Hot as Heller by Lucy Lennox

8

Finn

I slept poorly after everything that happened the night before. As soon as I got to my trailer, I tried a meditation exercise in hopes of clearing my mind so I could focus on the workday ahead of me. Before I finished my second deep breath, Kix banged into the small space like a herd of trampling hyenas.

“Dude, tell me everything.”

I closed my eyes and took another cleansing breath. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Uh, that’s not gonna fly,” Kix said, smacking my shoulder lightly with the back of his hand. “Everyone is talking about it, and I just shared one of the photos in my Insta Story.”

I blinked my eyes open. There were photos?

“Shit. I need to call Iris,” I muttered, looking around for my phone and remembering I’d put it on silent as soon as Declan had left me alone in the SUV to confront the man with the gun. There were dozens of missed calls.

Iris answered immediately, her voice sounding like it was fueled by espresso. “Finn, babe, you need to milk this. It’s PR gold. Nolan’s already been on with me this morning arranging with his agency folks to coordinate interviews. The sooner we can spin you as a real action hero, the sooner your new reputation on-screen will be locked.”

My hands began to shake. This wasn’t a game. It wasn’t a public relations stunt. There had been real danger, and a woman had almost been shot. Hell, I’d almost been shot. The bullet had gone through the passenger door and hit the base of the center console. If I’d been in the footwell, I would have been hit.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.

Iris chuckled. “You pay me to think, babe. You just show up when I tell you, and answer your damned phone when I call.”

After she ended the call, I stared at the phone. Kix moved closer. “I know you’re upset. Of course you are. It must have been scary as hell. But think of how good this is for your career. Surely you can see that? Man, I’d give anything to be caught at the scene of something like that.”

I closed my eyes and tried to empty my mind to keep from snapping at him. My phone vibrated in my hand.

It was my mother.

“Oh honey! I just heard about the shooting!”

I exhaled. “I’m okay.”

“Of course you are. You’re a Heller, for goodness’ sake. I’m calling because Mario says he can get you on The View. If so, you have to tell me so I can be there, too.”

I bit back another snappish response. My teeth were already sore from grinding together, and I didn’t even know who Mario was.

“Gotta go, Mom. I’m on set right now.”

I hung up while she was still talking.

As the day progressed, I tried to find time to meditate, but it wasn’t easy. There were more phone calls, curious cast and crew visits to the trailer, unnecessary calls to the set and wardrobe that turned out to be more flimsy excuses to get inside information on “the shooting,” and even a visit from one of Declan’s deputies to take my official statement from the night before. By the time Shelly finally released me from the set, I was exhausted, and I still had a video interview Iris had roped me into.

“Come out with us,” Crystobell asked, poking her head into my trailer while the makeup tech was helping me prep for the interview. Her invitation surprised me. “Looks like you could use a drink. Come on. We’re just going to the Roadhouse again.”

Kix’s eyes were wide over her shoulder. He’d wanted to hang with her forever.

“I have an interview…” I began.

“That’s okay. I was going to head back to my chalet first for a shower and change of clothes. We’ll swing back by the set to grab you after, and I’m not taking no for an answer. Logan is going, too, and it’ll be the three musketeers.”

Kix’s frantic nod was going to send his head careening off into the woods if he wasn’t careful.

“Okay, but—”

“Great! See you soon!” She turned and left, almost plowing Kix down in the process.

He stepped up into the trailer with hearts in his eyes. “Fuck yeah. I’m going to need you to take some pics of me sitting next to her for my social media, bro.”

I closed my eyes and let the makeup tech finish with my face. “You’re all set,” he murmured. “Text me if you need a fix before go time.”

I thanked him and watched him leave the trailer while Kix gave him a lurid stare. As soon as the door closed behind the tech, I chastised him. “That’s skeevy. Don’t look at him like you want to fuck him. The poor guy is at work.”

Kix laughed. “Are you kidding? He blew me in the makeup tent like two hours ago. Mind your business.”

I shuddered. This set was noticeably less professional than any of the other projects I’d worked on for as long as I could remember. Kix’s behavior was a reminder that he wasn’t really the kind of person I wanted in my life, and I wondered for the millionth time what the hell I was doing remaining friends with him.

You owe him.

The old refrain was getting very tired. He’d had years to find his own path to success, and maybe his behavior on set was part of the reason no one took him very seriously.

No one takes you seriously either, Chip.

I gritted my teeth once more. I was used to being compared to my air-headed, super-chipper childhood role, but hearing it out of Declan’s mouth yesterday had been a slap in the face.

