On My Knees: The Complete Series Box Set

by C. J. Thomas

  “Hey.” I angled her head so that she was looking at me. “Everything will be okay.” I wiped the tears dry. “I promise.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it might be a promise I couldn’t keep.

  59

  Alex

  “PICK UP. C’mon, fucking pick up.”

  I couldn’t stop glancing over both of my shoulders, wondering who was following me now.

  “Kendra, pick up!” I ducked my head and screamed into my phone.

  Her cell stopped ringing and went to voicemail.

  “Fuck!” I dropped my phone down to my side and growled through clenched teeth.

  She needed to pick up. It was serious. She couldn’t keep blowing me off like this. I needed to get the money back.

  And soon.

  Really fucking soon.

  Today I had to put my internship on hold. I couldn’t stay on set. Nash knew it as much as I did that getting the money to him was more important than anything else.

  If only it was that simple.

  Ever since meeting him, my life only seemed to get more complicated.

  That was what really got under my skin. It should be as simple as me running home, zipping up a bag, and handing it over to Nash for safe keeping.

  Except it wasn’t.

  I was the fool who felt the pressure mounting and decided to give it away—perhaps a day too soon.

  I didn’t tell him that I handed it off to Kendra. When I left the studio, I figured Kendra would pick up her phone and we’d be halfway back to Nash with money in hand in no time.

  I stopped at the crosswalk and looked both ways before glancing down and checking my phone.

  She must have seen how desperate I was—if only she’d look at her stupid phone. I’d called and called, left message after message, hoping that she’d pick up. That alone should have made her know that something wasn’t right and that I needed to talk with her. Desperately.

  Where the hell was she?

  I didn’t like this new job of hers. It was taking her away from me, and it hurt. Kendra was someone I could normally count on. And now it seemed like we’d broken up. Called our relationship quits.

  My head spun and I felt dizzy.

  I didn’t have anyone else to turn to.

  The light turned and I hurried across the street to my apartment building—finally, I’d made it home.

  Finding a way to give this money back smoothly was, by far, priority number one. Everything else I’d worked so hard to achieve didn’t mean shit when stacked up against this.

  If Nash said he needed the money to keep it for safe keeping, then what I heard was that the threat level—and time crunch—was eminent.

  It needed to happen ASAP.

  Everything else had to be pushed to the side.

  My internship, including the chance of winning the Assistant Director seat from Val, had to wait. My energy was needed elsewhere, and I prayed to God that I could get my life back as soon as possible. And then, hopefully, all this dust choking my lungs would settle and never be kicked up ever again. Because I didn’t know how much more stress I could handle before I snapped.

  I gave a nod and said a quick hello to my doorman before bounding up the stairs. There was no time to wait for an elevator. I had to keep moving. Even though my sense of urgency was high, I didn’t have a plan of what I was going to do once I got inside.

  My key inserted into the lock without a hitch, and once I shut the door behind me—silence. All the noise from the outside world vanished in a flash. I closed my eyes and could breathe again.

  Think Alex. What are you going to do? You need to do something.

  I needed to talk to Kendra. That was what I needed to do, but she wouldn’t fucking call me back.

  I knew where to find her but I didn’t want to bother her in person at her new job. She had her own shit to deal with, and I also knew just how important this job meant to her.

  Ugh . . . This fucking sucked.

  I pushed off the door and dropped my handbag on the kitchen table before plopping my ass down on the couch. As I sat there, thinking, about how stupid I was to take the money in the first place—like somehow I thought I could actually get away with it without anyone every finding out. I soon found myself laying on my side, curled up in the fetal position with tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

  My phone stared back at me, resting peacefully on the coffee table, and all I wanted it to do was ring with Kendra’s number on the screen.

  The lump in my throat tightened but I refused to allow myself to cry. Tears would only provide temporary relief. When they dried, my problem would still be waiting for me.

  Everything would work out.

  It would.

  Because it had to.

  And then my phone rang.

  I sprang to action and picked it up, slightly disappointed to see that it was only Nash. “Hey.”

  “Did you make it home, all right?”

  “Yeah. I’m home.” I leaned back and pulled my knees to my chest.

  “No trouble along the way?”

  My phone beeped with a text. I pulled it away from my ear and quickly scanned the message.

  It was from Kendra—Oh, thank God.

  I’m on my way to your place. Be there soon. You better be there! ;-p

  I let out a deep sigh of relief. She was there for me after all.

  “No troubles?” Nash asked again.

  “Oh, sorry.” I debated whether or not I should tell him the truth about not having the money in my possession, but I decided against it. Kendra was on her way and I could get it back once she got here. “No. No one followed me home.”

  “I’m going to wrap things up here, take a break, and head your way.” His voice was a deep baritone that drew my nipples tight. “I’ll stop by as soon as I can.”

  I closed my eyes and listened to my heart beat. It wasn’t worth telling Nash that I might not be here when he arrived. It was impossible to know where I’d be in an hour. Retrieving the money should be easy enough, but that was assuming that she didn’t hide it herself.

