Becca glanced at the clock on her dashboard and muttered under her breath as she slowed behind the car in front of her. She was already cutting it close by running this errand, and the horrendous LA traffic wasn’t helping matters.
She only had an hour until she was due back on set for the next scene. She should be resting there in her air-conditioned Airstream right now, but instead she was on her way to the bank to send a wire. Not her home branch. Another one across town she’d never been to before.
She made it a point never to use the same branch twice for these interactions, so the employees at her local branch didn’t know what was happening.
After fighting her way off the freeway, she finally made it to the bank and pulled into a spot as close to the entrance as she could get. Before exiting her car, she checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, adjusted her hat and sunglasses, and slicked on some tinted lip gloss. If anyone recognized her, she wanted to at least look presentable.
As soon as she opened the door, the mid-August heat slapped her in the face. It had been triple digits here for over a week now, a prolonged drought bringing scorching conditions over the spring and summer. In spite of living down here for the past eight years, the incessant heat was something she still hadn’t adjusted to. Having spent most of her life in Toronto and then Vancouver, SoCal’s weather was still a shock.
She hurried into the small branch office, relieved to find there were only two people in line ahead of her. No one glanced her way, and she relaxed a bit as she waited. She tried to avoid being out in public as much as possible these days. Partly because the new and seemingly constant attention from fans had started to wear on her.
And partly because of the man who had made this trip in the middle of her most important role to date necessary.
Pay up by Friday night or I’ll destroy you.
She released a slow breath and ordered herself to relax, putting last night’s message from her mind. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could get back to set and get back to work. Escape into her character’s skin and forget all about her own problems.
She never knew when he would contact her. This was the second time in the past few months. The first time four years ago had been a total shock. At first, he’d only demanded money once or twice a year. Lately it had become much more frequent than that.
She had no idea what he did with the money she sent, but she could guess. Living it large while he sucked her dry like the toxic parasite he was.
Because they both knew she couldn’t afford not to pay him.
It wasn’t about saving face. There was far more at stake here than merely protecting her image, and he used his power over her to maximum advantage. She was trapped, with no way to stop this toxic dance he’d forced her into.
The man in front of her finished his business and left. The teller looked up from her computer screen with a smile. “How can I help you today?”
You can’t. No one could. But that wasn’t the teller’s problem.
Putting on a polite smile, Becca took off her sunglasses as she stepped up to the desk.
The woman’s face froze, recognition flashing in her eyes. “Oh. Hi.” She flushed and stood there staring, seeming not to know what to do.
Becca smiled wider, wanting to put her at ease. It was still so weird to have people be starstruck around her. She didn’t like being recognized everywhere she went these days, and hated it even more when people fawned over her and made a fuss. She was just a regular person, who through a quirk of luck and fate had landed a role that had put her on the silver screen.
While her life had been anything but normal, she was determined to protect what normalcy she’d managed to build for herself. “I need to send a wire, please.”
“Of course.” Still flushed, the woman shot her a couple glances from under her lashes as she got the form ready on her computer. “To whom are you sending it?”
My blackmailer.
Becca named the “corporation” Rick had set up the account under, and gave all the other pertinent information by heart as she handed over her ID. The bank and her accountant had already been asking questions about the large amounts she’d wired previously. She’d lied and said they were to various charities she supported. Now he would want tax receipts and she would have to make up more lies to cover her ass.
She hated this entire situation, kept hoping each time that it would be the last. That Rick would die some horrible, violent death at the hands of someone he’d exploited. But like a bad smell, he wouldn’t go away.
The extortion was bad enough. Not knowing where he was or if he was stalking her, was worse. There was no way to hide from him. Her work and the media made it impossible to conceal her location for long. Yet she had no way of locating him.
At one point she’d even hired a private investigator to try and find him. So far, no luck. It seemed like every time her investigator came close to finding him, Rick slithered back under whatever rock he’d crawled out from, only to pop up somewhere completely different months later. Canada, the U.S., and Mexico so far.
