Page 2 of The Devil of Hollywood

“Good. We’re headed to Rosters for dinner. A lot of people in the circle our age are going. You can ride with us if you’d like. I’m sure Elec won’t mind.”

She returned my smile but shyly kept diverting her stare. “What is your age, Drayton?”

Intrigue. She was definitely interested.

“I turned twenty-three a few days ago. How old are you, Marian? Elec said you graduated a while back and that you were putting off college. What are you, twenty?”

A loud laugh burst from her and more ‘shh’s’ filled the room. Elec cleared his throat in warning, causing me to look between them. When I put my attention back on Marian, she was thrusting a Pixy Stix into my hand.

“I graduated high school when I was sixteen. I’m eighteen now, almost nineteen. The baby of the group and not yet invited to hang with the cool kids. That’s okay. I have to go anyway. My mother is probably looking for me.”

Elec lunged forward. “We don’t mind if you go. You can ride with us if you want. I’ll even talk to your mom. I’ve been wanting to meet her anyway.”

“Oh.” A new lock of hair fell from the loose bun as she shook her head, almost in panic. Quickly, she took a step back. “I already have plans. Thanks, though.”

I countered her step, despite I shouldn’t. She was young. Too young, if I wanted to be honest. But I couldn’t stop myself.

“Plans? What sort of plans?”

For a moment, Marian didn’t speak. She shrugged off her backpack and let it rest at her feet. Leaning over, she opened the zipper and dug through. She withdrew a book, handing it over and throwing me an almost challenging look. I scanned the cover of the embraced couple, raising one of my eyebrows at her teasingly as I noticed the girl’s wrists were bound at her back by a pearl necklace.

“I’m trying to decide whether or not I should be jealous. You’re turning down dinner with us for a book called Slade…Captive to the Dark?”

Her smile was laced with mischief despite her eyes going rounder in a doe-shape as she nodded. The returning blush that tinted her cheeks had me wanting to skip dinner too. To stay with her and watch her read. To see whatever wickedness she was hiding play out on her beautiful face as she devoured the pages.

Captive to the… Dark. Dark. Dark.

God, her eyes.

She was hypnotizing.

Vivia’s voice was soft as she moved in. “We really don’t mind if you want to come, Marian. Had I thought your mom would have let you go, I would have invited you. It’s just, you stopped playing tennis. You don’t come to the club anymore. Last time I asked, you said your mom was keeping you busy. You’re always busy lately. Paris. London. You only just got back a week ago from Dublin. Are you looking at colleges there? Your dad works in London, doesn’t he?”

Marian quickly grabbed the book from me.

“Yeah. He’s been home for the last few months, though. It’s… complicated. Thanks for the offer to dinner. My mom probably wouldn’t let me go, so don’t worry about not asking. It’s for the best. It’s getting late. You all have an amazing time. It was nice finally meeting you, Drayton. Maybe I’ll see you around. I hope I do.” She picked up her bag, stuffing the book inside, waving as she spun to leave. She only got a few steps before a woman with darker red hair came through the library’s double doors. As if her mother could feel my intense stare, her eyes locked on mine. There was no softness. No welcoming upon seeing the three of us there. She was cold. Empty. It didn’t take long for me to find out just how much.

I walked forward at a fast pace, extending my hand as I approached.

“Dr. LaRoe, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Drayton Pennington. I just returned home, and we’re all having dinner tonight.” I gestured my head towards Elec and Vivia as they hurried in our direction, but I kept my eyes on her mother’s penetrating gaze. She took my hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “We were—I … was wondering if it would be okay if Marian could join us.”

Green eyes, almost the same shade as Marian’s, shifted to her daughter. Her hand pulled back, and a forced smile appeared as she cut her stare back to me.

“I heard you were returning, Mr. Pennington. So… dinner. With my daughter?”

She was gauging whether to take my interest seriously. Our circle had its own code, and she was giving me time to correct myself.

“We’ll all be there. But yes. I’m asking if Marian can go.” My heart raced at what I was implying. Was I seriously staking my interest so boldly after mere minutes of meeting this girl?

“I see.”

Time.

Moments stretched out as she watched me. As if she were satisfied, she nodded, turning to sweep back a lock of hair from Marian’s face, tucking it behind her ear. Marian nervously looked between us as her mother took her time coming back to address me.

“Let me just make myself clear so there’s no mistaking my stance. No.”

My lips parted with not only disbelief but astonishment. No… to me? The LaRoes had clout in our circle, but aside from one other family, no one was more sought after than me. I was the heir to one of the richest, most powerful lines to exist in the US. I was a parent’s dream. But not this parent. Melissa LaRoe didn’t seem to care. Others would have sold their soul for my notice. I wasn’t sure what to think about her obvious dislike.