‘Yeah? So?’
‘Damn it, Harris. I’m sorry you don’t like him, but this is my job right now, and if Tess is at risk, I’m at risk, and I need your help.’
He still held her in a cast iron gaze that made it very difficult for her not to squirm. ‘There was a time, just a couple of days ago, when you didn’t like him either.’
‘Yeah, well, that was a couple of days ago! Harris, are you going to listen to me and help me here or are you just going to be a pain in the ass?’
His gaze softened. He released a deep breath and took her hand in his. ‘Ken, I’ll do whatever I can to help you. You know that. Just tell me what you need.’
And she did. And he wasn’t happy about it.
‘You want us to do what?’ Stacie said, looking first at Kendra then at Harris. ‘You’re kidding, right?’
Harris sat on one end of the sofa with his arms folded defiantly across his chest. ‘Believe me, it’s not my idea of a good time either.’
Kendra had a sneaking suspicion that Garrett wanted to snigger at the two, but he had the good graces to keep his mouth shut, which was just as well because she wasn’t in the mood to put up with any more bullshit and the last thing she needed was for him and Harris to be at each other’s throats.
‘I’m not talking about a good time,’ Kendra said. ‘We’re already way past that here. I’ve told Dan to leak to the press that we’re all about to make a statement. Harris, no one knows you’re here, and since you’re a bit of a hero with the press after your photos and write-up in Wilderness Vanguard from your Valderia trip with Ellis, your rapport will make it easier for the rest of us. Stacie, you’ve already said you wanted to feature Harris in your gallery opening. We don’t have to lie to make this one work. All you two have to do is act like you might be able to work together, and act excited. Can you do that?’ She gave Harris’s arm a gentle shake. ‘Harris?’
He squared his shoulder, still locked in a glare-down with Stacie. ‘I can if she can.’
Stacie offered him a smile that could have cut glass. ‘Don’t you worry, Photo Boy, I can. I promise.’
Kendra released a slow, even breath, an effort to cover nerves that were so not characteristic of K. Ryde on the job. ‘Good. Now I’m going to go freshen my make-up. Remember we want Tess to look bright and shining and the ex to look a little jetlagged.’
Stacie offered a pout. ‘That’s really very cruel of you, Kendra, and here I thought we were friends.’ Then she smiled. ‘Of course, it’s going to be a real effort for me to look jetlagged.’ Did she actually wink at Harris? The blush that crawled up his throat suggested that she most definitely had.
‘What about him?’ Harris said, nodding to Garrett, who sat on the other side of Kendra.
‘I get to be Tess’s adoring lover.’ Garrett said with a smile that looked more edible than chocolate. Kendra wondered how the hell he could sit there all sweetness and light after the shower incident. She expected at least a little brooding on his part.
Harris growled. ‘You get rewarded for fucking up.’
‘Harris.’ Kendra elbowed him. ‘Shut up. I told you it wasn’t his fault.’
Garrett returned his growl. ‘I don’t need you to defend me, Kendra,’ he said.
‘Then fuck both of you,’ Kendra stood and headed for the stairs. ‘I’m touching up Tess’s make-up, and if I come down here and either of the two of you are anything but polite and docile, I’ll march right out the back door and leave the lot of you in Don’s tender care. Am I clear?’
They both nodded. Stacie sniggered, and Kendra flipped all three of them off as she headed up the stairs hoping the two men could hold off on a brawl until after their confrontation with the press. And to be honest, she wasn’t entirely sure but what Stacie might be the best brawler of the three.
When she returned in a clingy summer dress that showed plenty of cleavage in its off-the-shoulder sea foam décolletage, the response she got was stunned awe, which was exactly the response she hoped she’d get from the press and the mob as well. And as much as she hated to admit it, in spite of the fact that this was work, Garrett’s look of appreciation made her feel a little giddy.
‘Don just called,’ he said. ‘They’re expecting us.’
‘Then let’s do it,’ she said. Her eyes locked on Harris. ‘You sure you’re OK with this?’
He nodded and came to his feet, taking her in his arms. ‘I’ll do whatever you need me to do, Ken.’ He shot Garrett an acid glance. ‘Whatever it takes to protect you.’
