by Vivi Anna
Then it was just Elise and Gabriel in the office. Although she wanted to see him alone, she wasn’t sure if it was the most prudent of actions. By his edgy expression, Elise didn’t think he desired the same. His look of contempt was enough to put her back up.
“I don’t remember you this cold before. You were always standoffish but never unfeeling.”
“Things change.”
“Yes, they certainly do.” She sat on the chair behind her desk and, taking the key from her slacks pocket, unlocked one of the drawers of her desk. She slid it open and grabbed the tied bundle of letters that she’d received over the years, all seemingly from the same person. She held them up for Gabriel to see.
“Give me a second,” he said before opening up the metal case he’d been carrying. He took out a pair of latex gloves, snapped them on and then, leaning forward, took the letters from her.
He sat back in the chair and slid one of the envelopes out, then the letter. He unfolded it to read it. When he was done, he looked up at her. She had to admit she was happy to see concern in his eyes.
“Are they all like this?”
She nodded. “I started getting them a couple of years ago.”
“How often do you get them?”
“One a month, I suppose. But only when I’m in town. If I’m out on location, I don’t receive them.”
He nodded as if that made total sense to him. “And you never thought to mention these to anyone? Not your assistant? Not your agent?”
“I handled it.”
He slid the bundle into a big plastic bag and sealed it. “Well, I see that hasn’t changed.”
“What do you mean?”
He wrote the date, time and place on the bag, and put it into his case. “The fact that you always think you can handle everything, however big or small. That you don’t need anyone’s help or advice or anything.”
And just like that, they were catapulted back fifteen years. Back to the same conversation that had ultimately ended any chance of them having a relationship.
“This is old news, isn’t it?” She didn’t mean to sound angry but she couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.
He stared at her for a few moments, as if trying to decide something. Then he looked away, dismissing the thought just as quickly as he had considered it.
“You’re right.” He snapped his case closed, peeled off his gloves and tossed them into his pants pocket. He stood and picked up the case. “I’ll take these and get the technicians to start checking for fingerprints. If I have any more questions, I’ll call.”
He was in the doorway when Elise said, “I know my agent called your boss. I know he told you to shadow me.”
Gabriel stopped and turned, his face pinched in annoyance. “And you’re telling me you didn’t tell him to do that?”
She stood. “No, I didn’t. You should know that already. You said five minutes ago that I hadn’t changed. Do you really think I would ask for a bodyguard? And that I would ask for you to do it?”
His silence was his answer. He nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She took a step toward him. “I just told you I didn’t need a bodyguard.”
“I heard you the first time.” He turned to leave. But before he did, Elise saw his lips twitch up into an amused smirk.
“You’re doing this to aggravate me, aren’t you?” she called after him.
She didn’t get a response, but she wasn’t really expecting one. Gabriel was like that. He always wanted to have the last word.
Chapter 5
The next day Gabriel arrived on the movie set around five-thirty in the morning. Elise was already there, sitting in one of the trailers getting her hair and makeup done. She looked surprised to see him. This seemed to irritate the makeup artist.
“Please don’t move, Elise.”
“Sorry, Paul,” she muttered, then pierced Gabriel with one of her steely gazes. “I told you I didn’t need protection.”
He shrugged. “Uh-uh. So, where should I stand?”
Lily fluttered up to him. “I’ll show you where you can sit and watch the filming, Inspector Bellmonte.”
“Thank you.” He spared Elise a glance before following Lily out back onto the set and toward a bank of chairs situated far behind the camera setup.
She gestured toward one of the chairs. “You can sit here.” She picked up the set of big earphones hanging around one of the arms. “You can listen to what’s happening on the set with these if you like.”
“I’ll pass, thanks.” Gabriel didn’t sit. Not yet anyway. He wanted to look around the set first and maybe talk to a few people as he did.
“Did you want me to get you a coffee or tea, perhaps?”
“Not right now, thank you, Lily. If I need coffee I’m sure I can get it myself.”
“All right.” She looked a little put off by his refusal. She probably wasn’t used to people in this industry wanting to do things for themselves.
“How long have you worked for Ms. Leroy?”
“About five years now.”
“Did you know that she was receiving these letters?”
Lily shook her head, looking sad. “Elise is a very private person. I know only what she tells me.”
“Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary in the past year or so? Someone hanging around her house, or the set? Unwanted attention or phone calls from anyone?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Any change in Ms. Leroy’s mood or behavior in the past year?”
Her eyebrows came up at that. “The only change I see is in the last two days, but I don’t think that has anything to do with the letter.”
Gabriel wondered if Lily knew about his and Elise’s past relationship. He didn’t think so. If Elise was as private as Lily said she was—and Gabriel believed she was—she wouldn’t share that information, even if the man from her past showed up unexpectedly.
The area around the camera started to fill up with various people. Someone dressed in clothes from the eighteenth century marched by, his nose in a twist.
“Would someone get me a bottle of O negative?” he bellowed, evidently hoping somebody complied with his demand.
Lily sniffed but made no move to fulfill the request.
Gabriel eyed the man. It was Diego Martinez—actor, philanthropist and all-around jerk about town. Or at least from what Gabriel read in the newspapers. He knew that Diego and Elise had had a tumultuous relationship years ago. Their public breakup had been well publicized. Not that he’d been keeping tabs on Elise’s relationships or anything. It was just hard to ignore something like that when it was broadcast on every television station and dredged over in every newspaper and magazine.
“Are Ms. Leroy and Mr. Martinez…?”
“Oh, heavens, no.” Lily laughed. “That was over years ago. They can’t stand each other.”
“And yet, here they are doing this movie together.”
“Elise is only doing this film because of the director, Reginald Alcott. She’s wanted to work with him for years and years. She wasn’t about to let Diego get in the way of that. Besides, Rory thought it was the best thing for her career, and I tend to agree.”
Gabriel nodded. “Thank you, Lily. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
She gave him a small smile then scampered away, back to the makeup-and-hair trailer, he assumed. Once she was gone, he wandered away from the bank of visitor chairs and toward the set. He was hoping for a few minutes with Diego Martinez.
As he approached the vampire, Gabriel noticed that someone had gotten him his bottle of blood, and he was lustily drinking it down. “Mr. Martinez, may I have a few minutes?”
Diego eyed him warily. “Who are you and what do you want? If you want an interview you’ll have to speak to my publicist.”
Gabriel dug out his wallet and flipped open his badge. “Inspector Bellmonte, with the NMPD.”
“You must be here because of the ‘letter’ Elise rece
ived.” He air quoted the word letter.
“You don’t sound too concerned about it.”
He shrugged. “It wouldn’t surprise me if she sent that letter to herself.”
“Really? Why would you say that?”
“Elise is a huge drama queen. She can’t survive when the spotlight isn’t on her, all the time.” Diego didn’t meet Gabriel’s gaze when he made that statement; instead, he was looking off toward the set. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have work to do.”
Gabriel watched Diego stomp away in search of someone to fawn over him, he supposed, and thought the vampire was a self-engrossed idiot. He knew for a fact that Elise was far from a drama queen. She was the opposite. She didn’t crave the limelight at all. That was not the reason she pursued an acting career. He still knew that much about her, at least.
Before Gabriel could find someone else to question, Elise came onto the set and it was as if the entire studio fell into a reverent silence. All the cast and crew watched as she moved, floating, it appeared, with the long skirt swishing around her ankles. He had to admit he was just as mesmerized by her. Still mesmerized, he guessed. Because he’d been awestruck by her since they were kids.
So instead of doing his job, he backed up, found a chair and sat down to watch her make movie magic.
* * *
Two hours later, Gabriel’s butt was numb and his throat was dry. He desperately needed something to drink. But it had been worth it to watch Elise work. She was stunning. When she was before the camera, she transformed into that character. It was amazing to watch even for a layman who knew nothing about the business and couldn’t care less about it.
He slid off the chair and was going to sneak away to grab a drink before anyone could see him, but as if on cue, Elise was beside him.
“Did you enjoy the scene?”
He wanted to say something coy, but instead he spoke the truth. “Yes. You’re very talented. I’ve always enjoyed your films.”
She smiled then, and it lit up her beautiful face, as if a lightbulb had been clicked on inside. He had to look away before being sucked into that light, like a moth to a flame.
“I didn’t know you’d seen my movies.”
He shrugged. “I like to go to the theater once in a while. You know, on a day off.”
“I didn’t know you took days off, either.”
