“Kelly, do you know where Sylvia is?” My adrenaline spiked as my face paled in fear.

Kelly glanced back down the hall where Jerome was watching us leave. We were still within earshot, and even though I knew that Kelly would have preferred to keep this conversation a secret, I couldn’t help myself from wanting to know what he did—now.

Kelly’s feet picked up off the floor and started moving again when I said, “Madam is doing this on purpose.”

Kelly tightened his hold on me and lengthened his stride. Together, we galloped down the steps, trying my best to keep up and not trip. He didn’t respond, and I didn’t have the self-control to wait until we were outside and in the privacy of Kelly’s vehicle to begin my protest. It needed to happen now, because I feared what Madam would do—and who she would set me up with—if Kelly didn’t come through and save our relationship.

“It’s the excuse she’ll use to break us apart,” I cried.

Kelly’s feet skidded across the floor as he came to a dead stop. Turning to face me, he gripped my shoulders between his hands, squeezing them with all his might. Dropping his head, he looked me in the eye and said, “You know I’ll never let that happen.”

I stared into the depths of his grey eyes, wanting to believe what he said was true. But I couldn’t. Not this time. And when his fingers dug deep enough into my flesh to bruise, I pushed the pain aside knowing the public now believed Kelly was a monster who killed women like me. This story was in its infancy and all I could think was how more paparazzi was going to find us, chase us down, and not leave us alone until they got what they were after.

Kelly shook me as if needing to hear a response. “What were you two talking about, we’re in?” I asked as memories of motorbikes chasing us down swirled between my ears.

Kelly’s head pulled back and he didn’t respond. Taking my hand again, he continued his pursuit through the lobby, and when his gaze noticed the receptionist, Janine, watching us, he readjusted his fingers over my knuckles and tightened his grip on me even more.

My heels clacked like horses’ feet as we passed Janine.

My eyes rounded as I felt my blood thicken in my veins when I saw what she had her head buried in. She was reading the same article I was certain the entire state of California was now devouring like the hottest bestseller. Breaking free from Kelly’s grasp, I lunged my body over her desk, stealing the magazine out from her grip. “It’s fucking rubbish,” I growled as I threw it to the floor.

Janine gasped in surprise as her brows pinched. Stunned by my sudden outburst, she flickered her eyes over my shoulder, landing her gaze on Kelly. My hand balled into a tight fist when I saw her looking at him as if deciding if he was capable of committing such an atrocity as killing Tonya.

“He didn’t do it!” I yelled as Kelly encased me in his large arms.

Pulling my back against his chest, he pinned my arms to my chest as I stomped on the article with the point of my heels. Soon the pages were ripped to shreds, but I continued to kick my feet through the air, screaming at Janine all the way outside where Kelly finally lowered me back to solid ground.

I turned to face him, shoving my hands into his chest. He barely budged, patiently looking down, waiting for me to calm. “I know where Sylvia is.” I breathed heavily. “I was just there.”

He remained calm with his hands down by his sides and an alert gaze on his face.

“Kelly, didn’t you hear me? Sylvia Neil is in Laguna Beach.” I gave a curt nod. “She’s hiding out. Writing this bullshit.” I pointed through the front windows toward Janine who was bending over and collecting her magazine up off the floor. “I didn’t understand why,” I made my case, “but I know what I saw. It was her, and we can get there within the hour if we drive fast.”

Kelly lowered his brows and glanced toward where Maxwell had parked.

And when he didn’t make a move, I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me.

Fearing that he wasn’t willing to fight for me, I clenched the pain cramping my side. And the longer he chose to remain silent, the more apparent it was that Madam’s operation was more important to him than our relationship.

Nodding, my throat bobbed as I broke out in a cold sweat.

Realization sank in as I thought maybe he wouldn’t kill me physically, but if he didn’t fight to save what we had, then I was mentally dead and lost, drifting without direction. Because I’d gone all in with him—gave it my all—believing he would ensure I was his forever.

“This isn’t the place to discuss this,” he said, placing his firm fingers between my shoulder blades.

Nudging me toward the car, Maxwell had the back door opened by the time we stepped to the curb. Kelly ushered me inside and I took my seat on the bench, watching Kelly whisper something in Maxwell’s ear. Then he unbuttoned his jacket before ducking his head and settling into his own seat.

“Did you tell him?” I asked as the car dipped when Maxwell settled behind the wheel.

Maxwell let his foot off the brake, allowing the chrome rims to spin.

Kelly kept his gaze forward without responding. His gaze narrowed and his eyes were stormy dark. A sense of danger filled the car and made me shiver as Maxwell pulled out into traffic. I knew Kelly was calculating something inside his head, but I didn’t know what.

Losing hope, I felt desperate for his attention and knew that what I was about to say next would do just the trick. “If this is how you treated Nora, no wonder she killed herself.”

“We’re not going to Laguna Beach,” Kelly said calmly.

I both respected him and hated him in that moment for not taking my bait. “What? Why?”

His large hands were splayed over his thick thighs. And without looking at me he murmured, “Because I’ve already begun my search.”

My lips parted as I cast my gaze down to the empty seat between us.

He turned to me and continued, “I went to Sylvia’s apartment. But she was already gone.”

Looking for a fight, my vision clouded as I started hitting his arm. “You’re not listening. You didn’t find her because she’s in Laguna Beach.” But when he just sat there, taking my abuse, I soon gave up. Falling back into my corner, I stared at his shadowy face, hating how uninterested he seemed to be in what I was telling him.

What was it he and Madam were up to, and why did I feel like I was being left behind?

“That place in Laguna Beach—” he raised his chin, “—is her editor’s.” He paused. “She’s not there. Too smart for that.”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, wishing that he wasn’t right. But I knew he was. There was no way Sylvia would have been foolish enough to have stayed after meeting me there only a short while ago.

Kelly’s suit wrinkled as he twisted in his seat. “With the money she stole, she isn’t coming back.”

The thought of what he said paralyzed me. Sylvia was ahead of us all, and I was the one to blame. Because if I hadn’t fallen for her trap, then we wouldn’t be facing only three more days to enjoy each other’s company before Madam crashed the party.

Swinging his left arm over the back, Kelly brought a box over the top. Handing it to me, I asked, “What’s this?”

“Open it.” His voice was the deep baritone that sent vibrations around my core.

Taking it at the edge, I peeled the lid off. Finding myself staring at the glittery, revealing dress, I wondered how in the world he could be thinking of this now when it seemed like time was running out. “Kelly—”

“—I need you to put in on.”

I glanced up to him from beneath my questioning brow.

“Strip.”

“Are you serious?”

He craned his neck toward his window as if looking to see what cross-streets we had just passed. Then he turned back and said, “Hurry, we’re almost there.”

Tying my hair up on top of my head, I unbuckled myself and began undressing.

Kelly seemed uninterested in watching me shed my clothing—despite the sexy lingerie I was wearing beneath—and as I traded in my old clothing with the new, Kelly had switched jackets and traded in his tie for a bow-tie.

“There. Are you happy?” I pushed my breasts out, hoping to get a reaction. Because as pissed as I was with him now, the truth was, I couldn’t afford to lose him. Not with my uncle and parents coming after all that I had. “Promise me, Kelly.” I reached over and draped my hand over his. “Promise me that you’ll fight to keep me.”

His lids hooded over his eyes as his lips remained flat.

And when we I felt the vehicle slow to a stop, I knew why he refused to answer. Handing me my mask, I hated him for not going after Sylvia and instead taking me to the place where Maria Greer was murdered—Mint.