But Garrett rose from his seat too, and pulled her away from Harris. ‘You don’t need to worry about protecting her, Walker.’ He crushed her to him possessively. ‘I promise you that.’
She couldn’t say she didn’t like it, Garrett being so possessive of her, and something about knowing he’d be by her side made her feel better. She reminded herself once again that this was just another job for K. Ryde – and an easy one at that. Whatever happened upstairs in the shower, well, he seemed to be over it, so she needed to let it go too.
Harris, true to his word, offered Stacie his arm and forced a smile. She batted her eyes at him and returned a smile that was all flowers and bunnies as she folded her arm over his. Jesus, what a bunch they were, Kendra thought. As she reached for the door, Garrett brushed her ear with his lips. ‘You’re amazing, you know that?’ He squeezed her hand. ‘Now, let’s do this.’ He opened the door to a chorus of boos from the mob and the reporters. But when they saw their Tess the boos turned to cheers. And the cheers became a mumble of confusion when Stacie came out onto the porch on Harris’s arm. Harris they liked. Even before Ellis guaranteed their goodwill toward him, with the exclusive for Wilderness Vanguard magazine from deep in the Valderian forest, Harris had a reputation among the green people in Portland, and that was a good percentage of the population. Harris they respected. Kendra could already see people recalculating in their heads.
Everything was going according to plan, until Garrett stepped forward to a muffled whisper among the reporters and mumbling and shuffling of the mob beyond. Kendra’s stomach knotted. What the hell was he up to?
‘I’m very disappointed,’ he said. And the crowd fell silent. Kendra dug her nails into his palm, but he didn’t even flinch. ‘I’m very disappointed that you all thought I would do anything to hurt the woman who has completely stolen my heart.’ He raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles, forcing her nails away from his palm. ‘I’m disappointed for anything I’ve done to make you believe such a thing of me.’ He turned to Stacie. ‘As you all clearly know, Stacie Emerson is my ex-wife. But apparently what most of you don’t know is that not only are Stacie and I still good friends, but Stacie and Tess are friends as well.’
The shuffling and muttering from the crowd increased. Kendra nodded her agreement, and Stacie stepped forward, offering her thousand-watt smile.
‘Garrett’s right. I’ve been away in Japan, deep in negotiations for several exhibitions for the opening of my West Coast gallery. I had no idea what all had gone on with Tess and Garrett when I arrived this morning, jetlagged and exhilarated by my time in Japan. I only stopped by on my way to see this gentleman who you all know very well, I would imagine.’ Kendra was sure she nearly blinded Harris with her smile. Stacie continued, ‘I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, Harris Walker is one of the best wildlife photographers in the Northwest, maybe the world.’
There was an impromptu round of applause from the mob. Harris forced a smile that looked a little bit like a grimace. Stacie pulled him forward. ‘I came to negotiate with Mr. Walker. You see, I love the Northwest. I grew up here, and I’m so excited to be opening a gallery here in my home state in my favorite city on the planet. I hope to counterbalance the exciting Japanese exhibits from the time of the Shoguns with photographic exhibits of the natural beauty of the Northwest. I’d like to feature local photographers, and in particular, I’d like to feature Mr. Walker’s wonderful work. He’s the r
eal reason I’m in town. I’m hoping to make his work the center of New World Gallery West’s grand opening exhibition.’
One of the reporters spoke up. ‘Mr. Walker.’ Of course it was the irritating Mr. Pittman from the front row once again. ‘Is this true? Are you going to be exhibiting your work in Ms. Emerson’s gallery?’
‘That’s what we’re negotiating.’ Harris managed a genuine smile and even managed to sound congenial. Kendra loved her friend even more when he offered Stacie a smile that really could have passed for genuine. Kendra knew he had done it just for her.
‘Ms. Delaney,’ Carla Flannery chimed in from the back. ‘Is it true that you and Ms. Emerson are friends?’
