Wicked Shadows (Steele Security Book 5) Read online

  “Ma’am, you need to leave the premises immediately before we call the police and have you arrested for trespassing.” The security guard had finally gotten around the Moore men and approached Tanya.

  “Tell you what,” she replied calmly when she rounded on him. “You go ahead and call the police and have them wait right here for me. Because when I come back, the whole world will see it.”

  “Mrs. Moore—wait. Let’s talk about this. Elle and Jax are perfectly fine.”

  “You have one hour to produce her,” she replied to Barry. To the guard, she continued, “And you have one hour to get the LAPD here to protect you. We’ll be back.”

  Once outside the building, Tanya’s phone began ringing. With shaky hands, she dug it out of her purse.

  “Very nice work,” Reaper chuckled darkly. “You need a job with my team?”

  She released a much-needed laugh before replying. “I’m not sure I could handle that on a daily basis. I was sure the guard would toss me over his shoulder and carry me out.”

  “You riled Barry up enough that he’s making stupid mistakes. His first call was to Jax. We’re working on getting an exact location for him now, then one of my team members will pay him a visit.”

  “You don’t believe Elle is with Jax either, do you?” Tanya asked the question, but she didn’t exactly want an answer. The trepidation he’d confirm her worst fears overwhelmed her coping skills.

  “No, Tanya, I don’t believe it at all. But that gives us concrete proof to put more pressure on them both. Even if they don’t know where she is, they know more than they’re saying. Don’t give up hope—we’re just getting started. You know Devon won’t rest until she’s home again.”

  With Reaper’s direction, they left the studio offices and drove straight to the entertainment news station. Within minutes, they’d arranged an exclusive first interview and had a pushy reporter with a crew of cameramen at their disposal. Upon returning to the executive offices, they found the police and the lot guards waiting for them.

  “This is perfect,” the reporter hungry for the juicy scoop exclaimed. She grabbed the microphone and ordered the cameramen to take their places to get multiple angles.

  “Hello, officers. Mary Ellen Gallie with Hollywood Biz News. Can you tell me why you’ve locked down the offices of Timeless and Classic Entertainment Studios?”

  “We had a previous issue with trespassing. The offices are closed to any visitors for the rest of the day.” The guard glanced nervously between her and the cameras.

  “Is that because executive Barry Jacobson is hiding the truth from the world? Is that why he won’t speak with the parents and brothers of Elle Sinclair?” Mary Ellen thrust the microphone into his face and waited for an answer.

  “She didn’t have an appointment,” he stammered.

  “Let me get this straight so that I—and all of our viewers watching this live broadcast—understand. This family maintains Elle Sinclair is actually missing, but they can’t speak with Barry Jacobson…because they didn’t have an appointment?”

  The guard opened his mouth to reply, but he was abruptly interrupted when Barry stepped outside.

  “Thank you, officers, for your assistance, but I believe we can take it from here.” Barry took a few steps toward the camera and turned on the charm. “Mary Ellen, so good to see you again.”

  “Barry, I’ve spoken with Elle Sinclair’s family, and they’ve provided some very damning information that directly contradicts your assertion Elle and Jax ran away together. Your reply?”

  “Mary Ellen, I completely understand their concern and need for concrete proof that their beloved daughter is safe and sound. Here at Timeless and Classic Entertainment, we are one big family. When one hurts, we all hurt.

  “As soon as I realized their level of concern, and that they haven’t heard from Elle yet, I tracked Jax down myself. Mrs. Moore had already left when I spoke with him, but he assured me he’ll have Elle contact them as soon as possible. She was indisposed when we spoke, but he promised the call would be made soon.”

  “Did Jax give you any indication of where they are?”

  “No, and I didn’t ask. I’ve tried to respect their privacy, but I couldn’t let this loving family continue to suffer.” Barry’s smile was warm and sincere, but something else burned in his eyes when he met Tanya’s gaze.

  Conceit. Victory.

  Fury. Resentment.

  “You are lying, Barry Jacobson. We both know it. Shall we wait together in your office for this make-believe call? So we can all hear my daughter’s voice at once? Or better yet, see her beautiful face? Surely, if you reached Jax once today, you can do it again for all of us.” Tanya challenged him, meeting his fiery gaze with one of her own.

  “I’m afraid I have other commitments I can’t break, but I look forward to hearing all about their trip.”

  With that, Barry turned and walked back into the building, his guards maintaining their position between the Moores and the entrance. Mary Ellen turned to the camera and spoke to her live audience.

  “Danny and Tanya Moore, parents of Elle Sinclair, will be with me in the studio for an exclusive interview on the sudden disappearance of one of Hollywood’s favorite sweethearts. Tune in tonight to hear why they’re adamant foul play cannot be ruled out. If Elle calls to check in, you’ll be the first to know.”

  On the way back to the studio for the interview, Tanya’s phone rang, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She’d love to be wrong about Elle. She prayed she was wrong—but she knew her daughter better than anyone. Jax Hart held no position in Elle’s heart. She’d reserved that spot for Devon Kane years ago. Even over the past year when Tanya encouraged her to date and get over him, Elle’s reply was always the same.

