by Cara Wylde
“I’m afraid I can’t possibly do that, Miss Tonks. They hate being disturbed.”
“What if it’s an emergency?”
The butler shook his head regretfully. “I couldn’t reach them even if I tried, to tell you the truth. They’re often out of range.”
“Out of range? In LA?!”
She laughed, then the more rational side of her brain kicked in, and the laugh died on her lips. They were on their ship. Out in space, not out of range. It all made sense now.
“Alright, look. I don’t have time to wait. I just came over to ask them whether they saw Sharon today. Sharon Kander?”
The man blinked at her in confusion.
“Actress? Dark hair, curvy, rather short…? She was wearing a silver dress at the party and stayed with me, Sean Spencer, Alex and Kit most of the night? I was supposed to meet with her today, and I can’t get hold of her.”
“I’m truly sorry, miss.”
“You were serving drinks, am I right?”
“Yes, of course. I know who you’re referring to, but I don’t know what to tell you… Miss Kander left before midnight, just like everyone else.”
“Cool, cool, cool…” Avery mumbled. She pulled at her ponytail as if the gesture helped her think. “Do you think I could talk to the rest of the staff? Maybe they saw something. Like… maybe Sharon left the party with someone?”
The butler shrugged, then motioned for her to follow him.
“Personally, I saw Miss Kander talk to many people last night, but I didn’t see her leave with anyone. Of course, I wasn’t present in the room at all times.”
Avery nodded, and followed him down some stairs. When they reached the kitchen, she quickly questioned the brothers’ personal chef, his two assistants, and the three maids. No one knew anything. She did her best to keep everything light and uninvolved, as if she was just looking for a friend and was more stressed about the script and the upcoming work ahead, than about where Sharon could possibly be and why she wasn’t answering her phone. Eventually, she had to give up, thank them for their help, and move on to the next person on her list.
* * *
Sean Spencer lived only a few streets away from the Walsh brothers. In truth, Avery was quite impressed. The guy had managed to make a name for himself since he had started appearing in Kralia productions. His house wasn’t as big and luxurious as the Walsh mansion, but it wasn’t that far from it, either. He answered the door himself, and once he managed to pull himself together and get over how exhausted the fabulous Poppy Tonks looked, he invited her inside.
“Do you want coffee? I was just having my second one.”
“What’s with everyone offering me coffee today?”
She plopped onto the huge, comfy sofa, and proceeded to study the large living room with utmost interest.
“Err… You look like you had a long night.”
“I like your place.”
“Thanks?” He grabbed his coffee from the tall bar on the other side of the room and sat in the armchair opposite Avery. “So… You. Here. Unannounced. I had no idea you knew where I live.”
Avery chuckled. “Everyone knows where you live, Spencer. I was in the neighborhood, and thought I might as well pay you a quick visit, ask you if you’ve seen Sharon lately… like, lately means today…”
Sean blinked at her a couple of times, took a few sips of coffee, then relaxed against the backrest.
“I’m confused. You’re looking for Sharon? I didn’t even know you were friends.”
“We clicked well last night and decided to get together today and do a reading. You know, work on our characters and the relationship between them. But she’s not answering my calls, and it’s kind of pissing me off. I was really looking forward to a nice day of script study.”
“Why did you think you’d find her here?”
She gave him a mischievous grin. “Well, I could tell that she likes you. I thought, maybe… you like her, too?”
“You know, for someone who’s usually acting so clever and classy, you’re making a lot of assumptions, Poppy.”
“You think I act clever and classy?”
He grinned, stood up, and went over to the bar.
“Yeah. Want to hear more?”
“Do share, Mr. Mind-reader.”
“I think you’re hiding something. I don’t know what, not yet, but I think you want people to see you in a certain light, while the real you…” He grabbed two glasses, then pointed one at her. “… The real you is a very, very different kind of creature. Coconut milk?”
“You keep coconut milk in the bar fridge?”
