Jan crossed her arms tightly around her middle and rocked back and forth slowly, her mind racing. Part of her wanted to run to the phone and call Dino, make him come back. The other part of her knew that would be a horrible mistake.
She couldn’t go running to Dino every time something upset her. It might become a habit. A habit she could get dangerously used to. Sooner or later, the stalker would be caught, and the bodyguard job would end. Then what would happen? Dino would move on to another job and disappear from her life like before.
Better she didn’t get used to having him in it now.
Dino had said these creeps usually don’t escalate into confrontation. The stalker was just sending her this crap to freak her out, and she wasn’t going to let him win. After all, she had a top-of-the-line alarm system, a sharp knife, and now security cameras. She would get through this alone. She’d gotten through much worse on her own—her father’s death, her mother’s remarriage, her breakup with Dino, her uncle’s shooting. Yes. She’d get through this alone. She had no choice.
The sound of a clearing throat brought her head up. The guy from Rockford Security, the one from the front porch, stood just inside the kitchen doorway, holding his toolbox in front of him like a shield. “Um, sorry to interrupt you, ma’am, but I wanted to let you know that the cameras are all installed now and working properly.”
She coughed to clear the constriction from her throat and forced a smile. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing, ma’am. They’re motion activated, so if anything moves out there, the lights will come on, and they start taping automatically.”
“Great.” She took a step forward, and her wobbly knees threatened to give out. Jan gripped the edge of the island to stay upright. “Let me walk you out.”
The technician’s expression shifted from polite to concerned. He stepped forward then hesitated. “Are you all right, ma’am?”
His hand hovered over the phone on his tool belt as if he was getting ready to call someone. Probably Dino, who would likely come rushing over ... unless he had important errands to run. That was the last thing she wanted to happen.
“I’m fine.” She crumpled the envelope and photos in her hand and dumped them in the nearby trash can before facing him again, the fake smile plastered on her face. “Perfectly fine.”
“Okay. And I can show myself out, ma’am.”
He walked away, and Jan slumped onto a stool at the island counter, waiting until she heard the front door close behind him and the sound of his truck drive away before she collapsed onto the countertop, her head resting atop her forearms.
Twelve
At eight p.m. sharp Saturday night, Dino Machiavelli walked around to the passenger side of his Tahoe and helped Jan from the vehicle. They were both dressed to the nines—Jan in a jaw-dropping black sequined evening gown with a slit up the side of the skirt so high it made his mouth water, and him in his best tuxedo. The valet held the door open for him while he extended his hand to Jan.
She gripped his fingers lightly and stepped down, her shapely calf and ankle shown off to perfection by her black satin stiletto heels catching the eye of every man within a hundred-foot radius. Once she stood before him, he fiddled with his bow tie and looked down at her, catching a whiff of her strawberry-scented shampoo that brought back lust-filled memories of high school.
At least she was speaking to him tonight in more than one-syllable replies. He still hadn’t worked out exactly what he’d done to piss her off, but considering that he was here tonight as both her bodyguard and her date, it was probably for the best. Keeping his hands off of her these days was hard enough when she wasn’t mad at him.
After their kiss in her dressing room, he’d thought—hoped—maybe he wouldn’t have to try to keep his hands off of her. But then she’d done a total one-eighty that had him reconsidering. She was probably right, he thought, as he looked over the top of her head at the expensively dressed celebrities alighting from their fancy cars. This wasn’t high school anymore. They no longer traveled in the same circles.
“Here.” Jan flicked his hands out of the way and straightened his tie then smoothed her hands down his shoulders and the front of his lapels as if dusting off some imaginary dust. “You look good tonight,” she said, her tone quiet and her eyes lowered.
“And you look beautiful.” He reached out to touch her then dropped his hand to his side. Better not push his luck, in more ways than one. Instead, he linked her arm through his to lead her toward the front entrance of the elaborate Venetian Hotel. A red carpet worthy of royalty had been spread beneath the ornately painted alcove covering the entrance. Paparazzi shouted and jostled from either side, staying behind the red velvet ropes, at least for now. As the bright lights blazed and flashbulbs popped, Dino scanned the area for any potential threats.
