“So your name is Iris M. E. Thorne?” Shoshanna frowned. “That’s not fair. Who wants to be named after a famous dead person?” She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, and I had to admit I appreciated both of their reactions.
“She wasn’t dead when I was named after her. Besides, that’s not the weird part.” I didn’t say anything else, and Shoshanna had to poke me to keep talking. “Well, my dad hates her. Or hated her. He named me after someone he hated. That’s messed up, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Shoshanna said, while at the same time Eamon added, “Sounds complicated.”
The road turned toward the forest park of Killykeen, and Shoshanna said, “If I were you, I’d grill him. It’s your name after all. Your family. You get to know these things.”
Her words didn’t settle well, and I couldn’t tell if it was because we were heading back into the Elementian lion’s den or because I wanted to do exactly what she said.
Also, I still had to deal with the flight I put on my dad’s credit card…
I glanced at my phone. It had died sometime last night, and I couldn’t believe how much of a relief it had been to be out of contact for a little while. Then again, what if something had happened to Ryder while I was gone?
My anxiety came on strong. Eamon glanced at me. “You all right, then?”
“I have a bad feeling.”
Eamon pulled up beside the line of trailers. The crew mingled about, eating breakfast at the picnic tables in the center. “Everything looks normal to me,” he said. Strange that this—wires and lights and boxes of equipment everywhere—was normal.
“Those’re new,” Shoshanna said, pointing to a trio of big, black SUVs across the parking area. “We have company. Maybe Julian’s back and needed three cars for his wardrobe.”
Eamon snickered, but I froze, searching for Ryder. I found him behind the picnic tables, standing beside a familiar, strained face who was talking to Cate Collins.
“Oh Christ. My dad.”
“What?” Eamon startled.
I pointed.
“That does not look good,” Shoshanna said from the back seat. She was right. Cate was gesturing while she spoke to my dad, as though they heartily disagreed about something. “What if we drive off?”
My dad’s eyes swept the scene until they found me, sitting in Eamon’s car.
“Too late,” I said.
“We go together,” Shoshanna tried. “There’s no way he’ll lay into you if we’re all there.”
Oh, Shoshanna. I almost felt bad for her. “You have no idea how unpredictable Michael Edward Thorne’s temper can be. Yeah, that’s right. He’s got her initials too.”
• • •
I approached my dad with Eamon on my left and Shoshanna on my right. It was a fool’s errand to think their presence could keep him from blowing up, but it meant a lot that they wanted to try.
“It’s an odd business to have kids,” my dad said when I was in earshot. He was speaking for my benefit even though he wouldn’t look at me, holding my brother’s elbow at an awkward angle—to prove how displeased he was with both of us, no doubt. “You’re petrified when you lose track of them, and then you find them and the relief is pure, relentless anger.”
Ryder squirmed. Cate had enough decency to look surprised by his threatening tone.
I knew better. This was all for show. My dad was a dramatic, artistic nightmare. He’d never lay a hand on us; his fury came via freeze-out neglect. “I’m fine, Dad. My phone died while we were getting Shoshanna from the airport.”
“I believe that was yesterday,” he said, turning his dark eyes from Cate to me. “And today is not yesterday, is it, Iris?”
“Oh, well spotted,” Shoshanna snarked.
“I gave them the night off,” Cate said, stepping in front of Shoshanna’s sass. “They’ve been working hard. They slept at Eamon’s family home, right?”
All three of us nodded in sync. Even from my perspective it looked suspicious.
Cate beckoned to my friends. “Makeup. You have a scene to shoot. And the studio execs have decided to grace us with their presence.” She bit into that last sentence as though it were pure gristle.
Shoshanna left with Cate while Eamon moved in front of me. He touched my shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything. Promise?”
I nodded, and while he was being sweet, I couldn’t help thinking, Run! Run before my father makes a scene!
Eamon put his backpack in my hand. “Show him,” he whispered.
Eamon, Cate, and Shoshanna walked away, and I pointed to my trailer. “We can go in there and talk, Dad.”
“I have to go help Mr. Donato,” Ryder whined. “He needs me.”
“Absolutely not. You’re staying with me until we leave.” My dad sort of pushed Ryder toward the trailer, and I could see my brother’s feelings expand and spin. His face was red and sweaty, his breath coming through his mouth in harsh pants as he twisted in my dad’s hold. I knew those feelings well—only where Ryder exploded, I had long since learned to quietly, painfully implode.
“Ryder,” I said, trying to get him to look at me. He wouldn’t. I turned to my dad. “Let him go,” I said through gritted teeth. “You and I should talk. Alone.”
“I already said no, Iris.” My dad tried to drag my brother, and Ryder let his legs go, dangling by the elbow. Oh no…
“Ryder’s doing great here.” I crouched down to face him. “Aren’t you, Ry? Tell Dad how helpful you’ve been to the crafty crew. How much responsibility you’ve had. He’ll be proud of you.”
“I want to help Mr. Donato!” Ryder cried out. “I want Mr. Donato!”
“Did you not hear me?” my dad snapped. “You’re not leaving my side until we get back to LA tonight!”
Ryder’s lungs exploded, his screams paralyzing everyone in earshot. His fists beat first against my dad and then against me as I tried to get him to stop. I took a pop to the jaw that made my head bump, and then my dad was yelling at me to get