“I also have whiskey, gin, bourbon, and beer. But coconut milk has significantly less calories.” He winked at her.
Avery shook her head in disbelief.
“You’re such a weirdo, Spencer.”
“Right back at you, Tonks.”
She stood up and grabbed the car keys out of her back pocket.
“You know what? Thanks, I don’t do coconut milk. This was fun, though.”
“Anytime.”
She headed to the front door, then turned at the last minute, as if she’d just remembered something.
“It really bugs me that Sharon stood me up. I’m not ready to give up on her just yet. Can you give me any clue at all? Like… did you see her leave the party with someone?”
He thought for a moment.
“No, I don’t think so. But then again, I didn’t see you leave the party at all, so I guess I’m not very good at keeping track of who comes and goes, in general.”
“Hmm.” She decided it was better to ignore the smug look on his face and not give him any more reasons to be suspicious of her. “Thanks. See you later.”
“Sure.”
As she got into her car and put on her seatbelt, Avery thought Sean was quite cute and fun, after all. In other circumstances, she might have been interested in him. But, alas… he was no purple-skinned alien. Also, he was only one, when Avery had just discovered she very much preferred two. She shooed the distracting thoughts away and set her GPS for the next address.
“If Lydia doesn’t have anything for me either, I’m out of ideas,” she thought out loud.
* * *
Lydia Carmichael’s apartment looked like a bad joke compared to the two houses Avery had just visited. Then again, her own apartment looked like an even worse joke, since she hadn’t had it cleaned in forever. In fact, Lydia lived in a decent neighborhood, and her two-room flat was tidy and cozy, albeit a bit small. When Avery knocked on her door, the woman opened in a matter of seconds and pulled her into a tight hug. She was wearing a pink, fluffy bathrobe and unicorn slippers. Her hair was damp, signaling she’d just gotten out of the shower.
“Come in, hon. On my, I overslept! The party last night was the bomb, right? I had so much fun!”
Avery cocked an eyebrow. It was as if she and her agent had attended different parties.
“Coffee?”
Avery cringed. “No, thanks. I’ve already had enough today.” Enough coffee offerings, that was.
“What brings you here? You rarely ever visit. You know what? We should do this more often. I mean, I don’t do it with all my clients, but, Poppy dear, you’re special.”
Avery laughed. She had to admit this woman could make her relax in less than a minute. Lydia didn’t see life in black and white. She saw it in pink. And unicorn dust. Avery needed more people like her in her life.
“I’ve been looking for Sharon all morning, and I was wondering whether you might have seen her with someone last night, at the Walsh Residence. She’s not answering her phone, and she’s not at home either. We were supposed to meet today and work on the parts we have together.”
“Ooooh…”
Lydia sipped her coffee and scrunched up her nose.
“More sugar.”
She went into the kitchen, and Avery had no other option than to follow her.
“Well? What does that ‘oooooh’ mean, and why are you giving me that look?”
“Of course, you missed it!” Lydia was speaking quickly and enthusiastically now. “You disappeared mid-toast, and locked yourself in the bathroom, or something. Did you have too much to drink? I thought you could hold your liquor better. Or, was it the shrimp cocktail? I never liked those things… Seriously, Poppy, everyone should stop consuming those!”
“It wasn’t the cocktail. I got my period. What did I miss?”
“Oh, you poor thing. You should have said something. Does your tummy still hurt?”
“I’m fine…”
“Good, good. Oh, yes! Sharon. Well, if you’re saying she didn’t get home last night, then it’s settled: she scored a nice piece of rich buns for herself. If you know what I mean…”
“I don’t. English, please?”
Lydia sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.
“I saw her chatting with Adrian Reeve, then they left together in his limo.”
Avery crossed her arms over her chest and did her best to stay calm. She was finally getting a lead.
“Who’s Adrian Reeve? Never heard of him.”