All she knew was that he was still involved with a criminal network, and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.
The teller finished entering everything into the computer and looked up with a bright smile. “All done. The transfer should go through within the next twenty-four hours.”
Hopefully a lot less than that, or she’d miss the deadline. Because the asshole had given her barely any notice this time. “Thanks very much. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
She’d been bracing herself for the woman to ask for an autograph, and was mildly surprised when it didn’t happen. Becca slipped on her sunglasses as she turned away and headed for the door. She could feel the woman and her coworkers watching her as she left the bank, could imagine them whispering to each other. Oh my God, that was Becca Sandoza!
Scalding heat radiated up from the pavement as she walked back to her car. A group of college-aged people was standing beside a Jeep parked next to her. One of the girls spotted her, stopped talking, and Becca’s heart sank when that bright blue gaze locked on her.
The girl’s face lit up and she elbowed the guy next to her. “It’s Becca Sandoza.”
All five of them whipped around to stare at her. Becca suppressed a groan and kept walking toward her car. She didn’t have a bodyguard or any other kind of personal security—yet—in an effort to maintain her low-key lifestyle. But the way things were going, she might have to give in on that soon.
There was no way to avoid the group, they were right next to the driver’s door, and lately she’d been ripped in the press and on social media for being cold and unapproachable with fans. Her agent and assistant had both scolded her about it, telling her to make more of an effort to interact with fans, because they mistook her introversion and social anxiety for being a bitch.
The first girl stepped forward. “Excuse me. You’re…Becca Sandoza, right?”
“I am.” She put on another smile and did her best to make it genuine. The girl’s friends were all gaping now.
“Would you… Is it cool if I get a picture with you?”
“Sure.”
“Can we all get a picture?” one of the guys asked.
Why not? “Of course.” She stopped next to the girl and waited while the others crowded around them.
The girl leaned her head and upper body toward her, beaming and not crowding her, but one of the guys stretched an arm across Becca’s shoulders like they were best pals or something.
She bit her tongue and didn’t say anything as he held his phone out in front of them to get some pictures, but it bothered her that people thought they could touch her whenever they wanted. That she’d somehow lost the right to privacy or personal space when she’d earned her first big role a few years back.
“Say cheese,” the guy said.
“Cheese,” Becca chorused along with the others, practiced selfie smile in place. The guy’s hand was gripping her shoulder now. At least he wasn’t drunk or trying to cop a feel or steal a kiss. She’d dealt with way too much of that.
She stood still and kept smiling until he’d taken enough shots, her anxiety sharpening when she noticed more people in her peripheral vision stopping to watch. She just wanted to get into her car and get out of here so she could return to the set.
Finally, the informal photo shoot was done. Just as she opened her mouth to say goodbye, another girl from the group shoved a piece of paper and a pen at her. “Would you mind?”
“Not at all.” She took them. “What’s your name?”
“Brittney.”
She signed a little note for her, then one for the other girl, and handed the pen and paper back. More people were staring from the sidewalk now. Time to leave. “Well, I need to go. I’m due back on set on the other side of town in…” She glanced at her watch. “Thirty-two minutes.”
The girls nodded, eyes wide. “Oh my gosh, is it that new thriller I heard about?” one of them gushed.
“That’s right.”
“When is it releasing?”
“Christmas.”
“I can’t wait to see it! Oh, man, thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled at them all. “Have a good one.”
“You too,” they all said at once.
She climbed into her car, locked the doors and pulled out of the spot, pausing only to wave at them before driving away. As soon as she turned onto the street, she let out a deep breath, relief washing over her.
She loved a lot of things about her career. Acting was her dream job, and she’d been fortunate enough to reach the level where she could support herself and her mom with it. She loved how it felt when she was acting, the sense of freedom it gave her. She had access to good healthcare, working with talented people, getting to travel. She was grateful for the opportunities and success it had given her. But that success was a double-edged sword, and it had come with a price.
