Imminent Danger (Adrenaline Highs) (15 page)

“Sure. Thanks,” Blake replied. “I’m better. I look like shit, but at least I can move.” He took the mug Troy offered and sipped a taste. Good stuff. “Look, I just want to thank you and Julie for letting me hang here the last couple of days. You didn’t have to, and I appreciate it, but I’m good to go home. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I would appreciate if you let Abbey stay though. I’m worried about her.” Blake took another swallow of his coffee.

Troy nodded. “We planned on it. Julie’s worried about her too. We all are.”

Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Abbey entered the kitchen. Dressed in her dance gear—the same outfit with the hot pink stripe—and her makeup and hair done to perfection, she looked like a movie star in the making. No, she looked like a goddess. Like the woman who held the key to every fantasy he’d ever had. She was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Blake blinked a couple of times and cleared the fog in his head. “You’re pretty decked out.” A giant understatement. She was pure unadulterated sweetness. So where the hell did she think she was going? “Hot date?” At eight thirty in the morning, he doubted it.

“Hot audition,” she said. “My stupid phone never rang, but my agent called last night and left a voice mail. I’ve got a callback from the audition the other day. I’m in the running for one of the show regulars. This is way bigger than I anticipated. I thought I was going for one of the dance teams.”

A swell of pride for Abbey washed through Blake. It was about time she was up for something big. But no sooner had the thought appeared, another one came right on its heels. Blake glanced at Troy when reality set in. “You aren’t seriously going to this? What time is the audition?”

“A couple of hours.” She tilted her head and glared at him as she ignored his first question. “I have to leave here in thirty minutes. I need to get there early and warm up.”

Dying to say,
no
, Blake held back that response and said, “I’m going with you then.”

Abbey lifted one perfect eyebrow and Blake returned the look with narrowed eyes, daring her to argue. “Excuse me?” she said with one hand perched on her hip.

A big-ass wave of frustration crashed in on him. “I said, ‘I’m going with you.’” He ran a hand through his hair and paced across the kitchen to keep from grabbing Abbey and tying her to a kitchen chair. “Did you forget what happened two days ago? Do you think because some time has passed that this guy is conveniently gone?”

Abbey clenched her jaw and stood up straighter, which actually didn’t seem possible. “No,” she said coolly. “I haven’t forgotten.” She strode over to him and faced him head on. Her citrus scent climbed into his head and made his brain cells fuzzy. “I thought maybe you or Troy could make sure no one’s following me when I leave. You’d know if someone was and once we decide I’m clear, then I don’t have to worry. Because if he’s not sitting out front, then he’s not going to know where I’m headed. For your information, I don’t take what happened lightly, but I don’t expect you to escort me all over town for the rest of my life or until this guy is caught.”

Julie walked into the room and to the giant stainless steel fridge. “I remember having a similar conversation with you about a year ago,” she said with a pointed look at her husband.

Troy acknowledged her with a shrug. “Very true. And who was right about keeping you under wraps from everyone?”

A loud exhale accompanied Julie’s eye roll. “He was a girl in a past life,” she told Abbey. “He never lets me forget anything.”

“I can’t help it if I’m right.” Troy lifted his hands in an innocent gesture.

Abbey wasn’t having any part of it. “Look, I get it, okay. But I can’t live my whole life in your house waiting for the other shoe to drop. We have a much better chance of actually catching this guy if I’m out doing my thing. Was your plan to wait until he made a move on me here? I doubt it,” she said, pacing away from them. “You’d probably rather keep me hidden here for God knows how long. Which brings to mind my job. How am I supposed to do my job if I’m stuck here?” She glanced at Julie and let them think on that for a few seconds as she picked up her bag from the counter. “I have to leave here soon and I appreciate one of you guys following me for a few miles to make sure no one else is.” She looked between Troy and Blake before opening her bag and rifling through it. “I left my keys in the bedroom. I’ll be right back.” She left the room and Blake faced the wall and thunked his head twice.

Shit, he needed to get his boots on before she walked out the door. He couldn’t go with her barefoot. He headed to the office.

Troy’s voice followed him from the kitchen. “I’ll follow you guys for a little while and make sure you’re not tailed. Abbey had a point. Unless the guy is watching the house he has no way to know where she is or where she’s going.”

“He sure as hell knew she was at that audition,” Blake said over his shoulder. It took him less than a minute to jam his feet into his size thirteen Timberlands and get back to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Abbey entered and picked up her bag. “Are you going to follow me?” she asked Blake.

“Nope. I’m taking you. Troy is going to follow us.”

“I guess there’s no point in arguing that you could still use some down time.” She didn’t bother meeting his gaze.

“I guess you’re right.”

She huffed a sigh and headed to the front door, leaving him and Troy following behind like lap dogs. “See you later,” she called.

“Bye,” Julie yelled. “Break legs.”

Blake shook his head. He never understood how breaking a leg meant good luck.

Outside, he opened the passenger door to his Explorer and waited until Abbey climbed in. The garage door lifted and Troy pulled his BMW out of one of the three car bins. Easing into the driver’s seat, Blake grabbed his shades from the dash and slid them on before cranking the engine. He hated the silence between them.

“You know this is only about protecting you, right? I’m not the dick you’re making me out to be.”

“I never said you were a dick. You just don’t seem to understand that this is my life. My dream. I can’t let an opportunity like this go by.”

Blake grunted.

Traffic was a bitch and Blake pulled off the main road onto the surface streets to avoid it. He checked the rearview mirror to see if anyone followed. He called Troy from the Bluetooth unit. “Any sign of anything?” he asked his boss.

