Beneath His Darkness (Healing Hearts #3) (6 page)

Sure, I’d sleep with her, but it would only serve in seeing how far I could further my game.  She’s a pawn and pawns are meant to be played.

That call came five days ago.  Five days is a long time when you have a goal to accomplish.

I stare at the pictures I took of Tucker, Victoria, and Eddie out to dinner the other night.  Eddie seems to be the only one who had a vibe that someone might be watching them.  He never saw me, though.  It’s not the first time I’ve looked at them and it won’t be the last.  Each time, I learn something new.

There’s something off about Tucker and Victoria.  This past week in the tabloids there have been pictures of them everywhere.  The taglines have been about Tucker finally finding his perfect match after all the flings.  He looks happy in the articles.  I don’t typically take stock in tabloids, but I have learned there is some truth in every article.  You just have to dissect them to the barest bones to find out where the truth lies.

The pictures I took of them shows a different story.  They aren’t dolled up to go out for a night on the town.  Instead, they are dressed down, the guys hiding under ball caps, trying not to be seen as they head to a small diner a couple blocks from where Eddie lives.

Tucker practically ignores Victoria as he talks to Eddie.  The pictures show how uncomfortable she is.  Even when he has his hand on the small of her back to escort her into the restaurant, her smile is tight.  He seems oblivious to her discomfort.  He smiles and pushes the hair back from her face, but his smile is off, too.

What is it about them that has my head screaming there is something wrong here?

I hope to run into Victoria at my audition this afternoon.  Maybe I can get a better feel for what is going on.  It could be they had a fight before they met up with Eddie and didn’t want to air their grievances in front of him.  Maybe she didn’t want to go to dinner with Eddie and didn’t know how to tell Tucker.  Or maybe their relationship is a farce.

Several scenarios roll through my head, but they all lead back to one conclusion—she’s not happy and that makes her an easy target.

I place the pictures in the box with other pictures of Tucker and anyone else important enough to learn more about.  They rest on top of articles that have proven useful to me.  I close the box and slide it into the hole I’ve created under the floor in my closet.

Confident my secret is hidden and no one can find it, I head to my audition.

Crystal’s head pops up the second I walk in the door and her cheeks instantly grow pink.  I walk straight to her with long, confident strides.  I see her trying to breathe normally, but it isn’t happening.  I like the effect I have on her.  It doesn’t matter that I’m not attracted to her.  I enjoy the power I get from her emotions.  I can’t deny the high I feel.

I prop my elbows on her desk and lift one corner of my lips into a smirk.  “How are you today, Crystal?”

Her eyes go wide and she struggles to speak.  I stretch my lips into a full smile and she audibly gasps.  Instead of answering my question, she hands me the script for the audition.

“Thanks, doll,” I say, winking at her before walking off to study the pages that will earn me this role.

When I walk into the room, I greet everyone as I did before, but I get a surprise I wasn’t ready for.  Victoria is sitting next to Tucker.  I was hoping to run into her today, but I didn’t expect to see her sitting in the audition room.  This goes against everything I’ve learned about Eddie Carmichael.  He doesn’t let anyone bring significant others into his work time.

What the hell is going on?

I keep the surprise off my face and walk to the strips on the floor.  Eddie walks over to me and I hand him the script, just like I did last time.  He smirks at me and I just smile.

Tucker walks over to me and offers his hand.  As much as I want to slap it away from me, I can’t.  I shake it, ignoring my skin feeling like it wants to melt from my bones at his touch.

“Good to see you again, man.  Vic, my girl over there,” he says, nodding over his shoulder,  “she’s who you’ll be doing this scene with and she’s really worried about me seeing her kissing other guys.  I tried explaining that it’s part of the business, but she’s a bundle of nerves.  You were great in the last audition, think you can do me a solid and take it easy on her?”

I peek around him to Victoria, who is trying to pretend she isn’t watching our talk.  It amuses me.  He doesn’t realize we’ve already met and I know it’s because she felt an attraction toward me.  She may not have felt much, but it was enough for her to keep the innocent meeting from him.

Taking her from him is going to be easier than I imagined.

“No problem,” I say to him.

