Model Investigator (Haven Investigations Book 3)

by Lissa Kasey

  “Legally Kade and I are partners. Not married, but close. If they are holding him….”

  “They have to prove he’s mentally unable to make those decisions for himself to hold him,” Jacob said. “Ty has gone over this already. He’s battling them in court, claiming kidnapping, but he has to prove they have him first. It’s an uphill battle.”

  “Right,” Duke said. “We need something to give probable cause for the police to step in. Someone seeing him, or admitting he’s there.”

  “Which is why we target the baby sister.” Jacob flashed me a photo on his phone of Kade’s youngest sister, Ashlyn.

  “Why her?” I asked. Focus on the now. Find Kade. I had to keep chanting to myself. I was pretty sure my heart was pounding and my breathing shallow.

  “She’s a fan,” Jacob said. “Been to a few of my shows. I even signed something for her a couple years back.” He navigated on his phone until he found another picture and held it up. It was of Jacob and Ashlyn—a younger Ashlyn—but they were both smiling. Her eyes were filled with adoration.

  “Did you have sex with her?” I had to ask.

  He glared at me for a minute, but I was totally serious.

  “Did you?” I prompted again.

  “No. Sadly. She got dragged away by friends before we could get that far.”

  “And she’s just going to believe we randomly run into her?” I scoffed. “You’ve thought about her for so long that you just had to reach out and connect?”

  “Nope. Tomas called her, pretending to be my assistant, and set up an appointment under the guise of winning a meet and greet for buying the new album.” Jacob grinned at me. “She thinks she won a date with me. It’s not a complete lie. We’re meeting her for coffee. I’m buying. In fact, the shop will be closed except for us.” He glanced at his phone. “We’re meeting her in an hour.”

  “What if her family is watching?”

  “We’ve asked her to keep it quiet and careful, so as to avoid paparazzi interrupting our date. She promised she’ll make sure to ditch anyone who might be following her.”

  Had he always been this devious? Smart? Calculating? “Who are you?”

  He stood up, packed away our lunch, then leaned over the table to kiss me on the cheek. I was so shocked I didn’t even slap him like I normally would have.

  “What if she has guards she can’t shake or doesn’t notice?”

  “Duke’s guys said they are only around the house and the old man. But if she shows with guards, we’ll keep you on the down low. We’ve also got distractions set up if needed. My guards are watching her. We’ll see if she can shake them.”

  Somehow I wasn’t sure it would be that easy.

  “We’re going to get Kade back. Let’s get ready.”

  “I’m already ready,” I told him.

  “No. You need to not look like you. We don’t want to scare her away before we get a chance to grill her.”

  “You’re totally getting off on this PI thing.”

  “Yep.”

  Duke handed Jacob a bag. It was clothing. Off-the-rack clothing. “Jacob requested this stuff for you.”

  I frowned. “I’m so not wearing any of that.” Jacob spread out a pair of jeans, a couple T-shirts, a button-up, and the most hideous pair of black loafers I’d ever seen. “No. Hell no.”

  “It’s for Kade.”

  “He won’t even recognize me if I dress like this.” I couldn’t imagine the stiffness of the jeans against my skin or the way my toes would be crammed into those horrible shoes. Didn’t he understand that feet needed to breathe? I didn’t think I had any closed-toe shoes in my entire collection.

  “Be happy I’m not making you wear tighty-whities,” Jacob teased.

  I put my hand to my chest, terrified by just the thought. “You monster.”

  His grin was huge. “Come on, O. Change. We’ve got a sibling to interrogate.”

  Chapter Four

  THE OUTFIT was worse than I could ever have imagined. The jeans were a little too big and coarse against my skin. Jacob had insisted I put a T-shirt under the button-up, and now I was sweltering. I never felt that I sweated a great deal, but obviously my lack of completely covering up was why. There would be armpit stains soon, I was certain, and disgusted.

