Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

GRACE

T he shoot went until past midnight, but Lloyd and Jock were enthusiastic about the number of photos they got. They’d brought out part of Jock’s crew to process the digital images, it let them review during outfit and location changes. In the end, it also made a long day even longer while also making sure we maximized our time on location.

It meant I received not only the bulk of my shooting fee, but it doubled when we went over eight hours, then tripled when we got close to midnight. Either way, it was a tidy sum and made me even happier I turned down the yachting offer. Eleanor and I parted ways as my driver returned me to the city. It was almost three am by the time I’d showered, moisturized, and fallen face first into bed.

I slept in until almost noon. Eleanor and Nancy had both left me messages, including Eleanor telling me that the offer had gone up to two million. She sounded almost mournful in her voicemail, but she was already turning it down. Good, I wasn’t going to have the debate again.

Nancy had sent over tickets for Paris, which I was due to be in a couple of weeks, as well as reservations at my favorite spa in the whole city. Making sure I updated my calendar with the reservation numbers, I finished going through the messages. The only one who hadn’t responded yet was Amorette.

It was the middle of the day and she’d had court this week. When she was deep into a case, particularly one that meant as much to her as Irena—fuck I couldn’t remember her last name. The client was important. If I hadn’t heard from her before I left the next day, I’d send her a message to remind her about our girls weekend. The case was important, but so was time for us. It was why I rented us a place on the Outer Banks.

As much as I wanted to stay in bed, I needed to go to the gym, then shower, then get my nails done before I packed. Thankfully, my building had a gym and since the building was secure, only residents could use it. Helped me to avoid guys trying to hit on me or pick me up. It had become such a nuisance at my last gym that when I moved, I paid extra to make sure I could work out in the building.

Twenty minutes and a protein shake later, with my headphones in and workout mix chosen, I was running on the treadmill. It didn’t need to be a long run today, because I also had weight training. But there was something just mentally cleansing about the ritual. I’d only started running in high school because I’d been dating one of the guys on track. Kept running when I was dating a football player, then hockey, and eventually when I came to New York—running went everywhere.

I kept running cause I liked maintaining my physique. Thin was a requirement of the job, but I didn’t want to be so skinny, and lacking in muscle, because that would make me frail. I also liked food, so I split the difference. After my run, I switched to weights. The workout wasn’t pushing me. Today was about toning and burning some calories.

After barely eating the day before, though, I didn’t want to make myself sick. Once the workout was done, I grabbed a shower, changed, and got another protein shake. The rest of the day went smoothly. I got a massage after my nails were done, then an early dinner with some friends. Grilled salmon and quinoa with a glass of white wine.

It was a good evening. I made it an early night rather than heading out to go dancing with the others. As much as I enjoyed the club scene, I wanted to leave early the next day since I planned to drive to the Outer Banks. My work phone would be staying here and I’d just be taking my personal phone with me. Five days away. One day each way on the road, and three days with Am.

It sounded like heaven. Particularly since I would be leaving for Europe not long after I got back. As much as I loved the travel, the culture, and visiting the sites in so many interesting places, it was still work. It would still put me out of reach for months. I hated being in a completely different time zone from Amorette. It made keeping in contact challenging, but we’d managed it all the way through her schooling and we’d manage it now.

Maybe I needed to show up for her closing arguments in the case. A plan formed that made me grin as I curled up in bed. I’d fish for the case schedule and see if there was a chance for me to be there for her closing argument. I wanted to cheer her on, and granted, I wouldn’t be whistling or throwing confetti or anything—but Amorette never missed me competing as a cheerleader or performing at a game.

She’d show up warm or cold, dry or rainy, and she even brought her homework, but when I looked up in the stands, I’d see her smiling back at me. The idea of being able to do that for her in the courtroom?

Oh yeah.

I was so down for that.

The drive the next day was actually kind of perfect. I didn’t leave as early as I originally planned but the traffic via the tunnel was also nowhere near as bad as it could have been earlier in the day. I split the time on the drive between jamming to music and then listening to an audiobook. I actually started and stopped a couple of different audiobooks. Being a mood reader was a pain in the ass but if I could lose myself in a book, it was a nice break.

The first one was a faerie book. Brand new from one of my favorite authors. Okay, well maybe not totally brand new. New to me. As much as I loved her, it just wasn’t grabbing me. I’d save it for later. I needed something with a lot of action. The procedural didn’t work even if it was from one of my favorite series. I finally chose one at random rather than trying to figure out what to listen to.

