Chapter Ten

West reached for the door to the studio and allowed her to walk through.

She forced herself because she really wanted to be back in bed with him. Today was going to be hard because she was going to tell her boss that he needed to stop being an asshole, and that never went well for her.

What had Channing said the day before? Something about how she’d done the hard work so younger women could feel safer.

Well, it was time for Ally to do some good for the little girls who would someday be in her position, and taking on Jay Clarke was how she planned to begin.

“Hey, baby, it’s my boss.” West stood in the doorway, holding his cell phone. “I should talk to him.”

She nodded. “I’m going to grab some coffee and then I’m due in hair and makeup. I promise I won’t leave the building.”

He put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Ian. What’s going on?”

She doubted Jay was here. He wouldn’t show up until everything was in place and they were ready to shoot. She likely had an hour or two before she had to deal with him.

She grabbed her coffee and made her way to the small rooms where the principal cast had hair and makeup done.

And there was the last person she wanted to see. Well, not the last. It was sad that there were so many people she didn’t want to see. This one was Reid. She should have studied the call sheet. She would have been better prepared.

He glanced over from his seat, looking up from his phone. “Hey.”

At least he hadn’t added a bitch in there. That was practically polite for Reid. She set her bag down. It looked like the makeup artists were prepping in the back, leaving her semi alone with the man who was playing her sibling. “Hey.”

He turned the phone her way. “The Vanity Fair article came out.”

She sighed. “I’m sure I’m the bad guy.”

“I don’t think any of us comes out great,” he admitted. “I mean with the exception of our grand leader.”

Naturally Jay would be seen as the adult in the room. She sat down in the chair with a huff. “Of course he is. He’s Hollywood’s golden boy. No one’s going to say a bad word about him.”

“At least they didn’t call me a cocaine bear,” Reid said with a sigh.

Maybe it wasn’t nice of her to make fun of a dude’s drug problem. “I’m sorry. I’ll be nicer. Though you should probably lay off it.”

He was quiet for a moment. “You’re different than I thought you would be. You’re not as awful as we all feared.”

“I take it you’ve seen my show then.” She should ignore him, but she was making an effort today.

“I don’t think you come off all that bad on the show. It can be quite entertaining. I do think you show fairly accurately what it’s like to be in this business. I particularly liked when you drove around with that weird guy in the golf cart.”

“My Guber. I miss Greg.” Greg would like West.

“Anyway, I was hoping we could start over. Reading that article… I don’t want to be this guy. It’s not how I like to work. This has been one of the hardest shoots of my life, and I’ve played some nasty characters. I genuinely hate the guy I’m playing.”

It was the most he’d talked to her the entire time. Well, at least in a friendly way. Would he understand what she was going through, or would this get her in more trouble? She found she couldn’t not respond. Once she started genuinely trying to fit in, she couldn’t stop. Damn, West. That man was going to kill her.

Or lead her to an actual happy, balanced life.

“I don’t think Jay and I are going to agree on how I should play Delia. He wants me to go full-on lunatic, but that isn’t who she was.”

“That was the real tragedy of it all. Delia was tormented by this asshole and she survived it, and he still managed to get her committed. She had to live her life in misery, and she was sane when she went in,” Reid agreed. “I think that’s way worse. But then I don’t think Jay would say he’s making a true crime drama. He’s using a true story to make a point about how capitalistic greed has corrupted the American family or something. At least that’s what he said during one of our private sessions.” Reid sighed. “I thought those would be cooler. It’s mostly the two of us talking about how awful you are.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. “My character?”

Reid turned her way, his voice going low, and there was an almost apologetic look on his face. “No. You. He thinks I need to hate you in order to play this character. At first, I thought it was some dumb thing I had to get through. It’s not the first time I’ve had a director think he can mold me into what he wants. I’m pretty good at agreeing with everything and still doing what I want. But he brought in this therapist, and I think he’s fucking with my head. I don’t hate you, Ally. I mean, I don’t like you or anything, but you’re okay. The therapist told me it was okay to do whatever I needed to get in touch with this character. Jay said the same thing. I hadn’t done coke in years.”

