by Cat Johnson
“The Rohypnol they found in Katia’s system . . . Carl drugged Katia,” Dani guessed, eyes wide.
“Not quite. It’s more like she drugged herself by mistake. She went into his stuff and took the pill without asking him, thinking they were aspirin.”
Dani’s eyes popped wide. “But still. Holy shit. Carl’s keeping a bottle of roofies at the beach house?”
“Looks like.” Nick nodded.
This news was enough to have her forgiving and forgetting all the time Nick had spent alone with Katia.
“He’s the groom. And he’s got a bottle of the date rape drug on set. You know what this means?” she asked.
“That we have a cluster fuck of major proportions on our hands?” Nick suggested.
“And possibly no more show.” She felt the blood drain from her face at the ramifications. “Have you told Maria yet? Or Joanne?”
“No, I came right here to you.”
As much as she enjoyed that she had been his first thought, this was important. “We have to let them know.”
“I know.” He reached into the pocket of the shorts again. The ones he apparently had no intention of putting on any time soon.
He pulled out his wallet. Slipping out the New Millennia business card, he held it between his two fingers.
“You want to have the honors?” he asked.
“Oh no.” She shook her head. “This case is all yours, Sherlock.”
“Was afraid you’d say that,” he grumbled. He blew out a breath and punched in the number.
Bare as the day he was born, except for the knee brace, and seemingly not caring one bit about that, he drummed his fingers on the counter.
Dani glanced to check those blinds really were closed.
She looked back and saw Nick stand a bit taller, even in his unclothed state. “Joanne. This is Nick Nelson. Head of security at the Cold Feet beach house.”
“Head of security,” she mouthed to him, brows raised.
He lifted one shoulder, then said, “Yes, I have found something. No, you’re the first one I called.”
That wasn’t quite a lie. Nick hadn’t called Dani. She’d been there in person for the big reveal.
“No, I’d rather not get into this on the phone. I’d prefer to tell all of you together in person. I think we need to have a meeting. First thing tomorrow morning, if you’re available. Katia, Carl, Maria, and you if possible. All right. Seven-thirty is perfect. Thank you, ma’am.”
He disconnected and lowered the cell, as Dani stood agape. “You really got away without giving her any details?”
“Yup.” He grinned.
“How? She’s like usually all into the details.”
“Not when she’s in the middle of something.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Something that had her a little breathless.”
Dani’s eyes popped wide. “Sex?”
He laughed. “Actually, it sounded like she was running on the treadmill, but I like how you think.” He sidled around the kitchen counter and over to her. “Let’s explore that idea. Shall we?”
Leaning down, he nuzzled her neck. A tingle ran through her, raising goose bumps on her arms. But she still couldn’t shake the news.
“Roofies,” she repeated, still trying to believe it.
He pulled back and switched to the other side of her throat. “Yup. So, don’t forget and go drinking that glass of water over there or you might pass out.”
“And then you’d have your way with me?” she asked.
“I don’t need drugs to have my way with you.” He scooped her into his arms.
She didn’t fight him. He was right. Nick was the only drug she needed.
TWENTY-NINE
For the first time since taking this job, Nick dreaded driving up to the beach house that morning.
He was about to walk in and ruin the lives of multiple people on various levels. Carl, for having the illegal substance in his possession. Katia, when she found out her soon-to-be husband traveled with the date rape drug in his shaving bag.
Then there was Maria and Joanne, not to mention Dani and the rest of the cast and crew . . . They were two weeks into a one-month shoot. If this were a show like Survivor, or Big Brother, or even Love Island, where the contestants got kicked off routinely, it would be fine. But on this show, Carl, as the groom, was supposed to make it to the end.
Were they going to continue on like nothing happened? Could they? And what happened to the show if they decided they couldn’t go on as planned? Was everyone out of a job?
Just when he’d finally won over Dani after ten years of trying, this shit happened.
He’d been so proud of his investigation, but at the end of the day, his involvement was probably going to cost Dani her career.
No show. No more job for Dani.
This was bad. Very bad.
“Nick. They’re ready for you.” Dave hooked a thumb toward the pool house. “They’re set up in there.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Dave.”
“For sure. Anything for you, Nick.” Dave grinned.
Hopefully Dave would still have a job after today.
“All right. We’re all here, as requested,” Joanne said, a good dose of attitude in her tone. She sat in the chair opposite where Maria sat. On the small loveseat, Katia perched next to Carl.
Nick tossed the drink test card onto the low cocktail table—although in this house, every table was a cocktail table.
“The night Katia disappeared she had a headache. She and Carl share a bathroom. She went into his bag looking for pain reliever and found a bottle of what she assumed was aspirin. Without asking Carl first, Katia took a white pill from a bottle she found in his bag . . . and she remembers nothing after that.”
Nick glanced up and saw Carl pale.
“Katia," he continued. "What you took wasn’t aspirin. It was Rohypnol.”
She frowned and glanced from Carl back to Nick. “No.”
“Yes.” Nick dragged in a breath. “When you showed me the bottle last night and I took one of the pills, I brought it home and tested it. The pill from that aspirin bottle is what turned that drink test card pink. Meaning it tested positive for GHB, Ketamine or Rohyphnol, which was what the initial tox screen at the hospital showed as being in your system.”