“Only one of the richest investors and real estate owners in California, no biggie. He’s always on the Walsh guest list because he’s the one who invested in Kralia Studios ten years ago, when the company was just starting out. Honestly, I’m impressed. I didn’t think little, curvy Sharon had it in her. She always seemed the good girl type, don’t you think?”
Avery bit the inside of her cheek. She had everything she needed, and she couldn’t waste any more time gossiping. Finding out where this Adrian Reeve guy lived was easy. She just needed to get to the laptop in her car. Yes, she always kept a laptop in her car. In case of emergencies like this one.
“I should go.” She turned around and headed to the door.
“Noooo! We could have breakfast and go shopping later. I don’t have anything on my schedule today.”
“Some other time.” Avery gave her a bright, fake smile, and swung the door open. “I just remembered I have to do something. Bye!”
She ran down the stairs, not even caring she had probably hurt Lydia’s feelings. The second she reached her car, she turned her laptop on, searched for the guy’s address, and punched it in the GPS. On her way there, she thought she should probably call for backup. In fact, she should probably call Captain Shaw and let him handle things as he saw fit. She didn’t have to rescue Sharon alone. She shouldn’t. It was such a bad idea!
If Lydia’s story was correct and Adrian Reeve invested in Kralia Studios ten years ago, then there was a huge chance he was an alien, too. Was he Kralian? If he had taken Sharon against her will, then probably not.
“It might be too late…”
She was pumped. For the first time, she realized she actually cared about the petite brunette. It wasn’t just her guilt pushing her forward to save Sharon. She didn’t want the woman to end up on a spaceship, in the brig, like Grace and Kaylee. What if Adrian Reeve was Valgan? Sharon would be a new addition to his ever-growing harem. No, wait. The Valgan captain, Gorgan, had a harem. Grace and Kaylee hadn’t said anything about the Valgans in general. Maybe there was still hope. Hope that… what? Sharon was the only pleasure slave of a sicko? No, nothing made sense. Avery couldn’t think straight anymore. She was driving way too fast, and she simply couldn’t bring herself to call the SPG or the FBI for help. There was something inside her… something that told her she needed to do this alone.
She left her car one street away from Reeve’s ridiculously big house and ran to the back door. She was unarmed. The invisibility collar was in the pocket of her leather jacket, but she doubted she’d use it. She didn’t have a plan, really.
Avoiding the security cameras to the best of her ability, she sneaked into the back yard, then slowly got closer to the first window. All she could see was an empty room. The furniture was nice, there was a rather large sofa in the middle of the room, but nothing suspicious…
Carefully, with her back pressed to the exterior wall, Avery advanced toward the door. Just as she was reaching over to grab the handle, the door swung open, and a nearly hysterical woman burst through it, crashing right into Avery.
“What the…?!”
The woman was sobbing, and Avery did the only thing she could think of: she held her close for a long moment.
“Sharon? Are you okay?”
“Oh my God, Poppy! What are you doing here?! We have to go. Now.”
Avery held her at arm’s length and quickly studied her from head to toe. Sharon was wrapped in a white, crumpled sheet, and her dark hair was loose over her back and shoulders. She was barefoot, and mascara was smeared all over her cheeks as proof that she had been crying.
“What happened?”
Sharon just shook her head frantically and made to push past Avery and run.
“Sharon, just pull yourself together for a second and tell me what happened.”
“You wouldn’t believe me! We have to run, please. Please, I won’t get another chance like this.”
Finally, Avery nodded and took Sharon’s hand. She studied their surroundings for a moment, then decided the way she had come was their best option. All they had to do was avoid the cameras, and they’d get to the car in minutes.
“This way.”
They passed the large windows, ducking so no one who might have entered the room in the meantime would see them. Just as they were rounding the corner of the house and getting ready to cross the backyard, three tall, bulky men stopped them. At the sight of the man in the middle, Sharon screamed, pulled her hand free from Avery’s grasp, and ran in the opposite direction.