Thankfully, I was spared more thoughts about it by a knock on the trailer door. I would withstand anyone’s pushy questions about the shooting just to get me to stop thinking about Declan Stone.

“Come in,” I called.

The door opened to reveal Declan Stone. Of course.

“H-hi,” I said nervously. What did he want? Why was he here? Had I done or said something wrong on my statement? My palms flooded with clammy heat.

Declan’s eyes flicked to Kix and back to me. “I came to see if you were okay. I thought… I thought you’d be riding with me again today.”

I opened my lips in surprise, and he kept talking. “I mean, obviously it’s okay if you don’t want to. I just didn’t want you to think you couldn’t. I committed to—”

“I’ll ride with you!” Kix interjected. “I’ll do it.”

I shot him a look. “Kix, can you excuse us, please?”

He was obviously annoyed at being kicked out of the conversation, but he left anyway, promising to be back after my interview so we could ride to the Roadhouse together.

Once the door closed again, Declan stepped a little closer. “You’re going out?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to, but…” I don’t want to be alone either.

Our eyes locked, and a world of words hovered unspoken between us. Was I the only one who felt them?

I swallowed and tried again. “I—”

Before I could admit my fear, the trailer door banged open and Nolan came in without knocking. “Let’s get this show on the road, action hero! Oh.” He stopped when he saw Declan in full uniform. “Hello, Sheriff Stone. Is there something we can help you with?”

Declan turned and cleared his throat. The softness in his eyes disappeared as he reached out a hand to shake the director’s.

“Just stopped by to make sure the situation last night didn’t interfere too much with your production,” he said. “I apologize for putting Finn in harm’s way. If there’s anything I can do to—”

“Nonsense,” Nolan said with a wide grin, moving around to clap me on the shoulder. He seemed to be full of energy every time I saw him, like he had trouble sitting still and wanted to be off to the next thing. “You did us a solid. The media coverage alone is worth thousands. We can’t thank you enough for allowing our boy here to be a part of a truly heroic moment. Thanks to your department for making sure he came through it unharmed, and I’m doubly glad you and your deputy were unscathed. That poor girl. Hopefully she’s alright as well?”

Declan nodded and gave Nolan some platitudes about the young woman’s condition, but I could see the tightness in his jaw as he spoke. He didn’t love this. And he was in good company, because I absolutely hated it.

Nolan glad-handed Declan out the door with polite apologies that our “very important” interview had to cut his visit short. After one precious moment of eye contact with the strong, dependable sheriff, he was gone.

I followed Nolan to the media tent where everything was set up for the interview. A few minutes before we were scheduled to start, he turned to me to say, “Now’s the time to capitalize on the fact you’re doing your own stunts. After what happened last night, it will really add to the excitement and danger. I’m impressed with how seriously you took your prep work, Finn. Arranging for the ride-along like that was smart thinking, and your being there when the most exciting action in Aster Valley happened… well, you can’t say there’s not a little Chip Clover luck in you for real, right?”

His nearby assistant smiled and winked at me at his stupid-ass statement, and Shelly, the show runner, thought it was hysterical. I wanted to remind him that being present for any drunken shooting wasn’t good luck. It was bad. But then again, I did consider not getting shot last night to be a stroke of luck, so maybe he had a point.

The interview started before I had a chance to respond. While Nolan greeted the energetic interviewer on the screen, I concentrated on keeping an open smile on my face while I talked myself through a centering mantra.

I am the rock, and the rock is fearless.

“Finn,” the reporter said after the standard greetings were over, “we have reports of a deranged gunman threatening you last night in an armed standoff. Can you tell us how you managed to subdue him?”

I blinked at the screen and felt my polite smile falter. “I… I didn’t subdue him. The man was apprehended by the Rockley County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff and his deputy are the real heroes.”

She gave me the kind of look that said she thought I was being deliberately humble. “Come on now. We’ve seen the photos of you standing next to the suspect while he’s being loaded into the vehicle. It’s clear you were more involved in the takedown than you want to take credit for. Why don’t you take us through the event minute by minute?”

I hadn’t gotten close to Gene Stanner until after he’d been handcuffed and read his rights. If I was photographed anywhere near him, it was because I shadowed Declan like a hungry tick right after everything had happened.