“Carl roofied me?” Wide-eyed she spun to glare at her groom.
Carl shook his head and glanced around at those present. “I didn’t! I swear. Katia, I would never.”
“Katia, I know your memories are a bit foggy from that night, but you’d told me you went into his bag and got the bottle of pills out yourself. Are you sure about that?” Nick asked.
Katia’s eyes narrowed, as she thought. “That night is hazy, and parts of it are a complete blank, but yeah, I remember taking two of those.”
Two. That was a big dose. Jesus. No wonder she was so out of it for so long. One would be more than enough to knock her out.
“So, actually, you roofied yourself. You took the pills on your own,” Nick reminded. “Carl didn’t slip them to you.”
That was a small distinction, having the drug versus actually using it on a woman. Just Carl having the illegal pills in his possession was damning enough. But it would have been horrifying to think the guy he’d had a beer with, laughed with, had purposely drugged is fiancé.
Nick glanced toward the employees of the production company.
Joanne was stone-faced and unreadable.
Maria looked as if her mind was spinning. No doubt budgets and deadlines were running through her brain as she tried to figure out how to salvage two weeks’ worth of costly production.
Nick sighed. What a mess. A bride who’d roofied herself. A groom who traveled with an industrial sized bottle of Rohypnol. And a production company who probably wasn’t going to be very happy when the executive producer told them about this.
“I swear I wasn’t planning on using those on anyone. You have to believe me.” Panicked, Carl looked from Nick to Maria.
<
br /> Nick had a feeling he should have nabbed Carl’s bag before joining this meeting. Prevented him from ditching the evidence. God only knew what else he had in there.
Jumping up from the sofa, Katia spun to glare at Carl. Hands planted on her hips, she said, “Why did you have them then, if you weren’t planning on using them?”
“I don’t roofie girls with them, if that’s what you’re accusing me of. Just sometimes, the chick and I like to take half a pill each and relax. Just chill together. You know.”
“No, I don’t know.” Katia spat. “Relax? Don’t you mean pass out? I felt the effects of that shit. I was out of it. I don’t even remember leaving the beach house.”
“Hey. I didn’t give it to you. You took it out of my bag. And fucking two of them? That’s what you get for stealing my shit. So calm the fuck down.”
“Don’t you tell me to calm down—”
“I don’t know why you’re freaking out. It’s not even illegal in other countries. I bought them last time I was in Mexico.”
“I don’t care if they’re legal or not.” Katia turned to Maria. “I want him gone. We’re not vibing anyway. I don’t trust him. I want him off the show.”
Carl’s eyes flew wide. “Wait. You can’t do that.” He pivoted to Maria. “She can’t do that. I deserve to be here. She can leave if she wants to.”
“Actually, she can make the request to call off the engagement and send the groom home whenever she wants.” Carl opened his mouth to interrupt Joanne, but she continued, “So can you, Carl.”
“Then yes. I officially call off the engagement and request that Katia leave the show.” At Carl’s words, Katia’s face turned red beneath the layer of make-up.
She clenched her fists as her nostrils flared in anger.
Nick watched the exchange. So much for nuptial bliss . . . and that big cash prize at the end of the show. He’d predicted a cluster fuck and boy was he right.
He was sorry Dani wasn’t here to see this because it looked like Carl being a possible sex predator wasn’t going to derail the show at all. In fact, Maria was probably editing the drama-filled ratings-grabbing footage in her head right now.
The fleas were gone this morning, and with an absence of anyone with a case of crabs for drama, he supposed stringing up Katia’s groom would do.
Joanne turned to Maria. “Set up the ceremony for this morning.”
“Ceremony?” Nick asked. “The wedding ceremony?”
“Oh, hell no,” Katia said, arms folded.
“The elimination ceremony,” Joanne clarified. “One of you is going home today.”
Katia’s face fell, as Carl looked more determined than ever to stay.
Nick raised his hand, feeling like the new kid in class . . . in a foreign country, where he didn’t speak the language. “And who decides who goes and who stays during this elimination ceremony?”
“We’re a democracy here, sweetheart. At least when I say we are. The cast is going to vote who gets eliminated, after hearing from both parties.”
So more like a courtroom jury than a vote, but it was surely going to be a circus, none-the-less.
“All right. Let’s get moving. Back to work.” Maria whipped out her walkie talkie. “Camera one. I need you on Katia. Camera two, you’re on Carl. Camera three, make sure we get the reaction of the cast. Shit is about to go down. Anyone who misses an important shot is off the set.”
Maria glanced at Katia and Carl.
“Both of you. Get out there and go about your day.” Phone in her hand, Maria said to Katia, “You have your cell?”
“Yes.” She held it up to show it was where it always was, in her hand.
“Good. Now go!”
The two scampered out of the pool house as Maria furiously punched in something on her phone.
“Can I go out and keep an eye on those two? Or do you need me here?” Nick asked.
“Go.” Maria didn’t even look at him as she dismissed him.
