The right clothing is always important, and never more so than when engaging in construction. Sturdy denim and long sleeves help protect you from injury.
—HAMMER GIRL BLOG
Several women glanced at Gray as his long legs sprawled halfway into the aisle where he sat in an armchair near the dressing room. Ellie could see the admiration on their faces as they eyed him, then glanced at her with quizzical looks as if to ask what he saw in her.
She had to agree. It was no use getting herself in a tizzy over him because he wasn’t going to be here long, and she wasn’t the glamour girl a man like him would be likely to gravitate to. Especially not with last night’s scratches on her face.
She forced her gaze away from him and looked around. The boutique had an understated elegance that made her worry before glancing at the prices, but luckily the dresses she’d grabbed to try on were on sale and something she could afford.
Shauna, dressed in white capris and a red top, had four dresses slung over her arm too. “I’ll go in with you to button you up if you want.”
Felicia held up her phone. “I’ve got the camera and I’m recording it.” Shauna had suggested inviting her, and Ellie had been quick to agree. Felicia had the best taste in town. And she was fun to be around.
Gray sat up. “Camera? I think I’m in trouble.”
Ellie smiled at him. “Told you I wanted proof of this. You sure you don’t want to go across the street and get some coffee?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Nope. I have an eye for what looks good. I’m sitting right here so you don’t make a mistake. Besides, one of the clerks is already bringing me coffee and a muffin.”
Ellie had seen the beautiful brunette dancing attendance on him. “Well, if you’re sure. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Felicia entered the large dressing room and hung up the gowns on her arm, then stepped aside for Shauna to hang the four she carried. Disrobing in front of Shauna felt a little awkward, but her friend turned her back to ready the first dress. Ellie slipped out of her capris and shirt, then ducked her head for Shauna to drop the cocktail dress over her head.
Ellie had asked for neutral colors in this first batch, and she tried on the beige one first. Felicia frowned when she came out in it but said nothing as she recorded the moment.
Gray shook his head. “Too bland.”
She went back for the next dress and the next. With every dress Gray frowned and shook his head. “Too boring” or “too shapeless” were the most common remarks from everyone.
Felicia’s dimple emerged, and she put down the phone a moment. “This man has a good eye. Think you can do better than me, Grayson? I’ll pick one and you pick one.”
“You’re on.” He rose and flexed his fingers, then dove into the rows of dresses and surfaced with three—a deep-blue off-the-shoulder mermaid dress with a daring back, a pink one with a lace overlay, and a flirty number with a flared organza skirt.
None of them were anything she would have chosen herself.
Felicia had two slinky numbers over her arm, one green and one turquoise. “Try these.”
Ellie thought all of them were much too flashy, but she exhaled and nodded. “Let me try them on.”
Felicia whipped out her phone again. “Wait, I have to record this. It might encourage Everett to come shopping with me sometime.” She recorded Grayson handing Ellie the dresses he’d chosen.
Ellie wrinkled her nose as she took them. “Really? Your fashion judgment is about to go down in flames.”
Felicia snickered. “I’m still recording. You should see your face.” She tucked her phone away again. “Let’s see how they look on you.”
“I’m not sure I want to.”
Shauna tugged on her arm. “He might know what he’s talking about, and I’m sure Felicia does.” She held open the curtain for Ellie to enter the room again, then closed it behind them.
Ellie shucked the last dress, a white lace number that had little shape and washed out her skin. “I guess I didn’t do so well myself.” She bent her head for Shauna to drop the blue over her shoulders first.
“Turn around and I’ll zip it. I love that color.” Shauna’s cool fingers pulled on the zipper and slid it up to the nape of Ellie’s neck.
Ellie stared in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself. The deep blue made her eyes look bigger and mysterious behind her glasses, and her light-brown hair glowed with blonde lights. She actually had curves in this dress too, and a slit up the side showed flirty glimpses of her leg.
“Ooh, I love it. Go see what Grayson says.” Shauna pulled back the curtain on the dressing room for her.
Ellie’s stomach fluttered at the prospect of facing Gray in this dress. It seemed too revealing, though it was modest by most standards.
Shauna gave her a little push. “Go on.”
There was no getting out of it now. She walked on bare feet in front of all the mirrors as well as Gray’s gaze and Felicia’s ever-present phone camera.
His blue eyes widened when he saw her, and he sat up straighter. “That’s a keeper. You look beautiful.”
She almost choked. Beautiful? No one had ever told her she was beautiful.
