Page 41 of Rest In Pieces

“Yep. But I reserve the right to throw up later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” My lips twitch.

As much as I want to comfort her, I have to prepare for the stunt. I can’t afford to have my focus pulled because that shit will get me killed.

“Okay. Well. I’m going to go get you a drink and something sweet for when you’re done, and the adrenaline’s worn off.”

“Sounds good.”

I watch her walk back to the RV as someone clears their throat behind me, and I turn to find Jack, the stunt coordinator, standing there.

“Is she okay?” He nods toward Nevaeh.

“First time on set. Knowing what I do and seeing what I do are two totally different things.”

“My wife was the same way.”

“It get better?” I ask as we walk to the pasture where the scene will be shot.

“Not even a little. She threatens to divorce me at least once a week, blaming me for each and every one of her gray hairs.”

I wince. “Yikes, sorry.”

“This life isn’t for the faint of heart, but for an adrenaline junkie like me, it doesn’t get much better.”

“I know what you mean. Plus, we get to do a bunch of shit we’d normally get arrested for.”

He laughs loudly, drawing the attention of the director, Stefan, and Monica, the lead actress.

“Very true.”

“Jack, Amity,” Stefan calls, waving us over.

“I was just discussing the scene with Monica. She’s fleeing from a group of bandits who are hot on her tail and closing in, so I want you going flat out, Amity.”

“No problem.”

“We’ll walk through it first so you know where the markers are. The first marker is where I want you to slow the horse and stand. The second marker is just a few feet away from the first. That’s your cue to jump and grab the tree branch. I’ve got a couple of crash mats set up around the tree. I can edit them out later, but the ride itself is going to be the dangerous part, especially when you stand.”

“I know. Don’t worry. It’s a stunt I’m familiar with, though I usually have to throw myself to the ground, not up into a tree.” I chuckle.

Monica glares at me. “Did you follow the meal plan I sent you? You can’t look fat on screen if you’re my body double.”

Jack tenses beside me but keeps his mouth shut, knowing, like I do, that we’re expendable and Monica’s not. He doesn’t need to worry, though. This isn’t my first rodeo.

“I did, but I lost a few pounds, and I’m already a size smaller than you, so I needed to bulk up. Thanks, though,” I tell her and smile as Jack chokes down a cough beside me. I turn to Stefan. “I’ll start the walk-through with Jack and leave you two to talk.”

I link my arm with Jack’s and lead him over to the trail, stopping to give Jasmine some love first. “Hello, beautiful.” I scratch behind her ear as she sighs.

“I’ve never seen a putdown like that before.” Jack laughs. “I’m still not sure if she thinks you were insulting her or giving her a compliment.”

I laugh. “Thanks. I’ve honed my skill over the years,” I say, stroking my hand down Jasmine's neck. “When I first startedin the biz, it was like being back in fucking high school with all the mean girls. But as I got older, I realized that these beautiful women that everyone loves are just as insecure as the rest of us. So, I toughened up and got better at handling them, but I never let anyone push me too far where I risk getting blacklisted.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I know the men aren’t as bad as the women, but?—”

I snort, interrupting him. “Don’t be so sure about that. Some of the biggest divas I’ve ever met were men.” I give Jasmine one last stroke before heading toward the first mark with Jack beside me.

“I’ve run into a few myself,” he agrees, “but at least men are straight up about it. Women are catty and sneaky, backstabbing—” He snaps his mouth shut and looks at me, his cheeks turning pink.

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