"Lacy!" Vincent wails from inside the van. His voice sounds horrific. Like a wounded animal's.
I leave Dallas in the grass and run back to the van.
Throwing the door open, I find Vincent waving a gun at me.
"You didn't fucking listen to me. You listened to him."
"Tell me where he is!" I yell back.
"You'll find out our location when we get there. Filming will commence immediately."
"You're hurt. The van is wrecked. How are we going to get there?"
He moves toward the door. "We'll find alternate transportation. And if you don't do what I say, I'll kill him."
I realize I have no option. I knew it would come to this.
And I knew, when the time came, that I'd go willingly.
"I'll come to Egypt with you, Vincey. You're right. I want you. All to myself."
Vincent squints, knowing I recited the script but that they were his lines. It seems to perplex him for a moment.
He gets out of the van, waving the gun at me. "Get back in the van. We're leaving."
I have no idea how in the world he thinks we could leave. Is he going to flip the van upright with his brute strength?
That only happens in the movies.
That's it!.
I look him straight in the eye and imitate my mother when she's mad. "Vincent Sharpe! How am I supposed to look good on set if you won't tell me where to send my hair and makeup people?"
What Abby says causes him to pause. She's right. Where are the hair and makeup people? His head hurts, both from the stunt accident as well as her fighting him. They really should have stunt doubles for this kind of thing.
Vincent hears a screech and sees three black SUVs stop and a swarm of agents jump out, their guns pointing at them. Things are getting out of control, going way off script.
"Drop the gun and put your hands up," one of them shouts.
Vincent turns and shoots, causing the agents to duck behind their cars and return fire, the bullets hitting him. Each one feeling quite real.
"Stop!" Lacy screams, rushing in front of him, trying to save him. He smiles. Lacy is trying to protect him. She's willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save him-she's willing to die for him.
It's valiant but won't matter.
He drops to the ground and can see the blood pumping out of his own chest. It's surreal.
Breathing is getting harder.
And he feels cold.
One of the men tries to pick Lacy up and move her away from him, but she reacts by throwing her arm backward and connecting with his face.
Then she looks down at him, her sweet smelling hair falling onto his face.
"I love you, Lacy," he whispers.
She falls down on her knees in front of him, crying, and gently picks his head up off the concrete and cradles it in her lap. It's a sweet gesture. One he appreciates.
He looks up at Lacy, at the love of his life, and even though the script isn't ending the way he planned it, he couldn't have asked for a better ending to their story.
"It'll be okay, Vincent," she says, her voice sounding like a angel. "You'll get to see your grandmother now."
"I miss her," he says, his own voice sounding raspy and far away. Lacy tries desperately to save him. She takes off her scarf and shoves it against his chest, trying to make the bleeding stop. Tears are streaming down her face. He used to think that it was her smile that lit up the screen, but he just changed his mind. It's the emotions she wears proudly on her face. She's beautiful when she cries.
"Please tell me where Brooklyn is. Where Matt is. So we can finish our movie."
"Don't cry," he says. "I love you."
He feels himself getting weaker.
"I love you too, Vincey," she says, as tears stream down her gorgeous face.
He tries to lift his hand to wipe away her tears, but his arm won't cooperate. He knows he doesn't have much time now, and he worries about her being alone in the world. He's destroyed her life, killed everyone she loves. But there might be time for her to get to the man who loves her unconditionally. Who took his beatings and never once wavered. He can see the scene playing out in front of him. They have their grand reunion on the beach, the dog at their side.
On the beach, just like in the end of his grandmother's movie. Just like the end of his and Lacy's movie.
In fact, he's there now. They both are.
He looks into her eyes and says, "Grandmother."
And then, they kiss.
He stops breathing. His eyes becoming fixed.
And I know he's dead.
I wanted him out of my life, but I didn't want this.
I bury my face in his hair and cry.
BOOKS BY JILLIAN DODD.
The USA TODAY bestselling series.
The Keatyn Chronicles.
Stalk Me.
Kiss Me Date Me.
Love Me.
Adore Me Hate Me Get Me.
Hollywood Love Series.
(A Keatyn Chronicles Spin off).
Fame.
Power Money Sex Love.
That Boy Series.
That Boy That Wedding That Baby The Love Series.
Vegas Love.
Broken Love Spy Girl Series.
The Prince The Eagle The Society.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
Jillian is a USA TODAY bestselling author who writes fun romances with characters her readers fall in love with, from the boy next door in the That Boy trilogy to the daughter of a famous actress in The Keatyn Chronicles to a kick-ass young assassin in the Spy Girl series.
Jillian lives in a small Florida beach town, is married to her college sweetheart, has two grown children, and two Labrador Retrievers named Cali and Camber. When she's not working, she likes to travel, paint, shop for shoes, watch football, and go to the beach.
BOOKS BY JILLIAN DODD.
The USA TODAY bestselling series.
The Keatyn Chronicles.
Stalk Me.
Kiss Me Date Me Love Me.
Adore Me Hate Me Get Me.
Hollywood Love Series.
(A Keatyn Chronicles Spin off).
Fame.
Power Money.
Sex Love That Boy Series.
That Boy That Wedding That Baby The Love Series.
Vegas Love Broken Love Spy Girl Series The Prince The Eagle The Society.