Page 13 of The Devil of Hollywood

“They are.”

My eyes narrowed through the binoculars. We were in the hotel across the street from Marian’s, watching her every move. Or had been until she’d gone to the room next door. We had cameras installed days before her arrival, but little good it did when she wasn’t inside. She was with him. Bastian. He wasn’t supposed to be here. From the short conversation she’d had with her friend as she stripped off her business clothes for a white sundress, she hadn’t been expecting him anymore than I had. It didn’t even sound like she wanted Bastian here.

“His feelings look genuine. I think he really loves her. Don’t you think? It looks like it. But Marian. Why doesn’t she sit or… stop pacing?”

I lowered my hands, giving Quinton a look.

“I have no idea. I can’t even think with you talking so damn much.”

“Oh, fuck.”

My head snapped back to the front, and I jerked up the binoculars. What I saw had my jaw clenching and immediate anger surfacing. Had I thought taking her would be easy? Had I thought despite everything I knew to be true, somehow Marian would hold out for me? That she would look… destroyed, like I felt? Ha! She ruined me. She didn’t feel anything. She probably reveled in how she destroyed my entire family. Why would she be sad? Why would I think she felt guilty? Because she hadn’t married since she left? That wasn’t because of me; that was because of money. Because of status. I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t rich enough. I wasn’t… French enough.

“I take my previous statement back. She’s not distant towards him anymore.” Quinton paused as a small growl left me. “She’s warming to him. Are you sure you want to take her? Dray, you can’t still have feelings for her after seeing the way she’s looking at him right now. I mean, sure, she’s fucking gorgeous. I am really digging the mostly blonde hair with red highlights. And that ass. Those curves⁠—”

Quinton’s shoulders drew up, and his body locked as I clamped to the back of his neck in a death grip. The surprise was evident as he jerked to face me. His wide green eyes blinked, full of shock when it shouldn’t have been. I’d killed men for a lot less.

“You’re my cousin, but if you say one more word about her body or her looks, I’ll take out your tongue.” I squeezed harder. “Got it?”

“I got it. Wow… you still have feelings for her. Unbelievable. At least now I know how you really feel.”

“You did that on purpose.”

“I had to know. Now I do. Okay. I’m done testing you. I’ll help you take her. She’s yours.”

“She always has been.”

I brought the lenses back up to my eyes, watching as she peered up at Bastian while he talked. The way he was gazing down at her. It made the heat that seethed inside me increase. “Mine,” I repeated under my breath. “But you misunderstand my true intentions, Quinn. You think this is a cover, and that I’ll fall for her again. I’ve always belonged to Marian, and she will always be mine. I’ll always love her just as much as I hate her. And that’s the issue. Love doesn’t always manifest in a positive way. Sometimes love becomes tainted and dark. It warps into something deadly. Marian is mine, but she’s mine to pay back. Mine to hurt, however I want. Mine to… keep. And I will make her pay. She owes me that.”

“But… it’s okay to love her too. To forgive her, if that’s what you decide.”

I swallowed hard, staying silent as I watched Bastian move in to nuzzle her nose. The vulnerability. The expression Marian had was laced with uncertainty. I always could read her like a book. But why was she hesitant with his affection? They’d been engaged for a while. Dating, half the time she’d been gone. The press painted them as the perfect couple. The pictures, the videos I’d seen over the years, they were nothing like what I was seeing now. I knew not to trust the media, but there had to be some sort of chemistry.

My mind went over the flashes of the stories. The clips. Bastian with his arm around Marian, leaning in smiling, so close to kissing her. Them holding hands as they walked to different stores or events. Marian with her arms looped around Bastian’s neck, gazing up at him as if she’d never done the same thing to me. It didn’t look like an arranged marriage at all. Love. It looked like love. Were they just having an argument? What I was witnessing made my head spin.

Laughter came from the fiancé, and happiness flashed on her face, but it didn’t last. Bastian broke away, heading to the bar on the far side of the living room. And my girl… the woman who tore my heart clean from my chest with her lies, fled right for me. Right to the balcony where I could have a better view.

“Hey.” Quinton brought his binoculars down. It was almost impossible for me to lower mine to face him with how the wind was blowing Marian’s hair. Strands were wrapping around her face, only to go wild and suspend around her. It was hypnotic. She was hypnotic. How had she gotten more beautiful? Seeing her in person after all this time took my breath away, and I didn’t like that. It only made me want to make her pay even more. And maybe I would have thought more on that if her wiping a tear away hadn’t sidetracked me from my thoughts.

“Hey what?” I mumbled.

“The guys that are in the room next door, the ones you hired, didn’t they put devices on her balcony too? Do you think we could hear her?”

I took in the small size of each balcony and how close the two were, but I couldn’t wait for an answer to come. I was already moving to hit the button on my laptop. To hear her speak—to try to decipher what was truly on her mind. I needed that to better understand what the hell was going on.

Hitting the button, I turned up the volume, straining to hear something. Anything. Wherever the small microphone was, it wasn’t picking up wind. Just… traffic in the distance.

A sniffle.

Quinton’s gaze shot to me.

“Got it. They’re fucking good. Where did you find them?”

My mouth twisted. “We’ll talk about that later.”

I brought the binoculars back up, not taking my stare from Marian. Bastian was headed through the living room, getting closer to the door. His glass was still in his hand, and he quickly took a sip before opening the door to join her.

“This isn’t a good sign. Fresh air. Is it so hard for you to try to love me? You said you would be willing to give this a try but… Marian, you have to talk to me. Honesty. You said it earlier. I’d like to understand your aversion to love.”