“I…” I was at a loss for words. “I didn’t…” My media training kicked in, and I remembered who I was. I was an Emmy Award–winning actor who’d been interviewed like this hundreds of times. “I’d rather talk about this production and how proud I am to be bringing Nolan’s vision to life. We’ve been on location this week here in the Rocky Mountains, and I can’t imagine a more beautiful setting for filming. Crystobell and Logan have already shot some amazing scenes, and I’m especially excited for the chance to get dirty on the side of the mountain when we shoot the climbing scenes.”

Before the interviewer had the chance to bring me back around to last night’s incident, Nolan jumped in. “We are thrilled to have Finn on board doing all of his own stunts. One of our goals with Gold Rats is to present the action as realistically as possible. That’s what the audience expects in a Nolan Trainor film,” he said with a zealous gleam in his eye. “Not only will Finn be doing his own climbing scenes, but he’ll also be doing his own stunts in some hand-to-hand fighting scenes and our climactic scene involving pyrotechnics and a daring mountainside chase. We’re thrilled to have the incredible talent of Finn, Logan, and Crystobell. The three of them are professional, dedicated performers, and they’ve already spent countless hours training for these challenging scenes.”

I smiled weakly and tried to appear like a “professional, dedicated performer,” but I didn’t feel particularly prepared for a pyrotechnic chase scene. At all. It seemed Declan had been right about the explosion situation, and I’d been left out of the loop. I needed to call Iris as soon as the interview was over and find out what the heck I’d agreed to.

Nolan kept the interview focused on the prep work and filming for the next several minutes, but he finally allowed another question about the shooting the night before.

“Is it true the gunman took a shot at you as soon as he realized who was in the sheriff’s vehicle?” Nadine asked.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but I realized I didn’t really know why he’d shot at the passenger-side door. Declan had explained it as a wild shot taken at the moment the deputy rushed the suspect, but since I couldn’t see what was happening, I couldn’t really say.

“I don’t think the suspect would have had any way of knowing I was there,” I said instead. “I was out of sight. From what I was told, it was a wild shot rather than one aimed at a specific target.”

The woman pursed her lips and lifted her eyebrows as if to call me on my humble bullshit again. “The only shot taken during the standoff was aimed at the most famous celebrity in town, and you think that was a coincidence?”

I nodded. “I do. Yes. And I’m not the only celebrity in town,” I added with a smile.

She went on to ask me if I’d met other famous residents of Aster Valley like Tiller Raine and Gentry Kane. I told her I’d met them briefly the night I’d arrived since Tiller and Mikey were kind enough to host the cast and crew at Rockley Lodge. “And supposedly Gent and the rest of GUS will be performing at a small music festival while we’re here. I’m looking forward to seeing them play.”

I continued singing the praises of the charming town of Aster Valley and all it had to offer. Part of the reason Tiller and Mikey had agreed to let Nolan film on location here was to help give the town and the mountain some positive media exposure before they opened the new ski resort. Hopefully, interviews like this helped.

When she finally wrapped up the interview, she left with one chilling question. “Nolan, are you adding extra security to protect your cast and crew in light of the situation Finn found himself in last night?”

Nolan looked into the camera with his serious face. “Nadine, our cast and crew are like family, and we take their security very seriously. We regret Finn was put into such a dangerous situation last night by the very law enforcement group who is supposed to protect us while we’re on location in Rockley County.”

My entire body stiffened in response to his harsh implication. I opened my mouth to cut in, but he kept talking.

“Obviously we do not blame the sheriff’s office for last night’s events, but it has brought up the need for us to revisit our security measures even here in a seemingly safe place. Of course, we will provide the best personal security possible to our valuable cast and crew while we are here.”

Was he going to assign us some kind of bodyguard? There was no way I wanted someone following me around when the events of last night were so clearly a one-off situation rather than the norm.

Before Nadine could end the interview, I added, “According to the Rockley County Sheriff’s Department, the violent crime rate is twenty-eight times lower in Aster Valley than the national average. What happened last night is not indicative of anyone’s safety here. It was a single event perpetrated by an unhappy person. I feel completely safe on the streets of Aster Valley, especially under the watchful eye of the Rockley County Sheriff’s Department.”

As soon as we were off the air, I let out a whoosh of air. I was exhausted from lack of sleep, nerves, and trying to keep smiling while everyone seemed to want to dig a salacious story out of me.

Nolan patted me on the back. “Good job, buddy. I like the humble citizen routine. Very Chip Clover. Works perfectly with your reputation. Keep it up.”

I wanted to ask him if he was really going to step up security, but I didn’t trust myself not to get into an argument if his answer was yes. Instead, I thanked him and headed for my trailer. Logan and Crystobell were there waiting for me, and Kix was on the phone a few yards away.

