Chapter 11

In a remarkable display of elegance and grace, Cassidy flowed across the dance floor, twirling and flipping and leaping to the sultry music. Mason couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was, in a word, spectacular.

“Damn,” Sawyer murmured. “She’s dynamite.”

Mason nodded slowly, his gaze tracking her movements. “That she is.”

Before she set foot on stage, he’d personally inspected the rigging and equipment to make sure there were no surprises this time. Not that he didn’t trust the show personnel to do the job, but—he didn’t trust the show personnel to do the job.

This would be her final practice before tomorrow’s opening night, and she was dancing her heart out. After a backflip that turned into a split leap, she struck a pose just as the music ended. Mason surged to his feet, ready to cheer himself hoarse, when Sawyer grabbed his arm.

“Dude, it’s rehearsal.”

Mason glanced around at the others watching the performance. A few people clapped quietly, but for the most part, they were reserved. Production assistants were going over notes and crews were busy with props that would be used for the next dance. A few couples were off to the side getting in a quick practice, including Harlow and Marcus. He eased back down, clamping his lips together to keep the warmth creeping up his neck from reaching his cheeks. Sawyer chuckled softly and he seriously considered sucker-punching his coworker.

Cassidy jogged off the stage and he got up to follow. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight until the guy was caught—maybe not even then, his sappy heart tacked on. Shut up, sappy heart.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. Sorry.” He eased past the girl wearing a microphone attached to a headset, an iPad in her hand. Cassidy was waiting for him, a huge smile on her face. It was all he could do to keep from reaching for her and gathering her into his arms, kissing her silly. Instead, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You were incredible.”

Her smile widened. “Thanks. It felt good. Now I need to hustle to change.”

He followed behind as she hurried to her trailer. He entered first to make sure it was clear before he stepped outside and waited. She came back out a few minutes later dressed in a nude colored dress that hugged her curves and made him do a double take. A sheer top layer sparkled brilliantly.

“Damn,” he hissed under his breath. She was going to kill him.

She adjusted the fit of her top, oblivious to what she was doing to him. “When I picked up my outfits earlier, Greta told me there was an issue with one of my costumes.” She looked up at him. “She said it had to do with Lacy.”

He hadn’t had a chance to tell her about the confrontation. “Sawyer and I spoke with her. She admitted to tampering with your shoes and she was about to take a seam ripper to your dress when we caught her. Russell had her arrested for trespassing.”

Her eyes were hopeful. “Did she admit to the other incidents, too?”

He hated to upset her. “No. She denied having anything to do with the attempts on your life and I believe her.”

“You do?”

“Her stunts were meant to embarrass, not harm you. The cops arrested her for trespassing, per Russell’s instructions. Do you want to press charges for the damage to your shoes?”

“As much as I loved them, they were old and the only value was sentimental. I think she’s been through enough, losing her job and then being arrested.”

“You’re too sweet, Cassidy.” God, he wanted to kiss her. “She tormented you. You deserve justice.”

“And I got it with her being fired.” Her brows knit. “Mason?”

“What?”

“If it wasn’t Lacy, that means that someone still wants to hurt me.”

He grasped her shoulders, again fighting the urge to capture her lips in a scorching kiss. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The door on the opposite end of Cassidy’s trailer opened and Trey bounded down. Mason let go of her and stepped back.

“I’m so excited, Cassidy,” Trey said, practically bouncing on his feet. He grabbed her hand and headed for the auditorium. She glanced sheepishly over her shoulder as she trotted along with her partner. He followed behind, scanning the area for any threats, trying desperately to keep his gaze from Cassidy’s behind, her hips an enticing sway. She was sleek and elegant but strong and powerful, too. A heady combination. And she was so far out of his league, they weren’t even in the same stratosphere.

