Dreaming With A Broken Heart (Hollywood Legends Book 1) (6 page)

Garrett’s smile morphed into a thoughtful frown when he came
to a text sent that morning.
Jade.
His heart rate kicked up. Even the
thought of her made his mouth go dry and his dick harden. He had a lot of nerve
questioning Hamish’s judgment when his own was so messed up. He wanted Jade.
Any way he could have her.

With a sigh, Garrett typed a response.
Yes.
His thumb
hesitated a second then hit send.

Garrett leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes,
rotating his head from side to side. So much for changing the status quo. He
was stuck because there was no choice. There hadn’t been from that day six
months ago when he saw her again. He didn’t regret his decisions. That would
mean removing Jade from his life. Forgetting her taste. The way she felt in his
arms. The sounds she made when he brought her to an orgasm. Life with Jade was
frustrating. Life without her? Unthinkable.

SIX MONTHS EARLIER

GARRETT HEARD THE whispers.

Do you think what they say is true? I heard she almost
bled to death. She almost didn’t make it. I wonder what she did to make her
husband want to kill her.

The ignorance in that last sentence made Garrett sick. It
made him want to shake the speaker until the stupidity became dislodged.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to
siphon in
the ounce of intelligence
it took to understand no one asked to have her husband beat her senseless then
carve her up with a knife.

The irony wasn’t lost on Garrett. Violence against Jade.
Violence raging through him. He wanted to believe there was a difference. He
knew he would never raise a hand against a woman, no matter the provocation.
Walk away. Yell. Break something. Punch a bag, not your wife. There were always
alternatives. Just as there always was a group who believed the victim was at
fault.

Garrett left his untouched sandwich on the table. He needed
to get out of the restaurant. The moment he was clear of the building, he took
several deep breaths. Los Angeles air wasn’t the cleanest. Still, anything was
better than the stagnant atmosphere he just left.

He should have stayed in his office and ordered in. The
problem with that? Wyatt. Big brother was becoming concerned with Garrett’s
suddenly solitary habits. Home. The office. Home. That was his routine. Work
was his excuse. Post-production on his last movie needed all his attention. It
was difficult to roll that one out when the movie industry was the family
business. When his brother was his producer.

Ever since the news of Jade’s hospitalization, Garrett’s
concentration came and went. Knowing what she suffered at the hands of a man
who should have cherished her tore at his guts. He thought of her occasionally
over the past two and a half years. He pictured her as she looked when they
drove through the Hollywood Hills. Beautiful and a little sad.

She married. It was a little disappointing but not earth
shattering. He wanted her to be happy. He believed she was. Finding out how
wrong that belief was made him wish he had never stopped driving that night.
Would it have changed anything? Probably not. Unfortunately, he would never
know.

The first news reports claimed Stephen Marsh, son-in-law of
famed industrialist Anson Marlow, was under arrest for attacking his wife.
There was no mention of Jade’s name, as though she was the least important
person in the story. Garrett knew, though.

For days, he scoured the internet, called contacts. He
searched for information. There was little to be had. Somehow, Anson Marlow
managed to keep the gruesome details under wraps. That lasted a week. Slowly,
drop by appalling drop, the world learned of the horrors Jade endured. Not just
that last night, but also over the entire marriage.

Garrett paced. A drink sounded like a good idea. Why didn’t
he keep whiskey in his office? He sighed. Crap. Wyatt’s wife. They had stopped
leaving alcohol around about four years ago. Stephanie could sniff it out like
a bloodhound. Ultimately, nothing the family did helped. After her death, it
never occurred to Garrett to restock his office. The only reason he kept it in
the first place was for business meetings. This was the first time he could
remember actively craving a drink. All things considered, it was probably for
the best that the office, hell, the building, was alcohol-free. The way he was
feeling, stopping with one shot would be a challenge.

Garrett picked up his phone. The temptation to call Jade
became more and more difficult to ignore. He still had her listed. Last week,
he checked with the same friend who got him the number to make sure it hadn’t
changed. Now he fought with himself over the advisability of using it.

Jade didn’t go out in public. That he knew. Her release from
the hospital occurred late one night, two weeks after she first arrived. Anson
Marlow cleverly circulated a false story saying she would be going home later
that afternoon then sneaked her out in a laundry truck. No one saw her then or
since.

