Steel Rush (In the Shadows#5)

by P. T. Michelle

  Shaking my head, I push my hand back into her outstretched one. “Sorry. It was an instinctive reaction. That tattoo means a lot to me. It doesn’t hurt.”

  “The makeup won’t mess up your tattoos,” Beth reassures while using a softer touch with the sponge on my wrist. “You started to say something?”

  As she works on my wrist, her head bent in concentration on her task, I say, “I’d like your permission to retrieve a sample of Celeste’s blood from that clinic to have it tested.”

  Beth straightens and tilts her head. “Why?”

  “I want to make sure that, beyond the pregnancy, she’s fine health-wise. When she asked me to help her, she looked stressed and tired. We can test her blood to confirm that nothing else was going on with her health that might be preventing her from contacting us. For all we know, she might be in a hospital somewhere under a Jane Doe.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Beth nods, her face brightening. “As far as I know, Phillip’s been concentrating on checking all Celeste’s vacation and spa retreats. I’ll contact the clinic when we’re done and approve the release of a sample.” She pauses, her brow furrowed. “Who’s going to retrieve it for testing?”

  I exhale a quiet sigh of relief that she agreed. “I have a friend who can get the blood tested and have the results back to us by tomorrow. Just let the clinic know that Elijah will be stopping by today for a sample.”

  A few minutes later, Beth drops the sponge in the tin and smiles. “And voila! All covered.”

  I rub my fingers along my arm, surprised that the makeup doesn’t come off. “You weren’t kidding about this concealer. It’s there for good.”

  Beth quickly puts her makeup away in the basket and stands, purpose in her expression. “I’m going to call the clinic now, but...just wait here for a sec.”

  She leaves the room before I can ask why. A minute later she returns to my room minus the basket, but obviously something else is hidden under her sweater. Shutting the door behind her, she keeps one arm wrapped around her waist, holding whatever is hidden in place.

  I stand, my eyebrow raised. “What’s that?”

  “I believe you truly are trying to help find my sister.” Beth grips my arm and tugs me over to sit down on the end of the bed with her. Biting her bottom lip, she continues as she pulls the book out from under her sweater. “Maybe you can help me figure out what this is saying…”

  My eyes widen and I instinctively reach for the book. “You’ve had your sister’s diary this whole time?”

  Beth frowns, her grip tightening on the book. “You knew about it?”

  I let my hand drop to my thigh. “I stumbled across it, yes. I was upset when I couldn’t find it in the spot she kept it after she disappeared. I’d hoped that it would provide some clue as to where she might’ve gone.”

  Grunting her understanding, Beth pulls a bobby pin from her jean pocket at the same time she sets the diary on her knees. “I didn’t want Phillip or anyone else pawing through Celeste’s most private thoughts. The diary doesn’t make any sense anyway. It’s like she wrote it in prose-like code or something. I had no idea my sister had such a darkly poetic mind.”

  “Wait, Beth…” I quickly unhook Celeste’s necklace and hold out the key to her. “Use this.”

  “Hiding in plain sight, huh? Clever of Celeste,” she mutters as she takes it. “I can’t believe you had the key this entire time.”

  I offer a slight smile. “Looks like we were both trying to protect her secrets.”

  Beth opens the diary and sets it in my lap. “Were you able to decipher what she was talking about?”

  I clasp the edges of the book and flip through her earlier entries. “No, but one thing I did notice.” Pausing on her July entry, I set it back on Beth’s lap. “After this is when something changed for Celeste.”

  Beth stares at the blank entry, then pages back to the previous entry where Celeste talked about going to the beach. Flipping forward to the next one, she pages forward several more…and then more until she reaches the end. “What happened at the beach?” she whispers, disillusionment in her gaze.

  I lift my shoulders, then let them fall. I don’t want to say anything else right now, but I also want Beth to be at least a little prepared. “I don’t know, but something obviously did.”

  Closing the book, Beth stares off into space. “She ran away right when we got back. I just thought she was having a hormonal tantrum.”

  I fold my hand over hers on the diary. “You were just a kid. You can’t blame yourself.”

