Seth began to feel uneasy. As angry as he was with Tiara, he couldn’t help but feel worried. Something had gone wrong with the shuttle, and there was a good chance that she was on it. “Is there any way to know whether the van made it to the airport or not?” he asked.
“Let me call the airport. The shuttle checks in when it arrives and departs, so they’ll have a record of the last time it dropped somebody off.”
As the concierge dialed the airport, Seth called Tiara’s cell. It rang four times and then went to voicemail. Seth hoped that she was simply angry and ignoring his calls.
“Sir? It doesn’t look like the shuttle made it to the airport after it departed here at two. It must have had trouble on the way. Why don’t we find you a taxi? It will be a little more expensive, but at this point, I have no clue where the shuttle is or when they’ll be back. If you wait, you’ll run the risk of missing your flight.”
“There isn’t anything else you can do?”
The concierge shrugged. “I suppose I could try to work out a deal with the cab company, if it’s money that you’re worried about.”
“That’s not what I mean. My girlfriend was on that shuttle, and she’s not picking up her cell phone, either. I’m officially worried about her.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but there’s not much I can do, really. The shuttle is not the responsibility of the hotel.”
“Well, call the police or something.”
“Sir, I’m sure that it’s nothing to worry about. Now, let’s see about you getting to your flight on time.”
“Excuse me, I need to make a phone call,” Seth snapped. He turned and stormed back into the lobby.
* * * *
Jack picked up his cell when he heard it ring and immediately sent the call to voicemail when he saw Seth’s name pop up. He did it again when Seth called back two minutes later. When Seth called a third time, however, he finally picked up.
“What do you want?” he snapped.
“Tiara is missing.”
“What do you mean she’s missing?”
Seth sighed. “We had a big fight at the hotel this morning, and she decided to get her own ride to the airport so she could get away from me for a little bit. She took a shuttle, and I tried to make a reservation for the next time it came around, but it never showed up. The concierge confirmed that it never arrived at the airport. Nobody can reach the driver, and Tiara isn’t answering her phone.”
“And what does this have to do with me?”
“I need you to help me find her.”
“Didn’t you know? Everyone in this town is out to get you. Why on earth would I help you if all I want is to drive you crazy and run you out of town?” Although Jack was concerned for Tiara’s safety, the wounds of his betrayal were still fresh, and he did not make an effort to hide his sarcasm.
“Look, I know I was a total jerk earlier. I was completely out of line, and even when Tiara stood up for you, I refused to listen to her. Thanks to my stubbornness, she left me alone at the hotel. She couldn’t stand the sight of me, so she took off, and now something horrible has happened to her.”
“How do you know? Maybe something just happened with the shuttle. Maybe it got held up.”
“I just know, Jack. I can feel it. Please, come help me. I’ll go off by myself if I have to, but I’d feel a lot better if you were by my side. Of all the people in this town, you’re the one person I know I can trust.”
Jack sighed. As much as he never wanted to see Seth again, his feelings for Tiara had not been tempered by the harsh words that had flowed, and he couldn’t stand the thought of not coming to her rescue. He’d known for days that he loved Tiara but hadn’t had the chance to tell her before Callista’s interference had ruined everything. Even if Seth was wrong, even if she was fine, at least he’d have the opportunity to say the words he’d been too scared to speak before.
“Okay, I’m on my way. I’ll be at the hotel in ten minutes. Sooner, if I speed.”
“Drive carefully, man. We can’t save her if you’re in a wreck.”
Jack hopped into his car and hurried over to the hotel. He’d barely made a full stop before Seth was pulling at the door handle and jumping into the vehicle.
“Now who’s not being careful?” Jack asked, trying to keep his voice level. Just seeing Seth’s face made his anger flare up, but now wasn’t the time to argue. If Tiara needed their help, Jack wasn’t about to make things worse by fighting.
“Okay, where to?”
“Head to the airport, I guess. Maybe if the van broke down, we’ll see it on the way.”
They were silent as Jack pulled out of the hotel parking lot and headed toward the freeway. He couldn’t think of anything to say and wasn’t particularly interested in whatever Seth might have to tell him. But as they neared the exit for the airport without any sight of a shuttle, Jack realized he needed to break the silence.
“Okay, we’re almost to the airport. Do we exit and see if they finally made it there, or do you want to turn back and head into town? Maybe we should call the hospitals and see if there was a traffic accident or call around to body shops and see if any shuttle vans were brought in needing repair.”
Seth punched the dashboard. “Fuck! I don’t know. I just don’t know. I have no clue where she might be and no idea where to start looking. There are too many possibilities, and I feel completely helpless.”
“It’s okay. Let’s just calm down, think things through, and we’ll find her.”
“Goddamnit, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t been such an ass, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Tiara and I would have spent the afternoon teaching a workshop, we’d have gone out for a quick dinner, and we’d be getting ready to work on our competition routines.”
The mention of rehearsal drew Jack’s attention to the clock. “Shit! I totally forgot, Catherine booked a second rehearsal for today, and it started ten minutes ago. I’m surprised she hasn’t called yet. She never lets me get away with being even five minutes late, and ten is unfathomable.” He fished his cell phone out of his pocked and handed it to Seth. “Catherine’s number is number two in my speed dial. Give her a call, and let her know I need to cancel, okay? She’s not going to like it, but Tiara’s safety is more important right now.”