  Duke topped the outfit off with a baseball cap to hide my hair and face. It was new, for which I was thankful. I’d never have put something used on my head. I’d also packed a bag of regular clothes so I could discard this awful disguise the second we got rid of Ashlyn. Burning them had even been a thought, but since Southern California was still in a drought, it was a bad idea.

  Jacob assessed me briefly. “I never realized you were so skinny. I mean seriously. In the stuff that fits you and shows off your body, you look okay, but in this you look like a beanpole. Maybe you should eat some more sushi?”

  “I’m fine,” I growled at him, absolutely hating him at that moment. The weeks without Kade had ruined my recovery, and I knew I’d lost weight, even without the benefit of scales to tell me numbers. The idea that Kade would take one look at me and be horrified made my heart hurt. My nutritionist had briefly put me on a vegan diet, hoping to correct some of the stomach irritation that had become a constant pain in my life. I used to eat dairy and fish all the time. Probably still wasn’t supposed to eat fish, but it didn’t make my stomach hurt, so until I found Kade, I’d eat what I could and worry about my nutritionist later.

  Duke touched Jacob’s arm.

  Jacob glanced at him, then back to me. “You look great, though,” he said quickly. “In everything. Kade is going to be so happy to see you.”

  Right. Sure. Whatever. I grabbed my bag and called for Newt. No way was I leaving him behind.

  I had to breathe through the panic for a minute before getting into the car. Kade wouldn’t turn me away. Maybe I could eat some donuts or something before we found him. Of course, the thought of that made my stomach churn. Gross.

  Duke drove us to the shop with an SUV full of guards following at a safe distance. “No one is going to recognize you,” Jacob said. However, he looked very much Jacob the rock star. He squeezed my hand. “For Kade.”

  “You’re so evil,” I told him, because he knew exactly how to manipulate me into doing just about anything.

  We arrived at the shop and waited for Duke to check it out, then lead us in through the back. The employees gushed over Jacob. He signed autographs and ordered enough food and coffee to feed an army. One of the baristas watched the door for Ashlyn, prepared to let her in as the shop was locked. There was a sign on the front window stating the shop was closed for a private meeting and would reopen later.

  It was odd to be mostly ignored. The staff were only interested in Jacob. None of them seemed to recognize me or even really look at me. They also didn’t approach or speak to any of Jacob’s guards. Duke stood less than two feet from my chair, and when one of the baristas tried to hand me a cup of steaming tea, he took it and opened it, looking it over before setting it in front of me.

  I gave him a wary glance. He said nothing.

  And then suddenly Ashlyn was there, thankfully alone. It took every bit of my control not to leap out of my seat and cross the café to shake the truth out of her. Beg her, threaten her, anything to find Kade. She was gorgeous but looked nothing like Kade at all. Where he was blond and only tan from hours spent in the sun, she was a deep rich tan all the way around. Skin, hair, eyes. But her features made her alluring and exotic. I don’t think most people realized Kade came from a mixed-race family, his father African American and his mother very blonde and possibly Nordic in descent. Ashlyn was a perfect mix of the bloodlines, having attributes of both, making her exotic and gorgeous. I could see some of Kade’s mother in her, the high cheekbones and doe eyes. But Ashlyn had a radiant smile. She also held herself with confidence, shoulders back, head high. Her hair was styled up, highlighted, and pinned in glamorous curls. She even wore an elegant dress that was likely not off the rack
anywhere, but I couldn’t place the style to any designer I knew. The teal wrapped her body into very distinct feminine lines, accentuating her breasts and narrowing her already thin hips. It wasn’t slutty at all, more classic modern.

  She modeled. Not the same circles I did, more mainstream lines and department-store ads, but she earned it. Her body was lithe, lean, and only curvy where the world said it was appropriate to be. She could have passed for barely twenty, though I knew her to be more than a decade older.

  She didn’t notice me at all. Her eyes were all for Jacob. It was sort of a starry gaze. Like she was caught in his web. It shouldn’t have surprised me. Jacob’s smile and slick demeanor could win over just about anyone.

  Her small, well-manicured hand disappeared between his, and she let out a soft sigh. “This is so amazing.”

