“What did you find out, Jeff?” Elle asked slowly, clearly not actually wanting the answer.
“Let’s just say the entire story has already been all neatly tied up with a pretty pink bow on top. Pictures are posted that any idiot with a smidgeon of technical savvy can tell have been doctored. Quotes from unnamed sources that draw sympathy for her circumstances without giving any details or verifiable information are plastered everywhere. The director wishes her well and has promised to be patient while she deals with what life has handed her.”
“What’s the story?”
“The articles claim Katrina and her costar Oliver fell in love on the set and took off to Cabo for an extended lovers’ vacation. Both spouses were left at home, reeling from Katrina and Oliver’s deceitful actions. The articles say both soon-to-be-former spouses left town, headed for undisclosed locations, so they can grieve without the prying eye of the media watching them.”
“It’s all a cover-up, from the highest level down,” Elle replied in disbelief.
“No doubt about it.”
“Okay, I’ll call Ray back and insist he have two armed bodyguards waiting for me on the lot today.”
“I’d rather you not go to the sound stage at all until they’re with you,” Jeff urged.
“Jeff, I don’t have enough clout yet not to show up for work and have the director be okay with that. Today will be a long day. There’s no break in the schedule until early afternoon, so I’ll be inside the sound stage at least until then. I’ll be fine.”
Jeff released a heavy sigh, conveying his annoyance without words. “You are so hardheaded, you know that?”
“I love you, too. Thanks for looking out for me.”
They disconnected with Elle promising to call Jeff immediately if her agent gave her any trouble over when her protection would be onsite. She repeated the conversation to Beth before calling Ray.
“Someone is lying, Elle. Katrina wouldn’t have done that. Jeff needs to have someone check the pictures and verify the dates. I’d bet my entire year’s salary none of them is recent,” Beth objected.
“I agree, Beth. I’m calling Ray right now. Whatever is going on will not happen to us.”
She scrolled through her contacts and hit the number for her agent. She held her breath, dread filling her with each ring that passed without an answer.
“Elle, my darling, it’s not often I’m graced with two phone calls from you in one morning. What can I do for you?”
“Ray, I need those two armed bodyguards waiting for me at the sound stage by the time I leave today. Tomorrow is too late.”
“Did something happen? Do I need to call the police right now?”
“No, nothing has happened yet, but I don’t want to wait and leave anything to chance. Text me back with their names and pictures so I know who they are when I see them.”
“Of course, of course. Consider it done, my love. Hey, aren’t you due on the set in about twenty minutes?”
“Yes, I’m pulling into the lot right now. Don’t worry, I have the best hair and makeup artists in the world to make sure I’m camera-ready on time.”
“You’re a natural beauty. You don’t need makeup like everyone else does,” Ray schmoozed. “Now, I’m off to ensure you feel safe and sound at all times. You’ll hear back from me soon.”
The busy schedule and moving to the various sets kept her busy throughout the day and well into the night. After the director yelled the final “Cut,” she was exhausted and could no longer hide it.
“Vince, I need a break. I’ve been going nonstop since I got here this morning.”
“I know, Elle. We’re behind, and the studio can’t extend our time with the sound stage. We’ll call it a wrap for the night and start back tomorrow morning,” Vince replied.
“Miss Sinclair? I have this message for you.” A short, young girl smiled shyly as she passed the handwritten note to Elle.
“Thank you.” Elle smiled warmly, despite her irritation with her situation. The young girl’s smile brightened. She was clearly content with just being acknowledged by one of the main stars. Watching the girl walk away with an added spring in her step reminded Elle why she’d always been cognizant of how she treated the crew. Her positive thoughts changed immediately when she read the message. “You son of a bitch!”
“What’s wrong, sailor?” Beth asked with a smirk.
“Listen to this. ‘Elle, darling, your bodyguards will be on the set first thing in the morning, as you requested. –Ray’ They were supposed to be here tonight to escort us home. I need to find a better agent.”
“Go change and let’s go home. Your clothes are in your trailer. We’ll deal with firing Ray and finding a competent agent in the morning. I’ll meet you at the car and be your bodyguard for the night.”
“I feel safer already,” Elle replied with a sardonic chuckle. “I’ll be right there.”
When she stepped out of the sound stage door, she was surprised to see how busy the lot was so late. Crew members darted from one place to the other, various teams hustling to finish their work for the night. Once inside her trailer, she checked her phone for messages, chatted with her mother via text, then changed into her regular clothes. When she opened the door of her trailer and stepped out, the unnatural silence that met her frightened her.
Her skin prickled with cold chills in the warm Southern California air. The feeling of being watched hadn’t left her for several days, but the shudders flowing over her in waves were stronger than they’d ever been. Someone was out there, watching and waiting. She knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
She rushed toward the car lot where they’d parked, wielding her apartment key like a weapon, ready to stab someone in the eye if necessary. Her thumb slid up the side of the key, holding it firmly in her grasp. The car was mere steps away—the safety and security of the interior were her homing beacon, and her feet instinctively carried her to it. A fleeting thought of having words with Vince about keeping security on the lot until everyone had cleared out crossed her mind as she reached the car. She extended her arm and grasped the handle, relief flooding her because she’d made it safely.
