“Thank you. This looks amazing.”
I lifted the bun to find a cheeseburger on the bottom bun. Over that was barbeque pulled pork, and sitting on top of that was bacon with cheese melting over all of it. My stomach rumbled in delight when George returned with a handful of napkins and two ice-cold sweet teas. This man did southern just right.
“This looks amazing.”
“Dig in. I won’t tell anyone when you have barbeque sauce dripping down your chin.”
I smiled. It was the messiest thing I’ve ever eaten, but it was, by far, the best barbeque sandwich too.
I popped a fry in my mouth as Charlie finished off the last of his meal.
“So what new details have you learned?”
“She was pregnant, and she had a celebrity stalker.”
“I’m not surprised. Rumor has it that she slept around. Did you hear she was banging William Durand, her co-star?”
“You know him?” I asked, even more intrigued.
“I should. He was like a mentor to me. I go over to his house every Sunday for dinner with him and his wife, Peggy. Real sweet woman.”
“They’re still together?”
“Yeah. They went through a rough patch back when all that went down. He told me all about it and how he and Peggy went to therapy at Destined Rehab.”
“I thought that place was only for stars that had drug addictions.”
“Nope, they have trained therapist that deal with high-profile clients. As you can imagine, we have problems too. Only ours are under public scrutiny.”
“Do you think Calinda ever attended therapy?”
“Sure she did,” Charlie answered before taking a sip of his tea. “She went to one of their sessions.”
I didn’t think I could be any more surprised. Having the other woman in the affair go to therapy wasn’t normal practice, was it?
“You’re serious?”
“You know what they say; the only way to banish your demons is to confront them head-on.”
“Wow. I wouldn’t have guessed she’d agree to something like that.”
“Oh yeah, it’s all done in a controlled environment. No fights ever break out. They’re prepared for everything. It’s actually a rumor that Calinda went there for a different reason, and after she finished her sessions, she came out a new person. Had put her agent on notice she wasn’t going to renew their contract, kicked her sister out of the will. It’s like she had some major epiphany that changed her while she was there.”
I rested my elbow on the table and leaned in. “I need to visit this place. Can you find out who her counselor was and get me an appointment?”
“Which do you want me to tell them, that you’re in love with a movie star or a wannabe rock star?”
“Does it have to be either?”
“I guess we could both learn to share. I’ll tell them you have two demanding lovers both in the public eye.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care what you tell them as long as I can get inside.”
His smile grew like a man holding all the cards. “It will be my best acting job to date; you and me at rehab. It can be our second date.”
“West isn’t going to let me go alone.”
“Leave everything to me. I’ll get us in, but until then, how about dinner tomorrow night? You can be my dinner date at William and Peggy’s house. It will get you close enough to see what they are really like. Don’t believe everything you read in the tabloids.”
“What about West? I can’t just keep leaving him, especially to go question two suspects. He’d have a fit.”
Charlie sighed. “Fine, he can come too.” Charlie eyed me over the top of his glass. “So are you two a thing?”
“Define thing.”
“In a committed relationship? Butler might have mentioned you were on the verge of something.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated sucks,” Charlie said, sliding off the bench. He picked up both of our baskets and walked them back over to the truck. I picked up our other trash and tossed it in the recycle bin and walked to his side.
“Thanks for lunch, it was amazing.”
Charlie tossed his arm over my shoulder. “Anything for my favorite psychic.”
He might regret those words after going to the rehab center with me — that was if he could get me in.
Chapter 9
I arrived back at the hotel with concrete plans for dinner the next night, including when he was going to pick us up. I’d waved goodbye and walked inside the hotel.
The normal upbeat, exciting vibe the hotel lobby gave off from tourists hoping to get a glimpse of someone famous wasn’t the same as when I’d left. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Goosebumps rose up and down my arms. I didn’t get spooked easily, but I wasn’t one to let my internal radar go unanswered. Something was just plain wrong.
I scanned my surroundings. The gun and knife I’d brought were tucked away, hidden in the room. There were two men in the lobby dressed in business suits. Neither spared me a glance. Two employees stood behind the check-in counter, both just chatting away since they didn’t have any customers. A couple of teens were sitting in the lobby chairs, their gazes down on their phones. Nothing seemed amiss, out of place. Was I losing my touch?
I pressed the elevator button, constantly checking over my shoulder, and only turning around when the elevator dinged. I stepped aside as a family stepped off. Cameras hung around their necks, and the man had a map in his hand. I stepped over the threshold and hit the number of the top floor. The doors were about to close when a hand stopped it.
I met the man’s gaze. He was tall, dark, and military. I didn’t need to be psychic to figure that one out. The dog tags around his neck gave it away. I smiled and moved to the side as he pressed the button for the floor beneath mine.
The ride up the elevator was awkward. His gaze would casually meet mine, and I’d look away. I wasn’t being coy. I just wasn’t in the mood for conversation. The fewer questions asked, the better.
“Enjoying your stay?” he asked, leaning against the elevator wall.
