Page 43 of Ruthless Passion

Gina can't stop the corners of her mouth from tipping up. "What does time matter? It's a made-up construct to control us. What you're doing for her, how much you're doing for her…it's clear that time doesn't matter to you."

"Of course it doesn't, but Vito Dacosta matters to me. Her safety, and her son's safety, matter to me because she's taking on a movie role that didn't exist a week ago to keep us out of prison. Speaking of time, it's time for me to get out of here. Figure out whatever you can about Agent Shaw's investigation and what we can do to get her out of here."

Sonny's face shifts with a question in his eyes. I stop moving things around my desk to focus on him when he asks the question lingering between us. "If Agent Shaw leaves, say tomorrow, do you still want to do Starlight?"

"Yes. The way we're restructuring the story is critical to the Dusk movie. I'm going to go meet Jo now. I'll send any script changes to you once we're done."

We head out the office with a new feeling settling over me. Anticipation? Excitement? Nerves? It feels like I'm going home to my wife. I know it sounds crazy, but the feeling coursing through me right now is new territory for me.

Standing in the parking lot of the movie studio I built comes with a sense of accomplishment. Going home to Josephine warms me from the inside out. The sudden impact of a hard object connecting the back of my head enrages me. I stumble forward, prepared to fight, and turn around to see the asshole I'd like to take fishing.

17

JOSEPHINE

"Are you sure you don't mind keeping him for a few days?" I ask Monique as we rearrange the living room in her one-bedroom apartment. Jett's bouncing off the walls with a cotton candy slushie in his hand which is turning his lips blue.

"I swear, Jo, if you ask me one more time…" She giggles. "I need the distraction after getting stood up by Ronan, the studly doctor."

"I thought he had to remove a bullet from someone? That's not exactly ghosting you."

"I think he made that up to sound like a tough guy because who calls a doctor to have a bullet removed in the middle of the afternoon? Besides, watching Jett gives me a reason to be active. I don't want to baby this sprain."

"You don't have to rush it, either. I have Luca adding you into the budget for childcare, and once we fix the script, I can get him to write in a role for you."

She lets out a sigh of relief. "That would be great. What are you changing about the script?"

"This Cadence the Siren character is a predator. She assaults and murders men endlessly for no reason other than she's sick of men after being alive for over a century."

She chuckles softly. "So, I'm guessing she'd choose the bear."

"Don't start. I'm serious. I want to change her character into someone deeper, empathetic, compassionate. I want it to be about more than revenge. I suggested the main male lead is a siren but doesn't know it. He sings a death song which lures Cadence to him and when she tries to understand and then help him, he refuses."

"Oh, so she's going to assault him with assistance? Way deeper, Jo," Mojo scoffs with a roll of her eyes. "I love you, but you have a tendency to turn every role you land into you instead of you transforming into the character."

"What? No, I don't."

She plops a pile of linens and pillows onto the sofa that pulls out into a bed and sits down, propping her foot up to keep the pressure off it. "Why can't Cadence be a serial killer who assaults her victims? It's a horror film that's going straight to streaming."

"Just because it isn't heading to theaters worldwide doesn't mean we can't make it into an award-winning project."

"Jo. I'm not saying you can't do that. I'm saying you don't have to. I think you're so uncomfortable with Cadence not taking any shit because you put up with the most insane bullshit from Duke. I think you should tweak the story if it's necessary, but use this role to dig in and find a deeper part of yourself. Stop being scared, Jo, and take what you want, like Cadence."

"So—"

She cuts me off with a smirk. "No, don't kill and assault people. Look where assaulting Duke got me. A swollen ankle and stood up by a hot doctor. I want you to do things that make you uncomfortable, to challenge yourself."

The sound of Jett rummaging through her closet of outdoor equipment pulls us from our conversation. She goes into babysitting mode while I'm left to stew over her words. Am I really trying to change the story written for this film because I'm uncomfortable taking charge?

I don't want to murder anyone, yet I can't help but remember how good my first time with Luca felt. The idea of him being helpless did something to me that I can't shake and this role forces me to look at a side of myself I didn't know I've been hiding from.

After dinner with Jett and Mojo, I make my way to the house on the cliff. Guilt wrestles with my excitement because I don't want to put him out. I don't want to mess with Duke popping up at my house, either.

Shit. I need to warn Collin that me and Jett won't be home for a few days. I'm sure he'll be too busy dealing with his suspension to notice it. Maybe he can use the peace and quiet to reflect on making better choices for himself.

By the time I arrive at Luca's house, there's a voicemail message waiting for me on my phone. It details how to get inside his garage and the main house with breathtaking views of the bay. I can't believe people actually live in homes like this. He gets to wake up to this view every day.

My heart races as I walk through the kitchen toward the elevator which takes me down to the lowest level of the three-floor home. The doors open into a hallway where the first door to my right is open to the guest bedroom. I leave my bags in there before going to search for Luca.

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