Anna had good reason to keep her employer on side.
After delivering her message, she softly closed the door with a barely audible click. Sheridan valued her peace, and Leo was napping upstairs; it didn’t take a lot to wake him during the day.
‘I take it you have an angle?’ Daniel said, returning his attention to his wife.
Sheridan flashed a row of perfect white teeth. ‘Roz is no gold-digger, but she does have issues around money, and equates wealth with a happy home. If we can find out a little bit more about her past and play on her insecurities, it will reinforce the idea that she’s doing the right thing.’
‘You really are used to getting your own way, aren’t you?’
‘Oh, come on, don’t give me that look. If I sat back and let life come to me, I wouldn’t be with you now.’ She slipped out her phone and brought up the Friend Finder app. ‘George is at the hotel.’
‘Are you seriously tracking his movements?’ Daniel took a seat.
It had been a long time since they’d had a proper chat. These days, he was always rushing off somewhere, and he seemed surprised to discover just how tightly Sheridan was holding the reins. She liked George; they both did, but she could not afford any more slip-ups.
‘Of course,’ she said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. ‘I keep track of all our staff. They turn it off when they’re not working but when they’re on duty I need to know where they are.’
‘But no cameras.’ Daniel’s voice was firm. The prospect of internal CCTV was something they had argued about in the past.
‘No cameras,’ Sheridan confirmed.
‘What do you think they’re getting up to?’ Daniel checked his watch before slouching back on the chair. It was agreed that Sheridan would meet Roz alone at first, so as not to overwhelm her.
‘While they’re on my payroll, every movement is accounted for.’ Sheridan gave Daniel a look that relayed it was non-negotiable.
He watched as she pulled back the curtains, allowing an extra inch of light into the room. Despite all her neurosis and complications, Sheridan knew he loved her. Or perhaps because of them. Life was never dull, and no two days in her company were the same. She just hoped that this baby would be worth the gamble: the ultimate self-promotion tool. Their social media followers loved their happy family image. There was power in their brand, and her perfume and clothing lines would ensure her continued success. It was just as well, given the menial acting parts she was being offered these days. Younger, more inexperienced actresses were stepping into leading lady roles that she could easily play. Sheridan knew she was not the easiest person to work with. Several producers had complained that she was too high-maintenance, and said they would not hire her again. If only she could be more like Daniel, who was more amenable when producers came knocking on his door. He lived by one rule: that the people you pissed off on the way up in this industry met you on the way down. They could either give you a foot back up that ladder or kick it from beneath your feet.
Sheridan knew that Daniel could never go back to his old life in England. Working as an actor was all-consuming, but the buzz was like nothing else on earth. He craved the excitement of not knowing what was around the corner, and of taking over his character’s role. It was like living several lives at once, and being able to do things he would never get away with in the real world. He was an assassin, a spy, a villain and a dad. He had met all his heroes, people he was proud to call his friends. Daniel Watson and Sheridan Sinclair were deemed Hollywood’s most powerful showbiz couple. Were they rocking the boat by asking for more? How would the introduction of Roz affect their family dynamics? Sheridan had a personality that did not gel with everyone. Strong and unpredictable, how would she get along with this young woman from Ireland who had never even travelled on a plane?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ROZ
I twisted my silver Claddagh ring as I sat on the edge of my bed. At least my afternoon shower had left me feeling fresh again. My rumbling stomach reminded me it had been hours since I’d eaten, but I had too many butterflies floating around to think about food now.