“It’s the only way,” John repeated to himself.

His father studied the view, and John could feel the lecture the older man was holding back.

John had already negotiated the deal with Dan Richards to get the vampire movie back. John reminded Dan the kind of devil Tom Melton was, and working for him wasn’t going to be easy. Dan was close to retirement, and with this payout, he would be a lot closer. He wouldn’t have to go into business with Tom Melton either. He’d been happy to sell it to John, avoid an acquisition by Tom, and take his third wife on vacation.

John walked over to where his father waited.

“What are you going to do next?” his father asked.

Even after paying Dan, there was money left over.

“I’m going into business for myself.”

His father raised an eyebrow. “Decided to put some skin in the game?”

“Something like that,” John admitted. He was tired of trying to hitch his dream to someone else’s version of what his should be.

“Well, follow your gut this time, and please read the documents before you sign them.”

John smiled and pulled out his phone. Leaving his father to take one last look at the house, John walked down the stone steps to call Frank Amato.

“Frank, remember when you said you could do amazing things if you had another investor?”

“You’re a bartender.”

“I’ve come into some money.” John turned around for one last view of the house and everything he had given up. “Send me the scripts you’re interested in. I’m your newest investor.”

“You’re serious?”

“Are you serious about starting your own company?”

John trusted Frank. The man was good at his job, and John knew that if Frank considered a picture worth making, then it would be.

“I am,” Frank said cautiously. “We’ll do it our own way, though. Show those fuckers how it’s done.”

“Whoa, you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“I’m going to be burning bridges in this town, kid. They’ll light the fire before I can get across.”

“I can wire the money as soon as the contract is ready.” John’s father looked up at that. “I need to hire a lawyer, though.”

“Finally,” his father muttered.

“All right,” Frank said. “One condition.”

John shut his eyes, anticipating what was coming next.

“Tell me what happened with Anna Kovács and why Tom Melton has your script.” Frank sighed. “It’s quite good, John. You need to work on your pitch. He knows we’re friends, so he was a complete asshole about the fact that I’m not making it.”

“That sounds like him.”

Frank laughed.

John told him the story, surveying the future he had given up. He wished he’d had a chance to show it to Anna before he had to let it go.

Chapter Forty