by Unknown
Leo felt like shit. He hadn’t planned on her paying anything. Add to the fact she couldn’t really afford it when he could. He intended to make this up to her.
Back at Leo’s house, Kim put away her new clothes. After Cesar’s place, they’d stopped at a luggage shop, a pharmacy to pick up essentials and Sephora for more essentials. A girl needed her makeup. And if she planned to stick around town another week, she needed to look halfway decent instead of her current zombie state.
Time to put on her big girl panties—thank God Cesar had sold underwear too—and help figure out what happened to Stephanie, not to mention looking over Leo’s finances.
She went downstairs, wearing one of the newly purchased outfits. A short, flowing black skirt, with a cream-colored sleeveless top. The three-inch black and cream wedges tied it all together and along with a little bit of height, the shoes were surprisingly comfortable. As she neared the kitchen, she heard Leo in his office.
“I don’t give a shit what your computer is saying. It’s wrong. I’m not even close to maxing out any of my cards.” He paused and Kim heard rustling. “What?” She barely caught his whisper. “That’s not possible,” he said. “I would’ve known, I would’ve—” He stopped or got cut off and Kim continued toward the kitchen. It seemed almost impossible to spend as much money as he made per movie, but if this house and his cars were any indication, then the man had expensive tastes. She’d heard he had homes in New York, Hawaii, Paris and London.
Talk about excessive.
Not to mention that he used Carl’s crooked accountant. It all added up to trouble.
Kim poured herself a glass of ice water and stared out the French doors that overlooked the massive backyard. A tennis court and pool surrounded parklike grounds. Two wicker sofas with green cushy pads bookended a large fire pit. A perfect place for entertaining.
Leo stormed into the kitchen and stopped short when he saw her. He quickly covered his scowl, but she watched his color deepen. He was still embarrassed about the shopping trip.
“You know, I didn’t plan or expect for you to pay for my clothes. I don’t know why you have such a bug up your butt about it.”
“I don’t have a bug up my butt,” he insisted. He opened the fridge door and pulled out a beer. It was still early afternoon. “You want one?” He held out the Stella Artois. The man had a fascination for all things Stella.
“No, thanks.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Look, I couldn’t help but overhear and it seems too coincidental to me. Maybe I should just start on your stuff now. The faster I begin, the sooner I get out of your hair so you can…” she gestured to the bottle in his hand and lifted an eyebrow, “…do whatever it is you do when you get upset.”
Leo looked at the beer in his hand and glanced back at her. He shoved the thing back in the fridge and slammed the door shut. He paced the massive kitchen, a tiger on the prowl, his hands running over his head with nervous energy. Finally he stopped and faced her.
“Look, apparently, I’m in a deep hole of shit and I had no idea.”
“You picked up your files a few days ago when we got Carl’s. Didn’t you go through them?”
Leo leaned back as if she’d spoken something taboo. “Go through them? It’s like reading another language.” He shook his head. “Numbers are not my friend. The more of them on a page the more my brain shuts off. I was waiting for a couple of references before I just took the files to someone else to figure out.”
“That’s why I’m here, remember?” She gestured toward the office. “Lead the way. Let’s get this party started.”
But Leo didn’t move.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
“The bank said…” He couldn’t finish. “Look, today. I need to apologize.” He faced her. “You’re right. I did want to buy you those things because you’ve had a tough couple of days. Your friend is gone. You lost everything you came here with besides the clothes on your back and even those were basically ruined because I tackled you.”
“I’d rather have ruined clothes than be dead, and that’s what I would’ve been if I’d gotten closer to the house. I can handle that as a price to pay. You’re the one who got burned.”
He closed his eyes, shook his head and waved her off.
“As far as the clothes…” She waited for him to look at her. When his cobalt blue eyes landed on her, she got an unwanted blast of tingles across her arms. “It was a nice thought on your part and I appreciate it, but I take care of myself. No one buys me stuff other than me.”
His lips curved upward in a barely there smile. “Even for your birthday and Christmas?”
“Those are two exceptions. The other is Valentine’s Day. I’m a sucker for chocolates and flowers, but don’t tell anyone.”
He studied her and a wave of heat followed the tingles. “Why can’t people buy you things?”
“That’s a topic for a different day.” No way did she plan to unload her garbage on Leo Frost. He might’ve been acting like a decent guy, but he was in a crap load of trouble for one reason or another, and not only was he paying her to find out what it was, but she wanted to know for herself.
Chapter Twelve
Though Blake had slept in his own apartment the night before, he was happy to be back at his boss’s house the next day, working on a new missing person’s case. The woman in question had last been seen at her husband’s nightclub and Blake had been checking her recent credit history to see if any leads arose from out of the ordinary purchases. Usually, he’d be working from the office in Century City, but shadowing Abbey made it necessary to work from Troy’s home office.
Julie had called Troy away from the computer to ask him a question about the upcoming remodel of the guesthouse, so when a scream came from the kitchen, Blake dropped the file in his hand and ran full out across the house, his heart slamming against his ribs. He slid into the kitchen in time to see Abbey dancing happily around the center island with the phone to her ear. He nearly dropped to his knees in relief.