There went my silence. I pasted a smile on my face. “Yes, thank you, and you?” I asked to divert the conversation away from me.
“It’s too busy for me personally. I’m used to more of a small hometown. The traffic here is just crazy.”
“Yeah, it is kind of nuts.”
He held out his hand. “I’m Wyatt.”
“Cree.” I took his hand and shook.
Visions of him at the park I’d just left popped in my mind. He’d been wearing a baseball hat with sunglasses, different than the way he was standing in front of me. I slid my hand free and tried for the smile I was sure slipped.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze penetrating as it held me in place. “I’m sorry. Was my palm sweaty?” He wiped his hand on his jeans.
“No, it’s fine. I’m fine.”
The bell dinged at his floor, and I held my breath watching him step off. The door went to shut when he stopped it again. “I’m in room 2010 if you need anything or if you’d like company for dinner or sightseeing while you’re here. I know my way around this place pretty well.”
“Thanks, I’m here with my boyfriend, but I hope you enjoy your stay.”
He winked as a smile split his lips. He gave a nod like he knew I wasn’t telling the truth. He removed his hand. “Right. Well enjoy your stay, Cree. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
The door slid shut before I let out the breath I’d been holding. I didn’t get a wonky vibe from him; maybe I was just being paranoid. After all, who really knew I was here, and why, for that matter?
The elevator opened on my floor, and I stepped out and headed down the hall. I shoved my key into the slot and waited for the green light to flash before I shoved it open. I stepped inside and froze with my hand still on the door.
A man was standing in the open foyer. Not just any man but the one that I’d just picked f
rom the lineup only hours ago. He was scary looking in a way that I wouldn’t just cross the street to get away from him; I’d run. His dark hair was cropped short. His goatee was trimmed. His muscles had muscles, and on top of those were tattoos, one glaringly inked tattoo that I recognized instantly. The rose with the word "Mine" scrolled beneath.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Ms. Blue,” he muttered.
His words caught me off guard. How in the hell did this guy know my name?
My heart threatened to beat from my chest as I silently tried to remember where the hell the emergency exit stairs were located. No way was I waiting on an elevator to reach me if I ran for it.
“How do you know my name?” I asked. My sentence squeaked from my lips. I cleared my throat. “And what are you doing in my room?”
“People in town talk when West Asher comes to town.”
West. This crazy celebrity stalker knew about West. “What do you want?”
“Give him a message.” My pulse threaded as he stalked near me. He towered over my small frame. He grabbed my arms, picked me up, and pinned me to the door, using my body as a doorstop. “Tell him, unless he wants his new whore to die too, he needs to get the fuck out of my town.”
I raised a brow. No one had ever called me a whore and lived to tell about it. The funny thing about my position and the tall man digging his fat fingers into my arm was that he’d put me just at the right position for the one move I hadn’t needed Freddie to teach me. I brought up my knee fast and hard, not stopping until he dropped me and cupped his jewels. Grabbing his head, I brought up my knee, making quick contact with his nose. Blood sputtered out as his head flew back.
“No one calls me a whore, you stalker asshole.”
He had one hand on his junk and the other holding his nose as he groaned.
A gun appeared in the doorway before I could even see who was holding it. Wyatt, the guy from the elevator, stepped into view, his gun trained on Daniel Splint, the celebrity stalker who’d just gotten his butt kicked by a girl.
“Blue, are you okay?”
I tilted my head and gestured to the man-baby still hurt on the ground. “Don’t I look fine?”
Wyatt pressed something in his ear. “Blue is secured. The scene is contained.”
“First stalker dude and now you? Who the hell are you, and who are you talking to in the earpiece?”
My phone chirped in my pocket.
“You might want to answer that,” Wyatt announced, helping Daniel Splint to his feet. Wyatt yanked his arms behind his back and slapped some cuffs on his wrist.
I grabbed my phone and checked the caller ID. West. I should have known.
I answered. “You’re having me followed!”
“Calm down, luv. Wyatt is just part of the security detail I enlisted to protect you.”
I stalked farther into the hotel room. “You…you keep doing this crap. First the tracking device in my watch on the island—”
“It saved that cute butt of yours,” he interrupted.
“And now men following me. What are you so afraid of, Archer?”
“I had a team in play before we even arrived. I spotted Splint when we left the precinct. Don’t be pissed at me for wanting to keep you safe. I’m not going to lose you like I did her.”
“Like you lost who? Calinda?”
“No, now stay in that room until I get back. I’m stuck in traffic.”
“Ohh no, you don’t get to tell me what to do, Archer. This little game you’re playing with me… This case is over unless you want to start telling me what you’re hiding. You think it was a coincidence the stalker showed up here? He wasn’t here for me; he was here for you.”
“Stay in the room,” Archer demanded.
