Page 54 of Deck the Hauls

“Of course. I have absolutely nothing to lose.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, blinking back tears. “I know I should come with you, but…”

“Hey, you don’t need to explain. I get it.” Dana glanced over at Charles. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, and then we can enjoy the rest of the evening.”

Staying here, with Austin constantly popping up in my peripheral vision, was not appealing. But I didn’t want to go home and miss my last evening with Dana.

“I don’t suppose the traps need checking? I wouldn’t mind some fresh air.”

Dana rested her hand on my back. “They always need checking. I’ll be back in a few minutes and then we can head out. Okay?”

“Thank you.” I managed a watery smile.

Dana marched across the room to Charles. Austin’s laugh boomed nearby, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Hot rage rose in my chest. How did men like Austin and Phillip get away with it? Money, fame, success or power seemed to make people overlook a myriad of unpleasant traits. Or were they also paralyzed by fear?

My gaze trailed back to Dana, who was now talking to Charles. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. The hot rage mixed with worry. Would Dana reporting it come back to bite me?

My throat constricted, my chest tight. Why was breathing so hard all of a sudden? Oh god, was I having a panic attack?

I couldn’t wait for Dana—I needed fresh air now. I hurried to the large wooden barn door, trying to keep myself together. A blast of cold air hit me as I pushed the door open.

I glanced around, my eyes landing on the fir trees in the distance. They were probably only fifteen minutes away by foot.

Once I was on the dirt road, I pulled out my phone and messaged Dana.

I’ll meet you at the trap. Need some fresh air.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

DANA

I strode toward Charles, clenching and unclenching my fists. Stay calm. Emily didn’t need me to lose my cool. But goddamnit, I hated Austin.

Charles stood tall in a green sweater and jeans talking to another crew member. I stepped up to them, clearing my throat.

“I need to talk to you, Charles.”

It took all my effort to keep my voice calm and steady.

Charles turned with his beer halfway to his mouth. “Dana?” He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me, Anthony.”

We stepped into a quieter area by a row of old iron hooks that would have been used to hang tools back in the day.

“How are you doing, Dana? Have you been thinking about throwing in your trowel” —Charles chuckled at his joke—“and pursuing a career in acting? Your performance of Grumpy Waitress really was quite impressive, you know.”

I stared. Was he joking? His lips twitched. He was definitely joking.

“No thanks. I’m quite happy with my trowel. I actually wanted to talk to you about Austin.”

“Austin?” Charles’ smile faded.

“Yes, Austin. And I should start by saying I’m doing this of my own volition. No one asked me to do this.”

“Okay… That doesn’t sound good.” Charles balanced his beer on a horizontal wooden beam attached to the barn wall.

I took a deep breath. “Over the past few weeks I’ve observed him behaving inappropriately toward women. Touching them without consent, asking them out multiple times when they’ve already said no, requesting sexual favors in return for work. You commented on it yourself when his hands were all over Emily’s butt during the kissing scene at the Christmas market. And I’ve witnessed him do it multiple times now, taking advantage of the fact that Emily is in front of the cameras and can’t say anything without ruining the scene.” I kept going, listing all of the times I could recall seeing him behave inappropriately to Emily. “Just tonight I witnessed him cornering not only Emily but also one of the young production assistants.”