Luke and Logan checked in, having found nothing in their designated search zone. Mason and Sawyer had no luck either. They decided to meet at the main building to assist since it was so large.
Two hours later, there was no sign of Linc anywhere on the island. Gage called the tech department at the COBRA Securities office and had them ping Linc’s cell phone, but it was off the grid, most likely turned off. The last hit on it had been early morning in Miami.
Island security coordinated with the network crew to handle the missing person’s case. Meanwhile, Gage couldn’t shake a sense of unease. As he sat at a round outdoor table with his coworkers, he brought up his concerns.
“You know about the coincidences of the two shootings and the bomb at the gala. There’s something else unsettling. Two people connected to the show have died recently.”
“You said one of the contestants had a heart condition,” Logan remembered.
“Yeah, but the woman who was in charge of wardrobe was murdered in Central Park last week.”
Luke whistled. “There are way too many strange occurrences for my liking.”
“Mine, too. With your okay, I’m going to have Kaiya and Ryan meet us in New York when we return on Sunday.”
“Good idea,” Logan agreed.
#
Brooklyn hadn’t been able to keep the news of Linc’s disappearance from the contestants. He’d become popular among the women for his talent, personality, and friendly disposition. When they asked about him, she told them they were unsure of his current whereabouts but didn’t mention that the last time he’d been seen was on the island. She didn’t want them to panic.
The shoot turned out better than she expected. The women had been outfitted in jeweled tops with a sparkly mermaid tail, their elaborate hair and makeup adding to the look. The photographer took pictures from a platform suspended above the water table. They indeed looked like they were floating under the sea.
“This was a great idea,” Jax said as he studied the images on the computer screen from over her shoulder.
“They look amazing,” she agreed. She clicked through the frames, selecting the best shot from each contestant.
“Any word on Linc?” Jax asked when she finished.
She hit print and swiveled around to face him. “None. The island was thoroughly searched, but he’s nowhere to be found.”
“That’s strange. He was talking about a big trip he had planned next month, so it wasn’t like he was suicidal or anything.”
She didn’t think he was, either. He was always so jovial and outgoing. If he didn’t leave on his own, that meant he had help, and that frightened her.
A couple of hours later, Brooklyn sat beside Jax, Kaycee, and Harlow in the judging room while the women filed inside. Harlow graded them on their earlier performance, with Olathe earning the top spot. Nari scored the lowest for having messed up numerous times and swearing like a sailor.
Next, they went over the individual photos from the mermaid shoot. Each one looked beautiful. After the women stepped out, Brooklyn discussed the shots with Kaycee, Jax, and Harlow. They scored the women and added the totals before calling them back inside.
She stood in front of the women, hating that she had to let another one go.
“Everyone did a fantastic job. The judges unanimously decided on the best photo. Combined with the scores from the challenge, the top spot goes to Olathe.” She called the other women in order until it was down to Nari and Rubi. “And the model with the lowest score and therefore leaving Fontana Island is Rubi.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
There was no word on Linc the following morning. He hadn’t shown up anywhere, and his phone was still off. Brooklyn was upset that he was missing and had a hard time sleeping, but the show had to go on.
They were down to seven women, and they stood in front of her.
“One of the most important things to learn in modeling is how to move your body and work your angles. I’m excited to introduce today’s guest to you. Not only is she’s one of the most popular and successful professional dancers on television, but she’s also started a dance academy. Ladies, help me welcome Cassidy Swain Rossi.”
The women cheered and danced in place as Cassidy arrived on stage.
“Hi, ladies. Most of you might recognize me from Dancing With the Celebrities, but I’ve trained my entire life in dance and gymnastics. I’m going to show you how to move your body so you can flow easily from one pose to another and what angles work best. You can use the techniques I teach you to create your own signature style.”
Cassidy went through several positions, showing how to transition from one pose to the next. Then she called the women one by one to showcase their moves. She corrected the ones with poor form and instructed them on how to improve.
Once the class was over, Brooklyn said, “The shoot will encompass what you’ve learned today. Each of you will be assigned a dance genre you’ll have to portray. We’ve selected jive, disco, tap, ballet, breakdancing, contemporary, and hip hop. Remember to incorporate the poses Cassidy showed you.”
As the women left, Brooklyn glanced to where Gage sat with Mason Rossi, Cassidy’s husband. Though Gage was talking to his coworker, his gaze was on her. The days were flying by, and her time with him would be over soon. How could she let him walk out of her life?
“You like him, don’t you?”
Her head whipped to Cassidy, who casually took a drink of water.
“Gage? Sure. He’s done a great job, and he’s reliable.”
Cassidy rolled her eyes as she recapped the bottle. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Brooklyn’s heart thumped. How was she supposed to answer the question? Gage wanted to keep their relationship a secret. She didn’t want to get him in trouble with his bosses.
“You don’t have to say anything,” Cassidy assured her. “I can tell by how you look at him. He looks at you the same way.”
Her pulse quickened. “If he’s looking at me, it’s because he’s doing his job.”