Like hell. I wasn’t shacking up with a spy-hit man who was keeping secrets. I stomped into the room and grabbed my bag and started shoving things inside of it. I pulled out my gun and knife from beneath the mattress and was zipping up my bag when I grabbed my phone. I dialed Butler’s number. He answered on the first ring. I could hear instruments in the background. “Does the offer still stand to let me stay at Calinda’s?”
“Of course. Everything okay?”
“Just freakin’ peachy,” I said, grabbing the handle on my bag. “How’s the kitchen stocked? I need to cook.”
“It’s fully stocked, but if you need something, just send James to get it.”
“Who?”
“The driver you haven’t used. He’s parked in front of your hotel.”
“Thanks, Butler.” I released a pent-up breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“Call me if you need anything, Cree. Anything at all.”
“You’ve done plenty. Thanks.” I hung up the phone and walked out of the suite to find Wyatt and the stalker already out of sight. I pushed the elevator button with determination and continued until it dinged open and I stepped inside.
My entire body trembled, not because I was scared or because of what had happened. No, I had my gun on me now. I was practically invincible. My body trembled for an entirely different reason. I was pissed, and as each second passed, my temper was reaching critical levels. I needed to cook, and I needed to now.
West Archer
Chapter 10
How in the hell had he let this happen? Taking Cree to the precinct had been unavoidable, and West still had no idea why the stalker was waiting outside. He slammed his hand down on the steering wheel, ready to plow through the cars in his way.
“She’s fine. Everything will be all right,” Kathrine said, resting a reassuring palm on his arm.
Katherine was more than just married to West’s best friend, Prince Phillip. They’d all grown up together and had always been best friends. When she’d called to say she was in town, he’d nearly choked.
“You still haven’t explained why you’re here.” He glanced in her direction even as he inched forward in traffic.
“Let’s just say I’m public relations for the crown to stave off any problems you might encounter.”
“And Phillip? He let you travel without your security detail?”
“Oh no, dear. You and I both know better than that. I sent them ahead to make sure the hotel is secured. I thought we could use the time alone to…talk.”
“We don’t have an update yet.”
“Not about the case, West. About the American…”
“Don’t go there.” He glanced at his best friend.
“I was just going to say that she’s gotten under your skin,” Katherine said, admiring the polish on her fingernails. “Mya—”
“Stop,” he growled, squeezing the steering wheel until his fingers turned white.
“I was just going to say that one didn’t end well. If you care about this girl, you won’t drag her into your lifestyle.”
West let out a tired sigh. Katherine was right. She was always right, even back when West confessed about sleeping with Calinda. Katherine had been the one to suggest that West had only done it because he was still grieving the loss of Mya and was searching for a way to feel alive again. She’d had a point then, just like she did now, although the circumstances were somewhat different.
“I couldn’t protect Mya.” He now knew the strength of those out to see West fail. Mya was very much like Cree. She’d been a psychic, and she had been looking into the diamond. They’d gotten close in more ways than their mutual quest. He’d started falling for her. He’d been wrong to leave anything up to fate. West glanced at Katherine again. “I will protect Cree.”
“Who’s going to protect her from you?” Katherine asked. “You aren’t the type of guy to settle. You’re going to break her heart. You can’t help it.”
West had his foot on the brake, the traffic at a complete stop. He lolled his head to stare at his friend. “She makes me want to be that guy.”
“Keep your head in the game, West. If she doesn’t find that diamond, then the monarchy will fall.”
He put on his blinke
r to change lanes as he got closer to the exit. That diamond was West’s endgame; finding Calinda’s killer was just going to be a bonus. Whispers had already started in parliament about Phillip’s abuse of power, taking what didn’t belong to him. Some were beginning to argue he was unfit to be the next king. The passing of the crown needed to take place, and soon. The king’s health was rapidly deteriorating, and they were all almost out of time.
To squash the whispers and the threat of anarchy, they needed to find that damn diamond, and their only saving grace rested in the hands of the psychic that was currently pissed and out for blood. How in the heck was he going to fix this?
West pulled into the hotel to find Katherine’s security detail waiting by the entrance. With her hand on the door, she turned to face him once more. “Arrange for me to speak to Ms. Blue.”
“I’ve got this under control, Katherine.”
“I’m not asking as your friend, West. Make it happen.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
They both got out of the car, and Wyatt approached just as West was pulling out Katherine’s bags from the trunk.
“She’s not here.”
Katherine paused, and they both glanced at Wyatt.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“I got the stalker held in the security office for the police, and when I returned to the room, she was gone.”
West slammed the trunk a little harder than he should have. Wyatt was the best at his job. It was the only reason West had picked him. “The tracker?”
“It’s showing she’s at Calinda’s old place. She must have taken the limo. It’s gone too.”
Katherine grabbed the keys out of his hands. “I’ll handle this.”
Her guards made a move to stop her, and she held up her hand. “This calls for a woman’s touch.”
She raised a brow, daring them to stop her as she slid behind the wheel.
West walked to the driver’s side door and stopped Katherine from closing it. “You don’t know where you’re going.”
She tisked. “If you honestly believe that, then you don’t know me very well, West.”
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