“Nick,” Joanne said.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for your work on this. I’ll put a good word in for you with the company. I think we’ll have a lot more work for you in the future once this show wraps up.”
Jesus, that was the last thing he wanted. But not to be rude he said, “Thank you. I do appreciate the offer. But actually, once my leg is healed, I’ll be going back to my regular job.”
“Well, if you ever leave there and want a change, you have my number.”
“I do. Thanks.” Nick smiled and got out of there before he was forced to reveal that the Navy might have something to say about him leaving mid-contract to be a security guard.
He trotted as fast as his knee brace allowed and got to where a stony and silent Katia and Carl had joined the rest of the cast in the kitchen.
Adam was mixing up protein shakes for the guys while Thalia bitched about the coffee pot being empty already, even though she’d just made a pot.
All seemed normal . . . at least for this house. Nick spotted Dani off camera and moved to her.
“How’d it go?” she whispered.
“About how you’d expect.”
“Carl’s still here?” she asked, eyeing him as he stood by the guys, arms folded and looking pissed.
“For now. Just wait.”
“Wait for what?” Dani asked.
Katia’s cell chimed. She held up her phone. “I got a text!”
Nick held his answer as Katia began to read off her cell.
“Katia, you have decided to cut Carl loose. The bridesmaids and groomsmen will assemble this morning by the pool to vote on which of you can remain in the house. #ByeFelicia. #HappilyNeverAfter.”
“Wait for that,” Nick said, shooting a glance at Dani as he tipped his head toward Katia.
“Holy shit,” she mouthed silently to him.
He nodded. “Yup.”
It was going to be an interesting morning. And he hoped interesting was all it would be. For the first time since being injured, Nick felt naked without a weapon.
“Dani, if anything goes down, you run. Run and get out of here. If you can’t get out, you hide. Duck and cover. Shelter in place until I can get to you. You hear me?”
Dani’s eyes widened. “Run, hide—you’re giving me the active shooter drill instructions. Do you really think this could blow up into something like that?”
Expecting the unexpected was hardwired into him.
People had sought revenge over less. There was a lot of money on the line, not to mention emotions were running high and there was the whole embarrassment factor. Getting dumped on television wouldn’t sit well with some guys.
He didn’t know if Carl was one of them. “I don’t know, but I’m not taking a chance with your life. You mean too much to me.”
Nick turned and grabbed her face between his hands. He pressed a quick hard kiss to her lips.
“I know. No kissing at work,” he said before she had a chance to say it. He dropped his hold on her and took a step back. “Just promise me. If Carl, or hell, even Katia, goes berserk, you be smart and stay safe.”
“I promise. You do the same,” Dani instructed.
She was concerned about him. That was sweet.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He turned to go and she reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Promise me.”
He nodded with a smile. “I promise.”
His girl cared. That was worth all this bullshit.
But she didn’t have to worry. No way was he going to take a bullet in a beach house on the set of a reality show. His teammates would never let him hear the end of it.
Nick sighed. “All right. I gotta get over there and make sure these two keep the peace until this elimination ceremony starts.”
Dani smiled. “Look at you, talking the lingo like an old Hollywood pro.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, great.”
When all of this was over, he might have to put Dani
over his knee for getting him involved in this train wreck.
They both might enjoy that. He shook the image from his head before he embarrassed himself.
Time to get to work.
The cast assembled in record time considering the early hour. The women were dressed to impress and in full make-up. The guys had even put on shirts.
This was an important day. They all knew the ratings would be high on this episode. Somebody was going home and he had a feeling who.
Nick cracked his knuckles and glanced around. Unless he planned on hitting Carl with a throw pillow should things go sideways, he was going to have to make do with his hands.
Christ, he hoped it didn’t come to that. He really had better plans for his hands with Dani. He did not want to be soaking his knuckles in ice water all night.
The woman who appeared for all the important stuff, and then disappeared again, came strutting from the direction of the driveway. Five-inch spikes capped off long legs that had to put her at over six feet tall. Sunlight bounced off her blonde hair. But it was the whiteness of her teeth that almost blinded him.
He’d seen her from afar during the dirty laundry game. Now she was just two feet away on her way to the pool.
She actually slowed to a stop, tipped her head down and stared at him over the top of her sunglasses. Her gaze dropped down his body then came back up before she smiled. “Nice.”
That was all she said, that one word, before she pushed her glasses back up her nose and continued her runway-worthy walk to the group assembled by the pool.
Apparently, she hadn’t seen him that other day, but she sure had today.
Nick heard a laugh behind him and turned to see Dave. Since the man was there, he might as well be useful and answer a question.
“Who exactly is that?” Nick asked.
Dave chuckled. “You don’t recognize Allana, star of cable television’s hottest reality show, Beach Blondes?”
“Uh, no. Must have missed that one.” Maybe he wasn’t missing out on much by not having cable if that was the offering of entertainment. “What’s she doing here on this show?”
“They needed a big name to attach to the show to get it picked up. So they got her. Paid her an insane amount to show up like half a dozen times. She introduced the cast for the first show and explained the show concept. And she’s supposed to be here for the final episode at the wedding. She pops in for a game or two here and there. Looks like they decided to bring her in for the elimination today.”