Identity Crisis

by Grace Marshall

  Thanks to that ass, Pittman, the place was crawling with reporters and the possibility of getting anything unique was almost non-existent – except for this tip, this nasty little tip that made her skin crawl.

  She searched for any stories that mentioned threats to Tess Delaney. There were none, because until last night no one had ever even seen Tess Delaney. That in itself would bring all the nutters out of the woodwork. Tess Delaney, out in public for the first time, with a real face and a real personality, would now be subject to all the craziness every other celebrity was. Carla couldn’t keep from wondering why the woman hadn’t just stayed tucked away in her private hideaway and let the loonies find someone else to badger. Of course, she was happy about the chance for a story, but really, this email was just creepy. She considered calling one of her buds down at the police department, but then she knew that would be a wasted call. It was just one more prank among many, they’d say. And they were right. She’d wait and see. That’s all she could do at the moment. Wait and see. God, she’d give her right arm for a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee about now!

  Chapter Twelve

  Kendra had had a quick shower and now sat in yoga pants and a tank top from the stash of clothing she always left at Dee’s for when she housesat. McAlister, the red tabby, lay curled up in her lap on the sofa, his tail twitching from side to side. Ellis and Dee sat in the two wing-backed leather chairs across from her and listened to the whole sordid story. They offered no judgmental “I told you so”. She really appreciated that, especially since she knew she deserved it.

  ‘You had sex with Garrett,’ Dee said, holding her gaze. Jesus, was she really going to make her repeat it?

  Kendra nodded. ‘It just happened. We … We weren’t ourselves, I guess.’

  Ellis was trying hard not to snigger, and she really appreciated that too. She’d certainly have been sniggering if it had happened to someone else.

  ‘So what are you going to do?’ he asked. ‘The two of you.’

  She shifted under the heavy weight of the cat, scratching his thick ruff and eliciting a half-hearted purr. ‘Well, I think we’ll to have to make a statement. I mean, if Garrett wants Tess to keep out of the limelight, I think we’re going to have to give the press at least something. Then after that, I think Garrett’s going to have to be super-protective of his girlfriend.’ She lifted the cat off her lap and stood to pace in front of the sofa. ‘Maybe him being surly like he was this morning and dragging Tess away like he did last night is just the ticket.’ She stroked her chin. ‘Maybe that’s our way out.’ She was talking more to herself now than to Dee and Ellis, who sat with coffee cups in hand and watched her pace. ‘I mean, who wouldn’t believe that he’s protective of his lover’s privacy, if his lover’s the ultra-reclusive Tess Delaney, especially. He just has to keep up the cover until the initial excitement dies down a bit and people get bored with the story. You know how quickly people get bored. It wouldn’t take more than a day or two, especially if we give them an interview to placate them. Then, I’d guess by the middle of the week at the latest, we could leak something to the press, I don’t know, something about the two of us breaking up. We could just say that Tess has gone away someplace private to write and mend her broken heart.’ She ran a hand through her still-damp hair. ‘It means I’d have to stay at Garrett’s for a little while. I don’t see how we can avoid that now, since Tess literally has no place to go, and we can’t risk the press finding her at my place. Plus they already know we were – together last night. We’re now an item, whether we like it or not, and at the moment, I think we need to at least convince the press that we like it.’ She waved a hand as though she was fending off a swarm of mosquitoes. ‘I mean, it can be stormy, of course it can. Most relationships involving celebrities are, and I can’t imagine one with Garrett being anything but stormy.’ She stopped mid-soliloquy and turned her attention to Ellis. ‘Sorry, Ellis, I know he’s your brother and all.’

  Ellis only smiled and shrugged as though she wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know.

  ‘Do you think you two can manage that without killing each other?’ Dee asked.

  ‘We’ll have to, won’t we? If we want to keep Tess’s identity safe. OK, last night was a mistake, I’ll admit it. Last night was unprofessional and I – K. Ryde – owes Garrett an apology for my unprofessionalism. Nothing like that has ever happened before and there’s no excuse for it. None. I’ll see that Garrett, that Tess, doesn’t have to pay for K. Ryde’s mistake, and I’ll make it right. That’s all, I’ll make it right.’