A chill went through Ally. One of the things Jay wanted her to do was talk with a therapist about getting in touch with the character. By using her own history and background. “Reid, did he supply the coke?”

Reid turned in his seat, sitting back and staring at the mirror again. “He thought it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to remind myself how it feels. Look, it’s not like I’m sober or anything. I do a lot of weed. I drink. He didn’t force me.”

“Didn’t he?” Was this what Jay had been moving her toward? “Did you feel like you would be able to keep your job? Because yesterday he pretty much told me to dump my boyfriend if I wanted him to consider me a serious actress.”

He’d never said the actual words that he would look for someone else, but the implication had been there. It had threatened to send her right over the edge. He’d known exactly how to slide the knife in. If West wasn’t so fucking perfect, she’d have pushed him out the door.

“I don’t think you should do that. It’s obvious he’s the reason you’re not a raving bitch. I’m not sure what Jay is thinking.”

“He’s thinking a vulnerable me is someone he can manipulate, someone he can turn into anything he wants.” Jay had seen her for who she was. Lonely. Desperate to prove herself. So fucking desperate to mean something in the world.

West had seen the same things, and he’d done what he could to lift her up, to show her she was already meaningful. West had shown her she could be more than a career.

“I don’t know if I would be that harsh. I mean, we’ve all known directors who pushed a little too hard.”

“Reid, he encouraged you to do cocaine and then be mean to me. When you think about it, he actually did turn you into a cocaine bear.” The dude had ravaged a couple of people. At least he had in the movie. “And now I wonder who is really talking about the chaos on set.”

“I thought it was the crew.”

A snort came from behind them, and Ally realized one of the makeup artists had joined them. It was the one she’d worked with. Kathy.

“The crew hates working with this asshole.” Kathy set her kit on the counter. “And you can quote me on that. There’s a reason he only retains the higher-up crew. The second ADs keep holding on because they think he’s going to win another Oscar and they’ll get their own directing gigs. The rest of us are almost entirely new. I wish someone had told me what a dick he is. Did you know he told me I shouldn’t compliment you? We’re supposed to tell Reid, Bryce, and Channing how amazing they all look, but we’re supposed to not talk to you. At first, I thought that was because you were one of those ‘don’t look me in the eyes’ assholes, but you’re fun to be around. He heard me talking to you the other day and threatened to fire me if I didn’t ice you out.”

She’d never had a chance with this crew. Her director—the man who’d promised her he respected her—had made sure no one else did. She hated the fact that tears pulsed behind her eyes. She’d never cried this much until freaking West softened her up. Well, he would have to do a lot of cuddling and taking care of her because she was about to quit this whole fucking thing.

“Hey, you know we like you, right?” Kathy’s tone had softened. “You’re a good one, Ally Pearson, and that’s why we’re not going to follow his rules any longer. And if you ask me, he’s the one who’s talking to the press. He doesn’t think we have ears or anything. Maybe he just doesn’t notice us because we’re beneath him or something.”

The other makeup artist joined in. Kenny was a doll of a man, and she’d so enjoyed listening to his stories while he worked on Reid or Bryce. “Are we talking about what the PAs overheard?”

Kathy nodded and started to unpack her kit. “I got my sister a production assistant job. She hates it, of course. I tried to tell her she would be getting a lot of coffee for people, but she insisted. Anyway, she overheard Jay talking about this million-dollar book deal he would be getting after this project was done. And she’s certain he was talking to the Vanity Fair reporter.”

“I know none of us is talking,” Kenny swore. “If we were talking, old Jay wouldn’t look like the golden boy who puts up with everyone’s shit for the sake of art. I think he’s the one causing all the chaos, and he’s doing it because he likes it.”

He didn’t merely like it. He thrived on it. If the cast hated each other, they didn’t talk to each other. They didn’t find out that the director was playing nasty games to “get them into character.”

How far had his games gone?

Mr. Taggart had asked a specific question, and she hadn’t been able to answer it. What had changed?