“Thanks.  I think after she gets through this first audition, she’ll see it isn’t as bad as she’s making it out to be in her head.”

Oh no, it won’t be bad at all.  I’ll be sure she enjoys every second she spends touching me.

Tucker slaps me on the shoulder before walking away and anger rips through me.  I worry that my carefully placed mask may have slipped for a second.  Why the fuck does he keep doing that?

And how many times will he be able to do it before I fall out of character?

Eddie says something to Victoria before she walks down to join me.  Nervous energy flows out of her pores and her eyes keep shifting side to side.

“No red lips today?” I ask her, quiet enough for just the two of us to hear.

“Kissing scene, remember?” she replies.

“I wouldn’t have minded.  Red looks good on you.”

Her shy smile is exactly what I was going for.  If her skin weren’t that beautiful shade of caramel, I’m sure I would see her blushing.

“Shall we?”

She nods.  I grab her hand and start the scene.

Everyone in the room disappears around me.  All I see and feel is Victoria.  Her flesh is soft under my palms.  This is supposed to be a simple first kiss scene, but seriously, there is nothing simple about first kisses.  They’re intense and emotions get messy.

Our lines fade into the distance as our eyes meet.  My hands roam slowly up her back and make their way to her neck, bringing her more flush with my body.  She tilts her face up to me and her lips part slightly as her eyes start to close.  My fingers tangle into her hair and finally my lips crash down onto hers.

I lose myself in her.  Holding her to me, I let my tongue delve into the warmest recesses of her mouth.  I feel her nails dig into my back from where her arms have snaked around me.  We’re locked together in our embrace, both of us feeling one emotion. 
Lust.

I’m blinded by the emotion for just a moment, letting myself feel it just long enough to allow the hurt to slam me back to reality.  The blackness behind my eyelids becomes my focal point.  I need the darkness to comfort me as it has the last five years, need it to build my strength back up and remind me who I am.  I envision its onyx tendrils wrapping around me like a blanket and I feel a cool calmness wash over me.

My fingers tighten in her hair one last time and I force my lips harder to hers.  Her gasp is swallowed into our joining breaths.  The pain of finally feeling a connection to someone has passed and in its place, I have started a mental mantra. 
She’s a casualty in the war against, Tucker.  You will win this war.
  I say it over and over as I succumb to the shadowy recesses of my mind.

With more force than intended, I rip her away from me.  Her glassy eyes and swollen, parted lips do nothing to move me.  I’ve hardened my heart.  When I take her, and I will take her, it will only be to bring down my brother.

It’s a shame really.  Had I met her under different circumstances… well, the circumstances will never be different in my life.  Tucker made sure of that.

Victoria continues to stand there, her doe eyes staring up at me.  Her lack of words tells me how easy it’s going to be to break her.  I smile at the thought.  She takes my smile as encouragement and smiles back.

Silly girl.

You have no idea what I have planned for you.

“That’s what I’m talking about!  You two have serious fucking chemistry,” Tucker shouts from his seat.

“Tuck,” Eddies says on a sigh, “you’re an actor.  Want to try keeping your emotions in check for a while, man?”

Everyone chuckles.  Tucker seems completely unaffected.  I listen as Eddie gives me his normal “we’ll call you” spiel.  I already know I have this part.

Victoria tries not to watch me leave as Tucker gushes over her, but her eyes lock on mine. 
So easy
, I think to myself. 
Like lambs to the slaughter
.

I walk out of there knowing Tucker’s girl is more into me than him.  I have the part and by the way Davyd Viktry was eyeing me again today, I definitely have an ally on the inside.  I also saw the way he was eyeing Eddie.  He loathes him.  The only thing I couldn’t get a read on was how he feels about Tucker.

I’ll find that out in time.

For now, I walk out of the building into the sunshine of the L.A. afternoon.  Soon, I can kick my plan into action and nothing will stop me from finally getting my revenge.

Chapter Six

Grant—Twenty Two Years Old

I’ve been working on
Facing Extinction
for months.  It’s already aired on television and has a rather impressive fan base.  I’m not surprised by that, though.  As much as I hate to admit it, Tucker has a large fan following and as soon as word broke that he would be playing a vampire on an upcoming show, ladies everywhere started foaming at the mouth.