  Just then Ellis’s BlackBerry rang. He picked it up from the coffee table. ‘Garrett? What’s up? What do you … Yes, she’s here.’ He shot Kendra a quick glance. ‘Do you want to talk …?’

  Both women stared at Ellis, but the remainder of the conversation consisted of, ‘Yes … All right, I can do that … Now …? OK, I’ll be right there.’

  He hung up and blew out a sharp breath. ‘Garrett wants me to come over. He says it’s urgent.’

  Kendra refrained from saying that he probably just needed some hand-holding. ‘Please, Ellis, don’t let him go outside, even if you have to tie him to a chair. I don’t want him in the public eye until we have a working plan in place. Can you do that for me?’

  Ellis offered a smile that made her stomach do a little somersault as she realized just how much it reminded her of Garrett’s quirky grin. ‘It’ll be a pleasure to keep the twit in line,’ he said.

  He glanced down at his watch, then motioned Dee to walk him to the door, Kendra figured for a little private cuddle, and hell, the two had earned it, hadn’t they? She felt another stab of anger at Garrett for what he and Stacie had nearly destroyed.

  Ellis offered Kendra a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.’

  While Dee was saying her goodbyes to Ellis, Kendra checked her email. Just as she’d expected, there was a message from Don for K. Ryde. After his glowing praise for Kay Lake’s portrayal of Tess, the email was a basic repeat of what he had said to Garrett this morning, urging K. Ryde to try and convince Garrett to let Tess do some interviews and some endorsements.

  Kendra stared at the message. Was the man an absolute idiot? Was he really so greedy that he couldn’t see every time she made a public appearance, Tess was that much more likely to be outed?

  Beneath it was an email from Garrett asking her to call him, saying it was urgent. There was also a text that said nearly the same thing.

  She wanted to ignore him. He’d called his brother, for fuck’s sake! The big baby. She wanted to let him suffer. But she couldn’t. It might be business. It might be something else with the press. He did say it was urgent. She texted back.

  What do you need?

  Then she added, Is everything all right? Ellis is on his way.

  She was just about to call him when Dee returned, so she shoved the iPhone back in her bag.

  ‘You OK?’ Dee asked.

  Kendra flopped down on the sofa and shook her head. ‘It’s a mess, Dee. I’ve made such a complete fuck-up of the situation.’

  Dee handed her a Diet Pepsi and settled in next to her with her iced tea. Kendra could never remember being at Dee’s house and not finding her friend with her perpetual glass of tea close at hand, even if she was drinking something else too.

  ‘When Garrett told me that you were going to be Tess for him, I was shocked that you’d even considered the position after everything that’s happened,’ Dee said. ‘I was worried about you. I couldn’t decide if you were very brave or very stupid.’

  Kendra forced a smile. ‘I’m leaning pretty heavily toward the stupid side right now. When I found out that Garrett was Tess Delaney, I should have turned around, walked out the door, and never looked back. I should have run away fast. But no! I was so damn sure I could handle anything he could throw at me. And I could have. I could have if …’

  ‘If you hadn’t slept with him?’ Dee said.

  ‘No! I me
an well, maybe … But –’

  ‘Ken.’ Dee stroked her shoulder. ‘I know you. You don’t mix business with pleasure. You’ve never had sex with any of your clients, have you?’

  ‘Of course not!’ Kendra tried to be offended at even the idea, but then she had broken the number one rule by jumping Garrett before they even got back to his house.

  ‘Is this situation any more difficult than any other you’ve ever dealt with as K. Ryde?’ Dee asked.

  Kendra huffed. ‘It’s a waltz in the park. This barely qualifies as a problem compared to some of what K. Ryde’s had to face.’

  ‘So what are you so uptight about? You already know what you have to do. OK, it may not be ideal having to spend so much time with Garrett, but I’m sure you’ve had more unpleasant tasks.’ For a second, Kendra thought she was going to offer that wicked smile, but Dee was nothing if not diplomatic. She remained neutral, for which Kendra was thankful. ‘Besides, Garrett’s an all right guy, actually, once you get to know him. Though I guess you have gotten to know him, haven’t you?’