This role. That was the only thing that had changed.

The fucking call just might be coming from inside the house.

She stood up. “I think this is going to have to wait. I’m calling a cast meeting.”

Reid turned her way. “We can do that?”

Probably not, but she’d been known to get her way.

* * * *

West opened the doors as the big boss approached. Ian Taggart was dressed for work in his usual button-down and slacks. He only wore a tie when Charlotte forced one on him, and a jacket was even harder to get him in, but he still managed to ooze authority.

“You talked to him?” West asked.

“Alex is taking him up to the office. We want to get a full statement out of him,” Ian replied, walking through the doors.

They’d found JK Harris. It was why he’d called twenty minutes before. They’d tracked him down to a motel just outside of Dallas.

“So did he do this?” It was the question that bothered him on a nightly basis. Who was coming after the woman he loved and how could he stop them?

How much pressure would be off Ally if they caught the man who was trying to torment her?

“He claims he didn’t,” Ian replied. “According to him, he received a note the night Ally’s place got vandalized. It told him all he had to do if he wanted his career back was leave without telling anyone where he was going. He claims he received a call from a director who would be willing to hire him but only if he spent a couple of months at the motel.”

It didn’t add up for him. “Why would he believe that? Or think we would believe that?”

“Dude, he’s from Hollywood. Their scripts don’t always make sense.” Ian glanced down the hall. “Of course, there is one scenario in which it does make sense. Not for him to do it. That’s stupid, but he’s not the smartest guy in the world.”

“Who would want to send him here for months?” West wasn’t sure he was following Ian’s reasoning.

“Hey, babe.” Ally rounded the corner and reached for his hand. “Mr. Taggart, nice to see you. I think I figured out what’s happening. You know that scene in the movie where the detective gets everyone in a room and points to the bad guy? I’m about to do that. Except I’m prettier than the old dude who usually does it. Come on.”

He started to follow Ally, but he looked back at the boss. “Shouldn’t you be the one doing this? Do you know who it is?”

Taggart strode along behind them, a mischievous light in his eyes. “Oh, I wouldn’t take this Benoit Blanc moment from her for all the world. I’d like to see if she’s figured it out. If she has it right, I’ve got some receipts I can show the room. Or is Scooby-Doo closer? He would have gotten away with it if not for those meddling kids.”

“I prefer to think of myself as a superhot Angela Lansbury,” Ally announced as she opened the door to the soundstage.

Up on the set of the Crownes’ living room, it looked like the principal cast was assembled. Channing sat beside Reid, patting his shoulder, as Bryce paced and Jay sat in one of the big wingback chairs, his eyes narrowed.

“Hello, Allyson,” Jay said with obvious disappointment. “Would you like to explain why you’ve demanded we all join you here? You know we have things to do. We’re supposed to start shooting soon. If you’re still interested in working on this project. I know you have better things to do.”

Ally walked right onto the set, her ponytail swinging. “I can do my boyfriend and my job, thank you very much. He can be quick when I need him to be, and he’s surprisingly flexible.”

Taggart snorted behind him. “I can’t believe I didn’t like her in the beginning.”

“She gets that a lot.” He stood outside the lights. The spotlight was for her. He was the man who waited for her to come off stage, to take off the costumes and makeup and be herself again. He was her safe space.

“I bet he is. Hello, Mr. Bodyguard.” Channing winked his way. “Who’s your friend? He looks nice.”

“He’s married to a former mafia assassin.” He did not want to be the reason America lost Channing Lloyd’s talent. “I’m not joking. She really was an assassin, and she can be cranky about women coming on to her husband.”

“Well, I didn’t say she couldn’t join us.” Channing huffed.

“Could we be serious for a moment?” Bryce asked. “Our whole production is in chaos. I’m getting calls from my friends back in LA talking about us. We don’t look good.”

“Jay doesn’t care about that.” Ally put her hands on her hips. “Do you, Jay? Are you worried about how the press is looking at us? Or are you just happy that they are?”

Jay frowned, seeming to understand that this wasn’t going to go the way he thought it would. “I assure you I am concerned, but I also understand the value of publicity.”

