Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
The love in his tone softened her heart. There was something about older couples that always got to her. She supposed they were the goal—to find a love that lasted long after the lust had taken a backseat to reality. Her dads were like that, and one day, they would be separated, too. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He slowed down as the street narrowed. She could glimpse the beach every now and then. The houses were built quite close together. That had to be giving the bodyguard boys fits. From this side, the houses looked unremarkable, with the exception of the stunning colors that surrounded them. Massive swaths of bougainvillea coated the fences and terraces of the houses like blankets of bright colors. Pinks and purples she’d seen nowhere else in the world brought back other memories of home. Of her papa clipping the vines to try to make them go where he wanted. Then giving up and saying Mother Nature was a stubborn bitch and she would go where she would.
“I was, too,” Barry said, accepting her sympathy with kindness of his own. “She liked Joshua. You have to understand he came to The Reef after he hit it big. Jared brought him. He was worth millions and was far more successful than any of the rest of us, but he never once put on airs. He wanted to learn, wanted to train. He takes this seriously, and therefore we take him seriously.”
It was obvious that the members of The Reef took care of their own. It was time to start making her way in. This was her true skill as an operative, making a place for herself in a group. “I do, too. And I take my job seriously. I promise he won’t get hurt on my watch.”
“Good, because what that man goes through…” Barry said with a shake of his head.
“What’s it like?”
“I couldn’t handle it, but then I never made anything of myself the way he has. I was a character actor for a long time. Bit parts. Had a secondary role on a sitcom during the eighties for a couple of years. I’m the kind of actor no one notices. That might have bothered me early in my career, but when some of my friends hit it big, I realized how terrible the price of fame can be.”
“I think most people would say he’s living the dream.”
“Nightmare is more like it. Now I know I’m the lucky one. I live right down the road from him. I worked steadily in guest parts and secondary roles in films, and somehow it made me rich. Not half a billion rich, but enough that I never have to worry about money. I got the wealth without the fame. Josh can’t walk outside without the whole world knowing his name.”
“They bug him here at home?” She knew the answer to the question, but was interested in Barry’s point of view.
“There are always paparazzi around, though they tend to be a bit thicker when they smell a story or something changes in Josh’s lifestyle.” He sent her a pointed look through the mirror. “You should expect to be photographed often in the next few weeks. Once they figure out he’s got a new woman in his life, they’ll be all over you.”
That was to be expected, though she intended to be the quietest of Hunt’s lovers. And Ezra and Levi would be there to direct the information in whatever way they liked. It would actually be quite difficult to figure out her name unless they had someone on the inside feeding the press information, and then that would give them intel, too.
“I can handle the press. Josh mentioned something about three stalkers. Do you know anything about that? I’ve read the case files, but sometimes they can be too clinical. Have you ever seen any of those incidents?”
“We keep the pictures up at The Reef in case one of them shows up. They haven’t so far, but I know at least two of them have been on the beach watching Josh’s house. It’s why we’ll all feel better knowing he’s not alone.”
She had to wonder why he didn’t move, but she kept that question to herself. Barry was pulling into a driveway. Old Malibu Road was a narrow two laner that sometimes felt more like one and a half lanes. The house she found herself standing in front of was pure white, making a sharp contrast to the vivid green of the grass. Turf, really. It could be difficult to keep grass green in California during a drought, so some had taken to putting in lush turf instead. Josh’s small driveway was a checkerboard of pure white and leafy green.
“Wow. It’s big for here.” And she couldn’t see the front part of the house. This kind of beach house was a little like magic. Because the majority was built out and down, the small portion seen from the road would be like walking into a building that was bigger on the inside than the outside. Like the Tardis from Doctor Who. Tucker would think it was all incredibly cool.