  ‘Shut up, Dee,’ Kendra growled.

  Dee was first and foremost her best friend, and the situation had now transformed itself into girl time. ‘So come on, Kendra, tell me and, be honest, because I’ll know if you’re not. Why did you have sex with Garrett if you dislike him so much?’

  God, she hated it when Dee cut to the chase. She slugged back half her soda for courage. ‘He looks like a slightly wilder, taller, darker version of Ellis. I mean, who could not like that about him?’

  ‘People can look really good and still be such assholes the thought of fucking them is repugnant.’ Dee observed. ‘But Garrett’s not one of those people, Kendra. Admit it. You two just got off on the wrong foot.’

  Kendra glared at her. ‘He hurt you.’

  ‘That wasn’t his intention. In fact, his intention was the opposite.’

  ‘Yeah, well, good intentions are bullshit, Dee. You know that.’

  ‘Ken, why did you have sex with him?’

  Kendra found her heart suddenly in freefall at the very thought of being naked in Garrett’s arms. She shut that picture out of her head as quickly as she could. ‘He’s fun to work with, and he’s not arrogant, not like I thought he’d be. And really –’ She bit her lip. ‘How could I not be intrigued with a man who looks like he came straight from one of my wet dreams and writes the most amazing romance ever? I mean, what’s that all about? What man writes romance? What man knows the heart of a woman well enough to do that? Clearly he isn’t gay, and I’ll vouch for the fact that he knows what to do with the equipment.’ She fanned herself with her palm. ‘Jesus, does he know what to do with the equipment.’

  The smile Dee offered made Kendra think knowing what to do with the equipment must be a shared trait of the Thorne brothers.

  ‘It was good, Dee, really good.’ Kendra shook her head and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. ‘Don’t you see? That’s the problem. I got involved where I shouldn’t have. I let my libido and my curiosity rule my brain and now look at the mess I’m in.’

  Garrett was on his BlackBerry, sitting in front of his laptop when Ellis arrived. He’d felt better after Kendra had texted him, though he was pretty sure it was K. Ryde doing the texting. Still, she had at least answered. He’d polished off the last of the coffee Kendra had made and was trying to find out more about Razor Sharp, but was having no luck.

  He hung up and tossed the device onto the table. Before Ellis got the door closed behind him, he asked, ‘How’s Kendra? Is she OK?’

  ‘She’s fine. I just left her with Dee, and Dee promised she won’t let her out of her sight. Now, you want to tell me what’s going on?’

  Garrett pulled up the email and nodded Ellis to the computer. While his brother read, he paced the kitchen floor.

  ‘I just got it this morning,’ he said. ‘After Kendra stormed out.’

  ‘Is it the first time?’ Ellis asked.

  ‘Tess has gotten emails off and on from this guy for several years now. At least, I think it’s the same guy. He changes his name and email address periodically, but his name always has to do with something sharp, something dangerous. Knife Edge, Stiletto … I think he was Blade Bearer once. That sort of thing.’

  ‘Did you talk to Brewster about it?’ Ellis asked as he read.

  ‘That was him on the phone. No more helpful than I’d expected.’ Garrett settled in the chair next to Ellis. ‘I talked to the police right from the beginning, and, well, he’s the only one I felt I could trust with Tess details. As much as he can manage it, he has a no-pry policy. But the police couldn’t do anything. I mean, it’s just an email, isn’t it? And mostly they’ve just been irritating. This is the only one that’s ever felt really threatening. Thing is –’ Garrett ran a hand over his stubbled chin. ‘This one is the first I’ve received since the Golden Kiss Awards and …’

  ‘And the man now has a face to put with the name,’ Ellis finished for him.

  Garrett nodded. ‘Kendra’s face, Ellis. It’s Kendra’s face. Damn it! None of this would have ever happened if Romancine hadn’t forced the issue. And then I … Well, I asked her to stay, or she wouldn’t have. I practically begged her, actually, when I found out who she was, and what she did for a living. I was desperate. Jesus, Ellis, I didn’t expect this. I never would have put her at risk.’