Once he was back inside, he made his way to Sawyer and took a seat. The producer called the first couple to perform their routine. Cassidy’s nemesis, Irina, came strutting out dressed as a swan, complete with a fat orange beak. He could barely suppress a chuckle. Sawyer didn’t bother holding his in. She looked ridiculous. Her partner, an actor who’d starred in a slasher movie years ago, was also dressed as a swan, albeit a bit more masculine looking. Only a bit. He wore all black, and he looked totally humiliated. Mason felt sorry for the guy. When the music started, he couldn’t tell what the hell he was watching. It was a cross between a funky swan mating ritual and an avian fight to the death. He and Sawyer sucked in a breath at the same time. The man ended up on the ground as feathers slowly rained down from the rafters. Bizarre.

“What the hell was that?” Sawyer muttered. “Some kind of Voodoo sacrifice?”

“I’m afraid to even venture a guess,” he answered.

They watched more routines, some good, some not. A ten-minute break was announced before the group number that would open the second half of the show. Props were wheeled into place, cameras were rolled to different positions. Once the stage had been set, the pros began gathering.

Harlow jogged over and used her husband’s lap as a seat to watch the professional dancers. The music started and his gaze instantly found Cassidy. It was as if she was the only one on stage. Maybe it was his imagination, but the spotlight seemed to highlight her until the other dancers faded away. Oh damn, he had it bad.

“Oh my gosh, they’re so good,” Harlow praised.

He couldn’t speak for the other dancers, but Cassidy was definitely good. More than good. Great. Captivating. In a league of her own. The routine ended and after they held a pose for a few seconds. The onlookers cheered, and soon the dancers on stage followed suit.

Again, he followed Cassidy to her trailer to change. When she came out this time, it was in a sexy golden number that highlighted her new tan and blond hair. Air rushed from his lungs. This was so not good. He needed to stay sharp, keep his focus. He had a job to do and it wasn’t dragging her back inside the trailer, ripping off the gold dress and sinking into her slick heat.

Oblivious to the thoughts swirling through his head, Cassidy said, “I spoke with Harlow earlier. She said her husband was helping you set up equipment at my apartment tonight. She mentioned going to dinner first.”

“I meant to run that by you earlier. Is that okay?”

“Absolutely. I really like her. She’s not at all what I expected.”

He glanced down at her. “What did you expect?”

One golden shoulder lifted. “I thought she’d be a snob. I mean, her grandmother runs the country.”

Mason chuckled. “If you didn’t know her family was famous, you’d never guess. She’s sweet and genuine.”

“Sawyer’s your coworker?”

“Yeah, former FBI.”

“How did they meet?”

“Do you remember when the president’s granddaughter was kidnapped?”

“I do. Was it Harlow’s sister?”

“Yes, younger. Zoe. Harlow was with her. It happened at a resort a couple of hours from Bloomington, featuring a world-class golf course, a casino, salon and massive waterpark. My office had scheduled a weekend trip. The son of one of my coworkers saw Zoe being kidnapped and he jumped in the truck to save her.”

“I remember that. He was so brave. Didn’t he save another girl, too?”

“Yeah, now his stepsister. His name is Kai and he and Zoe kept in touch. When Harlow went missing in Coslos, she called Kai, who told Sawyer, and the rest is history.”

“That’s such a remarkable story.”

“It is.”

They parted ways once they reached the stage. She met up with Trey and he headed back to the seats to watch. Four more couples performed before it was time for Harlow and Marcus. Sawyer couldn’t sit still. She wore a red outfit that featured a sparkly bodice and layered fringe skirt with red gloves. Marcus wore a matching red sleeveless shirt and black pants. The music began and Sawyer’s leg kept time, whether from nerves or musicality, Mason wasn’t sure. He was betting on nerves. Harlow and her partner glided effortlessly across the floor. Her smile was radiant and genuine, and she never missed a beat. As soon as the music ended, both he and Sawyer surged to their feet in applause, to hell with being reserved. This was Harlow. She smiled at them and blew a kiss as they pranced off the floor. All that was left was Cassidy and Trey.

He felt the familiar kick to the solar plexus that walloped him every time he laid eyes on her when they walked onto the stage. Trey was a bundle of energy, hopping around and mugging for the cameras. When they were cued, he calmed down and got into position. The music started and they proceeded to do what he now knew to be a Samba. Her partner was quick on his feet and very likable. Cassidy was simply breathtaking. Her moves were sharp and precise. They would be hard to beat.

