being talked about, the AD looks our way. “So, if he wants his steady paycheck, then he best bend a little.”
“Do you know what was said?”
“Not the details but I’m sure it went something like…” She puts her hands up to mock fighting puppets.
“My ego is bigger than yours.”
“My ego is shinier.”
“Mine has more horsepower.”
We both burst into laughter and get strange looks from a few on set.
Kelly nudges my shoulder with hers. “He’s killing it. I’m calling it now…if they do a good enough job in postproduction, your husband is going to be the most in-demand actor on the planet.”
It’s all he’s ever wanted, and I can’t deny the pride that momentarily trumps the concern. “He’s earned it.”
“Well, I’m heading out. I have a martini and a hot bath calling. Sure, you want to stay for this?”
“No.”
We share a smirk, and she shakes her head. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“Me neither,” I say, knowing mere weeks ago I could have come up with a hundred reasons.
“Good to see you, Mila.”
“See you, Kelly.”
Just as she leaves me, the assistant barks through the megaphone. “Rolling.”
Taking a step forward to get a clear view, I mentally run the pre-sequence in my head. It starts in the desert with Anya, Nikki’s wife, being dragged out of the car by one of his soldiers. Nikki then executes each man kneeling in front of the headlights with his revolver. Once he gets to his wife’s brother, she flings herself over him to protect him, pleading for his life. Nikki rips her away, pointing a gun to his head and shoots him point blank. Terrified, she runs away screaming and makes a beeline for an idling car and takes off. Nikki laughs manically, following behind her in his coupe which leads to an aimless chase around a desert she can’t navigate. Anya’s car screeches to a halt when she realizes she can never outrun her husband and resigns herself to confront him. It’s at this point they’ve set up the scene, where she’s accepted her fate.
The marker is snapped and “ACTION!” is called.
Anya immediately starts slamming her manicured hands on the wheel sobbing before she bounds out of the car colliding with Nikki full force, her fists pounding on his chest as she fights with her grief and the monster she married.
“You bastard! He didn’t turn on you, he didn’t say a word!”
Nikki smiles without an ounce of pity as she repeatedly strikes him. He allows her very little before becoming fed up and grips her by both her hair and the edge of her coat, dragging her toward his car.
Anya is still fighting as they struggle in front of Nikki’s hood.
“Kill me,” she screams. “Kill me too, you son of a bitch. Kill me too!” He stops and looks down at her with a sick sort of reverence. “This is a good look on you.”
“I’ll never love you again. Not like I did. You destroyed everything. You’re disgusting.” She fights him, scratching at his jaw, clawing at his shirt until she sinks into him, tears streaming down her face. It’s all too familiar until he licks the blood from her cheek and makes her taste it as she cries into his mouth. And with one swift move, he has her pinned to the hood, his kiss deepening as my heart and head begin the ever-present battle. Refusing to look away, I watch as their lips connect, their chemistry sizzles as she gives in completely and allows his assault.
I’m as ravaged as her and experiencing all she feels as she visibly weakens, the fight leaving her. Heartache shines in her eyes, making her declaration nothing but a lie, and in those seconds, I identify with her more than I care to admit. But in the next second, I am her.
“Come here, Mrs. Walker,” Lucas says from only feet away from where he stands half submerged in the lagoon. Tilting my head back to wet my hair, I take in the sight of him in front of the waterfall. Droplets of water rest on his thick black lashes while others stream down the sharp angles of his nose and jaw, his onyx hair slicked back to give me an arresting view. Brilliant green eyes glitter over me in reverence and appreciation. It’s unnerving just how breathtaking he is, but the ring on my finger and the look in his eyes are more than enough for me to embrace it. I’m irrevocably his, and we’ve been