Los Angeles Lights: A Hollywood Billionaire Alpha Shifter Romance Read online

  A figure appeared in my fuzzy vision.

  “Good morning, Sky.”

  Zack's voice sounded like distorted radio waves coming through a broken speaker. Everything was garbled up in static. I rubbed my temples, trying hard to focus through the mess of colors and shapes in front of me. A glass filled with green stuff came into view. I nearly gagged.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “It's something to help with that hangover.”

  I picked it up without further question and started chugging it, the thick goop filling my throat and nearly causing me to choke. I ran to the bathroom to vomit. Zack followed behind me to hold my hair and rub my back.

  “You're a mess.”

  “And you're a sack of shit.”

  He sighed.

  “I hadn't meant to hurt you. I love you so much.”

  I rinsed my mouth in the sink, my body suddenly cold from dehydration. I wondered what happened to Maya. As Zack continued to hold my hair, I splashed cold water on my face and attempted to stand up straight. He steadied me with his arm. I stared at my pale reflection in the mirror as he continued to talk to the back of my head, his words still sounding like they were being transmitted through rushing water.

  “We have to stop that film from being released, no matter what.”

  I hadn't exactly heard what he said before that, but I agreed. I met his gaze in the mirror.

  “Zack, I'll do just about anything to keep you safe. I would hate to see your reputation go to pieces just because of some vindictive bitch who can't take 'no' for an answer.” I spit into the sink to emphasize my point. “We're not going down without a fight.”

  “And what is the great Skylar Jones going to do? Write her to death?” The stab was deep, and he only twisted the knife harder. “You have no leverage here, my love.”

  But he was right. What could I do to stop some Hollywood starlet from getting her way? There wasn't a news crew that would believe she was a dirty dealer, and I didn't even have the proper evidence to reveal her as a total crook. Besides, she was beautiful and talented. That always won people over in this town. There was nothing I could do.

  I was right back to where I had been before my drinking binge last night.

  “Zack…” I whispered, gripping the porcelain sink as if my life depended on it. He watched me evenly, brushing my hair away from my face as he waited for me to continue. I cringed away from his touch, and I could tell from the look in his eyes that the small gesture has hurt him. “I need you to explain to me why you made that movie.”

  He let out a loud breath, his strong frame deflating like someone has just let all of the air out of an inflatable copy of the broken man. “What were you thinking?” I continued, staring deeply into the reflection of his eyes in the mirror, unable to face him directly just yet. I know it wasn’t fair for me to be angry at him over something that was done in the past, but right then and there I knew there was nothing in the world that could put the pieces of my heart back together. It happened years ago, but it felt like a personal invasion into my happiness. It was how I felt, and there was no stopping it.

  “Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested. I nodded, knowing the fresh outside air would help with the hangover. He took my hand and led me out to the rear yard. We walked in silence until we reached the pond, the sound of the water soothing the tension just a little bit.

  I looked up at him expectantly, the hurt in his eyes almost enough to make my heart break all over again. He kissed my forehead, and I couldn’t help but feel better. God, I just loved that man so much. I leaned in, and he took it as a sign to wrap his arms around me and hold me close.

  “I didn’t know she was recording us,” he said into my hair. I immediately pushed away from him and looked him square in the eyes.

  “WHAT?” I demanded, anger quickly replacing the sadness that had been building in my heart. “What the hell do you mean, you didn’t know?”

  He shrugged, “I didn’t know.” He ran his fingers through my hair, his gaze lost in the depths of the pond.

  “She can’t do that! That’s illegal,” I demanded.

  Zack simply shrugged, “Tell that to her.” His eyes burned with anger.

  “That’s just simply unfair,” I continued. I was beyond astonished at the sheer evil of which this woman was capable.

  We both paused, staring out at our surroundings in silence for a few long minutes.

  “We have to give her the role,” I said, finally, breaking the silence. “Then, we'll steal the video, destroy it.”

  I paused. “What if she made copies?”

  Zack didn’t meet my eye contact. He stared out at the trees in the rear of the yard, his wolf-like eyes glinting in the sunlight. With his lips parted and menacing teeth showing, he said, “I will make sure every copy of that video is destroyed.”

  “And how do you plan on doing that?” I asked, stroking his arms softly in an attempt to calm him down.

  “I will make sure she knows the tape needs to be destroyed.” He met my eyes and continued, “and if she doesn’t destroy the tape, I will destroy her.”

  BETRAYED

  1.

  If I had known what a mess it would be to create a movie with my producer boyfriend, I would have probably opted out of the entire thing. Zack's ex-girlfriend, Rita, was making some strenuous demands about being the lead role, and I was going to have none of it. However, the resurfacing of this old tape featuring them doing the dirty had caused us to reconsider her as part of the production.

  It was remarkably illegal for a shifter and a human to produce an adult film, which made her threats seem almost psychotic. I wasn't sure what would happen to Zack if the tape was released, but it would be a circus attempting to keep a legal battle from erupting. I was sure I'd lose him forever if she didn't keep those snappy little red lips sealed. Instead of trying to steal the tapes like I had originally wanted, Zack convinced me to meet her for a deal. We set up a discreet date and time, making sure to only refer to our meeting area in code. Not even Zack's lawyer knew where we were going to be, even though Zack had informed him about the tape. It never hurt to have a little legal counsel case things blew up.