The book opened with a casual assassination followed by a fun conversation with someone in a gunfight. Right, this was exactly what I needed. The drive flew past. I stopped once for gas and to stretch my legs, but otherwise I kept on the move. The book proved to be the perfect length.

It finished just as I got to the grocery store. I wanted to stock up on food and wine. I sent Amorette a message but she hadn’t read the last one I’d sent. Frowning, I pressed call. If she was with her client or in court or on the road—well, she wouldn’t answer. Her voicemail greeting was so sober and serious it made me grin even wider.

“Yes, sister mine, I would like to leave you a message. This is your favorite sister, the gorgeous one, and I am standing in the parking lot of the grocery store. I am heading inside to pick up all of our favorites, as well as some wine. This is your not so gentle reminder that if you are on a special diet or want to be a picky eater, now is the time to answer me or you’re going to be stuck eating what we ate in high school.”

Laughter escaped me.

“Actually, I’m thinking even more junk food than what we ate in high school. You get the theme. Anyway, call me, and I’ll see you hopefully sooner! Love you.”

Ending the call, I shook my head. Depending on how deep she was in the case, I may not see her until late tonight. Fine, I’d get all the things. I had so many bags of groceries when I returned to the car. I’d settled on just six bottles of wine. Two for each evening was usually about right for us and if we indulged more? Who cared?

GPS got me to our rental. The instructions with the code were in my email. Twenty minutes after arriving, I’d stocked the kitchen, dropped my bag in a room, and changed into something comfortable before coming out to sit on the deck. The breeze off the water was heavenly, and I put my feet up and just soaked up the vibe.

An hour later, Amorette still hadn’t answered her messages. It didn’t mean anything, she could be with her client, in the office, doing research, working on her closing argument. She’d vanished into the law library for three days before finals once, and I’d been camped out in her apartment when she finally came home.

It had been almost funny at the time.

Almost.

Still, our weekend didn’t officially begin until the next day so I opened a bottle of wine, heated up a microwave meal and then settled back out on the deck with the second audio book playing on my headphones.

I was still thinking about the story when I went to bed a few hours later.

The next day dawned kind of gray and rainy. I went for a run on the beach before I had a shower and then settled in to wait for Amorette. By mid-day, I was getting antsy. By three, I’d started calling her..

I kept getting tossed into her voice mail. It annoyed the hell out of me, but all I could think was something had gone wrong with the case. It was the only thing that would make her blow me off. Or forget about me.

The only thing.

A little before five, I called her office, but they were already on their answering service. I didn’t leave a message there. At this point, unless she’d broken her phone, she was already going to run into a tsunami of messages when she checked in.

The guilt would probably get to her. I’d finished the second book by bedtime and I turned on a reality show while I waited for her. I skipped the wine, but I fell asleep on the sofa. When dawn came, there was still no sign of her and no message.

I called her apartment. The landline was there for emergencies, but she would answer it if I called. No one picked up. I went digging through my phone, I had a list of contacts for her, in case of emergency. One was her new boss, but I’d never met him and I didn’t want to introduce the idea of a panicked sibling.

Her property manager also didn’t answer. The new boss was next, and I left a detailed message. I’d never called so many people without getting a single person to pick up before. Granted, I preferred text messages too but come on. It was late afternoon when the property manager called me back. He didn’t know what her plans were and he’d seen her a couple of days before on her way to court.

With a casual assurance that Amorette was fine, he dismissed me and hung up. Now, I kind of hated people. The agitation was getting to me. Amorette would have called by now. She wouldn’t have been so caught up she utterly ignored me.

That wasn’t us.

Ever.

I sacked up all the supplies and put them in the garbage, cleaned up what little mess I’d created and headed back to the car with my bag. I was a lot closer to Amorette’s place than I was mine and I had a key. Keeping my nerves in check, I used the audio book to distract me as I drove.

It was late by the time I got there. I found a place on the street to park. I’d have to move the car before six in the morning, but that was fine. The lack of responses from Amorette on the drive had my teeth on edge.

Key in hand, I went to open the lobby door but I didn’t even get the key into the lock. Something dark yanked over my head as a chemical smell invaded my mouth and nostrils. I couldn’t breathe or scream.

The plink of the key hitting the ground seemed to echo forever. As the world spun away. It was almost like being high, but not in a good way. I couldn’t focus and even as I tried to fight, my grasp on consciousness slipped away entirely.

It was darkness.

Then nothing.