No matter that the tickets had all been purchased months in advance and all the attendees and their guests had undergone extensive background searches prior to arrival, this place was still far too open and massive for Dino’s comfort. Not with Jan’s stalker still lurking around out there somewhere.
Someone bumped into him from behind, and he glanced over his shoulder to see an actress who’d just won that year’s top award. She didn’t apologize or acknowledge his presence, just kept on moving like he wasn’t there. Hell, to these people he probably wasn’t. Next to her stood the country’s top-earning quarterback and his tabloid-cover bride.
While Jan posed for photos and did several on-the-spot interviews for the entertainment networks, he stood off to the side, watching as limo after limo swerved up to the curb at the end of the carpet to deliver the cream of the current celebrity crop. All of it drove Jan’s fame home to him like a sucker punch to his gut.
His Jan. Superstar.
A mix of pride and disappointment welled in his chest. Pride for what she’d accomplished. Disappointment over what he’d lost. He fit into this world about as well as diamonds in a dumpster.
Jan glanced over at him and tilted her head slightly to indicate she was ready to move on, and he stepped in beside her once more. Together they walked into the grand marble lobby that had been closed to the public for tonight’s event. He led her through the crowd and down a lovely arched marble hallway through a set of double doors into the grand ballroom, decorated like an Italian fever dream.
Twinkle lights and low-slung crystal chandeliers sparkled in the candlelight from thousands of votive tea lights scattered atop the tables. People mingled about, weaving through the maze of tables with their lush floral centerpieces, and the air all but sizzled with excitement and anticipation.
Dino scanned the crowd for anything amiss, his attention distracted by the beautiful woman at his side and the fact that he felt so out of his league with her he wondered if they even existed in the same zip code anymore. Glitterati from all walks of life, business tycoons to movie moguls, came by to greet Jan with a quick kiss or brief hug. Not one of them so much as glanced at Dino.
He supposed he should be thankful. Doing his job was easier from the shadows, and honestly, he couldn’t care less what these idiots thought of who he was or what he did for a living. What did bother him though was the fact that since they’d walked in the front doors to this place, Jan had been acting just like the rest of them. The extensive bio he’d studied on her had warned of “diva” behavior, but he’d never experienced it from her. Until now.
From her fake smile to her frou-frou air kisses and flouncy behavior, it all made him want to put her across his knee and spank her for acting like a brat. Or kiss her senseless until the real Jan, the one he knew and loved, returned. Either way, he could tell already that this evening was going to last forever.
“Oh, there’s Lou,” Jan exclaimed with faux enthusiasm. “Let’s go say hello.”
She bustled across the room toward her manager, while Dino trailed along behind her, keeping an eye on anyone who ventured too close. She waited for a moment while Lou finished up his conversation w
ith whomever it was he was talking to, and Jan glanced up at Dino, catching his eye briefly. In their stormy blue-gray depths, he glimpsed a blend of yearning and defiance that made his chest ache. Then it was gone, so fast he wondered if he’d imagined it.
“There’s my doll,” Lou said, leaning into Jan to kiss the air beside each of her cheeks while she did the same to him. “How’s Mr. Beefcake there treating you tonight? Good, I hope.”
Dino raised a brow at Lou for the remark but remained silent.
“He’s fine.” Jan waved a dismissive hand in Dino’s direction without looking at him.
“And so are you.” Lou gave a wolf whistle and spun Jan around by one hand, making the skirt of her gown lift even higher and giving the entire ballroom one hell of a show. Several nearby males applauded, and Dino clenched his fists, ready to pummel something, anything, to release the unbearable frustration and tension inside him. It was bad enough Lou ogled Jan—did he have to invite the rest of the damned ballroom to do it too? “Damn, cupcake. You do look fine.”
