Page 90 of Gluttony
Forcing his tension to ease so he appeared less pissed off, he unfolded his arms and took a deep breath, letting it out slow.
“Is it the studio?” he asked.
This time, a nervous expression flickered across her face and Tony thought, maybe there’s something else going on here.
“I just—” she started, hesitated. “I’m not supposed to know this, and I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I overheard Donatello speaking with Chet.”
“Oh?” His eyebrows winged up.
“You’re being dropped after this movie. I heard Donatello ask to not let you know until after the premiere. He said you’re too much drama, you’ve cost him too much, and he wants you done in this industry.”
“The premiere is tomorrow night,” was his first dumb response.
She nodded.
“Wow.” He laughed incredulously. He knew it was coming, but to have his producerandhis agent collude.Fuck.
“Tony, they don’t know what you’re worth. I do. I know,” Peta said earnestly. She touched his cheek gently.What the...?“Forget about them. They don’t deserve you. Some scenes they made you do were humiliating. Casting you in a roll where monkeys and animals ran all over you. Partnering you withher. You’re worth more.I know.”
Holy mother of crap. An unsettled feeling shimmied over him. Peta still had a propriety hand on his cheek, and she looked at him as though he was her sunshine…shit. She was the stalker. She was the one who scratched up Bailey’s car.
Anger rose in him so swiftly, he had to clench his fists to avoid doing something he’d regret. Peta took his silence to mean something else. She cupped his face and pulled his lips down to hers, planting a hard and heavy kiss on his lips.
His stomach rolled.
A bright light flashed and flickered, and the unmistakable sound of an automatic camera shutter filled the air.
What—?
Prying her hands off his face, Tony stepped back, aghast.
Peta still watched him, eyes full of adoration. Behind her, the homeless man took pictures with his enormous camera. And coming out of the Lazarus House lobby, with a stunned look on her face, was Bailey Haze.
Tony’s gaze darted to Peta, the woman who’d threatened Bailey and vandalized her property. Panic engulfed him. What should he do? Pushing the woman away now would only serve to ratchet her twisted mind and paint Bailey as her enemy, and the photographer would see him. He couldn’t get rough. He couldn’t lay a hand on her. One snap and it would be taken the wrong way. It was one thing for him to fight with his fists against a sworn enemy, but a flesh and blood woman with a twisted mind. He didn’t know how to proceed, except to get her as far away from Bailey as he could. Taking Peta’s hand, and tossing eyes full of regret Bailey’s way, he went in the opposite direction hoping to dear God that Bailey knew by now when he was acting, and when he wasn’t.
Peta rushed to keep up with him, almost breaking into a jog.
“Tony, slow down,” she gasped.
But his feet chewed the concrete with fast, furious strides. He kept going until he hit the alley behind the restaurant, and then he pulled her after him. Finally alone, he let go of her hand and showed her the full force of his anger. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
Her eyes widened. She paled. “What?”
“You kissed me in front of the paparazzi.”
She laughed nervously. “Oh that? That was nothing.”
“In front of my girlfriend,” he added.
And that was when Peta’s real colors leaked through. Darkness shrouded her eyes, and she glared at Tony. “Her? Why her? She’s nothing but a—”
“A slut?”
“Exactly, she’s…” She shut up, knowing exactly what she’d done.
“That’s right, Peta. I know it’s you doing all these sick things. The dolls in my trailer, the scratches on my bike, on Bailey’s car. You need help.”
Peta stepped toward him, held her hand out. “But we’re meant to be together.”
