Boom - Sabrina Stark Page 0,35

"Like I'd try to kill her."

Of everything she'd said, this was the thing that had set me off. I didn’t like her. But she wasn't worth killing. And more to the point, I took my responsibilities seriously.

The film crew, the carpenters, the plumbers – everyone under me was as safe as I could make them. And whether I liked it or not, this now included Arden Weathers.

She wouldn't be getting hurt. Not if I could help it.

Chase said, "It might not be too bad."

I wasn't following. "What?"

"The roof thing." His tone grew speculative. "Let's say she 'fell off', but landed in a dumpster filled with insulation. The audience – man, they'd eat that shit up." He gave a half-shrug. "Assuming she survived."

From the look on his face, he wasn't kidding.

It was a good reminder that his easy persona was skin deep at best. I replied, "Well, there is that."

He reached up to stroke his chin. "And think of the cliffhanger," he continued. "She goes over, and we're like, 'Tune in next week to see if she makes it.'"

And here I thought I was cold.

I crossed my arms and waited for him to finish.

At something in my expression, he said, "Hey, don't give me that look. If I were Mason, I'd just toss her off and be done with it."

He wasn't joking.

And when I nodded in agreement, neither was I.

There was only one person who hated Arden Weathers more than I did, and that person was my oldest brother, who'd taken a strong personal interest in the torching of my truck.

I told Chase, "Forget it. She's not getting anywhere near the roof."

And if I played my cards right, she wouldn't be getting anywhere near the actual work either.

After last season's fiasco with that dumb-ass interior designer – "Miss LaRue" or whatever she wanted to be called – I'd had more than enough crap from people who didn't know what they were doing.

Chase said, "Don't look so glum. There's still time to back out."

"Of what?"

"The living situation," he said. "Tell Arden you were kidding or that you changed your mind. Or hell, don't tell her anything. Just stay the fuck away. She'll figure it out."

"And let Arden off the hook?" I said. "Forget it."

Maybe a smarter guy would've taken Chase's advice. But I wasn't feeling smart. And backing out now would be all too easy.

For her.

Not me.

And besides, I reminded myself, I was juggling several other projects across the country, which meant that I'd be doing my share of travel – without Arden Weathers.

Good thing, too.

Every time she opened that sweet mouth of hers, something sharp came out to sour my mood – like that thing about tossing her off the roof.

She might not know it, but I ran the safest job sites of anyone I knew. And yeah, maybe Chase or Mason might want to send her flying, but they wouldn't act on it, not while I was around.

And why?

It was because I didn't need the hassle. Or the mess.

And shit, like I'd let a rookie anywhere near the roof.

The way I saw it, Arden had one job – to look pretty for the cameras so Landon Tarrington got his money's worth.

But when the cameras weren't rolling, she could sit at the crew house and mind her own damn business.

It was a nice thought. But Arden, as usual, had ideas of her own.

Chapter 21

Arden

I woke long before dawn, wondering if I'd slept at all. Today would be my first day as a consultant, and I was stupidly nervous.

In spite of Brody's claim that he and Waverly would be staying at the crew house, I'd spent last night alone, with no sign of either one of them.

This should've been a good thing. And it was. But waiting for them to show up at any moment had done a real number on my nerves.

Even now, hours later, the pizza I'd had delivered for last night's dinner wasn't sitting so great. But I wasn't going to let that stop me, so I scrambled out of bed, showered, and dressed in clothes that were decidedly not sexy.

Soon, I was officially ready – and with nearly two hours to spare.

Now what?

With sudden inspiration, I decided to take a detailed walk through the house – meaning the one we were fixing up – and gather my thoughts before Brody's arrival.

If I used the time wisely, I figured, I could be smart and prepared. And just maybe, I wouldn't make a giant fool of myself while the cameras