Sasha resisted the urge to bolt out of the bathroom. What if the person who did this is still there waiting for me? Her heart hammered inside her chest. Adrenaline flooded her system, making her antsy. She needed a weapon. Scanning the room, she looked for anything she could find. It was down to a hair dryer or her can of hair spray. She picked up both. Armed with her makeshift arsenal, she cradled them both in one hand against her chest while she slowly opened the door.
Transferring the hairdryer to her left hand, she crept into the bedroom, her gaze constantly scanning the room. When she discovered it was empty, she almost cried with relief. Keeping her back to the wall, she continued forward. Inches from the door, she finally dropped her household weaponry. Reaching for the knob, Sasha stopped suddenly. The door was ajar. She hadn’t left it that way.
Yanking it open, she was out in the hallway and running down the corridor in one swift motion, frantically scanning the room numbers as she ran. Within seconds, she was banging on Pierce’s door, and she didn’t care who she disturbed. When he answered, she hurled herself and him into the room.
In an instant, his arms slipped around her waist, and he braced his legs against the impact to keep them both from tumbling to the floor. “What the…Sasha? What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“Some…somebody was in my room.” She held on to him for dear life while she glanced around his suite looking for anything out of place.
Pierce tried to set her away from him, but Sasha had an ironclad grip on his arms.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded rapidly, her gaze still flittering around the room. “I was in the shower…when I got out the room was steamy. That’s when I saw it,” she finished in a rush, tears sliding down her face.
His grip tightened. “Saw what?”
“Someone was there, Pierce…in my room. They wrote ‘no more books’ on the mirror in my bathroom in red lipstick. While…while I was in the shower,” she cried.
“Are you sure you—”
“I know what I saw,” she snapped and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry.” She sniffed.
He gave her a hug, patting her back to soothe her. His hand kept hitting the damp towel so he stopped, resting it in one place instead.
“I just wanted to be sure.”
“I’m not imagining things,” she added. Someone was there, and I don’t know who.”
“I don’t either,” he said grimly, “but I intend to find out.”
When he took a step, Sasha tightened her grip. “Are you crazy?” She stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “You can’t go in there. It’s not safe.”
Though in Pierce’s firm embrace, she couldn’t stop shaking.
“Sasha, we have to find out what’s going on,” he reasoned. “I can’t do that from here.”
“No,” she argued. “It’s not safe, Pierce. What if the person’s still there?”
“I’ll be fine. It’ll only take a second for me to check things out. I’ll call security the moment I get there.”
It took a bit of time before Sasha realized that she was still clamped down on his arm like a vice grip and that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. In fact, when she glanced down, she noticed the only thing Pierce was wearing were boxer briefs. Some of the water glistening on her skin was transferred to him.
She bit her lower lip to keep herself focused. “You shouldn’t go, not without help.”
“The sooner we find out, the better, right?” he reasoned. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
When Pierce tried to disengage himself, she looked frantic. “Pierce—”
“It’ll be okay, Sasha,” he soothed before squeezing her hand. “I just want to look around.”
“Whoever it was has to be gone by now.”
“Did you check the closet?”
She frowned. “No.”
“What about under the bed?”
She paled.
“Stay put.” Before she could protest again, he set her aside and strode to the door.
“Wait,” she called after him.
Pierce stopped and turned around. A look of exasperation flicked across his face. “What?”
“You’re…” Sasha was silent a few moments before she thought of something else to say. “You…you don’t have any clothes on.”
His impatient gaze scanned over her barely covered body. “Neither do you.” He wrenched the door open and strode out of the room before she could utter a reply.
He was right. She was still wearing her towel—and nothing else. Though Pierce had closed the door, Sasha ran over and bolted it. Just pondering the situation incited a nervous giggle. She hugged herself protectively. Fear gnawed at her hungrily as she paced the floor. Usually, she kept a cool head, always finding a rational way to explain a situation. This wasn’t one of those times. This was the second bizarre occurrence in less than twenty-four hours. The third total, if she counted the dead scorpions. It was hard to keep her composure when she couldn’t get a moment to exhale before another incident occurred.