“Don’t even try on anything else. That’s the dress.” Felicia smiled at Grayson. “I might take you shopping with me next time.”
Ellie smoothed her palms over the fabric at her hips. “Isn’t it a little too, um . . . I don’t know the word.”
“Sexy?” he suggested. “I might have to fight off the other guys at the party, but I’m up to the challenge even with a bum leg. I think Felicia is right, and you don’t even need to try on the others. This is the one I liked the best anyway. Go change, and I’ll take you ladies to lunch. I hear Dick’s is a Seattle icon and has the best burgers and milkshakes in the state. I vote for that.”
Did she dare buy this dress? She liked seeing the light in his eyes when he looked at her, but it made her self-conscious at the same time. The beige dress with a concealing jacket would be safer. And this one was probably expensive.
Gray’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going through that pretty head? Don’t even think about getting one of the other dresses.”
Trapped. She glanced at Shauna and Felicia and saw no allies there. It was only one evening. She could wear this dress to the party, then hang it up in her closet and forget about it.
“If you’re sure.” She ducked back into the dressing room and pulled on her safe capris and top. It was like Cinderella returning to her torn and dirty clothing. With the blue dress hanging over her arm, she emerged to find Gray handing over his debit card at the register.
“You can’t do that!” She tried to grab his card back, but he blocked her move, and the clerk came around to get the dress and bag it.
“You wouldn’t have bought it if not for me, and I’m not positive you’ll wear it if you spend your own money on it.” He scribbled his signature on the receipt. “This is insurance.”
In a daze she followed him out into a light Seattle drizzle. There was no stopping him.
Mackenzie’s head pounded as Tarek shoved her through the cabin to a couch in front of a massive stone fireplace. The scent of old smoke still lingered in the worn furniture. Her legs wobbled, and she nearly fell onto the sofa cushion, which sank under her weight.
Tarek Nasser wasn’t anyone to mess with, but she tried to tamp down the fear. He could smell it like a tiger stalking prey. Why had she once thought he was so wonderful?
She wet her lips and stared up at him as he paced back and forth across the faded rug. “C-Could I have some water?”
He stopped and shook his head. “Only someone as foolish as you would think I would offer any comforts like water.”
She didn’t like his derisive tone or the way he studied her. “Why did you do this to me? I thought you loved me.”
“Love?” He quirked a brow. “I’m sure you know why you’re here.”
She shuffled on the sofa and tried to see any weapon in her peripheral vision, but the room didn’t hold much, just the sofa, a chair, and the rug. No tables with any heavy ashtrays. “I don’t, actually.”
He snorted, and his face reddened. “I have an incompetent team. Why wasn’t your sister at your boat? They were supposed to take both of you.”
It felt like a giant hand took hold of her heart. She’d done what she did to save Ellie and so many others, not to draw her in deeper. “Leave Ellie out of this.”
His mouth twisted, and his dark eyes narrowed. “Don’t play dumb with me. You told her to grab that mah-jongg tile set, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your sister is meddling in my business. She’s going to have to be eliminated.”
“No!”
His grin held no real mirth. “You shouldn’t have crossed me, Mackenzie. Who have you told about our plans?”
“No one! Not even Ellie.” Why hadn’t the FBI stopped this? Now Ellie was mixed up in this too, and Mac had no idea how to get her away from this maniac. “Why do you even care about Ellie?”
“I can’t run the risk that she’ll turn the mah-jongg tiles over to the authorities.”
“So take the tiles. You don’t have to take her.”
He grimaced. “We can’t find them. Bradshaw may have even gotten hold of them by now. My men tried to eliminate him yesterday, but he got away. He always seems to get away, like a snake growing another head.”
He pulled a phone from the pocket of his khaki slacks and held it toward her. “Text her and ask her to meet you.”
She took a step back. “Absolutely not!”
“You’ll do what I say, or I’ll kill you now myself.”
“You’ll have to do it then. I’m not going to text her.” Goading him wouldn’t gain her any ground, but she couldn’t help herself.
“I’ll do it myself.”
“No!” She darted forward and grabbed the phone from his hand, then turned and threw it with all her might against the fireplace stones. It shattered into pieces.
His hard fingers bit into her arm. “I should strangle you now.”
She smiled into his face. “Go ahead.”
He hesitated, then threw her to the ground. “You’re going back to the basement, and I’ll make sure you don’t escape again.”
She’d blown her one attempt at escape, and all she could do was pray that Ellie figured out what was going on before it was too late for both of them.