  He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing the back but not lowering his eyes. It was a telling look, exotic and erotic, like he was thinking naughty things about her. “Please come and sit.” He motioned toward the table I was sitting at. “This is my assistant, O.”

  Assistant? I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “Temporary, of course. I’m still interviewing to find the perfect fit for the role,” he said like he was implying she should apply for the position and dismissing me before she could focus too much attention in my direction.

  “I heard about your previous assistant. I’m so sorry. I remember speaking to him the last time we met,” Ashlyn said.

  Jacob’s eyes narrowed a little, shoulders tightening. It was the only sign of tension he let show, and only someone who knew him well would have noticed. He sat near me and let Ashlyn take her seat, put her purse on the back of the chair, and set her phone on the table in front of her. She didn’t even glance at me.

  I set my phone on the table as well, set to record every word she said. Jacob also had a small camera and microphone in one of the buttons of his shirt that he’d insisted on wearing. Claimed we could use it as evidence for court, which is why I’d finally given in and showed him how to work it. It was actually a crappy camera that didn’t have great audio. But since he was excited about it, I let him use it.

  “You want some coffee? Pastries?” Jacob waved to the crowd of staff who were trying to pretend they weren’t listening and watching. “Don’t mind them.”

  “A latte would be wonderful.”

  Jacob threw a look at the nearest barista, who hurried behind the counter to make the drink. Then he grabbed Ashlyn’s hands with both of his. He rubbed her wrists with his thumbs and gave her his full rock-star attention. She almost seemed to be in a daze. I wondered how we’d transition to questions about Kade.

  “You’re not normally here in Carlsbad,” Jacob said. “You spend most of your time in New York, right?” His eyes swept over her like he was assessing her and finding whatever he saw more than adequate. “You’re a model, right? I have a thing for models.”

  I sputtered into my drink. She didn’t even notice. Jacob threw me a warning glare.

  “I’ve been modeling since I was a teen.”

  “And you’re taking a break now? I was surprised to hear you were in the area.”

  “My family needs me,” she said. “It’s only temporary.”

  “Oh no. Is someone sick?” He could have won an Oscar for how genuine his distress seemed. Damn, he was smooth.

  “My brother. But it’s okay. We’re getting him help.”

  “Yeah? Anything I can do? I’ve got some great doctors on speed dial.”

  “It’s more emotional than physical. He’s not well if you get my meaning.”

  Jacob nodded. “Ah. I know all about that. My little brother Joel is in an inpatient facility. His therapists are saying he might be there for a while. Maybe even a year.” He hesitated as though the idea occurred to him just then, and asked, “What facility is your brother in? I didn’t know there was one in Carlsbad. Joel’s up in Sacramento. Little place on the beach with a lot of wonderful staff. I know they’re almost always booked up, but I could get your brother a spot.”

  “My family would never go for that. We’re very private,” she said.

  “This facility is very discreet. The last thing I need is paparazzi bothering Joel to get dirt on me while he recovers.”

  She pulled her hands free, letting them fall into her lap. “It’s better that he’s here. With us. We’ll take care of him. We take care of our own.”

  I wanted to scream and shake her. Instead I gripped my teacup. At least she admitted he was in Carlsbad somewhere.

  “I totally understand,” Jacob soothed her. “Family is important.” His eyes flicked to me. Did he want me to say something? “Even when they are sort of deranged.” He gave her a teasing smile. “My brother Jeremiah is a complete jackoff, but I still love him.”

  Jacob’s brother Jeremiah was a complete waste of air, not just a jackoff, and I could barely contain my snort. Instead it came out sort of choked.

  Ashlyn looked at me for the first time and frowned. “Do I know you?”

  I shook my head and tried to keep my hat low so she couldn’t see my face.

  Jacob gripped her hand and tried to draw her attention away from me. “Look, here’s your latte.” The barista set the drink down in front of Ashlyn.

  “O,” she said after a moment. I could feel her eyes on me, though I refused to look up. “Oliver. The former model.”