Did she have anyone, Garrett wondered. A friend to talk to?
Or to just sit with? Rumors swirled. They ranged from Jade being hideously
disfigured to her mental fragility. Her poor father didn’t want to have her
institutionalized. Instead, he kept her sedated. She was locked way so she
couldn’t hurt herself or anyone else.

That last part cost Garrett the most sleep. The thought of
that lovely, laughing woman being treated like Rochester’s wife in
Jane Eyre
made him toss and turn with worry. Not that he believed the speculation. Like
everything else in this town, the truth was often bent and twisted so often it
became unrecognizable from the lie.

Still, Garrett knew Anson Marlow’s reputation. It suited his
purposes; he was capable of making sure Jade stayed a virtual prisoner. He
wanted to make sure her withdrawal from the world was her own choice.

Garrett wanted Jade to know she had a friend. If she needed
him — for anything — he was only a phone call away.

Running a distracted hand through his hair, Garrett again
picked up the phone. Before he could talk himself out of it, his finger tapped
Jade’s name. Then he waited.

“Hello?” a woman answered.

Not Jade. Because she couldn’t answer? Was she incapable of
talking on the phone, or did she not want to be bothered? If that was the case,
why not let it go to voice mail? Garrett shook off the questions. The only way
to find out was to ask.

“May I speak with Jade?”

“Ms. Marlow is unavailable.”

“Unavailable or drugged out of her mind?”

Way to play it cool, Garrett
. A simple phone call;
that was all this was supposed to be. Instead, he practically accused some
unknown person of keeping Jade whacked-out on tranquilizers.

“Who is this?”

“A friend.”

There was a pause.

“A friend who happens to be a reporter?”

Fair question, Garrett acknowledged. If this woman was there
not as Jade’s jailer, but to protect her privacy, questioning a caller’s
motives made sense.

“Definitely a friend.” Then, after a little
consideration, Garrett added, “Or rather an old acquaintance who would
like to be Jade’s friend. Will you tell her Garrett called? I’m available at
any time.”

“Wait.” The woman paused before continuing.
“I’ll ask if she wants to talk to you. Give me a minute?”

“Take your time.”

Not drugged. Unless the woman was throwing him a red
herring. Or maybe he was becoming a victim of his profession. The world was not
a movie script full of impossible intrigue. Conspiracies happened all the time
on the silver screen — less frequently in real life.

“Hello?”

Again, not Jade.

“Yes, I’m still here.”

“Ms. Marlow wonders if you could call back tomorrow.
Around ten a.m.?”

“Absolutely.” Garrett felt a lightening of the
weight he carried around. Not complete relief. It was a start. “Tell Ms.
Marlow she’ll be hearing from me.”

“Mr. ah…”

“Landis.”

“Mr. Landis. Please, don’t forget to call.” The
woman’s voice was earnest, almost desperate. “She needs a friend. I think,
maybe, more than anything. And one more thing,” she whispered.

“Yes?” Garrett leaned forward as if she was in the
room.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

Garrett sat unmoving for several minutes after he hung up.
So much for imagined danger. Something strange was going on. Whoever the woman
was, she was looking out for Jade. Did she work for Anson Marlow? That was a
silly question. Jade’s father had to be paying the woman’s salary. Was part of
her job description to keep friends away?

Suddenly full of energy, Garrett jumped from his chair. None
of his questions would be answered today. Grabbing his keys, he headed out. A
long swim in his parents’ pool followed dinner. Then a long visit. He would
still toss and turn. He knew there would be little sleep tonight. Until then,
he had his family to help ease the next few hours.

And Jade? What did she have?
Who
did she have? One
caring, yet ineffectual woman. A woman paid by Anson Marlow.

That was about to change, Garrett promised himself. Soon,
Jade would have him. He hoped that she would let him in.

The next morning at ten o’clock on the dot, Garrett made the
call.

“Hello? Garrett?”

Jade. He knew her voice immediately. A little tentative. A
bit unsure. He wanted to reach through the phone, gather her into his arms, and
promise to keep her safe.

“Jade.”

After running this conversation through his head a thousand times,
now the moment had arrived, he didn’t know what to say.

“I…” Garrett heard her take a deep breath.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t speak with you yesterday. I was meeting with my,
well, I guess there isn’t a pretty way of putting it. I was meeting with my psychiatrist.”

“Is she helping you?”

