Keeper of the Shadows - By Alexandra Sokoloff Page 0,56
was funny.
“I want you three to be very careful.”
Now he was sounding protective and possessive in a way that thrilled her as much as it pissed her off.
“Don’t worry, Rhiannon has already given us the ‘vampires are dangerous’ lecture.”
“All right, then. I want you in one piece tonight.”
“Really?” she managed nonchalantly. “What for?”
And he proceeded to tell her. Which took up a very hot half hour.
As Barrie hung up the phone, it was more than clear to her that she was in real trouble with this man. And worse...she didn’t care a bit.
* * *
What do you wear to a movie star’s house?
If Barrie hadn’t been so completely floating in afterglow, she might have had another full-fledged clothes panic. As it was, the aftermath of yesterday’s clothes panic was still cycloned all over the room.
She smiled, remembering how Mick had joked about it—and then how he’d removed that perfect dress....
Okay, stop that, she told herself sternly, pulling herself out of her dreamy daze. You need to have your mind squarely on this interview. No fantasizing, or flashing back, or any of that—stuff.
She zapped on her bedroom TV to check the local news as she dressed. She started with her favorite La Perla lingerie. In her experience knowing that you were wearing the best, even if it went completely unseen, was a major confidence boost.
As she was hooking her lacy flowered bra, the entertainment report came on, and there was Harvey Hodge with a larger-than-life smirk, delivering his review of Rocket Man.
Of course H.H. made it sound as if the premiere had been the party of the year, which in her state she was not about to argue. She got a big kick out of Harvey’s rundown of the attending celebrities; by her count Mick’s shifts accounted for half of the guest list. Laughter bubbled up in her, and she flung herself onto the bed, giggling into her pillow. After a moment there was a featherlight bounce on the bed as Sophie jumped up to see what was happening, and Barrie reached for the kitty and cuddled her....
Until something on the TV made her bolt upright.
Harvey had continued down the guest list and was now talking about Travis Branson. Barrie scooped Sophie up and stood, walking toward the TV to make sure she heard every word Harvey spoke.
“There’s a rumor around town—and you know I don’t spill it if I can’t stand by it—that the remake of the cult classic Otherworld has a silent backer. So, it looks like those sexy, scary Others will be back, film fans, coming soon to a theater near you. This is Harvey Hodge, your Entertainment Connection, wishing you an entertaining evening. Stay tuned and stay hip.”
The news cut to the latest high-speed car chase, and Barrie muted the TV, frowning in concern.
So, the remake was going through.
Her heart fluttered with apprehension.
What would that mean for everyone associated with the film...who was still alive?
* * *
DJ lived in Brentwood, where Sunset Boulevard turned into canyon and park as it began its winding descent toward the ocean.
When she’d looked at the map DJ’s assistant had e-mailed her, Barrie had found it odd that DJ wasn’t in some swank place on the beach in Malibu. But as she drove the winding roads up to his compound, she understood. It was the land. Even the biggest movie people and rock stars in Malibu sacrificed the American dream of a backyard for their beachfront properties; there was just no extra inch of sand to be had. In contrast, it looked like DJ had not just acres but miles of land: grassy, wooded hills, and total seclusion.
For whatever, Barrie thought morbidly, and immediately scolded herself. Open mind, remember? Keep an open mind. Vampires are human, too. I mean—they’re something, anyway.
The gate was a set of tall metal doors in a thick concrete wall and there was a guardhouse. Barrie had to steady her voice to give her name, and the guard walked around the car, checking under it with a mirror on a long hooked pole like the ones guards used at airports and studio gates.
What is he expecting, a terrorist attack? she thought, unnerved. For the first time she wondered if maybe Mick and her cousins had been right about the “don’t go alone” thing. Then the gates rolled open electronically, and she swallowed and drove forward.
There was a long, winding drive up to the house, and it felt like driving through several different countries; as far as Barrie could