm past her. Her objection fades away as I barrel through the door and into his office.

Ethan looks up from his computer screen and smiles, his eyes two crescents that take me in from head to toe. When they climb up to my narrow eyed scowl, the joy he’s wearing on his too-handsome-for-his-own-good face extinguishes.

Standing to his left, Andi’s expression turns owlish. She starts to inch away from him. Her feminine wiles are obviously telling her shit’s about to go down and her boss is in all likelihood a marked man. Right before she scurries out of the office, she throws a, “Bye, Amber,” over her shoulder.

While Andi closes the door behind her, we stare at each other like we’re in a spaghetti western. Meanwhile, his frazzled secretary trots in. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Vaughn––”

“It’s fine, June. Miss Jones is always welcome.” He smiles at June warmly and the tightness on the secretary’s face eases. June backs out, closing the door behind her as well. Alone at last.

“What’s wrong?” he has the nerve to ask, the space between his eyes puckering.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” My lids are practically pinned to my forehead. “You lying sack of shit.”

His shoulders drop, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment. Suspicion confirmed. Parker was telling the truth. And the truth feels exactly like a stake through the heart. When they open again he aims all the remorse and sorrow in them at me. “Who told you?”

“Parker came by the townhouse. He was overjoyed to discover you’re just as bad as he is.”

Abruptly, the door opens. “E, what do you want me to do with…” David Pitt’s words slide to a stop when he looks up from the paperwork he’s holding and sees me standing there. Or, more importantly, sees the expression I’m wearing.

“Perfect. Deceitful sack of shit number two. Come on in, we were just getting started.”

Ethan stands and slowly walks around his desk. With every step he takes toward me, I back away from him. When only a few feet separate us, he stops and shoves his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

“How could you? I turned down work because I thought I couldn’t leave the state!”

His head drops, his gaze falling on his shoes. He rubs the back of his neck.

“The night I came to the bar––I was going to tell you...”