Page 85 of No Holds Barred

“I know that.” Hope pouted. She wanted it to be, though. She wanted to be able to spend more time with Angelica and perhaps explore what they were just finding, this time without some of the complications that they had before. “But Josef is convinced it will be, and he’s making threats that Ange and I won’t be around even if it is renewed.”

Again, Hope was met with silence.

And again, she had to check her phone to see that the call was still connected.

“Logan?”

“What else is he doing?”

Hope looked around Weston, still trying to figure out exactly what she could tell him, what she could trust him with. Because she didn’t want to make things any more difficult than they already were. But still, someone had to be able to do something about this, right?

“He’s pushing Leanne into every single scene, he’s trying to drum up conflict where it doesn’t belong again, and quite frankly, he’s the entire reason the mood on set is shit. If he were gone, we’d be fine. But he’s pushing everyone to the brinkof what they can handle, with threats, and he’s trying to pit everyone against each other, which is just making this whole situation get out of control.”

Logan sighed heavily. “Production was hoping to make it through to the end of this season.”

“For what?” Hope furrowed her brow and then lifted her hand to rub out the line in the center of her forehead. “Because he needed to be gone last season, what he did?—”

“Should have landed him in serious water, but Rachel never filed a report against him—legal or otherwise.”

“And what he did to Ange?” Hope asked, trying to bring Logan around to the fact that Josef had been overstepping boundaries for years now, and they really needed to do something about it and stop catering to him just because he was a man.

“Isn’t acceptable.”

“So why are you sitting on your hands like it is?” Hope’s voice rose with anger. “I’m sick and tired of you men doing absolutely nothing. You know why there are groups like the MeToo movement? It’s because of idiots like you.”

Logan sighed again. “I know. And I also know that it’s not as simple as firing everyone who makes idiotic comments or does stupid things. He’s the showrunner, and replacing him is far more difficult than simply finding someone to fill his spot. But I do promise you that the complaints aren’t falling on deaf ears.”

“Well, it feels like they are.” Hope pouted, even though Logan couldn’t see it. “Because I’m sick and tired of having to fight for this.”

“Tell you what, I’ll come out there.”

“What?”

“I’ll meet you in Saint Paul, next week, and I’ll be there to witness firsthand what he’s doing.”

“He’s not going to do anything if you’re there.” Hope bit her lip. “Josef is smarter than that.”

“He might be. But he can’t hide his true nature forever,” Logan said. “I’ll meet you in Saint Paul, Hope. I promise. I’m not going to let him continue to do these things.”

“Forgive me if my trust in you is slim, because you’ve let him continue to do it until now.”

“Understood. And I’m sorry that I’ve failed you on that front. It’s complicated, and I’m not used to navigating these things, which I know is a poor excuse.”

“It is,” Hope said, not letting him up on that.

“You’re right. I’ll talk to Ange about that and get her opinion on the matter and on where to go from here. She’s the expert in those things.”

That thought didn’t sit well in Hope’s stomach, but she wasn’t exactly going to tell him that either. Biting her lip, Hope looked out at the neighborhood around her. “I need to get back to filming.”

“You do that, and I’ll see you in Saint Paul in three days. All right?”

“Okay,” Hope answered. “Don’t disappoint me again.”

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Angelica’s lips quirked upward as she stared at her phone.