Page 86 of A Star is Scorned
The three of them turned to leave, but Livvy stopped, kneeling to help Dash. “Dash, can you stand long enough to reach the car?”
He nodded and started to stand, but then doubled over to his knees. “Go without me,” he croaked.
Livvy looked up, seeing Flynn and Judy had already made it to the side door.
“Livvy, come on.” Judy frantically waved her arms, beckoning.
Livvy froze, looking back and forth between Dash and Flynn. She’d come to rescue Flynn, but Dash had been essential to their success. They needed him.
Joan squeezed her arm and gave her a look of permission. “Go on, get out of here. He’ll be all right once he can breathe again.”
Livvy nodded and sprinted after her sister, trying not to slip as she took the marble steps down from the altar’s platform two at a time.
But just as she reached the door, her habit snagged. She turned and her eyes widened as she locked eyes with Devlin, who was holding tight to her gown. “Not so fast, Miss De Lesseps.”
She wrenched the fabric from his hands, hearing it tear, and stumbled slightly out the open door as Devlin advanced on her, something menacing in his eyes. “You couldn’t just let Banks save you and your sister. Couldn’t let him marry my idiot niece. You had to play the hero.”
She took one step gingerly down the stone steps, trying to back away. Flynn was already in the car. Judy laid on the horn, trying to get Livvy to run. But she couldn’t. She was paralyzed with fear as Devlin approached.
He raised his left hand and held it out to Livvy like the ghost of Banquo pointing his bloody hand at Macbeth. In the place of his pointer finger was a bloody stump.
She let out a gasp of shock. Oh God. Rallo had bit his finger clean off.
As if on cue, the monkey came scampering out of the church, Devlin’s finger in his mouth. He dropped it at Livvy’s feet like it was a prize he had won for her. She gagged, trying to swallow down her impulse to vomit.
“You’re going to regret this,” Devlin sputtered. “You and your harlot sister.”
A firm hand wrested itself on Livvy’s back, reassuring her. “Before you start pointing fingers, Devlin, I’d make sure you have all of your own,” Judy growled.
No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Judy wasn’t supposed to face him again. She should have stayed in the car.
But her sister grabbed Livvy’s shoulder and pulled her back. “Go get in the car, I’ll handle him.”
Livvy struggled against every impulse she had to protect her sister. Judy wasn’t even supposed to be here. Livvy studied her sister, her breath catching at the fire in Judy’s eyes. Pride flared in Livvy’s chest. Judy didn’t need her protection. Right now, shewas braver than Livvy had ever dared to be. Flynn had been right. If Judy said she could handle it, Livvy believed her.
Rallo followed right behind Livvy and jumped into the car, crawling over the front seat and into Flynn’s lap, then tucking in his tail and snuggling calmly into a ball. The monkey closed his eyes, unmoved by the fact that he had just dismembered one of the more powerful men in Hollywood.
Livvy rolled the window down so she could hear what was happening between her sister and Devlin.
“You’re a despicable man,” Judy spat out.
Devlin grinned, the maniacal look on his face chilling Livvy to the bone. “If you think I’m despicable now, wait until I get going. When I’m finished with you and your sister, the pearl-clutchers will be chasing you from Hollywood with tar and feathers.”
“You’re the one who should be run out of town on a rail.”
Voices at the end of the alley interrupted Judy and Devlin’s volley of threats. “I think I see them,” someone called.
Before Livvy knew what was happening, Walter Pince ofThe Hollywood Reporterwas barreling toward the car, with a photographer in tow. She recognized him from his photo next to his column, his fresh-faced youth a standout among the dour older men that dominated the staff. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-three years old. She was vaguely aware that Flynn and Walter were friendly, and she sent up a silent thanks that he had been the member of the press to find them first.
Walter ran up, nearly out of breath, and leaned against the back end of the car, holding his side like he had a cramp. The press pass in his lapel pocket was torn and his hat looked rather squashed. “It’s a madhouse out there.” He gestured to the front of the church, gasping for air. Walter peered into the back seat, addressing Flynn. “What happened in there? A woman claimingto be your mother found me and told me something about a nun and a monkey. I could barely understand her, she was laughing so hard.”
Flynn grinned. “Good to know her sense of humor is as strong as ever.”
“I’ll tell you what happened,” Devlin snarled. Coming down the steps and pushing his way past Judy, he puffed up his chest and got in Walter’s face. Walter turned a light shade of puce as Devlin jabbed at his chest with his bloody hand. “That monkey attacked me on their orders.”
Livvy scoffed. “That’s absurd. He’s a trained monkey, but he’s not that good.”
Rallo lifted his head from Flynn’s lap to chitter in protest.