  No one else will ever compare to Devon Kane.

  Elle’s elation at being cast opposite Jax turned to ire after the first day on the set with him. Her frequent conversations with Tanya revealed growing tensions between them. Tanya talked her off the proverbial ledge many times when Elle threatened to quit the film. In the end, her strong work ethic and loyalty to her fans won, and she endured “just one more day with Jax Hart.”

  Tanya’s heart sank when she saw the number on the caller ID. It wasn’t Elle calling to confirm Barry’s story.

  “Nice move with the live feed. We’re helping Barry along with the promise to hear from Elle. He has people in the sound booth now creating a recorded message from her. The clips will be spliced together to make her say what they want her to say. Let him hang himself with it. We’ll send you the unedited version to air on Mary Ellen’s show immediately after his.”

  “How do you know all this, Reaper?”

  “We’re all Special Forces—it’s our job to know. My men are the best at what they do. Barry won’t be able to take all the pressure we’ll put on him. Just remember—no mention of Devon. We can’t call attention to him. If you even hint she has another love interest, they’ll demand you produce him. And they’ll want to know why he hasn’t stepped forward before now. For both Elle’s and Devon’s safety, don’t forget that.”

  Tanya silently questioned if Reaper could read her mind, since that was the exact thought she had before he called. “You’re right. I don’t know what Devon is doing, but he stressed to Jeff it’s a matter of life or death to leave him out of the conversation. That’s not an exaggeration, is it?”

  “No, Tanya. It’s actually an understatement. You don’t want to know what could happen to them if anything is accidentally leaked.”

  They disconnected, and Tanya relayed the conversation to Danny and her sons. With a new understanding of what was at stake and how far the studio was willing to go to hide their involvement, the family of four silently reflected on the dangerous situation they were in. And how much worse that danger was for Elle and Devon.

  “Mary Ellen Gallie will love this scoop,” Mark chortled when he envisioned her reaction. “You know this could backfire on us. Every
major news outlet in the world will run the edited versus unedited versions day and night. The internet will break from people on social media. What if exposing their lies just makes them mad?”

  “Son, I’ve considered that too, and I’ve decided I’d rather lose her knowing I did everything I could to fight for her than lose her because I just rolled over and let them run over me,” Danny replied solemnly. “Your mother and I talked about this very scenario all night. Beth’s family agreed. We’d all rather do anything than nothing at all.”

  They remained silent for the remainder of the ride, each fortifying the resolve needed to see the plan through. Trusting that Devon and his friends knew what they were doing and wouldn’t advise them wrong. Brokenhearted over the fate of one of their own and livid they couldn’t do more, the feeling of helplessness that saturated the interior of their car was stifling.

  Elle woke with a start but couldn’t force her eyes to remain open. Throwing the covers back, she swung her legs off the side of the bed, her vision blurry, but the panic of being late to the set controlled her movements. If the sun was already peeking over the horizon, she was already late for work. Apparently so was Beth since she hadn’t pounced on Elle yet.

  “Beth!”

  The memories came rushing back to her. The strange house. The terrifying man who stopped her escape. The elegant mansion that was her prison. The spray that rendered her unconscious—twice—with merely a misting.

  And Beth, her best friend, was nowhere to be seen when Elle left the sound stage late that night she was abducted. Terror filled her chest at the thought they didn’t take Beth also but did something far worse to her. Elle had to force her body to comply with her will to move. Finding Beth was her first order of business. They would escape together—two heads were better than one.

  She padded barefoot across the ornate wood floor toward the door. While holding a deep breath, she slowly turned the knob and was both relieved and surprised to find it wasn’t locked from the other side. The soft squeak of the hinge made her freeze in place and actively listen for her captors.

  Without opening the door wider, she slid through the narrow opening into the hallway. She decided to check each room behind the closed doors in the long corridor. If they put her in one, maybe Beth still slept in another. The first few rooms were empty, but set up nearly identical to the one she’d snuck out of. The view waiting behind door number four reduced her to tears.

  Tied to the four-poster bed was her best friend and confidante, still deep in slumber and blissfully unaware of their current situation. Elle rushed to her side and began tugging at the ropes to free her. Beth’s head lolled to the other side, as if she were simultaneously trying to sleep and wake.

  “Beth,” Ellie whisper-shouted at her. “Beth, it’s me. Wake up. We have to find a way out of here.”

  Beth’s mumbled reply was incoherent, leaving no doubt she’d been drugged. The struggle between leaving without her and bringing help back, or staying with her until the effects wore off enough for Beth to stand was unbearable. Elle kept working at untying the knots while she weighed the pros and cons of each, hoping Beth would become coherent in the meantime.

  When she’d finished with the last figure eight knot, Beth’s arm fell limply against the bed. “What have they done to you?” Elle whispered through her tears and pushed the hair out of Beth’s face.

  “We just helped her sleep. She’s quite combative and feisty when she’s awake.”

  Elle jumped and whirled around to find a distinguished older man in a butler’s uniform standing in the doorway.

  “I assure you, no one has harmed or assaulted her in any way. The ropes were used for her ultimate protection. She has already slapped two of our staff members. Should she assault the wrong man, I cannot guarantee her safety.”