“Chaos surrounding this film will do nothing but make people interested in the end product, right?” Ally faced down the director. “This is a film about people fighting over money. On the surface, it’s not too interesting. Happens all the time. What’s more interesting is a chaotic shoot. People were already talking about how the legendary Channing Lloyd would handle being cast as the mother to a nepo baby.”

Channing waved a hand. “I handle all things with aplomb. It turns out you’re quite amusing.”

“She’s the problem,” Bryce argued.

“Well, that’s what Jay seems to want us to think.” Reid seemed more serious than usual.

A nasty suspicion hit West. Eve had told them she thought this could be another person. He turned to Ian. “Do you think…”

“I think I want to see how she handles this. You need to be ready in case he gets nasty,” Ian advised. “He doesn’t have a gun. If he hits her, you can’t kill him here. We’ll find a quieter way to dispose of the trash.”

He wasn’t about to let anyone hit her. He moved onto the stage.

“Did you or did you not tell everyone in this cast and crew to treat me like shit?” Ally asked.

How hard had this been on her? All the rejection had weighed her down.

Jay was quiet for a moment, and then it was like the mask came off and the real man was finally here. “Well, dear, you couldn’t get it right on your own, so I had to make adjustments.”

Fucker.

Tag moved in behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Not here. Not now. This is her stand.”

He forced himself to stay back. Tag was right. This was Ally’s moment, and unless that asshole raised a hand to her, he was going to let her handle it. She was strong and brave and resourceful, and maybe now she would value herself for something more than her screentime.

“How would you know, Jay?” Bryce had a confused look on his face. “We hadn’t even started rehearsals when you told me how I should treat her. I believe you said she’d requested it so she could follow your method.”

“Yes, I was told the same thing.” Channing was in full costume and looked every inch the grand dame of the manor. “I thought it odd since she didn’t seem like a method girl.”

“I’m not. I think it’s silly.” Ally frowned. “Though I’m sure it works for some people.”

She could soften her rough edges. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she nodded his way.

“You told the crew to be mean to me, too,” Ally continued. “So the question now is how much more were you willing to do to get what you needed out of me? It was more than a performance, wasn’t it? You need me to click all the boxes, don’t you? You want something more. You want me to be proof that your method works.”

Bryce’s eyes rolled. “His method? It’s ridiculous. He’s not even an actor.”

“No, but he’s an excellent manipulator.” Reid stood up, his jaw firming. “I don’t think what he’s trying to teach is how to act.”

“No,” Jay agreed. “I don’t want to teach acting, per se. I want to teach directors how to get what they need out of actors. Most of you are completely worthless. You’re either so full of yourselves you can’t collaborate or so pathetic you can’t possibly process your own emotions. You, Allyson, are an odd combination of both. You couldn’t touch the emotional truth of the character, so I had to find a path to connect you.”

“I hate this guy.” Ally didn’t need another person telling her how she didn’t measure up. “He did this to her.”

“Yes, he did,” Tag whispered.

“So you had someone break into my house and leave a bunch of dead birds,” Ally said quietly. “Or did you do it yourself? The funny thing is I didn’t get the symbolism. Was Delia supposed to be the dead bird?”

“You don’t understand symbolism at all, sweetheart,” Jay said with syrupy sarcasm. “However, I certainly wouldn’t go to those lengths. That would make me a criminal. I believe you’re confusing me with your stalker. How many do you have? You get into so much trouble.”

“It wasn’t JK Harris. It was you,” Ally said with certainty. “And it was you who sent the box to the hotel, and you’ve been blasting my socials with horrible messages.”

Channing stood up, her shoulders going straight and regal. “Is this true, Jay? Have you been tormenting this young woman so you could manipulate her performance?”

“If she would listen to me, I could get her a nomination,” Jay snarled.

“He’s got a book deal,” Ally explained. “I would bet it’s scheduled to come out around the time the movie is released. He’s done all of this to hype the movie and his method. He makes us all look like we’re at each other’s throats…”

“Because he told us to be,” Reid interjected.

