Ruined (A Barnes Brothers novel) by Shiloh Walker Read Free Book Online Page B

life’s not over,”
Travis had said.
    “Be ready to be okay.”
Mom’s voice mocked him.
    His hand tightened on the cool, chrome plating of the cabinet. When had he even
opened
it? He’d been staring at the bottles through the clear glass.
    With a curse, he turned and slammed the cabinet door shut with enough force that the bottles inside rattled.
    ***
    “You do still want the part, don’t you?”
    Looking up at her agent, she took a moment before she answered. Even though she loved and adored the man, Marin knew better than to let anybody know when she
really
wanted something.
    Even JD.
    Torn
could be the most powerful part she’d ever play. Some people wouldn’t see it that way, but she saw the potential in it. She had from the beginning. But she hadn’t let JD see the greed in her. Did she want the part? Did seagulls fly? Did dolphins swim?
    “Of course I still want the part. I’m glad Townsend is ready to go forward.” She placed the script facedown and settled back in her seat, studying her agent. “He has a lot of creative control. Has he talked about who it is he wants playing the male lead?”
    JD tapped his index finger on the surface of his desk. “Actually . . . that’s part of why you’re here. I met with Townsend and Howard. They wanted to make sure you were still up for the part, and they posed a question to me.” He leaned forward, eyes intent.
    The expression made her wary. “What?”
    “I want you to talk to Sebastien.”
    The jump made her head spin. “I talk to him once a week at least, JD.”
    “I know. But I want you to talk to him about a part . . . specifically.”
    Marin’s stomach did a funny little dance. “A part?” Her voice sounded terribly faint now and she cleared her throat before saying anything else. “JD, I think Sebastien would be better off talking to you about any parts he’s interested in.”
    “I’ve already tried to talk to him, sweetheart. Talked to him two days ago—tried to call him yesterday and he wouldn’t even pick up the damn phone. So I’m calling in my secret weapon . . .
you
.” JD pointed a finger at her as he leaned forward and the intensity on his face only deepened. “There’s a special kind of magic between the two of you on the screen. Everybody can see it. He’d be perfect for the male lead in
Torn
—especially since you’re the one Townsend wants to play Marlena.”
    It wasn’t often that Marin found herself speechless, but in that moment, she couldn’t think of much of anything to say. After a few moments, she finally found her voice and offered a weak smile. “JD, as much as I’ve always enjoyed working with Sebastien, I think he’s . . . done with it. He shows no interest in coming back.”
    “That’s because he thinks he can’t. He thinks nobody wants him. He’s dealt with a lot of shit this past year and we’ve left him alone to do it.”
    “I haven’t left him alone.” She stared him down.
    “True.” JD nodded, stroking his chin. “Granted, he hasn’t jumped on you like a pissed-off bear the way he has with everybody else.”
    “Even he had, I wouldn’t have left him alone.” She knew Sebastien hadn’t been easy to handle the past year, and more than once, she’d had to smack him in the head—had even done it physically once or twice—for how he’d treated people. But the last thing he’d needed was to be left
alone
.
    “I suspect you wouldn’t have. The thing is, Marin . . . you can still reach him. Some of us can’t.” Leaning forward now, JD held her gaze. “Some of us felt it was best to back off for a while, but maybe we let it go for too long. It’s just . . . nobody has been able to reach him the way you have.”
    “But I . . .” She floundered, struggled to find a rebuttal to that.
    “But what, Marin?” JD studied her. “What are you afraid will happen if you go out there and talk to him? I’ve already tried. He shut me down, just like he has a hundred times.