Page 13

CHAPTER 13

T aschen stood with his arms crossed as the police officer finished getting Sephie’s statement. He’d told the cop about what had happened at the funeral and that they’d planned to meet Yvette before heading back to Seattle. Of course he left out the other details.

Which was sitting in his pocket.

Sephie had found the note only seconds before hotel security arrived with the police. They’d ushered them into the room across the hall from Yvette’s so the homicide team could conduct their investigation. A steady flow of voices and clomping boots moved up and down the hall. All Taschen wanted was to get Sephie the hell out of the building.

Officer Richard tsked and tucked away his notepad. “I appreciate your time. Please call me if you remember anything else your friend might have said when you spoke to her last.” He stood and nodded at them both before leaving .

Taschen placed his hand on her slim, trembling shoulder. “Ready?” It was 10:30 a.m. and she still hadn’t eaten. His stomach was fine, but given what Sephie had witnessed, she was bound to feel weak.

She rose from her chair and leaned into him. “I just want to go home.” Sadness clung to her words, making his gut wrench. He didn’t know whether she meant her own home or the cabin. Regardless, she needed to get out of here.

“Let’s go.” With his arm firmly around her waist, he led her from the room. He kept his body angled so she couldn’t see into Yvette’s suite, but the yellow-and-black tape was hard to miss.

Sephie kept her head down. Her shoulders were slumped. Anger bubbled inside him. The previous evening, she’d been able to escape the harshness of reality. Now that was just a memory. The good feelings had been snuffed out as quickly as Yvette’s life.

He couldn’t stop Yvette’s killer. Couldn’t bring back the woman who meant so much to Sephie. But he could avenge her death.

Sephie was silent in the elevator and as they got into the vehicle.

“Do you need something? We can stop for food.”

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head as if the idea of eating made her physically ill. Hell, he couldn’t blame her. The scent of death stayed with a person. Not to mention finding a dear friend in a pool of blood. He’d work on getting fluids into Sephie and maybe she’d feel up to eating once they got home. Returning to Kevin would brighten her spirits.

He sent Dana a quick text to let her know they were leaving Portland and would be there in a couple of hours. Then he texted Brick to inform him about what’d happened to Yvette. He also told his friend not to call or text until that night because Sephie was upset. Last thing he wanted to do was speak about finding Yvette when Sephie was around.

On the way out of town, he stopped for gas and grabbed some water bottles and snack items while Sephie used the restroom.

He stayed close to her side as they walked through the parking lot, his senses on high alert. He’d have to be extremely careful from here to the cabin. If he wasn’t hypervigilant, they could very well lead someone right to their safe house.

In the vehicle, Sephie stayed silent, and she didn’t take any snacks from the bag. She did drink some water, though. He merged onto the interstate and turned on some music. Half an hour later, Sephie curled up in the seat, draped his sweater around her that he’d gotten her from the backseat, and closed her eyes.

He wanted to wipe away her pain and bring back the happy, carefree smile she’d worn just that morning. But he couldn’t do anything but let her process the grief in whatever way she knew how. Her losing Pippa had been bad enough. Sephie’s words in that horrific, bloodstained hotel room would stay with him for as long as he lived.

She’s all I have .

His muscles bunched. Whoever the bastards behind this were, they’d just pissed off their worst nightmare.

He’d kill every one of them.

***

Sephie drifted in and out of sleep on the drive home. If she’d been capable of conversation, she’d have tried just so Taschen wouldn’t have to be alone with his thoughts. But the memory of Yvette surrounded by her own blood on the white comforter had taken up permanent residence in her brain.

She needed to focus on figuring out who’d recorded the video of Clay at the auction. Right now, that was all they had as a clue. That and the letter to Yvette. She’d given it to Taschen since her leggings didn’t sport pockets.

Now was as good a time as any to read it. Some of the shock and nausea had worn off. The last sign they’d passed indicated they were twenty miles from Seattle.

She lowered her legs from their curled position. “Can I have the letter?”

Taschen swung his gaze to her face then back to the road. “Yeah, of course. Do you want me to pull over?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine.”

He held out the slim white envelope. She accepted it, and her fingers shook as she stared down at the name of the person who’d meant so much to her.

Yvette had always been there for her. When her own parents had wanted to sell her to the highest bidder for roles, Yvette fought them. Sephie had learned at a very young age that her mom and dad would push her until she broke if it meant making a buck.