“…and then he releases a magnificent film and everyone holds him up as a master,” Ally finished. “He gets his Oscar and takes his place as the next Spielberg.”

“Spielberg doesn’t terrorize his actors,” Bryce said, coming to stand beside Reid. “We’re a part of this process, Jay. You know what? I think you’re the one who struggles with collaboration.”

A smattering of applause broke out, and that seemed to be the moment Jay realized he had more of an audience than he’d thought. The crew stood in the shadows watching the scene playing out in front of them.

Jay’s expression cleared. “This is all a misunderstanding. Of course I didn’t stalk Ally. I did feel she needed a push from the rest of the cast, but it’s obvious she doesn’t want to explore her acting skills to their fullest.”

“Nope. You did it,” Ally insisted. “You did all of it. JK never sent me anything physical, and this trolling feels different from his. He never uses big words, but suddenly I’ve got twelve accounts trolling me, and they’ve got spectacular vocabularies.”

“Well, Allyson, I don’t think you need to worry about that anymore since you’re fired.” Jay picked up his bag. “Everyone else get back to work or the same thing is going to happen to you.”

West saw Ally pale, but she didn’t back down. “I know you did this to me.”

It was time for him to step up. West moved in beside her. “I’ll prove it, Ally. I promise. I won’t stop until I can prove what he did to you.”

“I’m going to have security escort you out now, Allyson. You can take your boy toy.” Jay started to pull his cell out. “Have fun trying to prove anything at all.”

“I bet I can prove it.”

All eyes shifted to Ian, who leaned casually against the big couch. He grinned Channing’s way. “You were fabulous in the Julia Child biopic. I wanted to eat all that food. And my Charlie won’t share, but she would love to watch you get nasty with any number of subs at our BDSM club. Very private. Very exclusive. You let me know, and I’ll make it happen. I get the feeling you would make a lot of subs happy.”

“I would say I would never, but we all know I would,” Channing replied with a confidence only a woman with three Oscars could have.

“Channing,” Bryce said under his breath. “This is serious.”

“Yes, I’m going to need security. We need some trash taken out,” Jay was saying into his phone. “And you should send everyone. There’s a big guy here who might give you some trouble.”

West was a little offended because he was pretty sure Jay wasn’t talking about him. And he could actually give security a lot of trouble if he wanted to.

“I’ve got some trouble for you.” Tag stood, holding up the folder he’d been carrying.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Jay said, but he’d really taken a look at the big guy and took a step back. He slid his phone into his pocket.

“I don’t think so. Come on, man. This is the fun part,” Tag promised. “Well, for me. You see, along with providing Ms. Pearson with bodyguard services…we’re not going to talk about the extra benefits…”

“Ian.” He wasn’t about to let the boss go off on a tangent.

“They were excellent benefits, Mr. Taggart. I would have paid extra.” Ally could go off on a tangent of her own.

Tag nodded her way. “I think it’s a cash opportunity we’re missing out on, but I digress. As I was saying, in addition to ensuring Ms. Pearson stayed alive, my firm conducted a thorough investigation into who is behind these attacks on her.”

Jay’s eyes rolled. “Attacks? That’s a lot. And we all know it was JK Harris. She ruined his career. He hates her.”

“He does, but I talked to him earlier today, and he says he’s not responsible,” Ian assured him. “The good news for him is I have proof.”

“What kind of proof do you have?” Jay asked, though some of his arrogance had eroded.

“Funnily enough, receipts. You paid for the courier with cash and managed to create a dead end there,” Tag explained. “But the GPS locator you placed on West’s vehicle had a serial number.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jay said.

Bryce huffed. “He’s lying. A good actor knows a bad one.”

“I certainly didn’t purchase a GPS locator, and even if I had I don’t see how this proves I set up the pranks someone played on her,” Jay replied.

“Pranks?” Ally asked.

West reached out and held her hand. He’d learned it was best to let the bad guy trip over his own feet.

