Trent gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his next smart comment.
“Look, I came here because Rene wanted me to apologize for her. She didn’t know. She’s convinced Ella really is Raven because everything adds up, but if she’d known, she’d never would have posted it.”
“I’m not arguing any of this shit with you. Just leave Ella alone,” Trent growled.
“Because she’s a movie star?”
“No, because she’s a human being who’s been hurt. Thanks to Rene, a bunch of misguided drama hounds are hunting her down. She wants to be left alone, and for some asshole who tortured her not to find her.”
“So she is Raven Star?”
“I never said that,” he growled.
“Don’t have to. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. But think about your nephew. How many times did you tell me not to lie to him? And you’re lying to him now.” She spun and walked away.
He stood there staring, unsure what to say. He had lied to Blaze, but this was one case when it made sense.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
Isandro stood in the doorway. “Don’t beat yourself up. You’re protecting a woman with a past. Blaze is a good kid. He’ll forgive you.”
“Yeah, but what will my big mouth sister do?”
“Give her a chance. She’s clean.”
“For how long?” He pushed his fingers through his hair. “I want to say I trust Tina, but she’s fucked up so many times. I don’t have complete faith in her ability to stay out of trouble. I’ve watched her do things I despise because she needed a fix. Her lies… shit, she’s hurt so many people with her lies, and she’s pissed about one I told to protect someone.”
Isandro shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know it’s hard, but think of your dad. He got his shit together. Maybe, this time, Tina finally has.”
“I fucking hope so. But why is she so damned pissed at me? Regardless of who Ella is, why does she care?”
“Sounded to me like she’s only mad on Blaze’s behalf.”
“Yeah, I got that loud and clear. Don’t know how to fix it. He’s seven. Kids talk. Ella wanted her identity to stay a secret. This isn’t the same as lying about the money Tina stole, or what she’d been doing when she disappeared for three days at a time. The last time Blaze asked I didn’t even know who Ella was.”
“You’ll figure it out. In the meantime, we’ve got you covered.”
Before Trent had a chance to thank him, the station alarm went off, and the dispatcher came on the PA system, sending them out to Main Street, on the same block as Ella’s shop. A dumpster fire.
“What the fuck?” Trent ran to the garage and pulled on his suit. There weren’t enough details, and he was glad Ella had stayed home. If yesterday had been bad… shit.
He could only imagine one person starting the fire and pulled his phone out to call Marissa. Maybe the cops could find the person.
She answered after a few rings. “Trent, you guys on your way to the fire?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s contained but still smoldering. Luckily. That’s the good news. Bad part is someone was seen leaving the alley. The guy fits the description Ella gave me. We haven’t managed to track him down yet. And if his hands have been scarred by burns, he may not have discernible fingerprints. We’re going to try anyway after you finish putting this fire out.”
“I was afraid of that. We’ll be on scene in a minute.” He hung up and buckled himself into the seat.
Isandro hopped in beside him. “That my sister?”
He nodded. “If anyone can find who started it, she will.”
“She’s good like that. I hope that piece of shit is there. I’d love to break his hands for ever touching Ella.”
Isandro patted his shoulder. “Yeah, but we don’t want you in jail instead of that asshole. So don’t mind me if I hold you back while Marissa puts him in cuffs.”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. Though wouldn’t it be easier if the fucker was dead?”
“You’re no killer, Trent. I know this is your girl we’re talking about, but the police are already involved. Let them handle it.”
Closing his eyes, he breathed deep. “Yeah.”
Metcalf turned on the siren and drove to Main Street. The media was back and he shoved on his helmet before jumping from the truck to grab the fire extinguisher.
Isandro was right. He needed to leave the bastard alone. Last thing he wanted was for the guy to press charges when he busted his shit up. Trent couldn’t help Ella from behind bars.
He rushed over and sprayed the fire down. He knew for a fact there were fire extinguishers in every building. Why no one put it out themselves, he couldn’t fathom.
“Hey, asshole,” Isandro shouted. “Get out of here.”
Trent looked up and was nearly blinded by a flashing bulb. Then he remembered the picture and his face on it.
Fucking perfect.
“Hey, let me see that camera, man!” Isandro yelled, stalking after the scrawny guy.
Trent slammed his hand against the wall. “Isandro, let him go. Remember what you told me a few minutes ago.”
He shot Trent a glare and advanced on the cameraman.
Marissa came around the corner and shook her head. “Bulldog, get over here.”
Isandro spun around with his teeth clenched, nodding at Trent.
Marissa glared at her brother. “Yeah, nothing I can do about that. He hasn’t broken any laws.”
She walked toward the guy with the camera. “However, you need to get out of here. We’re investigating a crime, and you’re only going to contaminate the scene.”
Holding both hands in the air, he said, “Wait, what if I could give you pictures of the guy who started the fire? In the act of the crime?”
Marissa moved closer. “Yeah, that would actually help a lot. If you can help us catch this guy.”
“I can. Give me ten minutes and you’ll have a thumb drive.”