“Got it. Bye.” She hung up and let loose another sound, this one closer to a squeal.
Julie and Troy ran in from the backyard.
“What?” Julie asked. “What happened?”
“I’ve got a callback!” Abbey flawlessly moonwalked across the floor then turned in a perfect Michael Jackson spin. “This afternoon.” She looked up at the three faces watching her. “I have to go back to my apartment for some stuff.”
Julie hugged her fast and hard. “Wonderful!”
Blake looked at Troy. They’d discussed this already. Any time Abbey left the estate, she became a target. Though no one could definitively say that the speeding car had been intended strictly for Abbey, neither Troy nor Blake believed in coincidence.
“You guys!” Abbey said, her aggravated reprimand clear in her tone. “Showing up to this screen test without the right clothes and makeup is just as bad as not showing up at all. Julie, will you please tell them that I have to do this.”
Julie looked from Troy to Blake then back to Abbey. “You have to do it, but you also have to be really careful. Troy knows his stuff. If he’s concerned, then there’s something to worry about.”
Abbey looked at Blake and gave him her best sad face.
Shit, she played him like a fucking maestro and like any instrument, he just sat there and took it. Blake rolled his eyes as much from his own lack of backbone as her puppy-dog pout. “Yes, I’ll take you. Quit with the face.”
Abbey clapped her hands and squeaked again, as excited as a toddler, and Blake couldn’t help but smile at her happiness. This was the Abbey he loved to see, the free-spirited lady who’d stolen his heart a year ago.
An hour later, she sat shotgun next to him as they headed for Abbey’s apartment with Troy following to watch for any tails. Troy peeled off after twenty minutes and went back home.
At her place, Abbey changed and came out of her bedroom a vision in black and green. The form fitting black leggings
outlined the outrageous curve of her perfect ass, and calf-high black boots with a three-inch heel gave her even more height than usual. A green flowing top draped seductively over her figure inspired imagination. The sheer material over her collarbone and shoulders had him itching to touch the soft skin beneath. She rummaged around a pile of papers on the small desk in the corner of the room and pulled out a headshot before they left her apartment. Walking back to his SUV, the light breeze plastered the fabric against her chest and made Blake long to feel those curves for himself.
The screen test took place in a different building than the dance auditions. People moved in and out of a single wood door. A small sign with an arrow pointing upstairs read Casting Office, and they made their way up the narrow staircase. The stairs turned right and another flight opened into a giant waiting area filled with people. Four numbered doors indicated different studios and they were all closed.
“I’m good. I need to sign in,” Abbey said, pointing to the small desk with paperwork in the corner of the room. She gave him a finger wave before walking away.
Satisfied she was safe, he went back downstairs and waited. Down the hallway, Blake saw a man moving boxes into an office, before he stepped outside. After waiting thirty minutes, he got fidgety. He opened the door as it was pushed open from inside and came face-to-face with Abbey. Her green eyes were lit with excitement.
“Oh my God, that was so awesome, you have no idea.”
“Awesome enough for another celebratory ice cream and walk through the park?”
She gave him her Julie face. One eyebrow lifted while the other eye narrowed. “I think you’re looking to score another kiss.”
Didn’t he wish. He gave her his best smile. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She swatted his bicep.
Rubbing the spot, he laughed. “Seriously, you have to admit, that was a great first lesson. I don’t see why you wouldn’t benefit from another one.”
“I just see you benefiting from another one.”
“Why can’t it be both?”
She shook her head and snorted. “I need to call my agent. I told her I’d give her the scoop as soon as I left.”
Abbey made the call from the SUV, and Blake heard about every second of the audition as Abbey relayed it to her agent and then hung up.
They got halfway back to Troy and Julie’s place when Abbey’s phone rang.
“It’s my agent again,” she said, glancing at the screen. “Hi, what’s up?” She listened. “No way. Now? Seriously?” She patted his arm and motioned the other direction with her thumb. “I’m on my way. I can be there in twenty minutes.”
Shit. He didn’t want to know.
Abbey disconnected the call. “You need to go back. They want to talk to me again.”
“That’s crazy. They just saw you.” But Blake turned the Explorer around and headed back anyway.
By the time he returned to the building, there was no street parking because of traffic. Blake drove to the lot in the back and waited for a truck to move so he could park.
Abbey’s leg bounced with nervous tension as she glanced at her watch. “I’m gonna run in,” she said, checking her makeup in the pull down mirror.
“No.” Blake saw a spot on the other row and tried to move around the truck, but it started moving…albeit very slowly.
“I can’t wait,” Abbey said, unbuckling her belt. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to run in. It’ll take me a few seconds.”
“Abbey, no!” But she was already out the door and sprinting to the building. “Wait, Ab!” Blake slammed the SUV in reverse and burned rubber, pulling into the parking spot in the next row. He didn’t want her out of his sight for a minute.
Abbey bounded into the building, her jitters as plentiful as the hope busting in her chest. This whole process had felt right from the very beginning. These people liked her and she felt her luck shifting for the first time in years. Granted, working for Julie was awesome and the lady treated her like gold, but Abbey’s dream was to dance for a living, not be Julie’s assistant.