  I bristled at the “former” comment. But she and I had never worked in the same modeling circles. There was a difference between being an international fashion model and being a general clothing model. If I hadn’t done a background check on her, I’d have never known she was a model. There were millions of models, after all. Apparently the disguise Jacob insisted I wear wasn’t enough to completely mask who I was.

  She threw a glare at Jacob and got up, heading toward the door. “You were just playing me? You bastard.”

  I rushed after her, around her, and blocked the door. “No, please, please.”

  “I can call the police,” she told me.

  “Then you’ll have to explain to them where you’re hiding my lover,” I snapped.

  “Ashlyn, we just want to bring Kade home,” Jacob said.

  “He is home. He’s where he needs to be.”

  “Then why was he not allowed to make that decision himself?” I demanded. “Why did your family kidnap him from a hospital after he was injured by a suspect? Is he even getting the medical care he needs for his leg? Do you guys have any idea how many pins and rods are holding together his hip, leg, and arm?”

  “You don’t know anything. Kade is getting the help he needs.”

  “He’s not sick! Being gay is not an illness.”

  Ashlyn recoiled like she’d been slapped. “You think that’s what this is about? Does he have you that disillusioned? This has nothing to do with him being gay.”

  “Then why did your family put him in conversion therapy? Multiple times?” Jacob asked. He got between us, his hand on my arm, and his expression clearly telling me to calm down.

  “He’s never been in conversion therapy. Did Kade tell you that? He’s sicker than I thought. Making up stories….”

  Jacob held out his hand, and Duke handed over his tablet. He took a moment to pull up Kade’s medical file, which actually showed not one, but four attempts at gay-to-straight therapy. All done before the practice was criminalized. Each attempt was labeled as conversion, though it didn’t specifically say gay to straight. “How do you explain this?”

  She stared at the screen and, after a moment of confusion, took it to scroll down and read it. “This isn’t right. This has to be something you guys fabricated. He was put in therapy because of the animals.”

  Animals? What animals?

  “Why?” Jacob asked her. “Why fabricate something this horrible?”

  She thrust the tablet back at him. “Kade is ill.”

  “Being gay is not ill.”

  “I’m not talking about that,” A
shlyn snapped at me. “I’d have thought after last fall you’d have gotten the memo. He’s sick. He needs help. He beat you half to death, after all.”

  I blinked at her in confusion this time. “What are you talking about? Kade has never hit me.”

  Jacob looked confused too. “Are we talking about the same Kade? The guy who practically rides around with an invisible white steed rescuing kittens from trees, models from eating disorders, and porn stars and rock stars from crazy relatives?”

  “I saw the pictures,” she said, then pointed at me. “His face was bruised, and he had to have a hole drilled in his skull because he’d been so badly hurt.”

  “What? Kade didn’t do that to me. The guys who did that to me are in prison.”

  “You’re just saying that. I think you need help just as much as Kade.” She tried to move around me, but neither Jacob nor I were moving.

  He put an arm around her shoulder and steered her back toward the table. “I think we’re both misunderstanding things. Can we sit down and talk? You help us understand your side?” As always Jacob used that rock-star magic of his. “Tell me your story, baby,” he crooned a line from one of his songs.

  Ashlyn let out a long sigh. “It doesn’t matter. I have no control over what is happening.” But she let Jacob lead her back to the table. “He really is getting the help he needs, both physical and mental.”

  I had to scrunch my eyes shut to keep from screaming at her again. But if she was going to try to be civil, so was I. I sat opposite them. Jacob still hadn’t let her go. He was rubbing her arm and speaking in soothing tones. Duke ushered the café staff out of earshot.

  Finally, I said, “Kade didn’t beat me. A guy I grew up with named Donovan was trying to rob me. He and an accomplice broke into my house and tried to kill me. Kade came in just as they were winning. If he hadn’t shown up, I’d be dead right now.”

  Jacob nodded. “And he rescued me from someone who was abusing my whole family. We had a bit of an accident with the tour bus, which is what put Kade in bad physical shape and has us worried about his health.”