“It would be faster if you gave us the memory card,” Marissa attempted.
“No can do. I have a lot of photos on here. No telling what you’d do to all of them.”
“Then hurry. Faster we have evidence, sooner we can catch this guy.”
He nodded and ran toward a van.
Trent slammed his hands against the wall. “Fuck, he’s going to use those pictures of me.”
“Yeah, most likely. Nothing I can do about that. No judge is going to give me a warrant to take the camera, but he is helping. So we’re just going to have to deal with it.”
“Fucking hell,” he muttered.
“It’ll be fine,” Marissa told him. “Go get in the truck. I’ll see if I can get him to come down to the station and cooperate, but he’s giving us the pictures which is more than most of these guys ever do.”
Isandro nodded to the truck. “Come on, let’s get out of here and let Marissa do her job.”
“Yeah, my partner is around the corner trying to keep the rest of the cameras from getting back here. Not sure how this one slipped by.”
He offered a grim smile. “Don’t worry about it.”
Climbing on the truck, he thought about calling Ella but decided against it. Too soon. He needed to figure out how to see her without leading them right to her, and he didn’t want to get her hopes up about the guy having a photo of her stalker.
Isandro plopped down beside him. “Kyle has a key to your house, right?”
He nodded. Kyle had watched the house when Trent took a vacation the year before.
“Call Ella, tell her to borrow the key and meet you at your house. She can make sure the curtains are closed. Then, if they follow you, no one will know the difference.”
Trent smiled. “Great idea. Thanks, man.”
“No problem. It’s pretty obvious you were trying to work out how to see her after the prick took your picture.”
“Hey, Kyle. Do you still have my extra house key at your place? Or on you?”
He gri
nned. “At the house. It’s in the drawer next to the fridge.”
Relief settled in and he called Ella. He sat back and closed his eyes.
“Trent, everything okay?” She sounded anxious.
His heart twisted. “Will be. I have a question, though. Are you opposed to meeting me at my house? Mila can give you the key. Just make sure all the curtains are closed.”
“Why?” she asked slowly.
“I’ll tell you when I get there. Should only be a couple hours, but it’s better if you beat me there.”
“Am I staying the night?”
“I hope so.”
“Bring dinner, and I’ll be there.”
A smile pulled at his lips. He could wait to tell her what was going on. “Sounds like a plan. Any requests?”
“Surprise me.”
“See you soon. Tell Mila to grab my key.” He hung up.
“Just sent a text to tell her where to find it,” Kyle said.
* * * *
Mila frowned. “Trent didn’t tell you anything, did he?”
Ella sighed. “No, but he said he’d tell me when he got home. I imagine it was some kind of run-in with the media.”
“Kyle said it’s more complicated than that. And I’m going to prepare you.” Mila headed to the kitchen to look through a drawer as she continued explaining.
“Then tell me.”
“Someone started a fire in the dumpster behind your shop. The guys were called in to put it out. It didn’t make sense to the firefighters because all the businesses there have fire extinguishers and apparently nobody even tried to put it out. The cops and firemen believe someone lit the fire and called 911, hoping to find Trent.”
Mila started pacing. “Trent was in that picture with me. Maybe Logan, or one of the reporters recognized him, or maybe someone had pointed out Trent was a fireman. They could be trying to follow him to me.”
Mila nodded. “Probably why he wants you there first. Are you going to be okay in Trent’s house without him?”
“He shouldn’t be long. If the press finds me this time, they find me. I’m tired of running. I just don’t want Trent to resent me when he realizes how much attention will follow me.”
“Stop being so pessimistic. He’s not going to give up so easily.”
“I really hope not. I’m going to get my stuff and head over there.”
Mila handed her the key. “Don’t let anyone drive a wedge between you two.”
“I won’t. Let’s hope he doesn’t. I know what this kind of attention can do to a relationship.” Before Mila could say anything, Ella was running home to gather her things.
* * * *
From the shadows, he watched Ella leave one house and enter the one next door. He crept closer, but the curtains were shut. He managed to climb to the second floor and crept along the wall to the nearest window.
Through the split between curtains, he watched as Ella stepped into her room, stripping out of her clothes and tossed them in the hamper. He peered in, watching his beautiful dream go to the vanity table and fill her hand with lotion she quickly rubbed into her skin.
He wished he could step through the window and take over, caressing her body. Might take time because the scarring dampened his sense of touch. But like anything in life, he could learn what she liked.
Her hands curled over her breasts and a seductive smile crossed her lips. Then she reached for the phone she’d placed on her table. Her face lit up. Rage shot through him. Probably the man with her in the restaurant.
Surely he could figure a way to destroy that relationship. Ella went to her dresser and dressed in clean clothes, then packed an overnight bag.
He slid back and leaned against the wall. She was too happy, maybe even in love. She would soon forget this other man. He needed her to love him.
Chapter 33
Two different news crews followed Trent to the Thai Restaurant, then home. He started to doubt the intelligence of having Ella meet him at his house, but it was better than going to hers. And there was no way he wanted her to be alone.