Seth held the phone to his ear. “I’m getting her voicemail,” he said after a few moments.
“The studio is number three on my speed dial. Hang up and call there.”
Seth disconnected the call and pressed the button for the studio as Jack pulled off the freeway and into the airport parking lot. “Hello? Hi, Lynne. No, this is Seth, but I’m calling from Jack’s phone. Look, he’s driving right now, so he can’t talk, but he has a message for Catherine. Can you put her on the line?”
Jack started to develop a sense of unease as Seth stopped talking.
“What do you mean she’s not at the studio?” Seth finally continued. “She was supposed to meet Jack for practice ten minutes ago. She never showed up? Well, okay. No, she’s not answering her cell. We already tried that. Look, if she shows up, will you tell her to give Jack a call? Thanks.”
Seth hung up and handed the phone back to Jack. “Something weird is going on here,” he said. “What are the chances Catherine forgot that she was supposed to practice with you?”
“I suppose there’s a first time for everything, but I’d say nil. She’s never forgotten, and she’s never been late.”
“What are the chances that she skipped practice intentionally?”
“Well, it’s not like her to do that, but it’s more likely than her forgetting.”
“How much do you want to bet that you and Catherine are both skipping practice because of Tiara?”
“I thought Callista was the one who was creating those death threats,” Jake said, the bitterness starting to rise up again. He couldn’t deny that Catherine was looking suspicious right then, but he also resented all the accusations he and his colleagues had been facing.
“Well, either she has a partner in crime, or we’ve all made a terrible mistake in our assumptions about the perpetrator’s identity.”
“Well, we’ve circled the airport twice and still no sign of the van,” Jack said with a sigh. “Even if we didn’t suspect Catherine, I guess we’re out of other options.”
“Yeah, but where do we go from here? I have no idea where to even begin looking for them.”
“I have an idea,” Jack said, and started speeding back toward the freeway.
“Where are we going?”
“Would you just trust me for once?” Jack regretted the harshness in his voice, but he was tired of being vilified.
“I do trust you,” Seth said, his voice suddenly soft. “I was just curious.”
Jack sighed. “I’m sorry, man. It’s been a rough week.”
“I know. I’m sorry, too. No matter what Callista or Catherine did, I shouldn’t have said nasty things about you, Taletha, or the studio. I’ve been out of line the past couple of days.”
“Let’s agree to forgive and move on,” Jack said. “For Tiara’s sake.”
“Agreed. I’d shake your hand, but you seem to be busy driving.”
“There will be time for that once we’re sure Tiara is safe.”
As they breezed past the outskirts of the city, Jack turned down a country road.
“You don’t have anything that might function as a weapon, do you?” Jack asked.
“No, why?”
“Just wondering. You never know when we might run into real danger. But I guess we’re just going to have to rely on our wits.”
“What is this place?” Seth asked, his voice dropping to a whisper, as though Catherine might hear him if he spoke in a normal tone.
Jack swallowed. “This is my lake house. Catherine has a key. And it would be the perfect kind of location to commit a crime.”
* * * *
Bound and gagged, waiting for Catherine to finish the horrible deeds she had in mind, Tiara wished she hadn’t spent the last day of her life being angry at people she cared about. She wished she’d found a way to tell Jack she loved him. She wished she hadn’t let Seth push her around. Now, it was too late. Catherine was loading Tiara’s pockets with rocks and tying weighted bags to her arms and waist. When the last rope had been secured, Catherine grabbed Tiara’s arm and pulled her out of the house, dragging her toward the pier at the edge of the property.
“Walk faster, damn it. Pissing me off isn’t going to make this any easier, you know. You’re still going to die, even if you annoy the hell out of me while you do it.”
But at least then there will have been some silver lining in my death. I’d rather not give you total satisfaction.
Catherine shoved Tiara onto the pier and started walking her forward. “Go,” she snapped. “Go and drown, so I can have my life back.”
Tiara stood still, bracing herself against Catherine’s shoves and tugs. Finally, Catherine lost patience and got a running start. Even with the added weight hanging off of Tiara’s frame, Catherine reached her with enough force to knock her down. She rolled toward the edge of the pier, managing to stop herself only a few inches away from the water.
“Go!” Catherine screamed. She walked up and kicked Tiara in the thigh, and Tiara struggled to stay on the wooden planks. “Just drown already!”
Catherine managed to deliver two more blows before a shout rang out from behind the house.
“Stop!” Tiara was shocked and relieved to hear Seth’s voice ringing through the air. “Stop right there!”
“No!” Catherine screamed back and delivered a painful kick to Tiara’s pelvis. Still, Tiara gripped the edge of the pier, refusing to give in, especially now that help was so close.
She saw Catherine lifting her leg and aiming for her head, when suddenly Catherine cried out and fell into the water. Tiara looked out to see her tussling in the shallows. Jack gripped her arms, trying to control her slippery body.