“Miss Sinclair.”
Startled, she jumped and whirled around at the sound of a man behind her. Before her brain could register what her eyes witnessed, everything around her went completely black.
Strange noises roused Elle from her deep slumber. She fought against her own muscles to force her eyes to open. Sleep felt so good to her overexhausted mind and body, and she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in so long. But if Beth already had company over, then she’d apparently slept later than she realized. She rolled over in the bed and fought the grogginess that had overtaken her, covering her like a heavy blanket. After sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and realized when she felt the thick, stiff mascara still caked on her eyelashes she didn’t wash her makeup off the night before.
That was her first red flag. As a model and actress, she never went to bed without completing her nighttime beauty regimen, no matter how late she’d returned home. The second red flag immediately followed the first when she realized how hard she’d slept. Running on fumes and a few hours of sleep every night had become her normal. She peeled her eyelids open, and a full-blown panic attack ensued. Her eyes traveled around the room, taking in the décor and furnishings. Reality and facts clashed with denial and self-preservation.
She wasn’t in her bed.
She wasn’t in her room.
She wasn’t in her apartment.
She had no idea where she was.
The plush bedroom was as large as the entire apartment she shared with Beth. The furniture was all one-of-a-kind pieces from exclusive, appointment-only boutiques in Beverly Hills. The paintings adorning the walls were multimillion-dollar originals, not available for purchase to the average citizen. Vases of fresh flowers filled the room with their sweet fragrance. Floor-to-ceiling windows made up an entire wall, with what was sure to be a spec
tacular view when it wasn’t still pitch-black outside.
She slid out of bed and panic nearly incapacitated her when she realized she wore a strange gown rather than her own clothes, but she had no memory of how she got in it. Determined to figure out where she was and why she was there, she began opening drawers to search for any clues. Every drawer only served to increase her anxiety, yielding nothing except more plain cotton nightgowns like the one she wore, mingled with various feminine toiletry items.
She rushed through the room, checking the expansive closets and the bathroom but finding nothing of use. Nothing that revealed any information and nothing that gave a single hint of where she was being held. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, and her mind raced as she tried to recall what last happened to her and how she got there.
She moved to the door and quietly turned the knob, opening it slowly to peek into the hallway. When she found it was empty, she tiptoed out of the bedroom and ran barefoot toward the front of the house. The long hall was just one indication of how large the house was. The number of doors that lined the hallway was the other. Her anxiety ratcheted up another notch as she tried to formulate an escape plan in her jumbled thoughts. From whom she had to escape and why they’d taken her to start with were beyond her capacity to analyze at the time. All she could think about was finding the door that led outside, then when she was far enough away, she’d focus on who and why.
The end of the hall opened into an expansive family room, taking away the relative cover the smaller space had offered. A quick perusal around the room revealed much of what she already knew—she was held in a multimillion-dollar house. That fact frightened her more than if she’d awakened in a derelict house. With more resources came more security, more privacy, and less chance of anyone hearing her cries for help.
The large, wooden door to freedom came into view and propelled her body forward. Her feet smacked against the marble floor of the foyer, and her heart hammered against the inside of her chest. It was so close now—all she had to do was reach out and grab the door handle, then she’d be outside, one step closer to freedom.
She flung the door open, letting it slam against the wall when she released it. Across the spacious front porch, down the steps, into the thick, manicured grass of the sprawling front lawn, and toward the brick wall that encased the estate, she ran as hard as she could. The adrenaline coursing through her veins blocked the burning in her thighs and the pain from the lack of oxygen in her lungs.
Her sole focus was how she’d scale the brick wall that stood between her and the open road. A few more feet to go. A few more feet and she’d find help, learn what had happened to her, and stop long enough to cry her eyes out. But first things first—the wall.
Her legs carried her so fast, her body bent in half from the forward momentum when a strong, muscled arm grasped her around the waist. All the air was knocked out of her from the sudden stop, leaving her gasping for breath and nearly incapable of fighting back. The muscular arm easily lifted her off the ground and turned to face the house, carrying her away from freedom with every step.
From the outside, it was a gorgeous mansion she ordinarily would’ve admired. Palm trees lined the circular cobblestone driveway. Tall, white columns framed the archways along the entire front of the house and the matching detached garage. Ornate statues were evenly spaced along the drive. The stark white elegant marble figures were accentuated by the deep green privacy hedge.
The heavy thud of boots and clink of metal pulled her eye from the house and onto an approaching man. Dressed all in black and wearing a leather vest, he smirked as he strode toward her. His lewd smile made her skin crawl, and her breath hitched in her chest.
“Look who we have here, running around the yard like she owns the place,” he said as his fingers slid down her cheek. “You woke up sooner than I thought you would. So, where were you going?”