  ‘I know that,’ Ellis said.

  ‘I thought about just firing her. You know, just telling her I’m terminating our working relationship. But he’s seen her, hasn’t he?’ He nodded to the computer monitor.

  ‘Garrett, after last night’s award ceremony, millions of people have seen her, and you. For all we know he could be emailing from clear across the country, even across the world.’

  ‘But he knows she spent the night with me last night.’

  ‘Anyone watching the way you dragged her out of the awards could have guessed that easily enough,’ Ellis said.

  ‘I should have sent her home. I should never have taken advantage.’

  ‘You don’t know what would have happened if you’d sent her home, Garrett.’ Ellis pushed away from the table, found the coffee, and went about making a fresh pot. ‘Chances are if he knew she was here with you, he would have also known if she’d gone on home. And if he does live close, well, then who knows what he might have done. I mean, he saw you at the award ceremony with her. If he’s the jealous type that would have been enough to set him off.’

  ‘Damn it, Ellis, I don’t want anything to happen to her because of me.’

  ‘Do you have the other emails?’ Ellis asked.

  Garrett nodded. ‘I saved them all in a separate file as they came in. Brewster said that was the thing to do, though I was doing that anyway. Even when the police said they couldn’t do anything, I kept on, just in case.’

  ‘Well, if the police can’t help, then what do you want to do?’ Ellis asked.

  Garrett sat back in the chair and rotated his neck. ‘I want her here with me so I can keep her close.’ He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. ‘Can you give me the number of your security service? I want to hire someone to discreetly keep an eye on the place.’

  Ellis nodded his agreement. ‘Of course. That’s a good start.’ He pulled out his BlackBerry and began to type. ‘Martin is the man you want to talk to. I’ll send you his information. He’s discreet, thorough. He’s the best in the business. He’ll take care of it for you.’ He sent the message, stuck his BlackBerry back in his pocket, and looked up at Garrett. ‘You’ve got to tell her, you know? She needs to know what’s going on.’

  Garrett nodded. ‘She’s not going to like it.’

  Just then the key in the lock turned and Kendra shoved her way in with Dee right behind her. Dee caught Garrett and Ellis’s gaze behind her back and offered a helpless shrug. Then she turned to Ellis. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘What is it?’ Kendra added.

  Garrett stepped forward toward her cautiously,
always careful to stay out of the reach of her bad-ass right hand until he had gauged her mood. She’d been anything but Sally-smiley-face when she’d left.

  ‘While you were away –’ He nodded to the computer. ‘I got … I mean, Tess got a threatening email.’

  ‘Let me see.’

  ‘Kendra, no, don’t.’ Dee reached for her but it was too late.

  Kendra shoved into the chair in front of the computer. ‘Threatening emails aren’t that uncommon for celebrities, you know. It probably means nothing.’

  Garrett watched the muscles in her shoulders and neck tighten as she read, and he caught the slight acceleration in her breathing. She was good at hiding things, but he was good at finding out what people were hiding. It was one of his gifts, he supposed, but when the color drained from her flushed cheeks, he found himself surprised, and more than a little concerned, that nerves-of-steel Kendra Davis would let her fear show through in such an obvious way. He took a step closer and dropped into the chair next to her. ‘Are you all right?’

  She made no response. He could see her pulse beating fast in her throat. When she’d finished reading the email, she pushed back from the computer and sat breathing hard with her eyes still locked on the screen. ‘It’s probably nothing,’ she repeated. But her voice, no matter how hard she tried, wasn’t all that convincing. ‘Just some over-zealous fan. Is this the first one?’

  She listened as Garrett told her about Razor Sharp’s history. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said at last. ‘I should have told you. It’s just that up until now they’ve never been this threatening, and up until now, Tess Delaney didn’t have a face. I talked to the police –’

  ‘They can’t help,’ she interrupted. ‘There’s nothing they can do until … Until something happens. Like I said, this sort of thing’s not all that uncommon with celebrities, and Tess is a celebrity, and you can’t go crying wolf every time someone gets a little pissy or a little …’