  “I had no idea she has been holding so much inside, but now it makes sense why we haven’t been close for a while. I just wish…” She exhales a trembling breath and meets my gaze. “That I had known. I wouldn’t have been so resentful and angry that she pretty much ignored me.”

  I squeeze her hand. “Me too.”

  Beth frowns. “What do you mean?”

  Damn, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I stand and put some distance between us so she doesn’t see too much in my eyes. “Just that I wish I had known Celeste a little better.” As much pain as I have in my past because of Celeste pointing Jake in my direction, she’s also the reason I met Calder. He and I still have issues to work through, but he’s too important to me not to try. I just need to know he feels the same.

  The guilt on Beth’s face tugs at my heart. “Regret is a wasted thought process, Beth. It’ll only hold you in place.” Stepping back to the bed, I clasp her hand and pull her to her feet. “I find that forward-moving thoughts like ‘lesson learned’ and ‘move the hell on’ are far more productive.”

  Beth squeezes my hand and her lips curve into a smile of determination. “Thanks for that. I’m going to go call the clinic now. See you downstairs.”

  The moment Beth shuts the door, I immediately group text Talia and Calder.

  Me: Talia, the clinic will be expecting Elijah to pick up Celeste’s blood sample. Please send him asap. I hope Sebastian has someone ready to take the sample and run the paternity test. Also have them run another test on Celeste’s general health…that’s what I told Beth I needed the sample for, but it might be helpful to know regardless.

  Talia: Will do.

  When I don’t hear from Calder, I scroll back and see that he sent me a couple of texts earlier, so I reply.

  Me: I just now saw your texts.

  Less than a minute passes before someone knocks lightly.

  The moment I open the door, Calder takes in my rumpled appearance. His eyes instantly zero in on my wrists before returning to my face. “Why aren’t you dressed, Miss Carver? You need to be downstairs in twenty minutes.”

  The fact that he’s being so formal means he’s annoyed about something. “I was asleep until you sent Beth to wake me,” I say, hoping to defuse whatever is bothering him. Glancing back at the clock, I see that he’s right. “I’ll be ready in fifteen.”

  I quickly shut the door, then pull the tags off the red underwear and bra and slip into them. Once I shimmy into the dress and slide on the red-bottomed black pumps, I finger-comb my hair into a semblance of tameness and freshen my makeup before clasping Celeste’s gold necklace around my neck.

  When I open the door, I expect to find Calder leaning against the wall, not standing directly in my path. “Oh, hey.” I take a step back, suddenly self-conscious. Brushing my hair back from my face, I smile to try to lighten his surly mood. “I’m ready five minutes early. How’s that for promptness?”

  “Not quite,” he says, reaching up to remove my necklace.

  “Celeste always wears that chain,” I whisper when he drops it into his suit jacket pocket.

  “Not tonight,” he rumbles and leans close to hook a choker style necklace around my neck. Straightening, he tilts my chin up and the enticing smell of his cologne makes my stomach flutter. “This is more like something Celeste would wear.”

  When did he have time to do this? Distracted by the soft collar’s inch-wide velvet fabric, I run my fi
ngers from the delicate chain hanging from the clasp in the back to the metal on the front of the choker. Without asking, I know it’s a raven, but it’s not a silver-worked one like the other necklace he gave me. This raven is covered in…pavé. My gaze cuts to his. “Is this all diamonds?”

  A corner of his mouth tilts in an arrogant smirk. “Sometimes a bank account speaks louder than sentiment.”

  “You know I don’t care about—”

  He covers my lips with his thumb, his voice low and tense. “You need to hear what I have to say, Raven mine.”

  I nod mutely, excitement pinging through me as he lightly traces his fingers down the front of my throat.

  “Your safety is my priority. It comes first, before my own desires or yours. Do you understand?”

  When I start to nod, he shakes his head. “Do you?”

  “I understand, Calder.”

  His gaze sharpens. “While I’m training for this fight, you won’t see me.” Sliding his thumb along my jawline, he drops his hand to his side, his tone softening. “No matter how much I want to own your world, you’re not safe in mine right now.”