Then they had the problem that her hiding might make the press more insistent about her identity. He honestly didn’t know how she lived with these people hounding her every move in Hollywood.
Thankfully, when he reached his driveway, every curtain was shut tight. He pulled into the garage and made sure the door was shut before grabbing the backpack full of take-out containers.
Ella sat at the counter in a pair of cut-off shorts and a tank top. All he could think about was taking her to the lake and skinny dipping. And right now, that was the last thing he should be doing.
“Hey, how was your day?” he asked.
“Better, now that you’re here.”
His smile dimmed as he set the food on the table. “So, here’s what happened. There was a fire in the dumpster behind your place. We’re pretty sure your stalker started the blaze, but it was contained.”
Ella sat perfectly still, the color draining from her face. “How?” she finally whispered.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and approached her. “While I was putting out the fire, one of the guys with the press snapped my picture. Isandro tried to get him to stop. Marissa couldn’t legally take the camera because the guy wasn’t breaking the law. But, he did give us the pictures of the asshole who started the fire, as he was doing it. I’m willing to bet he’s the one who called 911.”
“And he’s still likely to create a story with your picture anyway. Which is why you sent me here before you.” She rubbed at the scar on her wrist. “How many followed you?”
“Two vans. Don’t you want to see the pictures?”
“I should,” she answered, but her tone was full of defeat.
“If you can confirm the man is the same one who held you captive, they can find him. Plus, he’s here in town, so it should be easier to catch him.”
“Yeah… and dangerous. He totaled my car. Had me tied up for two days.” She looked away and closed her eyes. “I need to see, but I don’t want him to be here anywhere near me.”
“Hey, the police are watching for him already. They know who to look for. Arson is bad enough to hold him. Abduction will ensure he stays behind bars.”
Ella nodded. “Show me.”
He brought up the picture and held it out for her.
“Yeah, that’s him.” She slid off the stool and walked out of the kitchen, hugging herself.
Trent rushed to catch up with her. “We should talk to Marissa.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to go anywhere right now. If he followed you… if he sees you with me…”
“Ella, I won’t let anything happen to you. But, I don’t want to take you anywhere, and I don’t want Marissa to come here either… just in case. It’s better if I call and let you talk to her. Or you could call.”
* * * *
“I’ll call,” Ella answered. Her stomach knotted up. The thought of Logan anywhere near her scared the shit out of her. “Fix our plates, okay? I’ll be there in a minute.”
Maybe. Then again, she was stuck there now. With media right outside, and possibly her worst nightmare, she couldn’t leave without confirming she was hiding.
She leaned against the wall in defeat and dialed Marissa.
“This is Cortez.”
“Hi, this is Ella Cross. Trent showed me the pictures. That’s the man who held me captive.”
“After you gave me Logan’s name this morning, I started digging into his past. It wasn’t hard to find him. He goes by Logan Manchester now. His uncle took him in after the fire. Got him into a program to help with the burns. He studied computer science at UCLA. No criminal record, but that doesn’t mean much. I’m working on getting a warrant. Shouldn’t take much longer. But if he shows up, I need you to call 911 immediately.”
“Of course. I’m at Trent’s house. Is there anything I can do, besides hide out?”
“Nothing. Stay safe. We’ve increased the patrols. Someone
will be nearby, watching. Try to relax. And tell Trent to calm down too. He wasn’t happy when I sent the pictures. He called seconds after I sent them, told me he was positive they were of your stalker.”
“It is. Those eyes… his hands. It’s him, without a doubt.”
“And everything I have, including his driver’s license, it’s the same boy who followed you around in high school. If you see him, you need to stay away from him and call.”
No shit! Ella took a slow breath and attempted to calm down. “I will. Thank you for everything you’re doing. I truly appreciate it.”
“We’ll get him.”
“Good night.”
“You too.” She hung up and Ella walked back to the kitchen, looking at the food. Her appetite had died, but she was determined to eat something.
“Talk to me, Ella. Even if it’s not about Logan.”
“What do you want me to say, Trent? Marissa just told me this guy is actually Logan Poole. Goes by a different last name now. I was right, he hadn’t died, but the worst part, he’s been following me ever since high school and I didn’t even know.”
“You thought he was dead. How could you possibly know he wasn’t?”
“There were so many times my skin would crawl like it did anytime he watched me. I just assumed it was another creep. Maybe a slimeball reporter.”
“Tell me how to help. I’ll do anything,” he whispered, tearing down her walls. His touch, his kiss, she didn’t need words, she just needed Trent.
“Make me forget for a night. Take it all away, and make me forget what he did, what he wants.”
Trent closed the distance and drove his fingers into her hair before kissing her until she couldn’t catch her breath. When he finally broke free, he glanced at the food on table. “Let me guess, you aren’t hungry right now.”
She shook her head. “Food is the last thing on my mind.”
His hands slid down her body and curled over her ass. She hopped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.
“You want to forget?” he asked firmly.
Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) Page 21
