Page 90 of See You There

Dahlia couldn’t meet his eyes. There was one key thing she’d left out of her story. “Scott knows everything about me. Getting a role isn’t just about your talent or even your looks. The likelihood of getting your big chance is infinitesimal. If a directoror producer thinks there is something in your past so bad that, if it became public, their image could be damaged—even for a day…” She shook her head.

“I don’t believe that.”

“It’s true to some extent. Now, I’m not so sure if I believe my past is horrific enough to ruin my career. But you have to remember, I was barely twenty-one, fresh out of rural Ohio, with no one else to ask for advice. Victor was a seasoned professional—so I thought—and I trusted him. It’s been so long, if it comes out, it would be bad. But I don’t know that it would be enough to end my career, despite what Victor says.”

“That’s what he’s threatening you with?”

Dahlia nodded. “What’s happening may have delayed him a bit. The second he is notified that I’ve signed with someone else, he’ll call the tabloids. Who knows?” She laughed. “I’ve been involved in an illegal casino robbery where my costar slash boyfriend was shot, and was in the middle of at least one known public shootout—my past might be boring compared to all that.”

“I could help you find Scott.” Luke’s thumb exerted a little more pressure on her hand.

Dahlia caught his eye. “Why would you do that?”

It wasn’t part of what she’d hired him for. She desperately wanted him to say that it mattered to him. Their gaze held, but it was difficult to make out Luke’s expression in the darkness.

“You don’t want to be married anymore,” Luke’s words were even, but his hand had clamped onto hers. “I can help you.”

Dahlia studied Luke’s eyes, wishing there was more light so she could read his intentions. He’d already done so much for her…

Luke pulled his hand back, and her heart twinged. What did she hope he would say? That he wanted to get rid of her husband so they could have a future together? But that’s not what he was saying.

“I appreciate that. Thank you. It’s important I take care of it myself. After I’m settled with my new agent and have my next project lined up, I’ll handle it. Getting a divorce isn’t top of my priority list right now.”

Luke’s hand abruptly reached for his glass. “You’re probably right.” He finished the wine in his glass before splashing in more from the fresh bottle.

Dahlia rose to her feet. “I think I’m going to find a snack and head to bed. Even with my nap, I’m still pretty tired.”

She didn’t put any effort into hiding the lie.

“Good night,” Luke’s voice was curt, leaving no room to say anything else.

“Good night, Luke.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Luke waiteda few minutes after Dahlia went inside before tapping out a text to Brady. He already had the private investigator looking into her agent. Asking Brady to expand the search to Scott wasn’t a big deal, he told himself.

A tiny voice in his head reminded him that, now that they knew Hank was behind the attempts on her life, her past was none of his business. Particularly since she said as much.

It has nothing to do with the fact that, if Brady finds a location for her husband, Dahlia could get a divorce.

The cicadas kept up their cacophony, getting louder by the minute. Luke stayed on the porch until even the lights lower in the hills winked out one at a time.

He tried not to think of Dahlia soft and warm in her bed. The story she had told was horrific. He couldn’t imagine growing up like that.

As dysfunctional as his family was, Luke had always had his siblings, Siobhan, and his own mother. Her childhood existed in a world so far removed from his privileged one, he could barely imagine it.

She’d struggled and sacrificed to get where she was today, and he admired her for it, even if he didn’t like how it came to be.Yet despite her success, she clearly still blamed herself for what happened to her family. He wanted to know why.

Luke hesitated, turning his phone over in his hand. He had more influence than most in his position, but there were still people who even he couldn’t touch. Luke ground his teeth. He didn’t want to ask for the favor, but for Dahlia…

“Hey, Dec,” Luke said, when his older brother answered. “What do you know about a man named Petrov…”

When Lukefinally entered the cabin, his lips curled into a smile. Dahlia had made up the sofa with the sheets and pillows they’d purchased and left him a sandwich on the coffee table in front of it.

The door to the bedroom was closed, and silence blanketed the cabin. Even with the whirring breeze of the air conditioner, it was still warm. Stripping off his jeans and T-shirt, Luke put on a pair of loose sleep pants and ate his dinner. Finally, he lay back on the sofa, one arm tucked behind his head, and reflected on what Dahlia had told him.

The sound of footsteps across the floor woke him, and Luke shot to a sitting position, his heart pounding. It took a second for him to get his bearings and realize where he was. Through the windows, he could see it was morning, but by the angle of the light, it was still early.