‘Yes, it’s very true.’ Kendra offered a warm smile which Stacie returned in kind. ‘All of this …’ She raised her hand to indicate the reporters and the mob. ‘All of this is very touching, that you all feel so deeply for me. It’s wonderful to feel so loved. But I promise you there’s absolutely nothing to be concerned about. I’m very happy for Stacie’s visit. It was a wonderful surprise to cap off an amazing weekend. And Garrett is more than happy to offer his place for Stacie and Mr. Walker to meet.’ A bald-faced lie if ever there was one, but then not very much about the past two days wasn’t a lie when it came right down to it. ‘I promise you all is well with Garrett and me. Very well, indeed.’ She offered him her best smitten by love smile, and he returned one with equal radiance. Some of the Tess fan club clapped and cheered. ‘I’m hard at work on the next Tess Delaney novel, and Garrett is taking very good care of me while I write. Very good care.’ She kissed his cheek and someone wolf-whistled. ‘Now please, everyone. Please go home. I need to be able to work in peace. Stacie and Mr. Walker just want to get on with their negotiations. If you could do that for me, if you could just go home to your families, I’d be so grateful.’
‘Ms. Delaney.’ The reporter from the Oregonian spoke up. ‘What about the threats on your life?’
‘There are no threats on my life. There never have been. I get an occasional email from an overzealous fan, like every other writer or actor or anyone else who has a public profile, but there are no threats on my life, so you can all rest easy tonight that I’m safe here with Garrett, happily writing away, and that the next Tess Delaney novel will be in your book stores very soon.’
‘If that’s true, if there are no threats on your life, then why are the security people still here?’ Mr. Pittman put in.
She smiled sweetly. ‘Mr. Pittman, my publicist is always a bit paranoid for my privacy at my request. That shouldn’t come as any surprise. Plus I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone that Garrett’s house has just been well and truly egged. I believe there might have even been a tomato or two. Just a precaution. That’s all.’
‘That’s a lot of security for just a precaution,’ Pittman said.
Carla Flannery spoke up again. ‘My sources assure me the threat is real.’
God, they were tenacious, Kendra thought. But she only smiled and said, ‘Just a precaution, like I said.’ Then they all turned and walked back into the house according to plan.
Chapter Twenty-one
He hadn’t intended to watch them. He rather liked seeing the reports on television, knowing that in a way he was orchestrating the whole thing. And Garrett Thorne’s ex-wife showing up was just icing on the cake, that was all. Oh, what a mix it was. He had hoped when he’d heard of her arrival that Tess would come to see what a worthless excuse for a human being Garrett Thorne was. He had hoped against hope that the man had had his fill of Tess and was dumping her for his ex. But even as he hoped that, the rage that ran through him nearly choked him, that anyone in their right mind could jilt Tess, that anyone in their right mind could even look at anyone else. And for the briefest moment he had fantasized about how he would punish Garrett Thorne for hurting his beautiful Tess. But none of that was true.
Bile rose at the back of his throat as he watched the two couples fawning over each other in front of the press, as Thorne pawed and preened and all the while his ex looked on like he was God himself come down to save the day. Well, he wasn’t! He wasn’t.
And what the hell was the matter with Carla Flannery? She barely got one question, and a weak one at that. She was supposed to be an ace journalist. She was supposed to be young and hungry. Hell, he could have hired a kid off the street to do better than she had.
As the four disappeared back into Thorne’s house, he yanked his cell phone from his pocket and texted.
You can do better than that, Ms. Flannery. I’m very disappointed in you.
He sent it with a hard press of his index finger, then, as an afterthought, he texted again.
By the way, nice touch, the motorhome. Makes you seem important. But really, the kaki T-shirt is too tight. It makes you look like a slut with a military fetish. Daddy’s little girl, maybe?
They barely made it into the house before Garrett’s BlackBerry rang. He shrugged his resignation. ‘No doubt that’s Don calling to see how it all went.’
Everyone nodded agreement and waited for him to connect. Kendra grabbed a much-needed Diet Pepsi and passed around drinks from the fridge.
Sure enough it was Don, so, as they all settled around the kitchen table, Garrett put him on speaker phone.
‘Is Kay all right?’ Don offered no greeting, no “how did it go?” His voice was tight and breathy in a way Garrett had never heard him before. Everyone’s gaze turned to Kendra, who froze in her seat.
‘Yes.’ Garrett said, his stomach knotting dangerously at the tone of Don’s voice.