  “When will the fight be rescheduled?” I ask, wondering how long I’ll have to wait to see him again.

  “It’s already been rescheduled.”

  I’m not sure whether to cheer or cry. I don’t want him fighting at all. “When is it?”

  His jaw tightens. “You’re not coming.”

  “When,” I demand.

  “This upcoming weekend.”

  “But you haven’t been able to train—”

  “Miss Carver, your presence is requested downstairs,” Marco calls from the end of the hall.

  Nodding, I walk away from Calder as if we weren’t just having an intense conversation and follow Marco downstairs.

  “Gorgeous,” Beth says the moment I walk into the room where several guests are already at the bar getting their drinks. Lowering her voice, she continues eyeing my necklace. “It really goes well with that dress. I wonder why I’ve never seen it on my sister before.”

  “It’s mine.” I touch the choker at the same time Calder walks in and stands next to the door. My brow puckers when I realize there’s only one way he could’ve commissioned such an amazing piece of jewelry without leaving my side. That was the ‘favor’ Alana did for him. As an artist she most likely has connections in the jewelry business. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the fact his ex played a part in this gift. “It’s a gift with…history.”

  “Expensive history apparently.” Beth chuckles, then sobers as she nods toward her dad who’s greeting a couple just arriving. “Father is in a mood. He sent Marco up after you.” She glances at Phillip talking to Jake. “Phillip seems antsy tonight. I heard my father raising his voice at him earlier. I think he blames Phillip for convincing him not to call the police.”

  “He should,” I mutter. With Jake and Phillip standing side-by-side chatting, it’s hard to believe such malice can reside behind such handsome faces. Like father, like son. I immediately tense when an older man draws Phillip’s attention and Jake glances in our direction. I don’t want to have to deal with him tonight. Without Ben to keep his brother in line, I really could use my own posse. Talia and Mina can’t get here soon enough.

  I glance toward the doorway and my gaze snags on Sebastian’s dark hair and imposing height as he walks in with Talia on his arm, her beautiful red hair flowing around an off-the-shoulder emerald green dress. I exhale the tension flowing through me and suppress the relieved smile trying to surface. “Excuse me for a minute,” I tell Beth and casually make my way toward the doorway. I reach it just as Mina walks in, escorted by her other brother and flirt extraordinaire, Damien Blake.

  “Celeste, thank you for the invite.” Damien’s dark eyes sparkle with mischief and he immediately grabs my hand before Mina has a chance to say a word. Releasing his sister, he tucks my hand around his arm and turns to introduce me to his guests. “You know Mina, but this is my brother Sebastian who insisted on tagging along. I only let the old man because he promised to bring his gorgeous wife. Talia, this is Celeste Carver.”

  I shake my head that Damien ribs his brother and grin when Sebastian mutters, “Watch yourself, little brother. This old man can easily put you in your place.”

  But when Talia clasps my hand tight and says, “It’s nice to meet you, Celeste,” the look in her eyes says so much, it’s hard not to get teary. I miss her too.

  I squeeze her hand, then let go, blinking away the mist. “Welcome everyone. Why don’t you grab a drink and mingle. I’m sure you’ll see people you know here.”

  Damien lifts my left hand and taps the diamond on my finger. “I heard a terrible rumor and didn’t want to believe it was true. Where is the lucky bastard? I want to clock…er, congratulate him.”

  I smile at Damien. I’d forgotten how much fun he could be. The man really knows how to stroke a girl’s ego. “Ben had a shift he couldn’t get out of tonight, so he’s saving lives instead.”

  “Well, then. I’ll have to take advantage of his absence.”

  Just as Damien starts to tuck my hand back around the crook of his arm, Mina grips his other hand. “Come on, Damien. Let’s get our drinks.”

  Before he can protest, she tucks her arm tight around his and walks away.

  Snickering, I stare after her petite frame next to Damien’s tall height. “She’s a force, isn’t she?”

  “She has us wrapped around her little finger, but don’t tell her that,” Sebastian says, his brilliant blue eyes flashing with admiration and humor. Pressing a kiss to Talia’s temple, he murmurs, “I’m going to touch base with Calder.”