She’d been on countless commercials, sitcoms, and movies before landing the role on Sera and Me when she was fourteen. It’d felt like a godsend back then. She’d had consistent work and could settle into normalcy with a predictable schedule.

But her parents blew through her money faster than it came in. When she was fifteen, Yvette got lawyers involved and set up a trust. If it hadn’t been for her, she wouldn’t have a cent to her name today.

It wasn’t just about the money, of course. Yvette had been her confidant. When things started to get creepy with Raymond on set, she’d gone to her manager and told her what was happening. Since Raymond hadn’t crossed any major boundaries, there wasn’t much that could be done .

Sephie closed her eyes and tried to push away the memories: Raymond putting his hand on her any chance he got, rubbing her shoulders, pulling her onto his lap, hugging her... She’d felt so violated. Still, without Yvette, she had no doubt Raymond would’ve done more. Yvette had been a buffer, pulling Sephie away for whatever fake auditions or meetings she could come up with to put distance between Sephie and Astral Production’s work parties.

She reached into the envelope and pulled out the letter. Her fingers shook again as she unfolded the paper. Pippa’s neat handwriting filled the lines, and Sephie’s eyes instantly misted. Swallowing, she read each carefully written word. Doing so was like dragging her heart through a minefield.

She had to read it several times because her brain wanted to listen to the recording of Pippa’s voice in her head rather than focus on the meaning of the words.

“What’s it say?” Taschen’s gentle question popped the bubble around her.

Maybe reading it aloud would help her pay closer attention. She cleared her throat.

“ Dear Yvette,

“ If you’re reading this then the worst has happened—what you and I both knew was possible but never wanted to admit. I want you to know how grateful I am for your friendship, but also your help. I know how difficult your career has been. Knowing what you know. ”

Sephie inhaled sharply. She swallowed and lifted her gaze to Taschen. “I—I don’t understand.”

She sniffed. All these years she’d figured Yvette was just doing her best to keep her introverted client and friend out of uncomfortable situations, but maybe her manager had known much worse. Now, she’d never know the truth.

“Keep reading,” he urged.

“ You know the only way out of this is for Jack to talk. He’s collected enough proof to take them all down. I hope by the time you read this letter he’s already come forward.

“ If not, you know what has to be done.

“ Please keep Clay safe. I love you,

“ Pippa .”

“Jack?” Taschen’s question evaporated the haze around her. “Who’s she talking about?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what it means. The only person who comes to mind is Jack Gardner. He worked on Sera and Me . He was—Ohmigod.” She covered her mouth with her hand.

“What?” Taschen snapped his gaze to her then back to the road.

“He was one of the cameramen.”

“Holy shit,” Taschen mumbled. “You think he could be the guy who recorded that fucked-up auction?”

She wet her lips. “I—I dunno. I mean, for him to be there, he’d have to have been accepted into the group.” Her mind worked at rapid speed. “I feel like anyone inside that room wouldn’t be there unless they’d been highly vetted.”

“Well there’s only one way to find out. Where’s he live now?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea. I haven’t spoken to him since I left the show. I remember hearing he’d worked on some big movies in LA, but that was a couple years ago.” She tapped her finger to her cheek. The good thing about social media was that it made it really easy to find people. “Can I have your phone?”

He pulled it from the cupholder between them and passed it to her. “Just don’t make phone calls or log in to any of your accounts.”

“I know.” If she’d had more sass in her, she’d have replied with “Duh,” but grief was keeping a tight hold on her mood.

She pulled up one of the social media apps and searched for Jack Gardner. In seconds she had his profile up. One of his posts from last week revealed he was still working in LA.

Shit. Calling him was an option, but given how sensitive the situation was, meeting in person would be ideal. Maybe they could get a flight?

She watched his stories. There were several videos of him on a boat, and the location icon revealed he was in Vancouver, Canada. If he was there, he was only two and a half hours away. “It looks like he could be in Vancouver.”

“No way. Hell, we can meet him tomorrow if he’s free.”

“Really?”

“I don’t have anything better to do, you?” His smart-ass comment would have made her laugh if she was capable.

“Other than snuggle with Kevin, nothing,” she said, in all seriousness. “I’d hate to leave him again.”

“We’ll bring him with us. How is he in the car?”

“He likes a lot of bathroom breaks.” The thought brought a smile to her face. She couldn’t wait to have him back in her arms. Kevin had loved Yvette, and although her furry baby might not notice Yvette’s absence, Sephie would always miss her friend’s jokes about Kevin’s snoring.

“I can deal with that.”

