Page 121 of Hideaway Heart

“She was supposed to come out this way,” said the clipboard guy, looking distressed at having to face down the three of us. To be honest, I wouldn’t have wanted to do it either. “But she must have gone off the other side.”

“Is there a door on the other side?” I asked.

“There is, but it would have led right back to this hallway.”

Suddenly Jess careened around the corner, running at full speed. “I can’t find her, Marius. She’s not in her seat.”

“Okay, if she didn’t come back through this hallway and she didn’t go right to her seat, does that mean she’s still backstage? On the other side?” I asked.

Javier was already moving in that direction, the rest of us on his heels. When we reached the door, he knocked on it, and as soon as it opened, Marius and I charged backstage.

With producers and crew shushing us left and right, he and I swept the area and quickly determined she wasn’t there. What the fuck? She hadn’t just disappeared into thin air! Where was she? Adrenaline, fury, and terror had my heart racing, and sweat was dampening my clothes. Why the fuck had I left her? If anything happened to her, I’d blame myself.

Then Javier grabbed my arm, jerking his head toward a door at the back. We ran for it, and when it opened onto a dark, narrow stairwell, somehow I knew that’s where he’d taken her.

I raced up, three at a time, Marius and Javier right behind me. We reached the first landing and I threw the door open. “You keep going,” I told them. “There’s at least one more floor.”

They continued hurtling up the stairs, while I took off down the hall, opened every single door onto empty offices.

Then I heard her yell, “Fuck you!”

I rocketed toward the sound.

TWENTY-NINE

kelly

He flippedme onto my back and sprawled over me, his hands pinning my wrists to the carpet.

“I gave you what you wanted tonight,” he said, like all this made perfect sense. “And now you’re going to give me what I want.”

“Like hell I will.” Instinct kicked in. I bent my knees and bucked my hips, sending him sailing over my head. He wasmucheasier to toss than Xander! Just as planned, he released my arms to break his fall and save his face.

Immediately, I swept my arms down and hugged his torso tight, remembering to turn my head so his chest didn’t smash it. Xander’s voice was in my head.Climb the tree. Wrap the arm.I scooted up, hooked my left arm around his right bicep, and rolled him onto his back.

Then I delivered a blow with my right elbow to his cheek and a second one to his gut. Both landed with satisfying thumps, and I quickly tried to scramble to my feet.

Unfortunately, that fucking dress was not made for easy movement. I hadn’t quite managed to stand up when Duke regained his strength and popped up. He was coming toward me with pure evil on his face when suddenly the door behind him flew open, and he was jerked backward and tossed to the ground like a marionette. Then he took a blow to the face that was much harder than the elbow I’d delivered—it landed with an explosivecrack!

“Motherfucker!” Xander yelled, standing over Duke like an angry god. “I should fucking kill you for putting your hands on her!” He clutched the front of Duke’s white shirt—now splattered with blood from Duke’s nose—and hauled him up to his feet. “Fight back, asshole! Or do you only get rough with people smaller than you?”

“I’ll fucking—!” Duke sputtered, but I never got to hear what he was going to fucking do because Xander caught him in the solar plexus with two more sharp jabs. Duke fell to the floor and cowered, gasping for air, while Xander cocked his fist again.

“Xander, no! I’m okay,” I said, pulling up the hem of my dress and rushing over. “I’m okay!”

He immediately abandoned Duke and took me in his arms. “Are you sure? He didn’t hurt you?”

“He didn’t hurt me,” I said. “I promise, he didn’t. Did you see my bridge high, throw low?”

“No.” He looked at me with awe. “Did you use it?”

“It worked,” I said excitedly. “It really worked.”

Then I burst into tears.

* * *

Later, after I’d filed a police report, returned the jewels, ditched the dress, washed off my makeup, hugged my mother, and told her the story over a couple of very strong cocktails, I let Xander tuck me into bed and crawl in beside me.