  “Where are we? Why have you taken us? Just let us both go, and nothing else has to happen. I’m sure my disappearance is all over the news. People everywhere will be looking for me. She’s my makeup artits on the set and my best friend from childhood. They’ll know something is wrong. You’ll never get away with this.”

  Elle rambled on, not taking a breath between sentences as she tried to convince her captor of the folly of his plan.

  He smiled at her, the kind of sneer that confirmed she was wasting her breath by trying to convince him to let her go. She knew then she wasn’t the first person they’d abducted, and she likely wouldn’t be the last.

  “I’ve been sent to bring you to the media room. There’s a documentary of sorts my employer would like for you to watch. If you come quietly and willingly, there will be no need for your own restraints.”

  “What about Beth?”

  “She will be here when the documentary has concluded, likely beginning to awaken by then. You may rejoin her at that time if you wish.”

  Such a cordial captor, Elle thought as she followed him to the high-tech-equipped media room. The chairs were arranged in theater seating, plush recliners providing clear views of the wall-sized flat-screen TV. The surround sound system added to the theater experience, topping off the opulence and wealth of the state-of-the-art room.

  The butler placed a glass of water on the table beside her and moved to the back of the room while her eyes remained glued to the enormous screen. The vibrant colors lit up the screen as Mary Ellen Gallie greeted her viewers.

  “Hello, and thank you for joining us tonight. We have a full show, so I’m going to jump straight in without delay. As many of you saw earlier this morning, Elle Sinclair’s family has arrived in LA, adamant she and Jax Hart have not eloped. They insist something terrible has happened to Elle.

  “The family confronted Timeless and Classic Entertainment executive Barry Jacobson, and Hollywood Biz News was there to capture part of it live for you. During that confrontation, Mr. Jacobson claims he spoke to Jax Hart today and that Jax will make sure Elle contacts her family as soon as possible. According to the studio executive, Elle was ‘indisposed’ at the time he spoke to Jax.

  “I’m excited to tell you we have a recorded message from Elle to share with you and with her family. It was emailed to the studio just minutes ago with a note saying the internet service is spotty at their secluded resort, but the local news channel was kind enough to record her message in return for autographs for the staff.

  “It’s now my pleasure to show you this message from Miss Elle Sinclair. Or should I say, Mrs. Elle Hart? Let’s watch.”

  Elle stared at the screen in sheer disbelief. Before her eyes, an image of herself appeared on the screen, extolling the romance between her and Jax, how they were perfect for each other, and she’d never been happier than she was at that moment.

  Words she’d never uttered.

  A message she’d never sent.

  Lies that sealed her fate.

  Complex deceptions that took talent to achieve.

  She’d cried too many tears over her circumstances. At that moment, she was absolutely numb. From the moment she saw herself deliver a falsified message to the world, her emotions automatically shut down in a self-preservation and coping mechanism.

  “Most people would accept that prerecorded message as the gospel and move on with their lives, allowing Jax and Elle to live and love in peace. However, Elle’s parents have maintained from the start that this is all a ruse and a far more sinister agenda is afoot.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, our video department received a second file of Elle Sinclair, with an email urging our station to compare the two videos and see for ourselves that the first one is an edited farce. So we did. Industry film editors have reviewed them and formed an expert opinion. Before we hear from them, have a look for yourselves.”

  The screen cut to a series of press junket interviews with Elle, where a long line of journalists entered the room one at a time and were given fifteen minutes to ask their questions. Her answers, all conveying the excitement and enthusiasm she displayed while speaking of Jax, her fake new love, were projected tow
ard working with him on the movie. Each time one journalist was escorted out of the room, another one was brought in to ask additional questions.

  “After reviewing these two videos, all our industry experts agree the first video is a spliced and fake recreation, using clips of the second video. The unanimous decision is there is no possible way the purported message from Elle is valid. This evidence has been sent to local law enforcement to urge them to open a missing person’s case for Elle Sinclair, Beth Condra, and Jax Hart. Hollywood Biz News suggests the detectives start with Barry Jacobson as the primary person of interest.”

  The screen went black before Mary Ellen finished speaking, but Elle caught just a glimpse of her parents and brothers when the camera panned in their direction. Knowing they were close and pushing for the truth gave her an instant swelling of hope. Whatever plan her captors had for her would surely fail.

  “Your family is very tenacious. We expected your video message would be enough to satisfy them for a few weeks, giving us time to complete our business deals before they started looking for you. Make no mistake, Miss Sinclair, this wrinkle temporarily changes our plans but does not cancel them in any way. You will not be returned to your family or to the life you used to have.”

  Elle stared at the woman, dumbfounded, and shook her head. Her eyes floated between the badge she wore on her belt and her angry eyes. Her words and her attire were direct opposites.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I know who you are, but I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Detective Joanna Gough, and I’ve just been assigned to your missing person’s case. Since they’re so closely related, I also volunteered to take Beth Condra’s and Jax Hart’s cases. Unfortunately, my stellar record for solving cases will take a major hit, but I’ll just have to find a way to live with it.”

  “Why? Why would you do this?” Elle wailed.