Page 79 of A Star is Scorned
Flynn gripped the arm of the chair, digging his nails into the dark wood. It was that or belt Devlin across the face. “You will never touch her again.”
Devlin laughed, a cold, high, unnatural sound. “You seem to have confused yourself with the heroes you play on screen. I’d like to see you try and stop me.”
Flynn jumped out of his chair, but Dash grabbed the back of his jacket. “Easy, Flynn, easy.”
“Tsk,tsk, Banks. Short temper, have we?”
Flynn sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. “When someone talks about a dame like that, yeah.”
“You’re telling me you’re a Boy Scout?” Devlin sneered.
“No. But I’ve never ignored a lady when she said no. That’s a line I don’t cross. No decent man would.”
Devlin rolled his eyes. “So noble. The girl was asking for it, wearing that skimpy little outfit, cavorting around on the stage like that. That’s the cost of a Hollywood career, and she knew that.”
“No, she didn’t,” Flynn growled. “She was terrified and just trying to do her job.”
“Her job was to entertain the guests.” Devlin picked a bit of dirt from under his nails and flicked it in Flynn’s direction. “So I’d say refusing me was dereliction of her duties.”
Flynn grabbed the chair so fiercely, he felt it crack under his hand. Dash gave him a look and hissed, “Flynn, pull it together.”
“Fine. You don’t want my money. What do you want then? I’ll give you anything if you promise to kill the story and leave Judy and Livvy alone. Print anything you want about me, but those girls are blameless and they’re gonna stay that way.”
Devlin scratched at his chin, making a show of it. “Interesting. What a strange position I find myself in—a carte blanche offer from Flynn Banks. I’m sure there are many in town who would kill for such a bargain.” He smirked, and Flynn grimaced. Theman truly was despicable. “I don’t need money, true. But I’m tired of presiding over the studios indirectly, helping Hays and Breen keep morally objectionable content off-screen.”
“Consideringyourmorally objectionable behavior off-screen, I can see why that wouldn’t satisfy you,” Flynn quipped.
Devlin sneered at him. “The swashbuckler is trying his hand at becoming the comic, I see. Terrible jokes aside, you’re right. Pulling strings from the Hays office isn’t enough. But it just so happens my sister-in-law has a controlling stake in Shasta Peak Pictures. And if I were to do something to make her happy, well, she might be tempted to sign it over to me.”
Flynn grit his teeth. “Get on with it then.”
Devlin smiled at him, a shark circling its prey. “There are few things that would please her more than to see her daughter happily married.”
“Rhonda,” Flynn huffed out, realizing where Devlin was going.
“Rhonda,” Devlin agreed.
Dash looked back and forth between the two men, seemingly not understanding what they were talking about. Funny, Flynn thought, when he never would have met the woman if she hadn’t turned up at Dash and Joan’s house party.
Flynn had vowed to never marry. And he’d never met a woman who had tempted him to change his mind. Until Livvy. But now Livvy wanted nothing to do with him, and all he could offer her was protection. He could sacrifice himself to keep her and Judy safe from the lies of Stanley Devlin. It wasn’t exactly what his mother meant by choosing joy. In fact, it was the complete opposite. But it was the only card he had left to play. It was that simple, really. “Fine.”
Devlin’s eyes widened. “You’re serious?”
“If you promise to leave Judy and Livvy alone. To kill the story. And never so much as blink in their direction again.”
Devlin extended his hand, and Flynn reluctantly took it, grimacing as the man’s sweaty palm clenched his. Under different circumstances, he would’ve laughed at Devlin’s aggressive show of manliness. It was pathetic, really.
Devlin chuckled darkly. “I never thought I’d live to see the day.”
“Would someone mind telling me just what the hell is going on?” Dash interjected.
“I’m going to marry Rhonda Powers,” Flynn gritted out.
“Flynn, no!”
Flynn put his hand up. “Don’t try to talk me out of it, Dash. I told Mr. Devlin I’d give him anything he wanted—and marrying his niece is what he wants. I have no choice.”
“Surely there’s something else. He could…produce your next film? Buy your house for a song?”