Less than four minutes later, a firm knock sounded on the door. Sasha bolted out of the chair she was sitting in, then let out a yelp as the towel skidded down her body. She grabbed at the fluffy cotton before it past her knees. Adjusting it securely, she padded to the door. “Who is it?” she whispered when she got there.
“Me, Sasha. Open up.”
She cracked the door and stared through the three-inch slit.
“It’s okay.” Pierce’s voice was quiet and encouraging. “It’s just me.”
Visibly relieved, Sasha opened the door all the way before standing aside so Pierce could enter. He’d barely cleared the opening before she shut and bolted the door behind him.
She faced him expectantly. “Well?”
“Whoever’s responsible is long gone,” he confirmed. “I called hotel security. They’re going to send someone up immediately. I told them you were safe and in my room. We can get your things after the police are through.” As she moved aside, her towel shifted. She grabbed at it to keep it in place. “Thanks.”
Pierce averted his gaze. “You may want to get changed. I asked security to give us a few minutes before coming over.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll um...I’ll be right back.” She hurried into his bathroom and shut the door.
His gaze followed her until she was out the room. With a sigh, Pierce ran a hand across his face. “So much for a cut-and-dried trip.”
By the time everyone filed out of Pierce’s room an hour later, the adrenaline Sasha had been revved up on had dissipated. She was exhausted. The moment they left, Pierce escorted her back to her room to get her things. At the door, Sasha was reluctant to enter, so Pierce went in to retrieve her belongings for her. When they returned to his room, she used his bathroom to change from jeans and a t-shirt into her pajama pants and tank top. She’d thrown her hair into a haphazard ponytail earlier, so now she dried it the rest of the way with the hotel blow dryer. That took the last bit of energy she possessed, so she decided to straighten it with a flat iron in the morning.
After storing all her hair products and tidying up, Sasha returned to the bedroom. Pierce had changed into sweatpants and was on a telephone call. Sitting at the foot of his bed, Sasha tucked her legs under her. At a loss for something to do, she reorganized her travel bag. When he hung up the phone, she flooded him with questions.
“Was that the police? Did they find something?”
“The constable said you’d be notified immediately, but it’s unlikely they’ll find anything tonight. Between here and your house, they’ve got more questions than answers.”
“He told me they were working on fingerprints, but what if they don’t find any?”
“That’s a possibility, but don’t worry, Sasha. Something’s bound to turn up.”
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms before gazing worriedly at Pierce. “I can’t believe they interviewed some of my neighbors.”
“Why not? Someone threw a smoke bomb and a rock through your front door. That’s bound to have caused a stir.”
Sasha didn’t like the reminder. “I know. I was there.”
“Then you also know that that kind of thing would’ve caused a commotion outside. Maybe one of the neighbors saw who did it.”
“Great,” she muttered, flopping back on to the mattress, one arm draped over her eyes. “That’s all I need. I just added fuel to the imagination of the gray-haired busybodies on my block. By the time I get home, they’ll have weaved a fantastic tale and be whispering about what kind of domestic squabble the crazy American has gotten herself into now.”
He sat down in a chair and propped his feet up on the ottoman. “Do you have many?”
Sasha sat up on her elbows, her head tilted to one side. “Neighbors?”
“Domestic squabbles.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, of course not. Besides, I’m not good with public spectacles. I’m pretty private.”
“Considering your most recent relationship, I find that hard to believe.”
She glared at him.
After a few moments, Pierce tried a different approach. “Sasha, now might be a good time to think about any enemies you have.”
“I don’t have any.”
He looked skeptical. “Come on, everyone has enemies. You mean to tell me there’s nobody you’ve angered, annoyed or wronged in the past that may feel it’s payback time?”