  The meeting was supposed to be a quick exchange: the tape for terms. Somehow, I knew Rita would try to drag it out and maybe insert things in her contract that we didn't want to do or simply couldn't. Any amount of money was okay as long as she kept her hands off of my darling Zack. I couldn't stand the idea of him returning to her, especially if it was to keep this stupid sex thing a secret. Why did this have to be such a mess?

  We took my old car so as to not attract attention from the media and sneaked out through the back of the mansion to walk through the maze and out into a field where my car was hidden. I had insisted on keeping my car for moments like this and even had it registered under a false name so no one could trace it. That was illegal, too, but it wasn't as horrible as the tape we were about to retrieve. I prayed she would be reasonable.

  On the way to meet the Hollywood princess of vengeance, Zack tried to keep up a light conversation over the sound of the radio. I didn't feel like talking, but I felt bad that he was trying so hard to keep things calm and normal. Absolutely nothing about this was normal, and I was about to drive off the road if he didn't shut up. I took a deep breath and implored him to keep silent so I could concentrate on the path in front of me. It wouldn't take very long to get to Rita. We could do with some silence.

  “I'm sorry, Sky,” Zack whispered through the dark. “I love you.”

  The slight whimper I detected in his voice shattered me. I reached over and grabbed his hand in a gesture of reassurance, hoping he'd forgive me for being so rude. I couldn't speak right now. I wanted so desperately to respond, but I simply couldn't speak. If I uttered any sound, I would start sobbing into the steering wheel, and we'd land in the bushes because of my poor emotional state. There’s only so much one woman can handle.

  Zack squeezed my hand in return, see
ming to understand my feeling through the silence. How was he so calm right now?

  We finally pulled up to the edge of the field out near the highway, the drone of cars passing by in the distance created an eerie hum. I put the car into park, pulled up the parking break, and sat quietly while unbuckling my belt. In the distance, Rita appeared dressed in a black catsuit. What a drama mongrel. She had worn that purely for Zack. I wasn't one for slut shaming, but Rita was sincerely pushing my buttons here. My temptation to spit fire was immense. I exhaled and kept my head cool.

  Upon exiting the vehicle, my body began to shake beneath the weight of our situation. Rita held up a bag in her hand while waving with the other, coolly strutting across the thick sand covering the field. She pulled up her 20's flapper hat that was covering her face to reveal eyes that were heavily coated in eyeliner. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

  “Zack, darling,” she called with a gargantuan smile. “What a pleasure.”

  “Not under these circumstances,” I muttered in response.

  Rita turned to me with her plaster smile, curious of what I had said.

  “Rita,” I piped up. “You look ravishing.”

  Rita wrinkled her nose in response to my dry compliment and turned back to Zack, eyes abuzz with mischief.

  “Speak your terms, Rita, and then hand over the tape. We want to keep this brief,” Zack said through the darkness.

  I'd forgotten how scruff his voice sounded when he talks business. Lust overwhelmed my body in an instant, but I stifled the feeling. I didn't want to associate my sexual desire of Zack with Rita's presence. It would surely turn me off at a later date and cause issues. Still, I couldn't keep my eyes from trailing up and down Rita's long and slender legs. I had to hand it to her: she looked absolutely stunning in that catsuit. Bitch.

  While Rita outlined her terms for the acting contract, I kept my eyes on that bag. I was desperate to have the tape in my possession and admittedly hadn't heard much of what Rita had said. I looked over at Zack who was deep in concentration, nodding every so often during her speech. Once she was finished, she handed the bag over to me but dropped it on the ground before I could grab it. Brat, I thought angrily while scooping the bag up off the ground. I hope this movie ruins you. It wouldn't. I knew it wouldn't. And I wasn't about to sabotage my own movie to get revenge on her. She wasn't worth my time. Who knows? Maybe her attitude and personality will improve with the role. Wishful thinking.

  “I'm just so pleased to be a part of this film,” Rita said with her plastic smile plastered across her face. “Zack and Rita together again! I'll put it all over my blog.”

  The triumphant claim stirred something primal inside of me that made me drop the bag and shove my finger in her face.

  “NOT together,” I growled. “You two are definitely not together again, and you will only work for us as a hired actor. Do you understand?”

  Rita regarded my finger with a smugly raised brow, grimaced, and then nodded slowly while keeping her eyes locked on mine. When I pulled my hand away from her face, she shrugged and clapped her hands together in an effort to lighten the mood, something I didn't really care to encourage.

  “Well, this is going to be oodles of fun,” Rita announced while wiggling her nose.

  She bid us farewell and disappeared into the brush, the catsuit cloaking her form as she walked, camouflaging her form as she disappeared into the night. No wonder she wore it. I looked down at my sundress and sandals, feeling incredibly self-conscious about my appearance after having been shunned by a Hollywood movie star. Zack wrapped a reassuring arm around me when he noticed my demeanor change so quickly. I looked up at his smooth face and his beautiful eyes that were shining despite the darkness surrounding us.