“
He
. And no, I don’t think he is. But as he and
my father keep reminding me, it’s early days.”

“Would you be more comfortable with a different
shrink?”

Jade didn’t answer.
Crap. Maybe shrink was an indelicate
word. No, not indelicate. Thoughtless.

“Thank you, Garrett, for not pussyfooting around the
elephant in the room. I don’t speak with many people these days. The ones I do
seem very uncomfortable with any mention of therapy. Of course, most people
think I’m crazy.”

“Are you?”

Again, a pause. He should never joke over the phone. Any
nuance was lost.

“I know you’re kidding.”

“I was,” Garrett assured her. “How could you
tell?”

“You have a very expressive voice. I suppose growing up
with a gifted actress as a mother, some of it was bound to rub off.”

The opening he was looking for. Family was a safe subject.
An entertaining one. Garrett launched into a series of stories. Light. Funny.
There was no need for Jade to answer. For the next hour, he segued from one
anecdote to another, not waiting for Jade to respond. He wanted her to relax.
Or rather, he wanted her to find the sound of his voice relaxing. When she
needed to let go for a little while, she would think of him and call.

“Your brother did not fill a room at the London Savoy
with ping pong balls.”

“He did,” Garrett said. He grinned. There was more
life in her voice. He could almost picture her smiling.

“An entire room?”

“I swear. It was a closet—”

“Ah.” Jade jumped on that little detail.

“Colt was only ten. Admittedly, he had some help. A few
bucks to the maid’s brother and he had a co-conspirator. Still. The mastermind
was a ten-year-old boy. You aren’t impressed?”

“Maybe,” Jade conceded. “Were your parents
angry?”

“No, but the hotel manager who opened the closet door
was. The man had no sense of humor.”

“Why have I never heard this story before? Colton
Landis is the biggest movie star in the world. People would eat that up.”

“The hotel managed to keep it under wraps. They didn’t
want it to get around how easily it was to pull off a stunt like that.”
Garrett laughed when he remembered the pride on his father’s face.
Ten years
old
. “My parents were happy to avoid any publicity. Now it’s a family
story we roll out from time to time
.
”

“Still—”

“Jade! Where the hell are you? Dr. Phillips is
waiting.”

“I need to go.”

Garrett hated the fear he heard in Jade’s voice. Fear and
resignation.

“Jade? Can I call you again tomorrow?”

“Do you want to?”

“Very much.”

“
Jade!”

Anson Marlow’s voice was closer that time.

“Yes. Please,” Jade whispered. The phone went
dead.

Garrett’s first instinct was to rush over to the Marlow
house. He wouldn’t let her father get away with bullying Jade. She needed
gentleness. Kindness. Two things Anson Marlow didn’t appear capable of giving
her.

He sat back in his chair. He wasn’t going anywhere. Unless
he thought someone was physically abusing her again, he would bide his time.
Jade needed a slow build. Phone calls to start. Soon he would ask to meet. Not
for long. Wherever she was comfortable. She would set the pace and the rules.

His assistant stuck her head through the office door,
reminding him he had a production meeting in ten minutes. His life went on. It
was a busy life. Jam-packed with work, family, and the occasional short-term
relationship. Garrett liked it that way. He wasn’t happy when he had extra time
on his hands.

He didn’t have time for Jade. Not really. What he started
today was not a casual thing. Garrett was committing himself to helping a woman
without knowing how deep he needed to go.
Pull away now
, a voice told
him.
She isn’t lover material. Not now. She is fragile. Damaged. Even if you
weren’t so busy, what makes you think you’re qualified?

None of that mattered. He was determined to help Jade Marlow
even though he wasn’t certain why. For now, all that mattered was Jade. The
rest he would figure out as he went along.

They spoke every day. Garrett called at the same time. Jade
answered after the first ring. He wanted to believe she was anxious to hear his
voice. That might be part of it. When she asked if she could start calling him,
he knew she was worried about being discovered. She didn’t want to be
overheard. A ring, or even a vibration, might be intercepted. Garrett was her
secret and it seemed she wanted to keep it that way.

“I missed breakfast,” Wyatt strolled into his
office mid-week. It was five minutes to ten. Five minutes until Jade.

“Sorry to hear it. Why don’t you take an early
lunch?”

In other words, get out of my office
. Garrett kept a
calm face. He didn’t say anything else. Inside, he was willing his brother to
leave.