Big Tag obviously had the same philosophy because he plunged ahead. “The GPS serial number led us to a large purchase through a company called the Hearthwright Corporation. That is a mega corporation with fifty different subsidiary companies, so it took us a while to figure out which company purchased the GPS locator. Luckily, I have people with nothing better to do. They discovered the lot was purchased by a company that rents out expensive camera equipment. You see, they provide the equipment for productions like this one, and they don’t like not knowing where their hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment is.”

“Like this production?” Ally asked. “Or this actual production?”

“She’s a smart one, West. You should keep her,” Tag acknowledged. “It was this actual production, and knowing that led me to wonder what I could find from that spring-loaded present you sent Ally. I worked with DPD on this one. Turns out the equipment came from here as well. I think you’ll find your props master is down at the station and he’s talking. Jay here couldn’t build that thing himself, so he brought in one of the crew.”

“I believe he likely brought in more than one of the crew,” Channing said, her lips pursed as she looked around. “He doesn’t do anything himself. So I’m curious as to which of the production assistants he sent to the courier.”

Jay shook his head. “This is my crew. Mr. Taggart is bluffing.”

“I’m not mad at the crew.” Ally joined Channing after letting go of his hand. “You were doing your job, and I understand that. You probably had zero idea what you were doing. The props master likely didn’t either. Even if he did, I know how it feels to have one man hold your future in his hands, and you know he has no mercy. I know our boats are more luxurious, but we’re all capable of capsizing, and he’s the wave. I don’t know if you know what he’s been doing to the cast, but it was pretty much torture. I think he wanted to drive me a little insane.”

“I wanted to make you a star, but your skull is too thick for it,” Jay shot back.

“It was me.” A young man who couldn’t be past twenty-five stepped up. “I was the one who went to the courier. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it was weird because he gave me cash and told me not to let the cameras catch my face. I also am the one who put the birds in your house, Ms. Pearson. He promised that I would get a promotion and also that this was nothing that could hurt you. I’m very sorry.”

“I don’t know what you expect will come from this, Ally,” Jay said with a shake of his head. “I played a few pranks on you and used a method to enhance your performance. All you’re going to be able to do is get a couple of low-level employees in trouble and set back my production a few days while I find another actress. Then we’ll be right back on schedule, and you’ll be a sad footnote in Hollywood history. I assure you no one is going to employ you after this.”

“I will,” Channing declared. “I’m making my directorial debut next year, and I think Ally would be perfect in the role of my daughter. But also, do you think I’m staying quiet after everything you’ve done not only to us but to our crew? You put them in harm’s way. You manipulated each and every one of them. I will not stand for that, Jay. I’ll be calling the head of the production company and explaining that I will no longer be working with you.”

“I won’t either.” Bryce’s shoulders straightened. “We have to stick together. For some of us, we’re the only family we have.”

“I’ll talk, too.” Reid seemed to find his strength. “He put me through hell.”

They rallied around Ally, these people who’d looked down on her before. She’d been stalwart and true and proven herself.

Damn, he loved that woman.

“I think we need a new director,” Ally said.

“Yes, I think we do,” Channing agreed.

“Good luck with that,” Jay said, sarcasm dripping.

“Mr. Clarke, I believe you’ll find the Dallas Police Department would like to have a word,” Tag announced. “And the security guards here won’t be kicking me out. I trained them all. Do you need a ride down to the precinct or shall I let the police escort you?”

He was going to let the boss handle Jay. He seemed to be having fun with it. West had better things to do.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Channing was saying. “I think I can handle this. I believe the production studio will decide Mr. Clarke made this a hostile work environment and will find a replacement. They’ve got too much invested. I think I might know the perfect person to take this project over. He’s a friend of mine who’s been trying his hand at directing. I’ll float his name by the money boys. We’ll be back to work soon, and Bryce and I will take care of the crew.”

“Now wait,” Bryce began and then seemed to read the room. “Of course we will. Be happy to.”

West started to walk toward Ally, but she raced to him first, wrapping her arms around him.

“Can we have some cowboy take me away time? I need you,” she whispered.

He picked her up. That was a request he would never refuse.