  “Does this mean we're in the clear?” I asked, biting my lip.

  “Everything should be okay for now,” Zack responded with a sigh. “At least, I hope so.”

  2.

  After the embarrassing encounter with Rita in the fields, Zack and I began to make arrangements for the upcoming film. We finally had our locations picked out, and we were to meet with the new crew to lay out our expectations. The initial meeting went well, and I was surprised at the excitement that the crew displayed to be working with us, especially their praise for my script. I felt like I was on top of the world again. Zack proudly held my hand throughout the meeting and announced we would be overseeing every aspect of the project, including visiting locations with the crew.

  “It's not to watch over you in case mistakes are made. It's so you are confident in your work,” Zack explained. “Approach us anytime for any questions you might have, even ones you think don't matter. Everything matters in this production.”

  Zack's speech was met with applause. He certainly had a way of engaging people with his words. It was one of the things I continued to admire about him. He could answer any question with cool confidence, even if it had something to do with a false rumor or a past mistake. There was a time when making public appearances drove me into fits of anxiety where I would feel like my entire chest was under the pressure of an anvil, but Zack helped me through that time and taught me a few tricks of how to handle being in public.

  For the first time in months, I was practicing one of those breathing techniques in the middle of an empty university classroom just up the road from our production studio. My main character is a Biology student who is about to graduate and apply for a position at NASA where she can study the potential life on celestial bodies. Her candor is strong, and her intelligence is infinite, the strength of her mind overpowering any barrier standing in her way. This particular scene would accentuate her dominant personality as she defends herself eloquently to a professor who doubts she can succeed.

  “My performance on a test isn't going to determine whether I can think for myself,” Rita said with confidence into the lens of the camera. “But rather whether I can bend to your rules and structures. Discovering celestial life requires that I break those rules. I will get this job, and I will prove you wrong, Dr. Burt.”

  When the director yelled cut, the entire crew erupted in a fit of whooping and cheering that rattled me from my harrowed mind. I squinted down towards the front of the great lecture room, watching as Rita accepted handshakes and all manner of compliments from the men fawning over her performance. It made me ill. It wasn't as if she wrote the script. I was the one who came up with these amazing scenes! She merely regurgitated the lines and pretended to be what the character was all about. There was no way I could handle watching her succeed in the role I had created, but it was the deal we had struck. It’s hard not to be petty.

  Sometimes, you had to dance with the devil to get what you wanted.

  “So, does this mean you and Zack are through?” asked an actor who was sitting up near me.

  I slammed my script down on the table and glared at him.

  “Isn't there something you need to be doing right now? Going over lines?” I heatedly asked. “And no, this doesn't mean Zack and I are through.”

  “It doesn't appear that way,” he commented while pointing down to the crowd below.

  I couldn't help but look. Zack was patting Rita's shoulder, smiling broadly to the crew and other actors who were wearing the same false smiles. It couldn't be more than a display of recognition, something to convince everyone that we were all getting along. I should probably keep my head level if we were going to continue without the entire plan exploding. I was sure any peep from me would elicit Rita to reconsider keeping her little secret, which would completely destroy the project.

  It would be fine, I reassured myself. I don't have to dance with this devil for very long. Soon, she'll be out of our lives for good. Everything will be just fine.

  As I stared at the scene below, the young actor to my right leaned over and placed a small business card in my hand.

  “If you ever want to be treated more like a queen than a princess, give me a call,” he said, winking.

  I tossed his c
ard over the desk with a smug smile and held up my middle finger, not bothering to respond to the offer. What a sickening thing to say, especially to his superior. It wasn't like me to let power go to my head, but this was certainly crossing a line, and I demanded a certain amount of respect.

  When Zack climbed the stairs to meet me, I inadvertently met his kisses with cool indifference, feeling slightly peeved still by the cocky actor who I had just encountered. He pulled me into a hug.

  “Everything is going well,” he said while he planted kisses on my neck. “We should celebrate.”

  I pushed him.

  “I'm sorry. I'm in no mood to go anywhere,” I responded while gathering my script copies and purse. “I have too much on my mind.”

  Zack looked hurt. Without asking, he lifted my bag above his head and held it hostage until I told him what was bothering me. He wasn’t typically this coy – okay, that’s a lie - but I was sure he was sick of my bratty attitude and permanent pout that I had been wearing all day around the set. I didn't mean to be this way. I couldn't help that Rita made me feel so insecure. I explained all of this to him and then added what that stupid boy had said to me. Zack turned to look down the stairs at the diminishing crew below, checking to see if the actor was still hanging around.

  “Should I say something to him?” he asked, his eyes growing dark. “That is unacceptable. I should say something.”

  Gently, I took my bag back from him and placed it on the desk before taking his face in my hands. I smoothed a lock of hair behind his ear and looked deep into his eyes, searching for that spark that we had found the first night we had spent together on the pier. When he started to smile, I heaved a sigh of relief. There it is.

  “Zack, it's fine. He's just a little kid trying to get his piece somewhere. He probably thinks sleeping with me will catapult him to the top. That didn’t even really bother me, to be honest,” I explained.