“You all set?” Crys asked with a big smile. “Nolan looked happy after the interview. It must have gone well.”

I nodded. “I think so. Listen… are you doing your own stunts in the avalanche scene?” I already knew she wasn’t doing her own climbing in the one climbing scene she had, so I was curious if the “authenticity” bit Nolan had hyped only referred to me.

She laughed her famous throaty chuckle. “Are you kidding? Darien would kill me.”

Darien VanNyke was her agent, but there’d been rumors for at least a year that they also lived together as a couple. They supposedly kept it quiet to maintain her “available” image as a sexy single woman, but anyone in the industry who’d ever seen the two of them together knew she was about as single as a handcuff.

I glanced at Logan. “And you?”

“I do all my own fighting stunts,” he said. “But that avalanche shit is no joke. I’m not interested in being anywhere near the pyrotechnics. My cousin lost two of his fingers shooting off fireworks when he was a kid. No, thanks.”

Kix ended the call and strode over to us. “If I had the chance to do it, I’d jump on it in a heartbeat. Think of all the ass you could get.”

Logan huffed and shook my shoulder. “As if this pretty boy has trouble getting ass back home in WeHo. Not sure he needs his gonads blown off to get whatever dick he wants.”

Kix laughed. “Point taken. Maybe you should back out of it, Finn. No point in risking this face.”

He reached out to pinch my cheek, but I batted his hand away. I was this close to canceling my plans and returning to my chalet to hide under the covers until my courage returned. But Kix’s next words changed my mind.

“I wonder if we’ll run into the sheriff and that deputy up at the Roadhouse again tonight. Surely they’ll be there having congratulatory drinks, too. Finn can buy them a round in thanks for not getting his nards blown off last night.”

The fear in my gut turned to more normal nerves at the thought I might get to see the sexy sheriff again at the bar.

“Can everyone stop referring to my nuts, please?” I muttered, turning to head to the parking area.

There was only one person I wanted thinking about my balls tonight, and god willing, he’d be at the bar.

He wasn’t.

After we’d been there an hour and I’d had to spend most of that hour fending off pushy fans, I overheard a server telling the bartender he wouldn’t be able to rely on the sheriff’s help closing the bar tonight.

“Penny told me he’s down to Denver tonight for personal reasons and won’t be back until late tomorrow.”

After that, my brain went on a fantasy spree thinking up all the ridiculous reasons Declan would have to go to Denver. Did it have something to do with the bacon lady on the other end of the line yesterday? The woman he called honey?

It was none of my business. Obviously. But the realization I wouldn’t see him was enough for me to be done for the night.

“I’m headed back to the chalet,” I finally told Kix and the others. “I’m beat, and I don’t have the energy to pretend to be pleasant for our fans. Sorry.”

They let me go without a fuss, probably because I hadn’t been nearly as open and talkative as they’d hoped when they’d invited me out, and they understood how hard it was to be “on” when you didn’t feel up to it.

I made it back to the chalet without incident and made another attempt at meditation before taking a long, hot bath in the large tub.

After I finally fell into bed, I slept hard. But the nightmares were enough to wake me several times during the night. The following day was just as full of curious cast and crew as the day before, and when I’d gone for a run on the country roads near the chalet, I’d been swarmed by a band of fans from out of the blue.

The craziness went on for two more days until I couldn’t find a moment’s peace either on set or back at the chalet. I was suddenly everyone’s favorite novelty, and the low-lying fear in my gut remained. It didn’t make any sense. I hadn’t actually been in that much danger at the Stanner property, so why was I so damned scared all of a sudden?

When I got a copy of the contract from Iris and saw exactly what I’d agreed to on this project, I wondered if maybe my fear had come from some kind of sixth sense. But it was too late to back out now. Not if I wanted the Shakespeare thing to happen in my lifetime. And when I asked my mom about it, she agreed.

I felt hemmed in, burdened by the weight of everyone’s expectations… and at the same time, really alone.

I finally had an afternoon off and decided to go climbing by myself to find a place where no one else could get to me. I’d researched popular climbing locations in the area before coming to Aster Valley, so I decided to head to one of the most challenging climbs at Slye Peak. The harder the climb, the fewer people to interact with.

When I finally clipped into my harness and felt the rough surface of granite under my fingertips, I closed my eyes and relaxed my body.

I am the rock, and the rock is fearless.

I began to climb, deliberately ignoring the darkening sky in my desperation to escape into solitude.