Page 23 of Overexposed

This time when I tried to yank my arm out of his grip, it wasn’t going anywhere. “I’m not a dog.”

“I don’tcare,” he parroted back at me. “You’re going to sign the damn document.”

“Orwhat?” I glared up at him even as he stared down at me.

That vein in his forehead pulsed and his lips were almost white from how hard he mashed them together. The faint hint of alcohol on his breath didn’t suggest he was drunk, but if I was in for a penny…

“Maybe you should switch to coffee, Mr. Harrison. Between the booze and your hearing issues?—”

“I donothave a hearing problem,” he snarled. “But I know a bottom-feeder when I see one. You’re signing the damn page if I have to hold your hand and make you do it.”

“I’d like to see you try,” I snapped back. Only this time, I managed to swing my boots in my free hand and smacked him square in the shoulder of the arm he was using to keep me still. His hand opened reflexively and I raised my phone like a talisman, videoon. “It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Harrison… want to say anything to your fans to add to that little rant?”

chapter

ten

Olivier

The sound of raised voices wasn’t uncommon in our house. Living with two hothead identical twins came with its ups and downs…lately a lot more downs than ups as Seven struggled to accept Gemini’s quiet distancing from the Hollywood scene. But the inclusion of a huskyfemalevoice arguing back was what roused me from slightly hungover sleep.

That wasn’t Clara Belle. She was a hell of a lot moreshrillwhen she was mad.

Stumbling out of bed, I scrubbed the heel of my hand over my eyes and grimaced at the sting in my knuckles. That was the reminder I needed to recall the events of the night before. I’d been decently drunk, in my defense. Really, really shouldnothave driven, but I’d perfected the art of functioning under the influence before I was even legal to buy alcohol.

Hollywood taught us former child stars all kinds of shit that we had no right learning.

Still, I found it hard to regret my actions in saving that sexy waitress from the piece of shit beating her head into that car. The whole Gem thing when we got home was just a perk. I’d heard them going at it a few hours ago, and it sounded…hot.

Lucky bastard.

“…want to say anything to your fans to add to that little rant?” the sexy-legged vixen sneered right as I stepped into the room where she was brandishing a phone in Seven’s face.

She was barefoot and disheveled but still blazing hot. Goddamn Gem, I owed him a punch in the dick for robbing me of this hottie.

Seven’s jaw clenched and his eye twitched, but he was 100 percent aware that her video was recording. He’d never jeopardize his Carriage Pictures deal. Not now that it was so close to being signed.

“Okay, what’s going on here?” I interrupted before things could get out of control—ormoreout of control than they already were.

The dark-haired bombshell whipped her head around in surprise at my voice, and Seven took advantage of her distraction to snatch the phone out of her hand.

“Hey! That’s my private property, asshole!” she snapped, that voice just as husky as I remembered from the night before. It reminded me of her injuries, and I tried to get a better look at her throat. Was it bruised?

Seven retreated a few steps out of her reach as he deleted the video, then pocketed her phone with a smug smirk. “Okay…and? What’s your point?”

“Give it back!” she demanded, advancing on him like she planned to pin him down to retrieve her phone. Seven put out his hand to keep her at bay and shot a frustrated look my way.

“A little help, Ollie? This feral trash panda is refusing to sign the NDA, and I, for one, am not letting her fuck up my career any more than she already has.” He pointed to the paperwork sitting on the table. “Just sign it and you can leave with your phone. It’s that simple.”

“This is kidnapping!” the woman exclaimed in outrage, her high cheekbones tinted with color, betraying how angry she wasas she turned to address me. “This dickwad won’t let me leave until I sign his shitty contract.”

I yawned, ruffling my fingers through my hair. “Technically not kidnapping, Snow. More like…uhh…false imprisonment, maybe? Or unlawful detention? Something like that. I guess maybe it would fall under kidnapping except Sev didn’t abduct you from anywhere; he’s just not allowing you to leave. Hmm, I dunno, there must be a word for it.”

Seven shot me the most perplexed look, shaking his head slightly. “Ollie, bro…what the fuck are you talking about?”

I shrugged. “Beats me, I’m still half-asleep. How’s your head, Snow? You took some wicked knocks from that prick last night.”

The sexy thing just blinked at me in confusion. “It’s fine,” she muttered. “I mean, it hurts but I’ll live.”

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