Page 145 of Secret Weapon

“My next project is an action thriller.We plan to film on location in the US and Russia.”Angelou spread his arms wide.“Picture a female James Bond.”

Black gave a quiet snort.“A female James Bond?That’s not very realistic, is it?”

“We believe there’s a market for it.Think back to the early days of Sarah Connor—some would argue that she was the true star of the Terminator movies.And now we have Tomb Raider, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman… The genre is growing, but it’s still a short list of titles compared to the number of male-dominated action movies.”

“So will you have Bond guys?”I asked.“Men in tight shirts and swimming trunks?”

“Nothing so clichéd, but there will be a romantic subplot.We’re looking for the right male lead to attach to the project.”

Angelou glanced towards Armand as he spoke.Good luck with that.

Black nodded.“So you have the female lead cast already?”

“Svetlana will be taking on that role.”

Svetlana didn’t have the upper body strength to manage five pull-ups, let alone climb a forty-foot rope into a moving helicopter or haul the remains of a corpse out of the ocean or wrestle with a three-hundred-pound meth head, all of which were things I’d had to do in the past.She looked as if she’d snap in half if the wind blew wrong.

“When does production start?”Black asked.

“We’re still in the process of securing investment.You mentioned that you—”

The screech of brakes from outside made everyone’s heads snap to the front of the house.The screech was followed by the unmistakable crunch of metal on metal, and Angelou ran past Ilya and out the front door.Perfect timing.

“You okay?”Pale asked over the radio.

Barbie’s voice came through loud and clear.“Oh, I’m just fine.Do I get paid extra for being a crash-test dummy?”

“Ravi, Spider, you’re clear.The rear guard’s stepped away from the door.”

I risked a look myself.Yup, he was as nosy as everyone else.There had to be sixty people at the party so far, and half of them had rushed outside at the first sign of excitement, camera phones at the ready.Even Ilya had headed in that direction to see what was going on, but now he was back.

“Does anyone here own a black Mercedes-AMG coupe?”

Armand raised a hand.“I do.”

“You should come outside.”

Well, Armand was the one who’d insisted on joining us, and with Dan driving the car this week, that Mercedes had been on borrowed time anyway.Barbie had only planned to damage one corner, so Armand probably got off lightly, all things considered.He trailed Ilya out the door, his expression the perfect mix of annoyance and trepidation.Okay, there were certain advantages to having an actual actor on the team.Dan went with him, a glass of wine in her hand.She’d find somewhere to pour the contents while Ilya was looking the other way.

Dan was also equipped with an earpiece, which meant we all heard Barbie’s squeal when she pretended to realise just whose car she’d accidentally-on-purpose driven into.

“OMG, OMG!You’re Armand Taylor!This is your car?I’m so, so sorry I hit it.Like, I didn’t mean to swerve, but this cat ran out in front of me, and well…”

She burst into tears.Give the woman an Oscar.

“Do you realise how much a car like this costs?”Dan was playing the drunk bitch tonight.“Why didn’t you just hit the cat?”

“The car doesn’t matter.”Armand was always a gentleman, in public and in private.“Are you hurt?Do you need medical attention?”

“It was probably a stray,” Dan muttered.

“I’m fine.I mean, my neck’s a little stiff, but I don’t need an ambulance.Can I get your number?”

“My phone number?”

“For the insurance.We’re meant to swap details, right?”

“My assistant handles that for me.”

“Oh, of course.Do you think the damage is fixable?”

“I really have no idea.”

“Uh, do you think I could get your autograph?My friends totally aren’t gonna believe this.”

Ilya had a short attention span.From my vantage point by the window, I saw him motion one of his men to keep an eye on the situation outside, and then he retook his position by the front door.But it was too late.The damage was done.

Ravi and Spider were already inside the house.

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