Shatter by Rachel van Dyken Page A

feeling. People were around smiling
     for the cameras and drinking champagne.
    “Alec, Nat , over here!” A camera flashed just as I reached Demetri and pulled him into a hug.
    “I’m going to use the bathroom , ” Nat whispered in my ear . “ I’ll be back.”
    I nodded and watched the sway of her hips as she walked away.
    Suddenly a demon in the shape of a ridiculously dressed stripper stood in front of me. “She’s nice. Too bad you’re going to break her heart.”
    I scowled and grabbed a glass of champagne . “ What the hell do you want , Angelica?”
    Weaving through the crowds, I waited until we reached the bay windows bef ore turning and glaring at her.
    Angelica downed her glass as I finished mine. She reached for two new glasses and
     handed me one. I took it begrudgingly and waited. “Well?”
    “Come on, Alec. Be reasonable.” Her hand moved to my cheek as her fingers touched
     my lips. I tried to jerk away , but it was like I was frozen in terror. “She doesn’t belong in this world. Our world.”
    I smirked . “ Neither do prostitutes, yet here you are.”
    “Funny. Sounds like you’ve been hanging ou t with Demetri too much . Y our jokes are just as bad as his.”
    “Are we done?” My eyes began scanning the room for Nat.
    “Never.” Angelica snapped gaining my attention once again. “We won’t be done . N ot now, not until I say we’re done . A nd you and I have some business to deal with, don’t we?”
    “I wouldn’t sleep with you then, what makes you think I’m going to sleep with you
     now? What makes you think I’m going to thro w my entire life out the window? You want money? I’ll give you money. You want people to love you? Fine. I’ll help
     make you loveable. But that’s it. Why can’t you just drop it? What do you have to
     gain by ruining my life?”
    Angelica shrugged. Her glossy black hair may as well have been Medusa’s snakes . T he woman was pure evil. “Never scorn a woman, Alec. That’s your first lesson.”
    “And my second?”
    She leaned in. Her body nearly touching mine as her lips grazed my ear . “ You should be more careful whose hotel room you go into… as well as who may see you leave it.”
    I swear I almost broke the champagne flute as I clenched my fists and told myself
     it wasn’t right to hit a chick , even though I had my doubts about Angelica. She was possessed. It was the only explanation.
    “Remember the timeline, Alec. You’ve got until the end of filming until I break my
     silence. Especially considering you’ve turned down the last offer . N ot that it would have worked anyway. ”
    I swore and drank the rest of my champagne. The party went on around me , but everything seemed hollow — dead.
    “You know I can’t say a damn thing.” I licked my lips . “ I promised her I’d protect her. I gave her my word that if the media caught wind,
     I’d keep my silence and let it play out . If I tell the truth then it will ruin her, it will ruin him, I can’t do that. ”
    “That’s too bad.” Angelica’s bottom lip went into a pout . “ Because when I go with my story, you better believe it’s going to look bad. Alec Daniels,
     golden boy no more. Tsk, Tsk, your own brother won’t want to be within ten states
     of you. You know, since you royally screwed him .”
    “So that’s it?” I sm irked . “ You just ruin my life?”
    Angelica’s eyes turned dark . “ Yes. Just like you ruined mine.”
    “You can’t blame me for your mistakes , ” I countered.
    “If it wasn’t for you , I wouldn’t have stumbled into that hallway. I wouldn’t have been caught— ” She poked me in the chest . “ I wouldn’t have been locked out of my room. I wouldn’t have passed out in the damn
     hallway, and I wouldn’t have missed the morning flight for the biggest movie role
     of my life. They fired me , Alec. Fired me . It was the last straw, according to producers. So yeah. I do blame you. You ruined
     me, all because you