“You don’t have to admit anything, but I’m not the only one who noticed. The sparks fly when you two are together.”
Sweat popped out along her forehead. “It’s not—”
“Don’t worry. My lips are sealed. My guess is that he doesn’t want Luke and Logan to know.” When Brooklyn didn’t respond, Cassidy nodded like she had the answer. “Mason was the same way. But you can’t help your feelings. And, Brooklyn, he’s one of the good guys. On his first assignment, he was shot several times saving a young girl who had been kidnapped.”
Brooklyn gasped. “He was shot?”
“Yes, but thankfully he was wearing a kevlar vest, and it caught the bullets. Still, he was injured. On his last case, he saved a man who was about to be murdered in his hospital room.”
“I had no idea,” Brooklyn murmured as she looked over at Gage. He laughed at something Mason said, and suddenly she couldn’t pull air into her lungs. She loved him and had since the moment he walked into her office. Somehow, he’d become the most important person in her life.
“Take it from someone who knows. When you meet a man like that, you don’t want to let him go.”
Cassidy’s words replayed in her head as she headed to the shoot. She didn’t want to let him go, but they lived their lives too far apart. How could they make it work?
When it came time for judging, Cassidy ranked the women, giving Alease the top spot. Then they went over the photos. Once the women stepped outside, the judges discussed the pictures and awarded scores. Added to the points from Cassidy’s class, the woman with the lowest combined score and therefore leaving was Terica.
#
Gage checked in with Kaiya and Ryan. There was no movement with the twins, who seemed content to spend their days lounging by the pool in Miami. Having them under surveillance meant they had nothing to do with either the copperhead being set loose in the contestant house or the disappearance of Linc Chadha, un
less they hired someone to do the jobs.
There was still no sighting of the makeup artist. Everyone he spoke to assured him that Linc wasn’t depressed or suicidal. Miami police conducted their own search and even utilized a helicopter to scour the island. When their efforts came up empty, they officially listed him as a missing person and notified his family.
If Linc didn’t leave the island on his own, then someone had a hand in his disappearance—possibly the same person responsible for sabotaging Brooklyn’s show. Unfortunately, there were over a hundred suspects.
Gage had the office run a comprehensive background check on Brooklyn’s assistant, Stella. Brooklyn was adamant that she wasn’t involved, but he wasn’t so sure. Before she started working for Brooklyn, she tried to make it as a model in her hometown of Chicago. She landed a few minor jobs but couldn’t find an agency to represent her. She moved to New York and tried again with the same results. Stella took a job as Brooklyn’s assistant two years ago and gave up on her modeling dreams. Maybe she resented Brooklyn’s success when she hadn’t been able to break into the industry.
He kept an eye on her when she was around. She was attentive to Brooklyn’s needs and seemed to do a good job. He could be way off base, but he didn’t want to take her off his suspect list until he could unequivocally say she was innocent. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down for a minute.
He glanced up as Brooklyn tried to console the woman who was sent home. Terica was sobbing loudly and obviously devastated. Finally, Terica hugged the remaining women and walked out with a half-hearted wave. He and Mason waited while the production crew wrapped up, and then Brooklyn and Cassidy were ready to leave.
As they had each evening, they met the rest of his coworkers for dinner. Tonight, they sat outside and shared a variety of wood-fired pizzas. He enjoyed getting to know them better, and they treated Brooklyn like one of the family. It was scary how much he wanted that to be true.
Once they were back in their bungalow, they relaxed in the hot tub before he carried her inside and made love to her. Time was quickly passing, and he wanted to enjoy every moment with her. The memories would get him through long, lonely nights when she was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Bright and early Friday morning, Brooklyn stood in front of the contestants. Despite the lack of sleep over the last few nights, she felt invigorated and energized. She looked forward to the evenings spent with Gage’s coworkers and their wives. She’d become good friends with them and knew they’d keep in touch. But it was the time after with Gage that was her favorite.
Their lovemaking felt different last night. Maybe it was because she admitted to herself that she loved him.
The contestants stared at her expectantly, and she realized Clark had given her the prompt to begin. Clearing her throat, she said, “Your instructors today will be Jax, Kaycee, and myself. How many of you know what a comp card is?”
Olathe and Alease held up their hands.
“Do one of you want to tell the others what they are?”
Olathe and Alease looked at each other. Alease motioned for Olathe to answer. “They’re like a business card for models, featuring the best photos from your portfolio.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Brooklyn responded. “That’s exactly what they are. They’re bigger than a standard business card.” She held up one of her own. “They typically measure eight and a half inches by five and a half and are double-sided.” She passed one out to each of the women. “As you can see, one side will have your name with a headshot clearly showing your features.” She flipped it over. “Here, you’ll display between four to six of the best photos from your portfolio. You’ll want to pick pictures that show your range.” She tapped the bottom of the card. “This is where you’ll list your stats, and most importantly, you want to include your agency’s contact information. If you freelance, use the number and email you use for bookings. And make sure it’s easy to read.”