  “Alex. Did you hear what I said?”

  “Yeah.” I lifted my head and looked out the window. “I’ll see you soon.”

  I flinched when there was a knock on my door. “I gotta go.”

  Nash said a quick goodbye and I hung up, tossing my phone back into my bag so I’d be ready to leave with Kendra to get the money.

  Jumping to my feet, I hurried to the door, thankful that Kendra got here as quick as she did. When I opened the door, my hand flew over my mouth and my feet left the floor.

  His eyes were dark, and the way he looked at me left me shivering in a cold breeze. Where was Kendra?

  “Hi, Alex.” An unrecognizable face smirked. “I’d like my money back.”

  I fought to swallow down the stone in my throat.

  “All quarter million dollars of it.”

  60

  Nash

  IT WAS my duty to protect her.

  I’d sworn at least that much of my life to her.

  She’d submitted and it was up to me to make sure that nothing bad ever happened to her.

  My stomach flipped as I could feel the frozen horizon upon us.

  I hated the fact that I abandoned my post, but I saw no other choice than to pass my director duties over to another while I made sure that Alex was safe and sound and busy arranging to hand over the money without incident or remorse.

  I knew it couldn’t be easy for her to give up on all that cash. Especially knowing that she virtually had nothing to her name.

  But this wasn’t her ticket out.

  I was.

  I left the studio in a hurry and raced over to Alex as quickly as I could. Luckily, traffic wasn’t too bad and I reached my apartment building in near record time.

  I parked out front and told the doorman I’d be back soon.

  He nodded and said, “Sure thing, Mr. Brooks,” and watched me dash up th
e stairs to her apartment.

  The moment I learned of the money, I knew it was bad news. And when I learned that Alex was the one who’d found it and had it stashed away, I knew that it would be only a matter of time before they sniffed her out and came after what they saw as rightfully theirs.

  It was important I got to the money first.

  I needed that money.

  And not only to stick it to Wes. But to shield Alex from the harm I could feel closing in and coming toward her. She had no clue what Blake Stone or any of his cronies were capable of. Even Wes would do anything to take from the man who’d nearly brought him and his empire to their knees.

  I couldn’t blame him for it, though this wasn’t something anyone should get in the middle of. Especially someone as innocent as Alex.

  I ran down the hallway in long strides and found her door cracked open.

  The pressure in my head swelled.

  “Alex?”

  I slid a shoulder through the crack and peeked my head inside. My movements were slow and cautious and my blood pressure was through the roof.

  The place was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  And with everything that had happened since leaving Mint early this morning, I didn’t like the feeling I had rolling down my spine.

  I stepped further inside and listened.

  Silence always made me nervous, but when it was this quiet, that was when nerves turned to terror.

  “Alex, are you here?”

  No response.

  I moved to the kitchen table and found her handbag resting on top. It looked like it hadn’t been touched since we last talked on the phone only a short while ago. My eyes flew across the room, over the walls, looking for any signs of her.

  There were none.

  No notes.

  No fresh scents.

  Nothing.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  And that was when I heard it.

  The door opened behind me and my heart shot to my throat.

  “Who are you?” My neck pulsed anxiously.

  She was a short little thing, chomping wildly on a piece of gum. “I’m Kendra. Who the fuck are you?” She scrunched her nose.

  “Where’s Alex?” My hands dropped to my sides and clenched into tight little balls.

  “I see.” She nodded her head. “Too good to introduce yourself.” She gave me the once over. “Don’t bother. I know who you are.” She narrowed her eyes and walked toward me. “Nash Brooks.” She chuckled.

  My brows knitted together. “Who did you say you were again?” My eyes drifted over her sexy professional suit and I assumed her to be a lawyer of some sort. She had that look about her.

  “Kendra.” She twirled her hair over her shoulder and continued closing the distance between us. “Alex’s friend. She’s not here?”

  I blew out a breath of hot air and ran my fingers through my hair.

  Nothing about this felt right and my stomach steeled at the dark feelings I had swirling over me.

  “She told me to come over.” Kendra brushed past me.

  “Did she say why?”

  “No, not really.” She glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with me. “Just said it was urgent.”

  “That’s it? She didn’t mention any details?”

  “That’s.” She gave me a hard glance. “It.”

  I hung my head and stared at the floor.

  Where was the sense in any of this?

  And why would Alex call Kendra here when she knew that I was on my way?

  I tilted my head and caught Kendra falling into the couch, stretching out her legs and crossing her feet. When she saw that I was looking at her, she said, “I’ll give her a call.”

  She leaned over, opened her purse, and pulled out her phone. “Maybe she went out or something?” She shrugged her shoulders intently staring at the phone’s screen.

  I skirted around the couch and found myself staring out the window. This city was too big, and full of too many crooked people, to fully know who could and who couldn’t be trusted.

  Including Kendra.