Privacy was a thing of the past. Until she’d become “famous,” she’d never fully appreciated the full value of something everyone else could take for granted. And her fame had also made her a target.
Her phone rang through the car speakers and her mom’s name appeared on the display. Becca answered immediately, her mood brightening. “Hi, Mom. How’s it going?”
“Going great, we’re just about to make polymer clay sea creatures for a charity auction for the local children’s hospital. Sounds like I caught you in the car. Where are you off to?”
Just hearing her mom’s voice soothed all the frayed edges inside her, knowing she was safe and happy. Becca would do anything, pay any amount, even go bankrupt to keep her mother that way. “Back to work.”
“Ah. What are you shooting today?”
“Some chase and fight scenes. Really intense.” The night shoot was going to be exhausting for her because of the emotionally demanding scenes required. For scenes like that she had to dig deep in order to do them justice on screen. The work was hard, but it was more satisfying that way, and made her feel like she’d earned her spot in the film.
“Sounds fab. Any hunks on set?”
“A few.” Although one particular face popped into her head. The same one that had been in her dreams lately.
Dark golden-brown hair. Warm hazel eyes. A smile that made her heart kick against her ribs. And an authenticity that, especially in this business, was rarer than an Oscar.
“Ooh, who? Your co-star?”
“No, you wouldn’t know him. He’s a stuntman.”
“Mm, he already sounds dreamy.”
He was. They’d met on the set of her last film, and after getting to know him a little bit, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. “Let’s just say I look forward to showing up on set when I know he’ll be there.”
“That’s big, for someone as shy as you,” her mom said with a laugh. “What’s his name?”
“Chase.” Chase Davenport. And she’d thought about him way too much over the past few months. There was just something about him that made her feel safe in a way she never had before. As if he saw her, not Becca Sandoza the movie star.
“He asked you out yet?”
“No. He’s too professional for that.” And probably thought she was too famous for him. Only the crazies and conceited narcissists seemed brave enough to hit on her.
“Then why don’t you ask him out?”
She smiled at her mom’s teasing. “That’s not gonna happen.”
“Well, can’t blame a mother for hoping. Send me a picture of him at least?”
It felt ridiculously immature to take pictures of her crush and share them with her mom like they were best friends in high school, but… “Okay. I will.” There was no one on earth she trusted as much as her mom. Though something told her she might be able to trust Chase too.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
So am I. She didn’t say it, because her mom knew her better than anyone else on earth, and was way too perceptive. Her mom would know instantly that Becca was into him, and that was something Becca wanted to keep to herself.
“Well, I won’t keep you. I’ve got humpback whales and little sea otters waiting to be created.”
“Send me some when you’re done,” she said excitedly. Her mom made the coolest things and was always ready to help raise money for a good cause. It was incredible, how far she’d turned her life around when by all rights she should have been dead a long time ago. “I’ll donate.”
“I knew we could count on you. Go break a leg tonight, honey, and let me know how it goes. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
The lightness in her chest from talking to her mom began to fade with each passing mile on the way back to set, thoughts of Rick and his threats creeping in. Her mom had no clue what was happening, and that was the way it stayed. Becca also couldn’t risk ignoring future messages from him. There was too much at stake, and the bastard knew it.
She regularly changed her phone number to stop the crazies and stalkers from calling her, so Becca had instructed Rick to contact her agent for her latest number. Linda had no idea who he was, or why he was contacting Becca, just that she was to give him the updated number whenever he called. Becca trusted her, but not with this. She didn’t trust anyone with this.
She glanced away from the endless traffic in front and around her, up to the sun-scorched mountains and the brilliant blue sky overhead. This was the city of angels, the place where dreams could come true for a lucky few. Her dream was to escape the chains of her past. To find the security she’d craved all her life.
Maybe today will be the last time, the stupidly hopeful voice in her head said.
But it wouldn’t be. And she would sell her soul to ensure the dark secrets of her past stayed hidden.