Ruined (Barnes Brothers #4)(52)

He was a good sport, though, and once he realized that, he’d moved on. There wasn’t anybody on the project that appealed to him, really, save for Sojo or Sebastien. Sojo, the beautiful bitch, was gay and not interested in him. Sebastien, the beautiful bastard was straight. He wasn’t interested in him, either.

Now, Evie . . . well, she’d made a few moves, but he had this image in his head. Her vagina likely had teeth and she’d use it to ensnare a man. His last lover had been like that, and she’d ensnared Dash’s other lover—the only person he’d ever really fallen in love with. He wanted to think he was magnanimous enough to wish them well. But he didn’t. He wished them hell and at the same time, he wanted Felix to come back to him. And leave Blake wherever they’d ended up.

He’d sort of loved her, too, but she was toxic. Sometimes, love worked that way. He had no doubt that loving Evie would be like that, so when she slanted her sloe-like eyes his way, he’d just smiled and carried on about his business. He’d jerk himself off from now until eternity before he put his heart in the hands of somebody who just wanted to play with it again.

It was miserable to love somebody who just didn’t get it.

Brooding over that—and commiserating with Marin—he didn’t see the storm bearing down on him until somebody shouted a warning at him. Then it came too late.

Big, hard hands grabbed him and jerked him up.

It wasn’t the first time he’d had somebody pull something like that, so he reacted the same way any man in his right mind would have. He shouted, swung—and ended up under more than two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

Dash was a fit guy, but he was all long, lean muscle.

Sebastien Barnes was muscle, all right. But while he might be long, the muscle on him wasn’t lean.

Rumor had it he’d grown up brawling with those brothers of his just for fun, too.

Although it wasn’t the glint of fun shining in Sebastien’s eyes now. He was out for blood.

“Oh, for f*ck’s s—”

That was all he got out before Sebastien shoved a forearm against his throat. “You keeping running around and tomcatting on her, I’m going to cut it off, you son of a bitch. You made her cry, *.”

Sebastien let up on the pressure and Dash sucked in a breath but he was torn between swearing and laughing. He didn’t have to wonder about what in the world Sebastien was going on about, because he already knew. He’d been on his way out the door when the idiot had called and now . . .

“Let me up, you dick,” he said.

“Did you hear me?” Sebastien said, putting his weight back on Dash’s throat.

“Hey!” Tony Ortega came bearing down on them, followed closely by a couple of the security guards.

But it was the sound of Sojo’s voice, followed closely by Marin’s, that caused any real reaction.

“Uh-oh,” Dash said as Sebastien slowly rose. Giving the man a wicked grin, he rolled to his feet and smiled at him tauntingly. “I bet we’re going to get called to the principal’s office, Seb. Want to get our stories straight?”

Marin was gaping at them both. Sojo jabbed a finger in their direction. “Get your asses to my trailer. Now.” Then she looked over at Marin. “You, too, darling.”

“Me?” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I didn’t . . .”

“You, too.” Sojo’s voice brooked absolutely no argument.

The devil in Dash made him want to laugh and he almost did. But Sojo must have sensed something because she gave him a dark look and turned on her heel. Most of the director types were all cut and dried, all work and that was it. Generally, that was Sojo. But if she sensed something might upset her steady ship?

Well, hell would freeze first.

Dusting off his clothes, he tucked his hands into his pockets and started to walk.

There was one good thing to all of this. He didn’t have scenes until later and wasn’t due in for makeup or wardrobe for another hour. At least he wouldn’t have to face the wrath of wardrobe because he’d dirtied his clothes.

If Sebastien had brought that hell down on him, he would have really been pissed.

***

“Boy, did I pick a day to come visit.”

Marin groaned at the sound of Abby’s voice coming from behind her.

She shot her a quick look and waved at her before leaning over to Sebastien.

“What in the hell was that about?” Marin hissed under her breath.

Dash was between them and Sojo and she was hoping it was enough to keep the tall—and somewhat scary—woman from hearing them, but Sojo barked out, “We’ll all hear the answer to that one, Marin.”

Rolling her eyes at Sojo’s back, she shot Sebastien a hard look. Then, knowing she wouldn’t have time until later, she leaned over and gave Abby a quick squeeze. “Hey.”

Abby hugged her back. “You better go. I don’t want to incur her wrath.”

Sebastien lingered until she’d finished and nodded at Abby without saying anything. A muscle in his jaw pulsed, his eyes unreadable.

He kept his gaze focused straight ahead for the longest time, but as they drew nearer to Sojo’s trailer, he finally slid her a look. Then he caught her hand and stopped altogether.

When he reached up and touched her cheek, Marin could have sworn her heart stuttered in her chest. “You were crying,” he said simply.