The color in Jan’s cheeks bloomed brighter, and she stepped away from Lou fast, stumbling slightly in the process and sloshing the contents of her champagne flute down the front of her dress.
“Oh, damn!” She swiped at it with her hand and raised worried eyes to Dino. “Can you help me find a bathroom so I can wipe this off?”
“Sure.” Glad to be needed again, he placed a protective arm around her waist and shot Lou a dirty look over his shoulder. If the guy cared at all, he didn’t show it. Instead, Lou just shrugged and wandered off to meet and greet more guests. Dino shook his head and pulled Jan closer to his side as she hobbled unevenly. “I think they’re over this way. What’s wrong with you? Are you drunk already?”
“No.” She tried to pull free of his grasp, but he refused to let her go. “Something’s wrong with one of my shoes. I’ll check it in the bathroom.”
Once they’d located the ladies room, Dino stood watch outside to wait for Jan. He leaned one shoulder against the wall and stared at the crowd. Had he ever been this bored in his life? He doubted it. Thank God his phone buzzed in his pocket and saved him from lapsing into a coma.
Dino pulled it out to see an urgent text from the Rockford IT team flash onscreen. He read it once then double-checked it twice to make sure. Straightening, Dino swayed slightly as his blood pumped loud in his ears and adrenaline flooded his system. If the text was true, then that meant…
He checked the screen once more for accuracy before launching into action.
Pinged stalker cell phone.
location 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Jan’s stalker was here, somewhere at The Venetian.
* * *
Lightheaded and more bewildered than she cared to admit, Jan leaned back carefully against the row of stall doors and dabbed at the front of her black silk and sequin dress with a wad of paper towels from the dispenser. She’d had such high hopes for the night, and now this. The stupid thing was on loan from the designer too. If she got anything on it, she’d have to buy it. Not that the huge price tag was a problem or that the dress wasn’t lovely, but she never wore the same outfit twice to events, so it would sit in her closet on a padded hanger for the rest of its days.
Her right ankle wobbled beneath her, and she frowned down at the black Jimmy Choo stilettos Lou had sent over with her outfit the day before. Dumb things. As expensive as they were, they should take more of a beating before giving out. She lifted her right foot and pulled the shoe off to hold it in front of her face while she squinted at the heel. What the…
A jagged cut mark sliced through the thin heel, nearly severing it completely. That wasn’t normal wear-and-tear damage. That cut was deliberate.
Jan’s earlier anxiety returned full-force. She was lucky she’d made it this far without it snapping off entirely. But who would do something like that? Lou handled all of her event wardrobe details. He always had her stuff delivered directly to his office at Treble, and she picked them up there to take them home, same as she’d done the day before. Same as she’d done a million times before. That meant that either someone had sabotaged her shoes once they were in her house, or it had been done at the studio, or at the designer’s.
Jan straightened and scowled. Lou? Why would Lou screw with her shoes?
She searched her recent memories for a possible motive and landed on the most obvious one. Dino. Knowing her publicity-hungry manager, he’d wanted her to stumble into Dino’s arms tonight to fuel the media fire about their sweet high school fling now turned steamy adult romance.
She snorted. Figures.
The sound of a flushing toilet knocked her back to reality. She’d been so distressed when she’d entered, it hadn’t even occurred to her to check that she was alone. As the stall door behind her opened and she teetered backward, it became obvious she wasn’t.
“Oh, excuse me,” the woman said, sidling around Jan and heading over to wash her hands.
The overhead recessed lighting caught the woman’s fiery red hair and highlighted her generous curves as she bent closer to the mirror to check her lipstick. The woman glanced over and caught Jan staring, her green gaze narrowing. “You probably don’t remember me, do you?”
If only.
No. Jan remembered this woman, all too well. It was the last person she ever wanted to see again. Erin McCabe, ex-head cheerleader and the woman Dino had cheated on her with. Perfect. Her accident-prone evening went from bad to downright bizarre. Stunned, Jan remained silent.
