happen.”
“Bus is here,” Patricia said as she stepped up.
“Thank you, Patricia. I’ll be right there.” Will turned his attention back to Merrick. “That’s what I like about you. No bitching, no arguing, just ‘tell me what you want’ and it happens. You might have a future in this.”
Merrick grinned. “I gave you my guarantee.”
“And you’ve kept—”
“Fuck!” Merrick barked and belted away before Will could finish speaking, running toward the bus as members of the cast and crew began to board for the ride back to the hotel. “Hey, stop!” he yelled as he ran.
Charlie turned, and seeing Merrick running toward him, dashed toward the bus, carrying something in a small knapsack. Merrick adjusted his path, hitting Charlie and taking him hard to ground just as he reached the bus.
Merrick jumped to his feet, winded from his run and the impact with Charlie. He hauled the other man up from the dirt and weeds of the empty lot as the cast and crew backed away. “What’s in the sack?” Merrick demanded, hauling Charlie toward the sack.
“Nothing,” Charlie gasped, favoring his left arm. “I think you broke my arm!”
“I’m going to break your fucking neck! What’s in the sack!” He scooped the bag off the ground from where it landed when Merrick hit him, and shoved into Charlie’s chest. “Open it!”
Charlie fumbled and began to open the sack and pulled out an eight-inch-tall replica of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards statue . The golden statue was broken from its base. “You ruined it!” Charlie snarled as he held the Oscar replica out, shaking it in Merrick’s face. “I just wanted to give it to Poppy because I thought she was snubbed when she didn’t get a nomination for her role in Fallen Petals , and you ruined it!”
“You stupid shit! I thought you had a bomb or something!” Merrick snarled as he began dragging Charlie away.
Charlie cried out in pain. “My arm!”
“You’re lucky the only thing hurt is your arm! I should break your fucking neck!” he rumbled as he hustled Charlie along.
There were plenty of stories of crazed fans stalking famous people, and he was still coming down from the surge of adrenaline that had been dumped into his system. When he saw Charlie with the knapsack gripped to his chest as he ran for the bus, he’d really thought he was carrying a bomb or gun.
He reached the parameter and shoved Charlie through, snatching the lanyard from his neck with the pass on it.
“That’s mine!”
“Not anymore. You’re starting to piss me off, and trust me, you don’t want to do that. If I see you on the other side of the barricade again, or if you cause any more problems, you’re going to be eating through a straw. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m making you a fucking promise.”
“I’m going to write about this on my blog!”
“You go right ahead. It’s the Harlequins Motorcycle Club. Make sure you spell it right. Now get the fuck out of here. Now!” he barked when Charlie didn’t move. Merrick glared at him until Charlie slowly turned and began to limp away. “Stupid fuck,” he muttered as he turned and started back toward the production crew.
Will intercepted him. “How did he get through?”
Merrick held out the lanyard. The pass was obviously homemade, but it was good enough to pass a cursory glance. “One of your people probably passed him right through.”
“Where did he get this?” Will asked, taking the pass and examining.
“Probably took a picture of it with his cell phone or something.” Merrick took the pass and turned it over. “See, there’s no writing on the back.”
Will huffed out breath. “Damnit. Okay, change of plans. I’d like a few of your guys on set tomorrow. Beginning tomorrow, you have total control over security. I’ll
“Bus is here,” Patricia said as she stepped up.
“Thank you, Patricia. I’ll be right there.” Will turned his attention back to Merrick. “That’s what I like about you. No bitching, no arguing, just ‘tell me what you want’ and it happens. You might have a future in this.”
Merrick grinned. “I gave you my guarantee.”
“And you’ve kept—”
“Fuck!” Merrick barked and belted away before Will could finish speaking, running toward the bus as members of the cast and crew began to board for the ride back to the hotel. “Hey, stop!” he yelled as he ran.
Charlie turned, and seeing Merrick running toward him, dashed toward the bus, carrying something in a small knapsack. Merrick adjusted his path, hitting Charlie and taking him hard to ground just as he reached the bus.
Merrick jumped to his feet, winded from his run and the impact with Charlie. He hauled the other man up from the dirt and weeds of the empty lot as the cast and crew backed away. “What’s in the sack?” Merrick demanded, hauling Charlie toward the sack.
“Nothing,” Charlie gasped, favoring his left arm. “I think you broke my arm!”
“I’m going to break your fucking neck! What’s in the sack!” He scooped the bag off the ground from where it landed when Merrick hit him, and shoved into Charlie’s chest. “Open it!”
Charlie fumbled and began to open the sack and pulled out an eight-inch-tall replica of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards statue . The golden statue was broken from its base. “You ruined it!” Charlie snarled as he held the Oscar replica out, shaking it in Merrick’s face. “I just wanted to give it to Poppy because I thought she was snubbed when she didn’t get a nomination for her role in Fallen Petals , and you ruined it!”
“You stupid shit! I thought you had a bomb or something!” Merrick snarled as he began dragging Charlie away.
Charlie cried out in pain. “My arm!”
“You’re lucky the only thing hurt is your arm! I should break your fucking neck!” he rumbled as he hustled Charlie along.
There were plenty of stories of crazed fans stalking famous people, and he was still coming down from the surge of adrenaline that had been dumped into his system. When he saw Charlie with the knapsack gripped to his chest as he ran for the bus, he’d really thought he was carrying a bomb or gun.
He reached the parameter and shoved Charlie through, snatching the lanyard from his neck with the pass on it.
“That’s mine!”
“Not anymore. You’re starting to piss me off, and trust me, you don’t want to do that. If I see you on the other side of the barricade again, or if you cause any more problems, you’re going to be eating through a straw. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m making you a fucking promise.”
“I’m going to write about this on my blog!”
“You go right ahead. It’s the Harlequins Motorcycle Club. Make sure you spell it right. Now get the fuck out of here. Now!” he barked when Charlie didn’t move. Merrick glared at him until Charlie slowly turned and began to limp away. “Stupid fuck,” he muttered as he turned and started back toward the production crew.
Will intercepted him. “How did he get through?”
Merrick held out the lanyard. The pass was obviously homemade, but it was good enough to pass a cursory glance. “One of your people probably passed him right through.”
“Where did he get this?” Will asked, taking the pass and examining.
“Probably took a picture of it with his cell phone or something.” Merrick took the pass and turned it over. “See, there’s no writing on the back.”
Will huffed out breath. “Damnit. Okay, change of plans. I’d like a few of your guys on set tomorrow. Beginning tomorrow, you have total control over security. I’ll
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