‘Thank God,’ Don breathed. ‘Look, just listen to me. I’ve forwarded you an email I just got from this Razor Sharp bastard.’
Garrett nodded to Stacie, who was already heading up the stairs for his laptop. Before he could say anything, Kendra spoke up. ‘What happened, Don? What did the email say?’
‘Shit, Garrett, you have me on speaker phone?’
Kendra stiffened in her chair. The bright color that Garrett had noticed always tinged her cheeks when she was making a public appearance, when she was doing the job she did so well, was suddenly gone and her face was porcelain pale. Harris scooted his chair close to her and slid an arm around her, and Garrett was jealous. That should be his job. But the angry glare Harris leveled at him was a reminder of whose fault it was that Kendra was in this position to begin with. As if he needed reminding. He swallowed back the burn of his guilt as Stacie returned with the laptop.
‘Pull it up,’ Kendra said, moving closer to Garrett. ‘I want to see it.’ Stacie stood behind her with both hands resting on her shoulders.
Just then, there was a knock on the back door. Stacie opened it and Dee and Ellis shoved in, caught the mood of the moment, and moved close to Kendra and Garrett close enough to look over their shoulders at the email.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Don was saying. ‘Listen, Kay, it might be better if –’
‘I said pull it up.’ Her voice was hard and distant.
Willing his hands not to shake, Garrett did as she asked. There were two new emails; one just forwarded from Don, and the other one, just below it, was from Razor Sharp.
Garrett took a deep breath and opened the email.
Clearly you can’t control your bitch, Bachman. You’re her publicist. It’s your job to protect Tess’s reputation. FAIL! Don’t you know what she’s doing in there with Garrett Thorne and his whore of an ex and Harris Walker? The press may believe their lies, but I don’t. If you can’t control her, I will, Bachman. And I promise you, I’ll make sure she behaves herself.
R.S.
Everyone’s eyes were on Kendra. Garrett was sure everyone’s hearts were in their throats, just as his was, everyone aching for her, everyone fearful. But this time, she didn’t run for the bathroom. This time she didn’t hyperventilate. This time her blue eyes were like ice and the air around her was electric with her control. She squared her shoulders and glared at the screen, raking her
teeth across her bottom lip. Garrett was once again amazed at just how tough, just how brave she was.
‘I got it just a few minutes ago,’ Don said. ‘I’ve never gotten one from him before. I passed it on to Ryde. Does he know about this, Kay? Have you heard from him?’ Don asked.
‘He knows,’ Kendra replied. ‘Open the next one.’
This time the color rose in Kendra’s cheeks. Harris cursed out loud and Dee moved to flank Kendra next to Stacie.
‘What does it say?’ Don asked.
‘Jesus, you callous bastard,’ Garrett said, ‘you can’t really expect me to read it out loud! I’ll email it to you.’
Before he could forward the message, Kendra pushed his hand away and began to read aloud. Her voice was distant and without emotion. There was no trembling, no wavering. Just hard, cold resolve.
You’re a whore and a liar, Tess Delaney. You may be able to fool the press with your innocent radiance, but I see right through you. Whores go to jail when the police catch them, Tess. I promise I won’t let you off nearly that easily.
R.S.
‘That sonovabitch,’ Ellis said softly, laying a hand on Dee’s shoulder. He had his BlackBerry out.
‘What are you doing?’ Garrett asked.
‘Getting in touch with Wade,’ he said. ‘If the police can’t help, maybe Wade can. Send him the emails, Garrett, and I think we all need to make a trip down the Pneuma Building. I’ve got Jeffries waiting in the alley with the limo,’ he said.
When Dee saw the look of surprise on everyone’s faces, she added, ‘We figured the two of you would be getting pretty claustrophobic by now. Not that Garrett’s house isn’t nice, and all, but, Ken, I know you don’t like being in one place too long. We were just going to drag you back to Ellis’s place for a little break from all of this, but I think our first stop now definitely needs to be Wade’s dungeon.’
‘Pack what you need,’ Ellis said. ‘You’re not coming back here tonight.’ He gave a glance around. ‘There’s plenty of room for everyone. I’ll have Galina throw an extra bean in the pot and make the beds up in the bunk house.’
Identity Crisis Page 21