  I glanced over my shoulder and saw Kendra speed dial Alex’s number.

  A second later a phone rang from somewhere on the other side of the room. I moved toward the sound and pulled Alex’s phone from her bag.

  I held it up to show Kendra.

  “Well, shit. I guess we’ll just have to wait.”

  Then my phone rang.

  I swiped it alive. “What can I do for you Ted?”

  “Having fun yet?”

  BOOK 7

  On My Knees

  The Hollywood Nights Series Vol. 7

  CJ Thomas

  61

  Nash

  MY BROWS KNITTED as I stared at Kendra.

  She glanced up at me before returning to her phone.

  It was like she didn’t have the same feelings of distress I had. I was thankful for that. It meant that Alex didn’t tell her about what she and I already knew.

  I turned around and faced the window. “Don’t fuck with me, Ted.”

  “It’s just a simple question.” He paused. “Are you having fun yet?” he repeated.

  My chest heaved as my grip tightened around my phone.

  No, I wasn’t having fun.

  I wanted to find Alex.

  I had to know that she was okay.

  I stared out over the horizon of the city and swore right then and there that if Ted harmed her—even the tiniest scratch—I’d fucking have his head. “Where is she?”

  “Where is who?” There was enough doubt in his voice to make me want to believe he was as oblivious as he sounded.

  My body temperature shot up another degree. “Are you sending people to have Alex spy on me?”

  I thought of Sylvia Neil and the paparazzi assholes who all of a sudden seemed so interested in both mine and Alex’s life—together or not. They were invading our privacy.

  He laughed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  My heart rate spiked.

  “Are you high?”

  I hung my head and lowered my voice. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Where the fuck is she, Ted?”

  Silence hung on the line.

  “You called to ask if I’m having fun.” The back of my throat felt like sandpaper when I talked. “You think this is some kind of game, you sick fuck?”

  “Settle down, cowboy.” Ted’s voice was unwavering. “I called to ask about today’s scene. Remember, the one you told me about?”

  And just like that, it all started to come back to me.

  I tipped my chin back and blinked.

  He wasn’t talking about Alex at all. I felt like such a fool to let my emotions get a hold of me. But Alex was gone—missing—and with the dangers closing in on her, I assumed Ted of all people knew where she was.

  He continued, “The one where the car explodes and lights up the sky?”

  My eyes closed and I shoved my hand through my hair.

  Shit.

  A noise behind me made me turn. Kendra made her way to the back bathroom. All I could do was hope that she wasn’t listening in on my conversation.

  “Nash? You there?” Ted’s voice firmed up. “Is it coming back to you?”

  “Yeah.” My voice was barely a whisper.

  “What the hell is wrong with you. Everything all right?”

  Kendra came back out of the bathroom and now had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She gave me a weak smile and I watched as she tossed her things back into her purse.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “You’re not at the studio, are you?”

  Kendra turned and walked toward me. She rested her hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “Call me when you hear from Alex.”

  I nodded and watched her point at the number she wrote down before leaving.

  “Nash, what aren’t you telling me?”

  A siren passed on a street below.


  “It’s about Alex, isn’t it?”

  I stared wide-eyed without blinking, fearful of what might have happened to her and how much I should tell Ted before he sniffed all this out himself. Because it was only a matter of time before he did. Alex was one of his favorites and he didn’t like how involved I’d become in her life. He’d hate me—never forgive me—if I destroyed another promising intern’s bright future.

  “Christ, Nash.” Disappointment laced his words. “You fucking blew it, didn’t you?

  “I gotta go.” I hung up the phone.

  I needed to find Alex before it was too late.

  62

  Alex

  “ALEX, DID YOU HEAR ME?”

  My hand pressed firmly down on top of my thigh, fighting to keep my knee from bouncing out of control.

  It was useless. I couldn’t stop fidgeting.

  My eyes were glued to the floor and I didn’t want to look at their faces any more than I already had.

  They’d kidnapped me.

  Forced me to leave my apartment and get inside their van.

  And they told me if I screamed or made a scene they’d silence me forever.

  To say that I underestimated everything would be the biggest understatement of the century. But I had. I thought that finding a large sum of money in the sidewalk was the same as winning the lottery.

  It wasn’t.

  Trust me.

  I knew that these people meant what they said.

  I had no choice but to do what they demanded, or else—

  My stomach flipped and I wanted to vomit.

  These men weren’t from around here. I could tell from the way they dressed to their matching jet black hair and how they had it styled. Their cappuccino colored skin and Spanish accents took me south of the border and had my mind racing back to the news articles that blew up the newsstands when Wesley Reid brought down Blake Stone.

  “Hey.” The man who followed me on the bus took a handful of my hair between his fingers and tugged hard enough to rip some out at the roots. “Mr. Lopez asked you a question.”

  My nostrils flared as I lifted my eyes up off the floor before letting them fall on him. “No. I don’t have the money.”

  He let go of my hair and pushed my head to the side.