“Okay.” Helene ended the call before she could panic anymore. Amanda’s hands were trembling when she switched over to Instagram. Thirty-four minutes and she already had six hundred more followers. She sent her account to private. Then deactivated her Twitter. She didn’t even bother with the forty-step process to delete her Facebook. She quickly changed into presentable clothing, then sped across town to Ignacio’s house in Silver Lake.

* * *

All the drive did was ratchet her nerves up from a solid twelve to a very uncomfortable sixteen and a half. She needed to get in touch with Sam and she needed to figure out a way to murder Dru while making it very clear to the courts that her homicide was completely justifiable. Apparently, Dru had decided ratting Amanda out would help her career. Who else would leak those photos in such a spectacularly invasive way?

Ignacio’s housekeeper, Meryl, buzzed her through the massive iron gates that led to the obnoxiously steep driveway that brought you up to their house. Helene was waiting for her in the ridiculous fourteen-foot doorway. She was wearing this effortless yellow maxi dress that made her dark brown skin glow. Amanda had to stop herself from flinging herself into a sobbing heap in Helene’s arms, but as soon as she got out of her car, Helene looked at her, her head inclined in that way that was pure love and concern. Tears started flowing down her face. She stepped into Helene’s arms and wept.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find out who we have to kill and then we’ll make it look like a very intentional message to anyone who thinks about fucking with you again.”

Amanda stepped back, wiping her face. “It was Dru. I know it.”

“Oh, I’m gonna fuck that bitch up. Come inside.”

“How do you look even better than when you left? You look amazing,” Amanda said as they walked into the immaculately decorated 1920s Art Deco style home. She’d been to Helene’s apartment plenty of times, but only once to Ignacio’s house, which they were now sharing. Award-winning directors sure knew how to live.

“Sun-kissed and dicked down. Girl. Honeymoon of a lifetime.”

“Where’s Ignacio?”

“He’s on the phone. He’s coming down in a sec. Come on.”

Amanda followed her deeper into the house to the kitchen. For some reason she couldn’t help but think of the welcoming warmth that filled Miss Leona’s kitchen. Her heart clenched on itself again. Somehow she’s felt like she’d betrayed his whole family.

She took a seat that Helene offered in the breakfast nook tucked against a large bay window that looked out over the backyard. Helene grabbed them some fancy boxed water Amanda had a seen at a few charity events, then sat opposite in her own chair.