Page 47 of Love On and Off Set

A bang had me pushing Myles down.

“What?” He tried to squirm out from under me.

"Get behind me.” I whispered the words as I slid my hand under my jacket and retrieved my gun.

"What? Oh my God. Why do you have your gun out?"

"Because there’s someone here. You said no one would be here."

"But…a gun?" He sounded genuinely confused. “Are those even legal?”

Since I had a conceal-and-carry permit as part of my job, it was legal. For me. For the general public, no—they couldn’t just carry a gun around. My jaw tensed. "What do you want me to use? My finger?"

"Your finger only works on me, and that's why we're in this mess..."

Funny, I seemed to recall him dragging me to the dressing room. Best orgasm of your life. I shook my head. "Shut up and get behind me—I can hear them."

“You're not going to shoot someone, are you?” He trembled as he clutched my back.

“I wasn't planning on it, but you tempt me. Now shut up.” I hissed that as we crept forward. I needed to get to the vase. I’d locked it in the locker, so it should’ve been safe. Or had I? Everything felt super vague at this point. You’re an idiot—thinking with your cock instead of your— “Shut up.”

Myles tapped me on the back. “I didn’t say anything.”

And I’d spoken aloud. Damn. Still as we inched our way down the corridor, the resounding silence continued. This place was always abuzz with activity—the silence unnerved. Finally, we arrived at the prop room. My gut instinct was to keep Myles outside while I did a sweep of the room, but I couldn’t guarantee his safety either way and, against all logic, I felt better with him clinging to my jacket. “Keep down.”

“Uh—”

Instead of giving him time to react, I pushed the door open, still hunched over, and swept my gaze—and gun—around the room.

Empty.

Myles barged past me and headed over to the locker. “Oh, crap, you know the combination. Can you open it?”

I couldn’t remember leaving it in the locker, but maybe I had? I advanced to the locker, then met Myles’s gaze. “Uh, look away?”

“Right.” He smacked himself on the forehead. When he went to move away, though, I pressed him so he was again behind me. Something still didn’t feel right.

After entering the code, I opened the locker and my heart sank. “Fuck.”

Myles peered in. “But…you locked it in, right?”

I replayed those moments after I first came in and he’d…attacked me. Of course I’d locked the vase in the locker. That was enough of a risk. But… Oh God, what if I hadn’t? What if I’d thought it would be safe enough because no one was around and we were just going to be gone for a couple of minutes? Could I really be that stupid?

“Why would someone steal a vase?” Myles sounded genuinely perplexed.

I turned to face him. “I have three reasons, and each has the words million dollars after them.”

“Yeah, but everyone here really likes their job.” He wiped his forehead. “Am I going to get blamed for this? I knew I should've fought harder for them just to use a replica.”

“You're going to get blamed for something if you don't shut up and get behind me.”

The door to the props room creaked open.

I leveled my gun.

Sally, upon spotting me, screamed and pressed a hand to her chest.

Myles raced over to her. “Oh my God. Were you shot? Are they holding you for ransom? Oh my God. What will I wear to your funeral? I don't look good in black.”