“Okay. I guess I just have to contact him. Should I message him through the app?”

Taschen scrubbed his knuckles over his beard. “Damn, I don’t know. I’d prefer that you not put your name online anywhere, even in a private chat. Who knows who he’s with right now. I don’t like it. I’ll message him.”

She sighed. “I don’t know how he’ll feel about some random guy wanting to meet him.”

He tipped his head. “True.”

She shifted in her seat. “How about this—tell him you have information from Yvette that involves him. I mean, it’s not a lie, really.”

He nodded. “And I’m sure by tomorrow he’ll have heard about her death.” He slid his gaze slowly to her. “Do you need to call someone? Her family or anything?”

She closed her eyes as sorrow rippled through her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s just—If there’s calls you need to make, it would be better not to make them from the cabin.”

“I understand,” she said flatly, even though her heart beat in triple time as Yvette’s blank stare dominated her mind. “I wasn’t close with Yvette’s family. Her son is grown and lives in another state, I can’t remember where, and her parents are both deceased. The police said they’d get in touch with her relatives.”

Taschen’s hand covered hers. “I’m glad they’re going to handle that.” He laced his fingers with hers, and they fell into silence as the city approached.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into Dana and Zain’s driveway. Their new home was a cute two-story nestled in a quiet neighborhood. Sephie’s legs cramped as she got out of the truck. Taschen met her at her side of the vehicle and let her lead the way to the front porch.

Taschen knocked loudly on the storm door, and Kevin’s sharp ruff , ruff , ruff , brought a beaming smile to Sephie’s lips.

“He’s barking like he owns the place,” Taschen mused.

Sephie chuckled. “I’m sure by now, he does.”

Dana opened the door and grinned. “Hey, guys. C’mon in.” She bent to swoop Kevin out of the way then handed the squirming dog to Sephie.

His warm, energetic body was like therapy for her battered soul. He licked and snuffled her face. She steered her mouth away from his tongue and laughed. “Hey, buddy. I missed you, too, mister.”

Taschen closed the door behind her and Zain entered the hall. His large, hulking form wasn’t much bigger than Taschen’s, but his dark features and formidable scowl made him seem menacing.

Taschen’s sister had been overly welcoming and friendly yesterday when they met. Today, that same brilliant smile was there in her eyes, which were similar to Taschen’s in shape, but there was also a hint of mischief in them. “Hiya, you two. How was your night away?”

“Not great,” Taschen said carefully. “It was a rough weekend.”

“Yeah, Brick told me about you two finding her manager dead.” Zain swung his intense yellow gaze to her. “My condolences.”

Dana’s face dropped, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “What! Oh my gosh, that’s horrible. Sephie, I’m so sorry.”

Taschen grumbled something beneath his breath, and she suspected he was annoyed that Zain had mentioned Yvette.

Tears pricked Sephie’s eyes, but she forced them down. “I appreciate that.”

“If there’s anything we can do, let us know,” Zain offered. “If you want, we can hang on to Kevin longer. He’s no trouble at all.”

Sephie shook her head and snuggled Kevin closer. As grateful as she was that he’d had a fun, safe place to stay, she couldn’t imagine parting with him now.

Taschen shook his head. “Nah, he’ll keep us busy.”

“Thank you, though,” Sephie said.

Zain wrapped his arm around Dana, hugging her to his side, and the corners of his mouth lifted. “Now you guys have Dana bugging me for a dog.”

Taschen chortled. “Don’t do it. I know for a fact she won’t pick up the dog shit.”

Dana gasped. “Hey! That was years ago.”

He grunted. “Some things never change.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before returning to the vehicle. Kevin immediately curled up on her lap while Taschen loaded Kevin’s bed and toys in the back. “Need anything before we head to the cabin?” he asked, getting into the driver’s seat.

She shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

“What about food? You haven’t eaten all day.”

The idea of putting food in her mouth still made her feel slightly nauseated, but a deep pang in her belly warned that she needed to eat something whether she wanted to or not. “I don’t know what would taste good to me right now.”

“How about pizza and salad? There’s an awesome cheeseburger pizza at a place on the way.”

She smiled even though the greasy food probably wouldn’t sit well. “Okay, sure.”

“I’ll order now and it should be ready by the time we get there. What kind of salad do you want?”

“Caeser, I guess.”

He tapped at his phone and a minute later dropped it in the cupholder. “Done. I ordered a lot so I hope you’re hungry. No chocolate cake, though.” He winked.