“Get her.” The man’s voice was low and even.
As the other two guys ran after Sharon, Avery simply stood there, painfully aware there was nothing she could do. Yes, she remembered the guy. She’d seen his face the night before, at the Walsh party.
“Adrian Reeve, I suppose,” she said.
“Poppy Tonks. My, my, my… What a beautiful surprise!”
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’m so disappointed in you, my Sharon. So disappointed.”
In his human form, Adrian Reeve was a tall, well-built man with reddish-blond hair, olive skin, and dark green eyes. An unexpected combination, indeed, but also one that made him look interesting, mysterious, and handsome in a “I don’t know what I see in him” kind of way. In his alien form, he looked like any other member of his species. Ebony black skin, intense red hair, and mesmerizing green eyes. Now, Avery could easily recognize a Norgavian when she saw one. The minute his men had comfortably tied them up to two metal chairs in the basement, he had taken off his bracelets and allowed them to see his real face.
“What should I do with you now, huh? I don’t think I can ever trust you again.”
He shook his head in mock confusion and hurt.
Avery followed his every move but stayed silent. Sharon had struggled and screamed all the way to the basement, so Adrian had asked one of his guys to gag her. Avery didn’t want the same thing to happen to her, so she kept her cool.
“And you…” The alien turned to her. “Poppy Tonks. Who would’ve thought you’d end up on my doorstep? And today of all days…”
Avery waited for the question she knew was coming.
“I know you came after your friend. How did you know she was here?”
She swallowed hard, then spoke in a calm, calculated voice.
“Someone saw Sharon leave the party with you. I’ve been looking for her all morning, and when I couldn’t get hold of her, I got worried.”
“Huh. Your story stands, I’ll give you that.”
He didn’t look very convinced, though. Yes, Avery’s motivation did stand and, even more than that, anyone she’d seen this morning could attest she was telling the truth. Well, then. It was good to know Norgavians tended to be such paranoid worriers.
&
nbsp; “Sharon and I decided to meet today to work on the script. The parts we have together…”
Adrian nodded. Avery wondered what his real name was, but she couldn’t simply ask. He wasn’t supposed to know this was not the first time she was meeting an alien. He hadn’t mentioned her Kralian masters, which meant he either didn’t know she was their slave, or he knew and was playing a sick game with her to see if she’d betray herself. She was pretty sure it was the first case, but she still decided to play it safe and follow his lead. Aedar and Kryan weren’t dangerous, but this one surely was. She could see it in his dark green eyes.
“This couldn’t have been more fitting.” He spread his arms to the sides as if to show the whole Universe was working for him. “To tell you the truth, Poppy, I actually had my eyes on you last night. But, seeing how you are the main star in Kit’s new movie, I figured he wouldn’t appreciate having to ask his team to choose another lead actress. Sharon, however… easily replaceable.”
That stung. Avery stole a glance at Sharon. The brunette was looking down at her lap, her shoulders slumped, and tears running down her cheeks. She didn’t care Adrian had just compared her to Avery and she had come up short. She probably couldn’t hear or see what was happening around her anymore, given the shock she was in.
“I don’t understand,” said Avery carefully. “Why did you kidnap Sharon? What do you want with her? Who are you?”
“So many questions…” He grinned. “I’m not sure I want to give you all of the answers just yet. How about I let you discover some of them yourself? Sharon here didn’t appreciate me allowing her to solve the puzzle. She doesn’t seem to like puzzles, but I can see you’re much more fun. Alex and Kit will have to find themselves a new star, after all.”
Avery shook her head weakly.
“N-no… What does that mean? What are you going to do to me?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. You’ll live a long, full life. That is, if you conform to a small set of rules. Nothing impossible to comply with, I promise.”
She felt adrenaline shoot through her veins. He wanted to turn her into his pleasure slave. She had to keep acting as if she were clueless, but it was hard when she’d just figured him out.
