Page 66 of See You There
With James collecting her bags, they raced to the elevator. Luke punched in a code and, moments later, the elevator carried them to the tenth floor.
Luke’s condo was exactly as Dahlia imagined it would be. Masculine and modern, with the requisite neutral walls and generic leather furniture. A few accents and framed pictures saton the end tables, but that was it for decor. James set her duffel bag down and dropped his keys on an expansive, white quartz countertop.
“The guest bedroom is down here,” Luke said, rolling her suitcase with him. Dahlia followed. Though small, someone had completely decorated the room down to the impersonal knickknacks on the dresser. It looked as if Luke had walked into a furniture store, pointed at a display, and said, “This.”
After depositing the suitcase by the dresser, Luke stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Do you need to…” He seemed to search his brain for the right words. “Freshen up or anything?”
Dahlia would kill for a shower, so she nodded.
“Okay, James and I will contact the police and let them know about the silver car.”
His hand was on the knob, but he didn’t walk away. Luke stared at her puzzled. “You’re handling this remarkably well.”
“I work in the entertainment industry. I’m used to high-stress situations,” Dahlia lied.
In reality, she wanted to cry. Scream! Have a complete freakout. Why was someone trying to kill her? How had she ended up here? This was supposed to be the happiest time in her life! But hiding her emotions had become second nature.
Dahlia pressed her teeth into her tongue and said, “Thank you for letting me stay. I’m sure I won’t be here long.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Luke heardthe lock click seconds after he shut the bedroom door. He didn’t blame her. Over the last few days, someone had tried to kill her three times, and now she was in a condo with two strange men and about to take a shower.
He’d expected tears or yelling. Hell, he wanted to yell himself. But other than the brief flash of temper at her townhouse, she had held onto her composure.
When they realized they’d been followed, he was worried that Dahlia was going into shock. Her gorgeous green eyes had grown enormous, and the pallor of her skin contrasted drastically against her auburn hair. Her hand trembled in his, and her teeth had only stopped chattering once the elevator door slid shut. During the ride to his floor, she seemed to lock all her emotions away. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Not that he was unhappy she wasn’t visibly upset anymore—it was only that Luke was worried she’d buried it under the Lia layers. A smile pulled at his lips. When she’d said she wasn’t going to just wait and be shot as they were crouched next to the truck—that had been pure Dahlia.
James was sprawled on one of the leather sofas, an IPA in his hand. Dahlia’s contract was spread on the coffee table in front of him next to a pen and legal pad.
Oh god! He’s going to make one of his lists!
Luke got his own bottle from the fridge and joined him on the couch.
James took a pull from his beer. “Is this normal for defense work? Because if so, I’m not sure I’m cut out for it.”
Luke shook his head. “No, I’ve had angry defendants and a couple of victims made threats.” He slugged his own beer back. “Nothing like this. I think it’s clear whoever it is, they’re after her. No one has ever taken a shot at me before.”
“Itcouldbe connected to what happened to Dr. Keller… An effort to silence you… But I agree. She’s the target.”
Acid burned in Luke’s stomach. “Why would someone want to kill her? She’s an actress. This movie is the first time she’s gotten a lot of attention. From what I can tell, she doesn’t have a complicated life. The only anomaly is the casino. Plus, she already turned the photos over to the DA. Killing her doesn’t change that.”
“That’s what we need to uncover when she comes out here,” James said calmly. “I advised her to stay silent at the police station because I didn’t know how she could implicate herself. Once we get more information, we can decide how to approach the police.” His gray eyes were hard when they met Luke’s. “You’ve got a thing for her. There’s no point in denying it. You practically drool every time she comes into the room. But you need to remember that she is aclient, not someone you picked up in a bar.”
Luke felt the familiar irritation itch under his skin. His whole life. Luke is impetuous. Luke can’t control himself.
“We don’t really know her,” James wasn’t done scolding him. “She could be involved in any number of things. Be sure you are using your head.”
“I am!”
“The one attached to your neck,” James snapped.
Luke’s eyes fell to the contract on the table. “That agent of hers is a predatory piece of shit. By the dates on those papers, she had to have been a kid when she signed them. I may not be an entertainment lawyer, but anyone with common sense can see that contract is insane. Victor takes a commission, but she also has to pay him back for ‘services in the furtherment of her career.’ What the hell does that even mean? And who is this Scott English who is collecting fifteen percent of every check forconsulting?” Luke spit the word.
“Not to mention the way her roles are chosen. The agent’s vote overrides hers?” James’s eyebrows drew down. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
The argument between Victor and Dahlia at the radio station suddenly made a lot more sense. She was breaking away from his control, and he was angry.