“Let me go!” Catherine yelled. “Let me go!”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Jack snapped. “I am going to hold you here and wait until the police come.”
“I’m on the phone with them now,” Seth called from across the yard.
Tiara couldn’t wait any longer. She’d already wasted enough time.
“I love you, Jack,” she called.
He looked out at her, and his face lit up. “I love you too, Tiara.”
Though she was still bound by rocks and sandbags, and though the whine of sirens killed the romance of the moment, Tiara decided that she’d never been happier.
Chapter Ten
Jack couldn’t help feeling dejected as he stared out at the ballroom. Catherine had betrayed him and had tried to kill the woman he loved, but as he stared out at the competitors warming up and putting on makeup, he found he missed her. Or at least, he missed the old Catherine, before she had turned into the vengeful, manipulative criminal he was unable to recognize as his old friend and dance partner.
He also felt a pang of sadness because without a partner he couldn’t compete. This event in particular was supposed to have held particular significance for him. Ever since Taletha had announced she was hosting a competition, he’d looked forward to representing his studio without having to travel. He was excited to be part of the home team. Now, however, he was just a spectator.
“Hey, cheer up.” Jack turned around to find Callista standing behind him.
“Easy for you to say. Your career isn’t on hold because your partner turned into a homicidal maniac.”
“I’m hurting too, you know. My best friend is in jail. Even though she deserves to be locked away, I still miss her.”
Jack brought Callista into an awkward hug. “You’re right. We’re both suffering right now.”
Callista gave a shy smile as she pulled away. “I know this is last-minute, but would you like to dance together today?”
Jack laughed. “Last minute? The social dancing doesn’t begin for at least another thirty minutes.”
“I don’t mean social dancing. I mean competing. Would you be interested in being my dance partner today?”
“But–but we don’t have choreography. We haven’t prepared a thing. We haven’t even danced together that often.”
“I know that. And I also know that I’ve never competed before. I’ve been teaching since I was eighteen but never found a professional partner. I also haven’t been dancing as long as you have. I haven’t done a single thing when compared with your career.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a wonderful dancer, and you have a great future ahead of you.”
“Then help me kick that future off. Look, we don’t need to become partners forever. This can be a one-time thing. But I can see how desperately you want to compete. I can tell that you’re miserable on the sidelines. And I’m dying to get out there, too. So what do you say? Will you compete with me?”
“Do you even have a costume?”
Callista grinned. “Tiara put the idea into my head. She’s loaning me one of her backup costumes if you’ll agree to dance.”
“Tiara put you up to this, eh? Well, I certainly can’t say no to her. So yes, I’ll dance with you. Now hurry and change so we can warm up.”
Jack raced to the men’s dressing room to get ready when he realized he didn’t have a costume, either. He froze, trying to come up with a solution. I don’t have time to run home and get a costume, and even if I did, there’s no guarantee it will match what Tiara is loaning to Callista.
“I bet I know what you’re thinking,” Seth said as he came out of the dressing room.
“Oh?”
“You need a costume.”
“Now how did you know that?”
“Do you think Tiara was the only one in on the plan to get you a new dance partner? I have an outfit that matches the one she’s loaning Callista, and I just so happen to have it here. Tiara might have suggested I bring it along today, just in case. So hurry up
and get inside. You need to get dressed.”
Jack hurried into the outfit Seth had brought for him, threw on a warm-up jacket, and raced out to the ballroom. He and Callista had just enough time to warm up before Taletha walked to the front of the room.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to the first annual Rhythm and Motion Ballroom Dance Classic.” She paused and waited for the applause to die down. “We’ve had a great event today, and I’d like to thank our guest judges, Tiara Pryce and Seth Monroe, for doing such a great job with the amateur events.” She gestured to Tiara and Seth, who took sweeping bows before returning to their seats.
“And now, I’d like to begin our final event for the day—our professional competition.” The spectators burst into another round of applause before Taletha could continue talking. “These professional dancers have come from across the country to compete in this event. Couples, please take your places on the floor.”
Jack pushed his nerves to the back of his mind as he guided Callista onto the floor. We’re probably not going to do well, and that’s okay. We’ve never rehearsed. We’ve only danced together a handful of times. There is no reason for us to be perfect.
The competition started with the tango, which wasn’t his favorite. He knew Callista wasn’t wild about it, either, and he regretted that their first dance together was not one that they loved. Still, he threw himself into the music, twisting and turning around the floor, hitting every accent. When the song came to an end, they bowed, and Jack decided that even if he hadn’t danced the best he ever had, it wasn’t a bad first event at all.
The waltz was next, and it was a dance that Jack knew he and Callista both enjoyed. The deejay put on a slower song, one that almost made him ache as he stretched, struggled, and led Callista through improvised moves. At least if it’s slow, we don’t have to worry as much about running into other couples, he thought, as he maneuvered Callista around a traffic jam. Competitive dancing was hard enough. Dancing without rehearsed choreography upped the ante even more, because not only did Jack have to maneuver around all the other dancers, but he had to do so while making steps up on the fly.
Jordan, Olivia - Tiara's Foxtrot Fantasies [Studio Seductions 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11