Vampire plus Tucker equals overactive hormones across the globe.

In this time, I’ve tried to become friends with Tucker.  Well, let him believe we’re friends so I can get close to him, learn everything I can just to use it against him, but I found he doesn’t let people in.  I haven’t let that discourage me in the least.

Instead, I’ve become the party guy on the set.  I plan the nights out at the clubs, getting everyone together for dinner and drinks.  I make sure I’m active on Facebook, letting all my fans know it’s me and not someone else running my page.  I put out the image that I’m this great guy and they buy it.

They still love Tucker, but the base I’m building is creeping up.  No one expected the werewolf, the enemy to his character, to become popular.  Someday, they’ll learn I’m the wrong guy to underestimate.

And Victoria, she and I talk all the time.  Others don’t realize the “friendship” we’ve formed.  I make sure to engage her when others are too busy to notice us and apparently Tucker is oblivious of who she texts.  It’s not a matter of whether he gets jealous or not, I’m finding out.

At least, not yet.

He treats her like she’s not even there most the time.  She texts me while she’s sitting right beside him.  He’s clueless to our conversations happening under his nose.  I can see how unhappy she is.  I know I could have her now, but there’s a timeline to follow and the time isn’t right yet.

He doesn’t see me as anything more than a co-worker.  He needs to see me as a threat—a man who can get in his way and make life difficult for him.

He’ll see me that way very soon.

My lips turn up at my own thoughts.  I can’t help but get excited when I think of the popularity I’m gaining.  Other than a few commercials and playing extras in a couple TV shows, this is the first real exposure I’ve had.  I’m making the most of it.  Interviews, photo shoots, radio spots…if I’m asked to do it, I make time for it.  I don’t pull any prima donna shit a lot of actors do.

It’s one of my biggest manipulations and I have such a large audience now.

“Are we still on for tonight?”

I have to shake my head to clear my thoughts.  Davyd is standing there, staring at me like he knows what I’m thinking.  He freaks me out sometimes, but he’s a means to an end, so I’ll follow through with the plans I have for him.

“Yeah, man.  You still stopping by around eight?”

“I’ll be there.  Make sure you get some good beer.  None of that light shit some of these pansy asses drink around here.”  He walks off laughing, like he just said the funniest thing in the world.

Davyd and I have a…how the hell would I term it?  Intense, weird, non-typical…I don’t even know that I’d call it a friendship.  I’ve been getting to know him, but not really letting him get to know me.  Not the real me, anyway.

He despises Eddie.  That may be an understatement.  I think if he could drop him in a boiling tub of acid, he would stand there and watch all the skin melt from his body.  I’m not sure why he has such a deep hatred for the man.  I personally don’t mind Eddie, aside from him being Tucker’s best friend.

But Davyd, he constantly goes on and on about how sick he is of Eddie and his superiority.  How he has more talent than Eddie.  How he should be the head writer.  How he should never have been in Eddie’s shadow to begin with.

If I didn’t need information from him, I would tell him to take his whining ass and tell someone who gives a flying fuck.  Somehow, I manage to get through his rants, but I need results for all the bullshit I have to tolerate with him.

I fucking hate the dependence I feel on him.

“Hey.”

“Hey, you,” I say as Victoria walks up to me.  I casually scan our surroundings and see we’re alone.  She doesn’t want people to see us talking either.

God forbid Tucker find out she talks to a co-worker.

My fingers dig into my thigh and I stay seated while I try to get my anger back under control. 
Think of Candy
, I mentally remind myself.  Thank God I have those memories of her to pull forth.  Without them, I would have turned into a rage monster long before now and probably be behind bars.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asks, unable to keep eye contact with me.

“Davyd is coming to my place to have a couple beers and shoot the shit.  Why, what’s up?  Is something wrong, Vic?”

“Oh, no.  Nothing is wrong.  Tucker is going to hang with Eddie and I didn’t want to stay home alone again.  You’re my only real friend on the show so I thought maybe we could do something.  But you have plans, so nevermind,” she stammers out.  I can tell she’s disappointed.