As soon as Madam’s limo disappeared around the corner, I spotted a long telephoto lens retracting back into a parked car.

They were everywhere.

Around corners and peeking from windows.

I cursed beneath my breath knowing I couldn’t escape these paparazzi assholes. And I feared they had seen everything. Kendra’s brush with her uncle, her meltdown, and my physical altercation with Jerome. They had seen everything. Including Madam’s face.

With no time to waste, I turned around and hurried back to my own car making sure to keep a close lookout for more surprises from the media.

Feeling paranoid, I suspected they were after more than just the story of me, Parker, and what happened to Tonya. If they kept digging, like I knew they would, it was only a matter of time before they found the real story I knew to be hiding beneath—Madam’s desire to take over what Blake Stone once controlled.

Keeping my head down, I brushed shoulders with an innocent pedestrian. He gave me a stern, unhappy look and I apologized.

Widening my stride, I passed the stores I was supposed to be taking Kendra to. This was supposed to be our day. The day where we could forget everything and just concentrate on us. Because her concern was real. No matter what I said, it wasn’t going to change the fact that our contract with Madam was coming to an end.

I rounded the corner and headed into the dank parking garage. With my vehicle within sight, I lifted my key fob and listened to my car beep and unlock.

Maxwell should have been close to tailing Madam by now, and I hoped that he found the limo before Madam managed to disappear. I needed to know where Madam was taking Kendra and what she learned before she made a decision that would inevitably affect us both.

My stomach rolled over and I felt sick with worry.

I didn’t know how I’d lost so much control over my own decisions. Where I once had plenty of power, now I had barely enough. And it wasn’t only because I had fallen for Kendra and would do anything to make it right between us. There was more to it than just that. I had agreed to assist the Madam in her illegal operation and inadvertently gotten Kendra involved. That was what killed me most. Because, since that happened, everything started to unravel and I still hadn’t managed to get Stone to agree to meet with me.

Sliding behind the wheel, I synced up my Bluetooth and called Giselle.

“Kelly,” she answered right away. “I was just about to call you. I’m so glad you called.”

“Please tell me you have some good news.” My eyes closed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on.

“Parker turned himself in.” Her words were music to my ears.

I lifted my head and opened my eyes.

“Kelly, did hear what I said? Parker spoke with the detectives working Tonya’s case.”

“I heard you.”

“You don’t have anything to say?”

“That’s great.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“You don’t sound too enthused.”

“No, no.” I shook my head. “I am.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just … I wonder how the DA will treat him after he retracted his charges against me.” Against Oscar’s wishes.

“You think he’ll be made an example of?”

“Depends on the mood Oscar is in and what evidence they have against him.” I turned the key over and started the engine.

“Oscar is smarter than that,” Giselle said. “He knows that he doesn’t want that piece of the story to get leaked. You let me handle him.”

“Don’t let your boyfriend find out.” I smirked.

“He’s just a friend,” Giselle shot back.

“Stop lying to yourself.” I backed out of my parking spot and headed for the garage’s exit.

“Kelly?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.” Giselle smiled through the line. “I’m feeling good about this. And Mario is going to be thrilled when he hears the news.”

I kept silent, not wanting to get my hopes up. Though Oscar know had Parker in his office, I wasn’t convinced he would keep his promise to revisit Mario’s plea deal. I’d been let down enough these past couple of weeks to know that nothing was ever what it seemed. And as I looked up the street where I’d been walking with Kendra only minutes ago, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking how it was strange that Kendra’s uncle always seemed to show his face around the same time Madam decided to poke her head into our lives.

“I was going to grab a quick bite to eat before heading back to the office,” Giselle shared. “Kelly, you’re ready to make our case against Sylvia, right?”

I snapped out of my thoughts and punched the gas, hitting the road with renewed determination. “Forget the office. I need you to get eyes on Sylvia.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Something’s up with her.” I couldn’t stop thinking about Kendra, hoping Maxwell had managed to catch up to her by now. “We need to know what it is.”

“Is everything all right?”

Wiping my damp palm on my thigh, I said, “I’m afraid she knows we’re on to her.”

“Kelly, did something happen?”

Swallowing the stone in my throat, I said, “She got to Kendra.”

“What? When?” Giselle snapped. “And why am I just hearing of this now?”

I made a right turn and continued to make my way across town while telling Giselle what happened in Laguna Beach. Giselle listened as I told her how Sylvia managed to intercept Madam’s delivery and used it to get to Kendra.

“Shit,” Giselle sighed. “She’s doing this on purpose.”

“I know.”

“And, if you’re right, she’ll write that story about Maria’s body being moved from Mint and release it just as the world learns about her involvement in Maria’s murder.”

“Giselle—” I paused. “It’s important we keep this information strictly between us. There is a chance we can stop this before Sylvia gets her story published.”

“Where is Kendra now?”

I applied my foot to the brake, coming to a complete stop at a red light. “Madam has her.”

“If Madam has her, then she knows Sylvia is working to uncover her operation.”

I sucked back a deep breath and said, “You have to get to Sylvia first. We can’t let Madam beat us to her. Because if she does—” My voice trailed off as I thought about how I couldn’t reach Sylvia earlier on the phone.

“—she’d kill her.”