He glanced up at her. She was still smiling at him, and this time there was humor in her gaze. He returned the smile. “It’s been known to happen every so often. Yeah, who knew I had a life?”
Elise licked her lips and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something then, but changing her mind she lowered her gaze and played with the rings on her fingers. “Have you found anything out?”
He shook his head. “Not much. What’s it like working with Diego again?”
“Like hell.” She shook her head. “But I think it will be worth it. I think this is going to be a fantastic film. The script was amazing and I just couldn’t say no.”
“So, you two aren’t on good terms at all?”
“You could say that.”
“Could I say that there is animosity and possibly hatred?”
Elise frowned. “I wouldn’t say hatred. At least not on my part. I don’t hate Diego. I just don’t like him very much. But he’s one hell of an actor. I have to admit that.”
He nodded.
She leaned closer to him. He could smell her perfume and the scent of her skin. “You don’t think he had anything to do with these letters, do you?”
“Can’t say. Anything’s possible at this point.”
She just nodded, but Gabriel could see the worry on her face. He didn’t think she’d ever considered Diego to be the one sending the hate mail. He didn’t know if that was the case, but Gabriel had heard the derision in Diego’s voice. There was a high level of animosity directed toward Elise. Jealousy certainly, too. Maybe there was still a sense of entitlement there as well, sick and twisted by her leaving him. He wouldn’t count Diego out as a suspect.
“Elise, we’re ready for you,” Reginald called to her.
She waved her hand at him then turned back to Gabriel. “I didn’t say thank-you. I know you really don’t want to be here and I imagine you probably fought tooth and nail against coming.”
Gabriel couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. She knew him too well.
“So.” She sighed. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She gave him a final nod, and turned to walk back to the main set. Then she stopped and glanced over her shoulder toward him. “So, I’ll see you later tonight then?”
“What’s tonight? I thought you were done filming around six?”
She lifted one elegant eyebrow. “You’ll see.”
Chapter 6
And he did see. Unfortunately.
Gabriel fussed with the buttons of his rented tuxedo as he scanned the crowded room for a way to escape.
Lily regarded him from under long black lashes. “Would you quit fidgeting? You look good.”
He sniffed at her. He knew he looked out of place, and definitely uncomfortable. He preferred his battered suit jacket and worn jeans to this monkey suit. And he liked wearing his tan fedora every once in a while so he could hide the fact that his hair didn’t always behave. He’d slicked it back with a lot of gel for this occasion, but the front was stubborn and curled down onto his forehead.
Before he’d left to come to the party, he battled with it for a half hour then just given up. It didn’t really matter what he looked like anyway. He was at the Grand Hotel in a law-enforcement capacity. He was here to make sure Elise was safe. This wasn’t a date with the most spectacular woman alive.
They hadn’t even come together. He arrived alone, met up with Lily, only because she was watching out for him, and he would do his job and leave by himself. Elise hadn’t even arrived yet. He figured it was just like her to be late.
Some would think it was because she liked to make an entrance, to be at the center of attention, but he knew it was because she didn’t wear a watch and she didn’t much care for time. She’d always said it was a waste to watch time.
“You’re not very comfortable in a suit, are you?”
He pulled at the bow tie. “Now, why would you say that?”
Lily laughed and slapped him on the arm. “It baffles me that you two were ever together.”
He glanced at her, his hand stilling on his tie. “She told you about us?”
She nodded. “Just briefly. Said it was a long time ago and you were both very different people.” She looked him up and down. “You must’ve been very different then.” She laughed again and then squeezed his arm tight. “Oh, here she comes.”
There was a murmur through the crowd. It didn’t take long to realize the point at which Elise had entered the party. All heads had turned that way.
Gabriel thought he was prepared to see her dressed up, but the reality of her couldn’t be planned for. She was stunning in a strapless sheath of sapphire-blue. Her skin was so pale, like smooth flawless marble, against the darkness of the silky fabric. Her long golden hair was pinned up in a smooth sweep, accentuating her delicate neck. It was elegant and beguiling and Gabriel could see the vein pulsing along her jawline. It wasn’t often that his vampiric genes came out to play but right now he found he wanted to press his lips to that pulsating vein. Her blood would taste like ambrosia. Gabriel found it very difficult to breathe.