The best move she’d made was to take the choreographer position with her dance troupe when Stacy had moved. Choreographers had more clout, were taken more seriously. This credit on her resume said she could not only handle the dancing, but she could create as well. She’d been dying to prove herself. Dancing was the one place she could let go and just be. She had no worries, no cares, only the music and her body to express the emotion harbored in her chest.
This job could mean the life change she’d worked so hard for. She’d miss Julie and Julie’s mom, Elena, and the excitement of the movie sets, but she’d get to trade it in for the love of her life. Dancing.
She started up the stairs, looking forward to this next interview. Had someone come late and wanted to meet her or did they want to mix and match her with another choreographer or the host of the show?
“Abbey?”
She almost didn’t hear her name and backtracked down the few steps. A man leaned out of a doorway from down the hall. He had shaggy brown hair and looked vaguely familiar as he smiled and waved at her. “We’re in here this time,” he said.
“Oh. Okay.” Had she seen him earlier? She definitely remembered him from somewhere, but something was different. She moved down the hall toward him and he gestured into the room and followed her in. A pine desk occupied the right side of the small room and two gray filing cabinets sat along the back wall. No sign of any camera equipment or producers.
This didn’t feel right at all. The hair on her neck prickled as she felt his presence behind her. Her heart rate soared as his beefy arm wrapped around her from behind, but Abbey was already moving, twisting, spinning out of his reach. He lunged before she formulated more of a plan than just get the fuck away from him. His weight bore her into a stack of boxes that toppled over. She followed them down to the carpet and struck out with long fingernails against his cheek.
He trapped her hands in his large one. “Fucking bitch,” he swore. “Don’t fight me, little girl. You won’t win.” His hot breath panted over her face and his dark eyes glared into hers.
Fresh fear sent adrenaline shooting through her veins. Her pulse raced and her lungs threatened to seize. She couldn’t lose it now. Time, she needed to buy a little time. “I have forty bucks in my wallet, it’s all yours. Just take it.” She only wished that was what he wanted. It suddenly dawned on her why he looked familiar. It was the man from the Sports Center. He’d not only shaved off his mustache, but without the hat and sunglasses, she hadn’t recognized him. “You,” she whispered.
His eyes narrowed. Shit on a stick! Why did she have such a big mouth? Fresh panic had her squirming until his grip tightened painfully on her wrists.
“Stop fucking fighting,” he growled.
“Okay, okay!” She gave up, her heart racing frantically as he stared down at her. He got to his feet and pulled her up roughly by her bicep. Abbey grabbed her stomach and bent over. “Ah!” she moaned. “Wait a sec. I think you cracked my rib.” He bent toward her and she clasped her hands together and lifted up hard. Using her momentum and the strength of both fisted hands, she slammed him in the cheek. The force snapped his head and Abbey followed up with a kick. She’d aimed for his groin, but he swiveled and she caught his thigh instead. She bolted for the door, but he caught her before she made it. “Hel—”
A sharp fist to her kidney cut off her air. Pain exploded in her back and ricocheted in her torso as Abbey dropped like a rock. “I’m not supposed to damage the merchandise. Don’t fucking get me in trouble,” he growled. Abbey struggled to get air in her lungs and he wrapped a huge arm beneath her stomach and yanked her up like a rag doll. Despite her renewed fighting, he trapped her arms against her midsection and placed a white handkerchief over her mouth. Abbey struggled not to breathe. She wiggled in his grip and finally slammed her head back against his chest over and over until she was dizzy. One, two, three. The guy wasn’t budging. The exertio
n was too much. Her lungs burned. She had to take in air. Instead she took in the rank chemicals in the handkerchief. Her vision blurred and her strength ebbed until even the pressure of his arm around her disappeared as everything faded to nothing.
Blake heard the tussle and his heart nearly beat out of his chest as he bolted in the room. Seeing Abbey hanging limp in the big man’s arms sent every caveman instinct roaring for vengeance. The guy’s bloody cheek told him she’d put up a hell of a fight.
“Set her down nice and easy,” he growled. Sweat prickled his spine.
Nodding slowly, the guy assessed Blake with narrowed eyes as he set Abbey down. Before he stood up, he launched himself at Blake and they slammed into the back wall. Blake had expected the attack and shifted just enough to get leverage after impact. He landed on top and planted a fist in the guy’s face, exactly where Abbey had scratched him. He got in another shot before something slammed into his arm. Pain ripped up his shoulder as the blow knocked him over. He scrambled to get his footing and looked up just in time to see a massive fist make contact with his face. A lightning rod of agony exploded in his head before he fell back.
When he opened his lids, a twenty-something redhead with wide frightened eyes kneeled next to him. “Are you okay?” she asked.
His head hurt like a bitch. Blake shook off the cobwebs and wished he hadn’t when the room got fuzzy. What the hell had hit him? He’d had the first guy pinned so someone else must have joined the fight. How long ago—
Abbey!
He scrambled to his feet. “My friend. Did you see where they took her?” He checked his watch and headed toward the door. He’d only been out a couple of minutes. He looked up and down the hallway. “Two guys just took her out of here. Did you see anything?”