Her thoughts drifted to her complicated past with Sienna. She pushed them aside. “You mean besides Mrs. Milo Georgopoulos?” She sneered.
His voice took on an exasperated tone. “Look, I’m not trying to get into your business, believe me. I’m just trying to help.”
Sasha was instantly contrite. “I know,” she said, sighing. “I’m sorry. I just…I feel so stupid…I thought they were getting divorced. How could I let things drag out like that for so long?”
“It’s not all on you,” he replied. “You believed what he told you. Most women would.”
“Well it doesn’t matter now, does it?” she said bitterly. “He and I are through, and I’m done playing the fool.”
Running his hand over his stubbled jaw, Pierce processed that bit of information. “Did she know about you?”
Sasha’s brow crinkled in concentration. “I don’t know.”
Pierce opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a moment, he tried again. “What about Milo. Did the two of you part on good terms?”
Sasha’s laugh was harsh. “Let’s see, he accused me of dragging his personal life into my book, he thinks my sudden interest in writing is my sister’s evildoing, and after years together, the bastard’s ultimatum to me was cater to him, or we’re through. Oh yeah, and he neglected to mention he didn’t really leave his wife.”
Sasha had started out ranting, but by the end of her tirade, she was in tears again, her fingers clenched in her lap. Angrily, she swiped at her eyes. “So no, I think it’s fair to say that we didn’t part on the best of terms.”
Without warning, she dissolved into a heap on the bed, shaking and crying so hard she started hiccupping.
Pierce rushed to Sasha’s side. Awkwardly, he patted her on the back. When that didn’t help, he placed his arm around her shoulders. After a few moments, he eased her closer.
“I’m sorry, Sasha. I don’t mean to upset you, but someone has to ask the hard questions, and right now that someone is me.”
“I know.” She sniffed.
“Look, I get how you’re feeling—at least about things ending with Georgopoulos. I know firsthand how complicated breakups can be.”
Sasha turned to Pierce with an expectant look. When he didn’t elaborate, she focused on wiping the tears with the back of her hand. She tried to get it together and not cry in front of him, but since he’d arrived on her doorstep, she’d done nothing else. Sasha was embarrassed and annoyed with herself, and it gave her voice an edge. “It’s my own fault. I did it to myself.”
His fingers rested on her chin, tilting her face so they were eye-to-eye. “No you didn’t. But you have to come to terms with the fact that he could be behind these incidents.”
Sasha’s bloodshot eyes widened. “Who?”
He stared at her pointedly.
She shook her head. “Hardly his style. Besides, what would Milo have to gain?”
“You mean besides scaring you into submission?” Pierce got up and walked over to a nearby table to retrieve some Kleenex. He returned and tilted the box in her direction.
She waved them away. “No thanks.”
Pierce didn’t move his hand. Eventually, Sasha plucked a fluffy square out of the container. She blew her nose, loudly. Her eyes were beginning to ache, and she didn’t need a mirror to know that she probably resembled a lobster.
“I hate crying,” she complained before grabbing another tissue. “It’s a waste of time.”
He lowered the box onto her lap and sat down.
“So, if you don’t think it was your ex, who else may have gotten their nose out of joint by your book?”
She stared at him.
His expression turned cynical. “Oh yeah, I flew thousands of miles, suffered jet lag, smoke inhalation, and a possible burglar to strong-arm you into pulling your book off the shelves.”
At that, her lips curved into a half smile. “Point taken.”
Eventually, Sasha got up and started pacing. “To be honest, I don’t have a clue. The book has been doing well thus far, with more good reviews than bad.”
“Still, someone is going through a lot of trouble to send you a message, don’t you think?”
She turned away from him. “One I’m getting loud and clear.”
The catch in her voice was a dead giveaway. Pierce didn’t hesitate to go to her side. He rubbed her shoulders supportively. “Hey, it’s apparent we’re not going to solve this mystery tonight—what’s left of the night at any rate.”
