What she said was, “I ask the questions. You drive.”
She was relieved when he readily agreed. Last thing she needed was to drive Paul’s car for any longer than necessary. He was probably in search of her at that very moment. Hell, for all she knew, the car had probably been outfitted with some kind of tracking device.
A chill skittered across Madison’s flesh. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t bothered to consider that. It was the sort of sloppiness that could bring the whole thing crashing right down. Paul was a pro when it came to deception, which meant Madison couldn’t afford to be anything less than vigilant.
Tommy was staring. She’d been silent too long.
“So where you parked?” she asked, her skin sheening with sweat as he deepened the stare.
“How’d you hurt yourself?” He motioned toward her ankle.
“Balance beam accident.” She shrugged. “It happens.” It was an obvious lie, but at least it worked to make him laugh. “Is that really what you wanted to ask?”
Tommy chewed his lip. “It’s just—”
She waited.
“You remind me of someone.”
Her breath hitched in her chest.
“Can you do me a favor and . . . I know this sounds weird, but can you just like . . . take off your glasses?”
“Seriously?” She stood frozen before him.
He nodded. “Sorry, but yeah.”
She pressed her lips into a thin, grim line and did a mental countdown from three. “Well, okay then.” Without another word, she lifted her glasses onto her forehead and peered at him through a pair of dark brown contact lenses. “Would you like to see my ID too?” She shoved a hand into her oversize bag. It was the sort of bluff she couldn’t afford to lose. If he said yes, she was screwed.
She retrieved the cheap nylon wallet and slowly pried it open. It was a game of chicken she was determined to win.
“No, you know what, it’s fine.” Tommy flushed and waved it away.
Madison waggled the wallet before him. “Maybe it’ll make you feel better about getting into a car with a strange girl who’s at least half your size.”
Tommy gave an embarrassed laugh. “No.” He shook his head. “Really, it’s okay.”
Madison dropped the wallet back in her bag and shuffled alongside him as they made for his car.
SEVENTEENiSPY
Sipping from their to-go cups, Aster and Ryan stood outside the trailer and considered their options.
“You sure this is it?” she asked.
“It’s not like there’s a mailbox, so it’s impossible to know, but considering it’s the only thing out here . . .” He finished the statement with a lift of his shoulders.
“It’s just . . .” Aster ventured forward until she stood uncertainly before the door. “It’s nicer than I expected. The pictures made it seem like a dump. Not some cool, vintage Airstream with a well-tended plant by the door.”
“It’s a cactus,” Ryan said. “Doesn’t require a whole lot of TLC. But I guess it makes sense. Madison would want it to look nice from the outside at least, seeing how image-conscious she is.”
Aster detected a note of bitterness in his tone, and it left her wondering if maybe Ryan still carried the tiniest bit of a torch for his former flame. But just as quickly, she shook the thought away. Ryan had assured her plenty of times he was totally over her—that he’d never really been all that into her to begin with. At the start of the summer, it would’ve been impossible to believe that any guy could be so blasé about having dated Madison Brooks. But a lot had happened since then, and Aster had no reason to feel insecure about Ryan’s superstar ex-girlfriend. Not after the morning they’d just spent together.
Ryan made for the door and knocked a few times. When no one answered, he tried the latch, but of course it was locked.
“It’s metal,” Aster said, stating the obvious. “So it’s not like you can kick it in.”
Ryan flexed his hands and considered his options. “True. But maybe there’s a way to jimmy the window wide enough for you to slip in?”
Aster wanted in there as badly as he did, probably more. But she wasn’t entirely sold on the idea.
“I’ll give you a boost.” Ryan handed her his cup and slipped a credit card from his wallet, which he then ran between the window glass and the gasket. “Luckily, there’s no screen.” He spoke between gritted teeth as he worked to pry it open.
When that didn’t work, Aster watched in amazement when he pulled a screwdriver from his back pocket and set about disconnecting the crank bars so he could maneuver them to pop open.
“Let me guess, you were a Boy Scout.” She gestured toward the screwdriver.
“Sadly, not for long.” He shot her a quick smile. “I missed too many meetings when I got cast as a regular on my first series, so I had to quit.” With the bar where he wanted it, he pulled the window wide open. “There.” Satisfied, he motioned that it was her turn.
Aster glanced nervously between the window and Ryan. This was no time for second-guessing. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d broken into one of Madison’s residences.
Setting the cups on an unseen surface inside, she placed her hands on the ledge and said, “On three . . .” The next thing she knew, she was halfway inside, gazing in wonder at the space before her.
“Anything?”
“No spoilers.” Aster pulled herself in, then swung her legs around until her feet hit the ground. She stared in amazement as she made her way across the dark hardwood floor and slid open the dead bolt that unlocked the front door. “Welcome.” She arced her arm wide and stepped aside to make room for Ryan.
He stopped in the center and looked around, his expression as uncertain as she currently felt. “Not what I expected.”
Aster readily agreed.
The space was narrow, long, and extremely well organized into separate individual areas. At the nearer end, there was an alcove with a bed covered in a plush shearling throw and an abundance of expensive-looking
