Relentless (Option Zero #2) - Christy Reece Page 0,88

she was safe.

But why didn’t she feel safe?

She spotted Becca standing in the middle of baggage claim. Even though people passed by her, she seemed to be in another world, her expression dulled by sorrow. She looked lost and forsaken. Aubrey’s heart broke for her. Her cousin had worked hard for this chance. Being the daughter of a famous director could only take you so far. To advance further and get the big, life-changing roles, talent and hard work were the most important components. Becca was a gifted actress, dedicated to her craft. Why on earth had she been fired from a part that seemed tailor-made for her?

“Becca!” Aubrey called out.

Startled, Becca lifted her head and gave her a brilliant smile. She ran toward Aubrey, and the closer she got, the more fragile the smile became. By the time she was hugging Aubrey, the smile was completely gone, and tears were streaming down her face.

“Oh Becca, don’t cry, sweetie. We’ll figure this out, I promise.”

“I know…I know,” she sobbed. “I just wish I knew what I did wrong. No one will tell me anything. It’s like it’s some big secret. But it shouldn’t be if it involves me. I should be told why.”

“Did you talk to someone else?”

Becca pulled away, wiped her eyes and delicately blew her nose with a tissue. “No…not really. I tried to discuss it with Jensen, but he blew me off. Apparently since I’m no longer the star of the movie, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

Aubrey swallowed a groan. No only had her cousin been fired from her dream role, Jensen Riggs, an up-and-coming actor and Becca’s co-star in the movie, had broken up with her. Even though they’d only had a few dates, and getting her heart bruised was nothing new for Becca, coming on the same day she was fired from her dream role would be a bit much for anyone.

“I knew it wouldn’t last,” Becca was saying. “We’d only been out a few times, and he wasn’t all that much fun to be around, but to have him treat me like I wasn’t important to him anymore because I’d lost the role...” She shook her head, and the tears increased to a steady flow. “It was just too much.”

“I know. But don’t you worry. We’ll get this straightened out, and you can tell Jensen Riggs to get lost when he comes crawling back to you. Which he will.”

“My career is over, Aubrey. I just know it is.”

Aubrey snorted. “When pigs fly.”

Her cousin didn’t laugh as she’d hoped. The despair in her eyes broke Aubrey’s heart. Ignoring the people milling around them, she held Becca’s shoulders firmly and said, “Listen to me. Remember when we were five years old? Remember the promise we made to each other?”

Sniffling, Becca nodded. “We promised we’d never lie to each other.”

“Exactly. So believe me when I tell you this. You are one of the most gifted actors I’ve ever known. There is no way your career is over. This is just a little bump in the road, nothing more.” Aubrey shook her slightly. “I promise you, Becca.”

“You really believe that, don’t you?”

“With all my heart.”

Smiling once again, she linked arms with Aubrey. “Thank you for coming. You always make me feel so much better.” She turned to the exit. “Come on. I managed to park out front, but if I don’t move soon, I’ll get a ticket.”

The minute they stepped outside, Aubrey had that uneasy feeling again. Unable to explain the oddity to Becca, who knew nothing about the issues she’d been dealing with, Aubrey did her best to act normal as she carefully examined their surroundings. There were dozens of people around. Families hauled their luggage into vans, business people stood in line, waiting for cabs, couples stood around chatting. No one looked the least bit interested in them.

She settled into the passenger seat of the Audi Q5 and buckled up. As Becca slowly steered out of the parking space and into the stream of traffic, Aubrey continued to keep her eyes out for any hint of a threat.

Just as Becca turned onto Century Boulevard, Aubrey’s phone rang. She glanced at the readout and felt a wave of calm wash over her. Liam might be thousands of miles away, but just knowing she was about to talk to him lessened her stress level.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Aubrey, where are you?”

The tension in his voice told her what she had suspected. This could be