Erin fluffed her auburn curls then walked over to Jan, the deep-emerald satin of her gown clinging to her voluptuous body like a second skin. Back in high school, all the boys had fallen all over themselves trying to land a date with her. From the confident sway of Erin’s hips when she walked and the gleam of knowing power in her eyes, Jan guessed men still tripped over themselves to get Erin’s attention. Who wouldn’t? Even in her thirties, the girl was drop-dead gorgeous. Jan glanced down at her own modest cleavage and did her best not to fidget.
Erin stopped a few feet in front of Jan and held out her hand, her voice quiet and slightly breathless. “Erin McCabe. We went to high school together.”
“Oh, right.” Jan shook her hand with a tad too much enthusiasm as she tried to fake dawning recognition. “Erin. You were the head cheerleader, right?”
“Yeah.” Erin chuckled. “That was a long time ago. You’re the big star now.”
Heat prickled Jan’s cheeks as Erin gave her a pointed stare. Even after all her success and awards, talking about her stardom still made her uncomfortable. Unless she had her diva persona firmly in place. In diva mode, she could handle anything. Too bad she’d left her inner diva somewhere out in the ballroom, shortly after she’d made a fool of herself. “I make music and get to do what I love. People seem to like it.”
“Don’t be modest. People love it.” Erin glanced down at Jan’s bare foot and the shoe in her hand. “Problem?”
Her already beleaguered confidence caved, and Jan was mortified as tears stung her eyes. Bad enough to run into the woman the love of Jan’s life bailed on her for in the bathroom. She sure as hell didn’t want to cry in front of her. Couldn’t she do anything right tonight? Shoulders slumped and head hung, she sniffled. “Bad night.”
“Aw.” Erin dug in the large bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out a small pack of tissues. “Here. Don’t cry. Let me see your shoe.”
Jan handed it over then blew her nose and dabbed under her eyes while Erin winced.
“Yeah, these look done for.” She set the shoe on the bathroom counter then dug in her bag again. The tote wasn’t exactly what Jan would’ve picked for an event like this—too large and too bulky—but then again, she wouldn’t have gone with bright-green satin either. The outfit suited Erin’s flamboyant, sexy style. On Jan, it would’ve resembled a jolly green nightmare. From out of the bag, Erin pulled a pair of strappy black heels. “Try these. What size do you wear?”
“Se
ven and a half.”
“I wear an eight, but these might fit—they’re a tad small.” Erin smiled and pointed down at her own feet clad in flats, a bandage on her right foot. “Broke my toe. I’m not supposed to wear heels but brought them just in case. Turns out I can’t even fit them on, so guess it’s your lucky day. Try them.”
Erin’s too-bright, too-friendly smile annoyed Jan, but at this point she wouldn’t look a gift horse, or a gift ex-cheerleader, in the mouth. She used Erin’s arm for support as she slipped the shoes on then stood to look in the full-length mirror at the end of the room.
They fit pretty well—a little big, but they’d do in a pinch. As she stared at her reflection beside Erin in the mirror, Jan couldn’t help but feel inferior. Erin was a few inches taller, much curvier, and everything men wanted. Jan was short and skinny and everything men left. At least everything Dino left. For all she knew, these two were still an item. Hell, for all she knew, maybe he’d left Jan the day before to go have nookie with Erin. Maybe he was even meeting her here at the party. Why else would she be here?
That thought sobered her up faster than an IV of black coffee. That and picturing the two of them together the same way Jan and Dino had been together the morning before on the sofa in her dressing room—kissing, touching, wanting so badly that nothing else mattered.
Her stomach knotted, and for a moment she thought she might need to rush into one of the stalls herself. Then she took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She was fine. Everything was fine. She’d deal with tonight like she dealt with everything else. Alone.
Posture stiff and shoulders squared, she gave Erin her widest, fakest smile and extended her hand. “It was so nice to see you again, Erin. Perhaps we’ll meet again, if you work in the entertainment industry.”
“Advertising. I’m here with my boss to represent our firm.”
Deadly Betrayal (The Rockford Security Series Book 1) Page 10