Fear seized her from the inside out, stealing her ability to speak or think rationally. She shook her head from side to side, though she didn’t know what it was she tried to convey. She only wanted to get away from both men. Seized by fear, all she could think was how she wanted to wake up from the nightmare that had become her life,
“You were trying to run from us. Don’t lie to me now,” he snarled. “You were trying to get out of here and call the police on us.”
He waited for her to reply, but her vocal cords were paralyzed with fright.
“I’ll tell you a secret, sweetheart. You would’ve been better off calling them from inside the house instead of trying to get over that high fence. But, we won’t make the mistake of underestimating you again.”
He raised his other hand to her face and gave a small spray bottle two swift pumps, sending the droplets directly into her nose and mouth. Within seconds, she was knocked out, her muscles as limp as a rag doll, and theirs to do with as they pleased.
4
CHAPTER FOUR
“Would you look at her? I wish I had her hair. And her eyes. And her face. And her body,” Brianna mused as she watched TV. “She’s perfect in every way.”
“All of the tabloids are reporting she’s dating Jax Hart. I bet that'll make for some interesting love scenes in their upcoming movie. The book they based it on is a scorcher." Chaise fanned herself.
“Was the book based on our sex life?” Bull questioned.
“Uh, no.”
“Then it wasn’t hot enough.” He smirked with confidence.
“Do you believe the stories about them in those magazines are real?" Brianna probed, ignoring Bull.
“No,” Shadow interjected. “They’re not.”
“You sound pretty sure. Has the CIA sanctioned stalking movie stars or something?” Brianna teased.
“Anything I do is sanctioned.” His smile lit up his deep blue eyes and his handsome face.
“Because of tenure and all that jazz, huh?”
“Something like that.” Shadow winked at Brianna before his gaze floated back to the TV and the beautiful woman’s face filling the screen.
“Apparently, they want to make up their own happily-ever-after ending for the hottest silver screen costars,” Chaise replied to Brianna, ignoring Shadow’s interruption into their conversation.
“They can make up any ending they want,” Shadow grumbled. “Her happily ever after won’t be with that jackass.”
Chaise and Bull casually laughed at Shadow’s offhanded comment but otherwise continued the conversation about the movie still in production. Brianna, however, wasn’t as easily fooled by Shadow’s aloofness. She locked her gaze on him, sensing she was finally in a position to use his tactics against him. Her inherent curiosity and journalistic instincts kicked into overdrive when he became unable to hide his discomfort with being under her scrutinizing gaze.
The muscles in the corners of her eyes squeezed together, narrowing in suspicion as she tilted her head to the side. He shifted positions in his seat and stared a little too hard at the TV, not allowing his eyes to move from the single spot. For a man who noticed everything about his surroundings, his choice to ignore the way she saw straight through him spoke volumes of what he’d never willingly verbalize.
“Shadow,” Brianna gently chastised the giant of a man she loved like a brother, convinced he’d spook and run away from her otherwise. “You have to look at me at some point.”
“Sunny,” he replied with her nickname. “You are my little sister, and I love you. You know that, right?”
“I do. Without a doubt.” She leaned over and put her hand on his arm. “And you know I love you. You’re my brother, by love if not by blood.”
"You realize some things are better left unsaid, right? Some questions don't need to be asked and answered."
“You literally saved my life, Shadow. If there’s anything I can do to help you, I’ll do it in a heartbeat. But if you don’t want to talk, I’ll respect that, too.”
He nodded, deep in thought, and then lifted his eyes to hers. “Fine. Le
t’s take a walk outside.”
“I’d love to.” She squeezed his arm in silent reassurance. “Noah, my love. Keep an eye on Amelia, Emery, and Gray, please. We’ll be back in a little while.”
“You’re trusting me alone with all three of the kids at once?” Noah’s grin lit up his face and made Brianna groan.
"I know that look. Don't force me to hide all the chocolate before I leave, Noah Steele," she warned in her stern, motherly voice.
“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted her but couldn’t hide his mischievous smile. “Whatever you say, princess.” Noah turned his gaze to Shadow and issued his own directive. “Take care of my wife on your walk, Shadow.”
“With my life, Reap.”
"We're not even leaving the grounds, Noah," Brianna chuckled.
“You’ve been known to get into trouble a time or two without even leaving the house,” Noah deadpanned.
“Fair enough. Ready to go, Shadow?”
“I know I’m going to regret this,” Shadow mumbled under his breath. “Let’s get it over with.”
“You sound like you’re about to be tortured.” Bull didn’t bother to hide his amusement at Shadow’s discomfort. “Should I get the buckets of water ready?”
“I’d take waterboarding over talking about my feelings any day.” Shadow shook his head and opened the door for Brianna to walk through first. Once she’d cleared the threshold, Shadow turned to Bull and whisper-shouted, “Come find me in five minutes. Save me!”
The door latched closed with the sound of roaring laughter on one side and complete silence on his side when he met Brianna’s narrowed stare. His chest expanded with his deep breath, and he slid his sunglasses on his face. “Looks like I’m all yours now, Sunny.”
Wicked Shadows (Steele Security Book 5) Page 4