Warmth spread from her heart to her toes. Today was one of the worst days of her life, alongside the day she’d heard about Pippa. Learning about her best friend’s death was one thing. Finding her other close friend lifeless was another.

And she was probably next.

Taschen turned on some music but kept the volume low. Rain drops began to hit the windshield in a gentle pitter-patter. Sephie absently stroked Kevin’s fur, so grateful to have him back in her arms. Taschen stopped at the pizza place and left her in the vehicle with the doors locked while he ran inside. He was out in less than five minutes with two large white boxes and a paper bag.

“What did you get?”

“I got the cheeseburger pizza, but I also ordered pepperoni in case you don’t like it.” He set the food on the back seat then clicked his buckle into place.

The smell of meat and melted cheese wafted through the vehicle. Sephie’s mouth watered. “Okay, maybe I am hungry,” she admitted.

He grinned. “That’s my girl. It’ll be an early dinner, but maybe we can take Kevin for a walk and hit the hot tub later.”

She settled back in her seat. Yesterday, the endearment would have made her weak in the knees. Today, she couldn’t muster the strength to swoon. “That sounds perfect.”

They’d been on the road for thirty minutes when Kevin stood and spun around on her lap. A minute later he did it again with a whine. “I think he needs to go outside.”

Taschen glanced in the rearview mirror, the muscles in his neck tensed. “Sure. There’s a lookout where we can stop. It’s not far.”

A couple of miles later he slowed and steered the vehicle onto a long, paved road shrouded in trees. The space opened up to a parking lot. Two cars on their way out had passed them, and there were no vehicles in the lot.

“One sec. Let me come around.” He got out, strode to the rear of the vehicle, removed Kevin’s leash from the back, and then opened Sephie’s door. He snapped the leash onto Kevin’s collar and Sephie slid out, lowering her pup to the ground.

Kevin immediately darted for the woods.

Sephie chuckled and lifted her arm to shield her face from the rain coming down. “Hang on, dude.” After leading him into a small clearing, she let him wander around.

Taschen followed her into the brush. Sephie inhaled a deep breath of moist pine. The needles overhead shielded her from getting too wet, which was a good thing because Kevin wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Normally he hated the rain, but he was probably so anxious from her leaving him for the night that he didn’t care.

Finally, he did his business and scurried out of the woods. She trailed his little steps across the parking lot. Their vehicle was thirty feet away. Taschen stayed close beside her. A silver sedan pulled into the parking lot. Tension weaved through her limbs. The car continued toward them.

She was vaguely aware of Taschen moving between the car and her. He pulled his gun from his waistband, and his fingers bit into her bicep as he propelled her forward. “Run to the vehicle. Now.”

Stale breath caught in her lungs. Panic chomped at her heels as she ran toward the SUV. The sedan accelerated, changing course to head for the SUV instead of them, cutting off her route.

“Woods!” Taschen snagged her elbow, shoving her back in the direction they’d come while he moved toward the car.

Sephie raced toward the trees, but the terror in her veins ran faster. Kevin got confused, and she had to tug his leash in the right direction. She threw a glance over her shoulder. Taschen stood in the parking lot, his large, broad form separating her from whoever was in the car.

It sped through the empty lot, driving in a circle around Taschen. He aimed and shot at the sedan’s windows, but the bullets bounced off.

“Run, Sephie!” he bellowed.

Tires screeched as the car changed course again, this time coming right for her. Taschen’s shouts filled her ears, and bullets blasted. Kevin’s little legs took flight. She threw his leash on the cement, willing him to run to safety.

The trees came closer, but the roar of the engine behind her told her she was too late. They were going to run her down.

Weight slammed into her. Taschen. If it weren’t for his hands around her waist, she’d have fallen to her knees. He rushed her into the wall of tree branches. Their prickly little arms clawed at her face and hair, scratching her skin.

Crack , crack!

Sephie screamed and covered her head. Taschen shoved her behind a tree. She pressed her back to the bark, a scream ripping from her chest. “Taschen, get down!” she cried.

He knelt and returned fire. Worry creased his brow. Murder blazed in his eyes.

“Kevin!” He whistled. “Here, boy!”

Oh god, where was he? She’d lost sight of Kevin when Taschen grabbed her, but he’d been so close to the trees. Surely he’d made it into the forest. She peeked around the tree to stare at the car, now stopped about one hundred feet away. Inside it, someone held a gun, and it was aimed out the window at little Kevin, trotting toward them.

Horror rooted her to the spot. “No!” she cried, the howl coming from the depths of her soul.