“Maybe these are just isolated incidents,” Sasha reasoned. “You know, some bored person trying to randomly scare the wits out of somebody. I just got in the crosshairs. I’m sure it’s nothing major. I shouldn’t be worried, right?”
Before he could answer, she started talking again.
“The police will find out who’s responsible.” She took a few deep breaths. “I just have to give them time to do their job.”
“They’re called bobbies,” he said trying to lighten the mood.
She smiled thinking about her correcting him earlier. “Touché.”
“I’m sure they’ll find the culprit,” he encouraged. “Look, it’s late. We should get some sleep. You take the bed. I’ve got the couch.”
“Don’t be silly,” Sasha protested. “I can’t ask you to give up your bed.”
“You’re not asking. I volunteered.”
Hesitantly, Sasha’s fingers curled around his. “Thank you, Pierce…again. It’s rare to find a person that can curse you out, then come to your rescue all in the same day.”
He squeezed her hand. “How would you know? And for the record, I didn’t curse at you. Well…at least not to your face.” He grinned broadly.
It was hard to resist the smile that floated across her lips. They regarded each other for a moment. The first to break the spell, Sasha released his hand and retrieved a pillow. She tugged the top comforter off and handed both to Pierce. “Good night.”
He took them. “Night, Sasha.”
After she slid under the covers, she turned on her side and watched him make up the couch. When he’d settled in and finally picked a spot, she leaned over and doused the lamp on the nightstand table, plunging the room into darkness. Rolling onto her back, Sasha stared at the ceiling—not that she could see it.
“You’re not going to be comfortable you know.”
“I’ll make due.” Pierce yawned.
“You shouldn’t have to. I can take the couch. It’s silly to—”
“Go to bed, Sasha.”
Sighing, she let it go. While she stared into nothingness, she thought about the bold-faced lie she’d told Pierce earlier. All the freak happenings had scared her, and more importantly, they still were scaring her. Even now, it took considerable effort for her to control the hysteria that threatened to overtake common sense. Get yourself together, her conscience chided.
Someone was merely out to spook her, right? If she gave into her panic, they’d win. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing how much these events frightened her. No, she would find out who was behind these stupid pranks, and she’d expose them for the cowards they were.
Suddenly, she thought about Pierce. He’d been caught up in this craziness right along with her. For a split second, she wondered if all this wasn’t payback for his perceived slights.
No…that doesn’t make sense. She was ashamed for even thinking it. There was no way he was involved. This was Vaughn’s brother. It was no secret that she and Pierce hadn’t gotten along at first, but at least they were cordial now. Sasha shook off her doubt. He’d flown to London to rail on her about his lost endorsements, not destroy her property and scare her to death.
Twice now, Pierce had come to her rescue. He was also being chivalrous by giving up his bed. She owed him big time. There was no way Pierce was the culprit. Pushing the worrisome notions aside, Sasha inhaled deeply, held her breath a few seconds, then released it. She repeated this action several times until she felt better. There was still a consistent pounding behind her eyes from her headache, but she’d deal with it. She was in bed now and wasn’t about to get up or ask Pierce to get some medicine. He’d done enough. Closing her eyes, Sasha implored the pain to subside long enough for her to fall asleep.
It was sometime later that her peaceful slumber took an unpleasant turn.
Suddenly, the steamy mirror materialized in her mind. Don’t be afraid, she told herself in her dream. Unable to help it, Sasha’s breath hitched in her throat when a dark, faceless figure appeared before her eyes. The walls felt like they were closing in around her and this menacing assailant. Desperately, Sasha tried to find a way out, but there were no doors to safety. She was alone, in danger, and the person was headed right for her.
A second later, Sasha’s eyes flew open. Her hands were grasping the covers like a lifeline. Sweat trickled down the nape of her neck. Realizing she’d escaped harm, she cupped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out with relief. Her gaze flew over to the sofa, but she couldn’t tell if Pierce was awake or not. Unwilling to bother him, Sasha lay back down and pulled the covers up to her chin. It was going to be a long night.