Steel Rush (In the Shadows#5) (2 page)

“I know, Father. I’m sorry to worry you.”

Tilting his silver head, he narrows his gaze. “How
did
your ID get in that car?”

I raise my hands, truly mystified. “I have no idea.”

“Someone must’ve lifted it at the club before we got separated earlier tonight,” Beth quickly jumps in. I meet her wide-eyed green gaze over Gregory’s shoulder. Apparently she had already spun her own version of our earlier whereabouts to her father and the police before my cab pulled up.

I’m pretty sure Beth wouldn’t confess to her father that she had actually taken me to an exclusive underground MMA championship fight. One that got disbanded midway through due to the threat of imminent police intervention. And by the pleading look in her eyes right now, her father is clearly unaware that his youngest daughter is dating one of the guys responsible for organizing and running said illegal event.

Two brushes with law enforcement in one night is more than I signed up for when I agreed to this deal with Celeste. Now that the police are gone, a part of me feels I should tell Celeste’s family the truth about my identity. But if I speak up too soon, I could blow everything for Celeste. She was adamant that no one could know about me. I can see her thinking that me telling her family the truth, even under these strained circumstances, would be a failure on my part to hold up my end of the deal. I can’t allow her to back out of her promise to help my father get his business development plan approved by the city.

God, this is one big screwed up mess with no right answer. It’s not like I have a manual to follow on doppelganger switch-a-roos.
Why didn’t I stay in bed with Calder like he asked me to?

“Is the club where you think you lost it?” Gregory prods, pulling my focus back to immediate issues.

I slowly nod my agreement with Beth’s story version, while telling myself that Celeste will text me in the morning. It had better be first thing. I can’t wait to shed her royally messed up family like an overpriced, ill-fitting sweater.

Exhaling an annoyed grunt, Gregory gestures to Marco and Anthony, who’ve been lurking in the hallway. “And you two, keep up with my daughters like you’re supposed to or you’ll be replaced. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir,” both security guards mumble. Glancing at Beth, her guard, Anthony, blows out a tired sigh and shakes his sandy-blond head. Celeste’s guard, Marco, pulls his dark brows down in a death glare.

Curling my hands into fists so I don’t flip Marco off, I follow Beth up the stairs and huff my agreement at her muttered comment. “Ugh, they’re seeing us to our rooms? Claustrophobia is already kicking in.”

Just before we reach her room, Beth speaks in a low tone meant just for my ears. “Where did you go? I assumed after all the chaos at the fight that you cabbed it like you said you were going to. I’m glad you got my message and came home.”

“I took your advice about the MMA fighter.”

Beth lets out a surprised squeak, then drops her voice to a hushed whisper. “I meant pick one to be your
guard
, not hook up with him in some kind of revenge ‘fuck you’ to Father for announcing your engagement to Ben at the cocktail party.” She chuckles, then eyes me sideways. “You actually slept with Hammer?”

I shake my head. “Not Hammer, Steel. We just kind of…hung out.”

“Euphemism much?” Snorting, Beth steps close. “What does he look like? Is his face as hot as that gorgeous tattooed body?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I say. “He took the whole ‘no-taking-the-mask-off’ rule seriously.”

It’s hard not to snicker at the look of dumbfounded surprise on Beth’s face, but I manage to keep my expression perfectly composed. I’m not going to say anything that could get Calder disqualified from the MMA rematch between Steel and Hammer. I would never jeopardize all the groundwork he’s laid in becoming Steel in the MMA world. I believe Beth is clueless about the illegal inner workings of the Elite Underground Club aka EUC that runs the MMA events, but I can’t take the chance she might expose Calder to her boyfriend. It’s the only way he’ll be able to bring the whole corrupt organization down.

“Night, Beth. See you in the morning.”

“Night,” she says softly, probably too tired from tonight’s drama to drill me for more details
.

My wrists feel like they’re on fire, the skin itching like mad as I stare at the phone’s text screen.
Seven a.m.
I’ve had two hours of sleep after finally succumbing to sheer exhaustion. I stayed awake as long as I could, hoping for a call from Celeste Carver. Rubbing my left wrist along my jeans, I sit up on Celeste’s bed and blink as I thumb to the “missed calls” screen.

Nothing. Not a single call or text from her.

When the phone suddenly buzzes in my hand with a text, my pulse rushes as I swipe it open. My heart quickly plummets when I see it’s from Beth and not Celeste.

Beth: I can’t believe he kept his mask on. That’s so twisted, it’s hot.

Me:
My
sex life is what you’re thinking about at seven in the morning?

Beth: Ah, so you admit there was sex.

Me: Nope.

Beth: No, there was NO sex, or you’re not TELLING me?

Normally I would continue stringing Beth along, but my heart’s just not in it. With no contact from Celeste in more than ten hours, the memory of lying to her family in the middle of the night burns in my stomach in the light of day. What is it about daylight that seems to strip you bare and reveal all your flaws? I squeeze the silent phone as if doing so will make it ring with news from Celeste, then finally respond to Beth.

Me: Get a shower.

Beth: Huh? It’s too early.

Me: Just do it, please.

Beth: Fine!

As dread rolls through me, I walk into the bathroom, thankful Celeste had provided a small shower kit in the drawer with a new razor, soap, and toothbrush. Turning on the shower full blast, I shiver in the cool bathroom and realize why there’s a dual-sided fireplace shared between her bedroom and bath as I wait for the water to heat up. A hot shower is necessary to wake me up and give me the boost I’ll need.

I can’t stay quiet any longer.

“T
his is the early morning news edition,” a perky blonde woman with a wide smile reports behind the news desk as a red banner scrolls across the bottom of the TV screen. “Police have discovered an abandoned car on 495.”

I lift the remote toward the TV, turning it up.

“Blood was found in the vehicle along with a woman’s ID,” the woman continues in an ominous tone. “But the police aren’t releasing any details. If you have any information to share about this vehicle or the person seen driving it, call the WVTV news tip line listed in the red banner below.”

“They’ve found you,” I say conversationally as I stare at Celeste’s jewelry laid out on the white towel covered in blood streaks: a pair of earrings, a bracelet and two rings. Mementos. While the newscaster drones on, an irritating pressure pushes against my chest.

Regret.

I don’t do regret. I don’t feel anything. It’s
her
fault I’m alone now. I squeeze the remote until the pressure in my chest eases. Setting it down on the desk, I pop open her wallet and run my fingers over the attractive picture on her gym ID card.

Regret. Regret. Regret.

The word hammers like a judge’s gavel in my head over and over.

“You gave me no choice!” I rage at her smirking face and throw the wallet against the wall to stop the noise in my head. The expensive leather falls to the carpet with a soft thump, flopping open once more.
What’s done can’t be undone.
I stare down at Celeste’s smiling face and take several breaths before returning my gaze to the TV.

“They’ve found you and they don’t even know it yet.”

“W
hat are you doing?” Beth tugs her hand from my grasp just outside her father’s office. Shaking her head at the closed door, she steps back. “Can’t you hear him in there talking business? We barely scraped by last night. I’m not stepping into the viper’s den. No thanks.”

Just as she spins to walk away, I grip her arm. “This is
more
important than anything he could possibly be talking about in there. Trust me, Beth.”

Beth shakes her head and pieces of her light brown hair fall from her hastily clipped bun, brushing the sides of her suddenly pale cheeks as she glances down in confusion at the book in my other hand. “Whatever it is, it can wait until his door is open.”