“Not a thing. I’ll let you know if I spot anyone on your tail.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

They made it to the audition and Blake found a parking place along the street. He walked Abbey into the building then waited in the downstairs lobby. Dozens of dancers loitered in the area and they all looked toned and beautiful.

Blake stood at the big windows near the door and kept an eye out on the street. He watched for slow cruising vehicles or suspicious people. Most especially he looked for a man named Kwami.

“Abbey Washington,” a petite redhead called, looking up from her clipboard.

“Right here.” Abbey stood, tossed her pack over her shoulder and followed the casting assistant into the room. At least a half dozen people sat behind two six-foot-long tables. Most of them had their heads down as they played on their cell phones. Abbey had never done more than dance for an audition. She either danced and got the job…or didn’t get the job. This interview went way past her norm. She had to do something to catch their attention and keep it.

“This is Abbey,” the woman said, introducing her to the group. She handed Abbey’s headshot to the person on the end and exited the room.

“Hi, Abbey,” a few people said as she dropped her pack in the corner and stood on the mark on the floor opposite six pairs of eyes now focused on her.

“Hi,” she said, her smile genuine since adrenaline cruised through her veins.

The casting director adjusted the lens on the camera. “Slate please,” she said. “And profiles.”

“I’m Abbey Washington. I’m twenty-four.” She turned and gave the camera both right and left profiles. That was a first too.

“Great,” the casting director said after a few seconds of tape. “We’re going to improvise things. I hope that’s okay.”

Abbey gave them her best smile. “Of course.” Like she had an option, which she didn’t.

No one knew better than her that she’d hibernated in a mental cell of her own making for the past nine years. If she didn’t step out of it now and show these people she had what it took to land this show, then she didn’t deserve it. She channeled her lighthearted boss with the great comic timing.

“What’s your favorite hobby?” one of the producers asked.

“That’s easy.” She scanned the room. “Dancing.”

“What’s your favorite style of dance?” a woman on the far end asked.

“Oh, wow, that’s like a asking a mother who her favorite child is,” Abbey joked. The producers smiled. “I love hip hop, of course, but I’m also a little old fashioned and I adore ballet. Tap too. The sound, the rhythm, it’s pretty awesome. But don’t tell the Tango, Rumba or Waltz I said that because they all think they’re my favorite.”

A few them made notes and Abbey fused the smile on her face.

“How old were you when you started dancing?” a man in the middle asked. His stern tone and expression reminded her of Simon Cowell.

“Four. My mom enrolled my big sister and me into a neighborhood ballet class. It didn’t go over well at first though.” She paused to dangle the hook a little. “There was one older boy in the class who got to kind of stand in the middle just to walk a girl around or dip her over his arm. I wanted that job. The teacher finally told me I could once I learned everything they had to teach me.” She nodded at the people watching her. “Turns out it was a good deal, because I really liked the dancing part.”

After that, she ad-libbed her brains out, answering more questions for another ten minutes.

When they thanked her and she walked down the hallway, she thought she might burst with excitement. She saw Blake at the door and couldn’t help herself. She leaped into his arms and hugged him tight before pulling away.

“Good news, I take it?” he asked. The surprise on his face overrode the concern in his eyes.

“I don’t know yet,” she said, following him outside. The warmth of the sun felt good after the cold audition room. She didn’t even let the fact that he scanned the street in both directions get her down. “It went really great.” She grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Like, really, really, fantastically great. I’ve never spent that much time in an audition. They really wanted to hear more about me. They laughed and we talked and it was awesome.”

“Good. I’m glad.” His blue eyes sparkled in genuine happiness.

They piled back into his SUV and Abbey squealed after closing her door. “We have to celebrate,” she said.

The open-mouth surprise on Blake’s face made her laugh. “What’s your definition of the word
celebrate?
”

She pointed ahead. “Ice cream. There’s a little shop about a mile down. C’mon. It’s on me.”

He looked through the rearview mirror then at her. “You’re on.” He found a parking spot in the lot and together they walked into the empty store with pink-and-purple dots on the walls, amid pictures of ice cream, floats and shakes. A few minutes later, they emerged with double scoops of ice cream on cones. Gold medal ribbon for her. Mint chocolate chip for him.

The sun blazed down as people walked by and cars cruised down the busy street.

“Let’s walk across to the park,” Abbey suggested. Blake took another look around and Abbey wasn’t sure if he’d agree. “C’mon. Troy didn’t see anything when we left the house and he followed us too. We’re fine.” Although she hated the bruises on his face and couldn’t help feeling guilty. If he hadn’t been at that audition, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Of course, she’d probably be dead so grateful probably out-weighed guilt. After waiting for the light to change, they walked across the street as they enjoyed their cones.

Abbey found a secluded spot near a small grove of magnolia trees. She sat down on a bench then faced Blake, kicking one leg under the other. The smell of fresh cut grass filled her head.

“How does your face feel?” she asked. His eyes were on her mouth and she wiped her lips with a napkin.

“It’s fine. A little tender like my ribs, but okay.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” The whole world seemed to be looking better at the moment. Blake was healing and she had a great audition. Life was good. She grinned and took a long lick of her cone.

“This job means that much, huh?”

She nodded. “Yeah, this job could be it for me. Make or break. This is high profile. The real deal.” A wasp flew by her head. She yelped and crouched forward then shoved closer to Blake as it made another pass.

Blake swatted it away, but when Abbey sat up, their faces were inches apart. Blake reached up a hand to her face, but Abbey shied back. “You just have some ice cream,” he said. He tapped the spot on his own lip to show her and she wiped her mouth again.

This close, she smelled the heady, woodsy clean scent of him. The sparkle in his blue eyes faded as he watched her and something serious took over. He leaned in a fraction and, terrified that he might try to kiss her, Abbey stood up and walked toward a nearby tree.