The couples were called to the stage for last-minute instructions. He used the time to check his messages. He’d missed a call from Martin Parsa, the detective assigned to Cassidy’s case. He stepped away from the stage to call back.

“I interviewed Lacy Brubeck,” Parsa told him. “I agree with you that she isn’t behind the bigger attacks. When I left the interrogation room, she was a babbling, blubbering mess.” He sighed in disgust. “She’ll be booked for trespassing if the studio wants to go forward with the arrest. Does Ms. Swain want to pursue charges?”

“No. She doesn’t.”

“Let me know if she changes her mind. Also, I spoke with the department in San Diego and they haven’t been able to locate Barry Nelson. He didn’t show up for work today and no sign of him at his apartment. The last reported sighting was yesterday evening.”

“It’s what, a two-hour drive from here?”

“Two, two and a half, depending on traffic,” Parsa said. “We’ve put out an APB on his license plate. I’ll keep you updated if we get a hit.”

Mason clicked off and checked in with the office. Tyler had dug into Nelson’s finances and the man was struggling to make ends meet, having amassed a large credit card debt with little income. That might be incentive to come after Cassidy if he blamed her for destroying his career.

He disconnected and filled Sawyer in on what he’d found out. After another half hour of instructions, the group broke up and started to leave. Cassidy and Harlow approached, chatting animatedly and laughing like best friends. They both smiled when they reached them.

“We need to shower and change and then it’s off to dinner,” Harlow announced.

“Does anyone have a preference for cuisine?” Cassidy asked.

Harlow glanced at the men. “I’d love some good Mexican.”

Cassidy looked at Sawyer and then him. “I know a place that serves dynamite nachos and margaritas in glasses as big as your head.” She held her palms wide to emphasize the point.

“Sounds perfect,” Harlow enthused.

Mason agreed. “Lead the way.”

#

Though Cassidy had dined with movie stars, athletes, politicians and dignitaries, she’d been intimidated to share a meal with Harlow Duquesne. Her grandmother was the leader of the free world, for goodness sake. But from the moment she and Mason had slid inside the booth at the restaurant decorated in bright, festive colors with stucco walls and iconic motifs, Harlow had put her at ease with her friendly, outgoing demeanor. She was so nice! Cassidy felt like she’d known her forever.

Harlow had been beside herself with glee when she found out about Cassidy’s plans to open a dance academy in Bloomington. Harlow had moved to the city to be with her husband. Cassidy was beyond excited to have a friend in town.

“I want to help,” Harlow announced, clapping her hands in joy.

“I’ll take any assistance I can get.”

They discussed her vision for the building and all three tossed out ingenious ideas. She typed them into her iPhone, enthusiasm building. This was something she’d wanted to do for so long and to have input and advice from Harlow, Sawyer and Mason had her brimming with excitement.

“Harlow is a gifted artist,” Mason told her. “Maybe she could create a showpiece for the entry or something.”

“Really?”

Harlow waved a hand at Mason. “Not gifted,” she scoffed.

“I respectfully disagree,” Sawyer announced. “You’re brilliant, babe.”

“You have to say that, darling. It’s in the wedding vows or something.” She grabbed his chin and brushed a kiss over his lips.

“I don’t have to say it,” Mason pointed out, “but I did.”

Harlow smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

“I would love for you to create something,” Cassidy told her. “I’d pay you.”

They discussed different ideas for paintings and maybe even a mural featuring dancers and before she realized it, two hours had passed.

Mason glanced at his watch. “I hate to break this up, but we need to get that equipment set up.” He signaled the waitress and when she brought the bill, he confiscated it and slid his credit card on the tray. The waitress whisked it away.

“I’m glad to have all that makeup off,” Harlow admitted. “I could practically feel my pores clogging.”

“You have a flawless complexion,” Cassidy enthused. “Your skin is so smooth.”

Harlow smiled. “Thanks. I owe it all to Harmony.”

“Harmony? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.”

“You will,” Harlow predicted. “It’s going to be huge.”

“I’d love to try some.”

“I can hook you up. I know the woman who developed it.”