  When he walks away, I say lightly, “You two are so adorable I want to punch somebody.”

  Talia laughs. “I’ll just file that under ‘things Cass says when she’s under stress.’” Flicking her amused gaze to my throat, she stares at my choker. “That’s beautiful. It reminds me of the tattoo on your arm. Is that Celeste’s?”

  I absently touch the diamond raven, anxious that I haven’t had a chance to see it myself. “Calder gave it to me tonight. He’d given me a silver and leather one, but that’s not something Celeste would wear, so I guess that’s why he had this one made.”

  Talia tilts her head. “That’s quite a gesture for a temporary situation.”

  I stiffen, then realize she’s talking about this Celeste thing, not whatever is going on between Calder and me. God, I’m so freaking sensitive right now. “Remember when I told you that you needed to give Sebastian a chance?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why can’t I take my own advice?”

  Talia’s auburn eyebrows shoot up. “Please tell me you’re not letting that ridiculously impractical lingerie go to waste.”

  I shake my head and sigh. “It’s not that simple. Calder isn’t like other guys. When we’re together, I feel like I’m getting pulled in deeper.”

  “And that’s a bad thing because…?”

  I glance over at Sebastian shaking Calder’s hand, then nodding and walking away. “It’s bad when he’s made it clear he’s allergic to commitment. I desperately want to take my own advice, but in this situation, it would suck.” I meet her gaze and purse my lips. “And I don’t even have you anymore to feed me ice cream from a big bucket when Calder leaves me a mess on the floor.”

  “Are you crazy? I’ll use the soup spoon on you, girl.” When I give her a pained look, her amused green gaze shifts to a serious one. “Sebastian says he’s never seen Calder worry like he does for you. That says a lot about how he feels even if he’s not saying it himself. Stubborn hearts might be the hardest to win, but that’s what makes them worth going for. I should know, I’m married to the most stubborn man on the planet.”

  When a pinging sound comes from the silver pillbox purse on her arm, she glances down and pulls her phone out. “Mina has Jake’s glass. I’m going to go get Phillip’s.”

  She starts to walk away, but I touch h
er arm. “Wait, I’m supposed to be doing that.”

  “You’re supposed to be Celeste.” Talia shifts her gaze over my shoulder. “Sebastian’s talking to Phillip, who has proven quite adept at amassing his own financial empire while hiding his business dealings. I’ve zeroed in on a shell company that appears to be lease properties. The properties are dormant so I almost ignored it, but my curious hackles are raised. Anyway, right now…I have a glass to recover. Go mingle and let me do my job.”

  Before I can argue, she walks away to deftly slip a cloth napkin from a waiter’s arm at the same time she takes a flute of champagne. As she disappears between large groups of people chatting, I inwardly applaud her stealthy talent and make a mental note to ask her to teach me. Skills like that could definitely come in handy.

  As I make my way back through the crowded room, I’m stopped several times by people congratulating me on my engagement to Ben. I paste on a smile and nod, thanking them by name while making sure to ask for their support of my father in the fall. An hour passes before I finally reach Beth’s side.

  “I need a drink,” I say, glancing down at hers with envy. “I’m exhausted.”

  Beth snickers. “I’ve been doing this since I was a teen. It’s old hat after a while.” Her amused expression suddenly shifts to a tense one. “Ugh, Jake’s coming.”

  As soon as Jake steps into place beside us, Beth smiles at a couple passing by and says to him under her breath, “Be respectful or I’ll personally kick your ass out tonight.”

  Jake brushes one hand through his perfectly gelled hair, then raises his highball glass in the air, ice chinking. “Hey, it’s all good, Beth.”

  While I cynically scan his face, looking for his true intent, Beth turns to speak to a woman with a bob haircut and chic black glasses, who lightly touches her shoulder. “Good evening, Beth and Celeste. Do you remember me? I’m an old friend of your mother’s. The last time I saw you, you were just starting middle school. I’m sorry your mom wasn’t able to attend tonight’s function.”