Nari held up a hand. “What stats do you include?”
“You’ll want to list your height, as well as your bust, hip, waist, dress, and shoe size. Plus, your hair and eye color. The more information you can give a prospective client, the better.”
“A rule of thumb to remember is to change your comp card if your appearance changes,” Kaycee told them. “Update it if you cut or color your hair, or maybe if you have better photos you want to include.”
Brooklyn picked up a stack of cases from a table. “We’re also going to show you how to assemble a portfolio.” She handed one to each of the women. “When putting one together, you want to start with a face shot or something strong to pull in the viewer. You want it to flow as they turn the pages.”
“Remember, it’s better to have fewer pictures that are great than more that aren’t as good,” Kaycee added.
“Exactly. You’ll want to finish with something fierce at the end to bore into their heads or create conversation. You want to be memorable.”
“We’re going to make your comp cards today,” Jax informed them. He pointed to two computers. “Stella and I will sit down with each of you individually. We’ve selected the photos we think are best, but it’s your choice if they’re what you want to use. We’re leaving the final decision up to you.”
“After lunch, you’ll have a shoot,” Brooklyn said. “Today, you’ll be posing as statues in the gardens. Have fun, ladies,” Brooklyn said with a wave.
#
The contestants took turns posing on pedestals that had been constructed in several places around the gardens. They wore white togas, and their makeup made them look like genuine statues. Jae and the crew had done a fantastic job. They were all subdued by Linc’s disappearance, but they took their jobs seriously.
Sitting beneath the canopy tent, Brooklyn made a note of the women who worked the poses Cassidy taught them into their movements and who paid attention to the instructions from Jax and Paulo Montoya, the photographer.
Each woman had improved tremendously from the first shoot on Monday. Gone were the awkward facial expressions and clumsy poses. It was amazing how much they’d absorbed in a short amount of time.
When she arrived at the judging room later in the day, she was happy to note the production crew expanded the set to include seating for the four extra judges. She’d asked Jade, Peyton, Harlow, and Cassidy to assist the judges in narrowing it down to the five best candidates, and they took their seats. Soon, the remaining six filtered in. They went over each photo and gave their critiques. The women left so the judges could discuss them, and when they returned, Brooklyn stood at the front of the room.
“You’ve all done a great job this week, and we’ve noticed an improvement in each of you. The best photo today is Genie.” She called the rest of the names until they were down to Nari and Rose. Tears poured down both of their faces. She hated this part so much, but it had to be done. “The model who will leave the competition tonight is Rose.”
Brooklyn hugged her and waited for her to exit the room before addressing the remaining contestants. “We’ve cut the field in half. That means we’re headed back to New York City on Sunday. Tomorrow, Jax has scheduled several photo shoots throughout the day that we’ll use next week for judging, so make sure you do your best. The next time I see you, we’ll be back in New York.”
She smiled at Gage as he stood off to the side with Luke, Logan, Mason, Sawyer, Noah, and Layla. She wanted to walk into his arms as the other women did with their significant others but refrained. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable or get him in trouble.
For dinner, Brooklyn invited Jax and Kaycee to dine with the group. They were both relieved to get away from the contestant house for the evening. She also asked Stella, who seemed genuinely pleased to be included.
It looked like a parade of golf carts headed to the main house. She turned to Gage. “I can’t believe it’s half over. I’ve looked forward to it for so long, and now it’s zipping by.”
�
��Are you satisfied with the way it’s going?”
“Except for Linc’s disappearance, definitely. I wish we had more time to spend with the women. We’ve condensed so much information into a few days.”
A table was waiting for them when they entered the restaurant. It would be the last dinner they shared before everyone left tomorrow. She was sad to see them go. She’d become close to each one of them, and it felt as if she’d known them forever.
“Brooklyn, I have a red-carpet event in Los Angeles next month,” Jade said once they were all seated. “I’d love to wear one of your dresses if that’s possible.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
Having an Oscar winner wearing her designs was a major coup. “I’d be honored.”
The meal was served, and conversation flowed as freely as the wine. The evening passed in a blur of laughter and friendship.
#
Gage parked the golf cart and then opened the door to the bungalow, waiting for Brooklyn to enter first.
“You’re fortunate. You work with incredible people,” she said as soon as he closed the door.
“I do.” And they loved her. Each woman made a point to let him know that throughout the week. He agreed with them without giving away his feelings, but he thought they all saw right through him. Thankfully, none of his coworkers were around when the women cornered him, though it probably didn’t matter. He didn’t think he’d done a particularly good job keeping it from them. They were all perceptive as hell. That had been proven earlier in the day when Noah asked him what he would do about Brooklyn.
“What do you mean?”
“You have feelings for her.”
His denial was instant and felt utterly wrong coming out of his mouth. “The only feelings I have are about her safety.” It was a bald-faced lie, and Noah didn’t buy it either.
Dressed to Kill (COBRA Securities Book 22) Page 22