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  He shook his head. I guess we’ll have to iron all this out when we get back to the island.

  Chapter 15

  Monday, Sierra sat on the terrace of the condo, staring out toward the inlet. Things had taken an awkward turn between her and Campbell Friday night. When she’d returned from the bathroom, he’d vacated the bed, choosing to sleep on the pullout sofa, so she could get some rest. The next morning’s flight had passed mostly in silence, punctuated only by small talk. And she hadn’t heard from him at all since they’d returned to the island.

  She’d thought about calling him, to ask what the issue was, but decided against it. He’d professed his love for her, and she’d offered him very little in return. To her mind, that was what stood between them, and until she was ready to definitively say whether she felt the same, she had no right to make demands on him or his time.

  She got a call from Devon, asking her to come down to the studio. When she arrived at Devon’s office on the second floor, she walked across to his desk and sat down in one of the guest chairs.

  “We think we’ve found a good fit to take Mia’s place on the show, and I wanted to get your opinion.”

  She leaned forward. “Sure. Who do you have in mind?”

  “We’re thinking of asking Zola Revere. Are you familiar with her?”

  She thought for a minute. “Wasn’t she on that soap last year? What was it called?”

  Devon filled in the blank. “The show is called River’s Edge. And yes, that’s her. We think she might be a good fit for the show, especially since she already has some experience working on a television drama.”

  “I’ve seen the show, and I have to agree. River’s Edge is similar in tone to The Shores. Have you reached out to her agent?”

  “Not yet, but we will over the next few days. We wanted to gauge the reactions of some of the cast members first. Grayson was in here earlier, and he’s on board, as well.”

  She nodded. “Sounds good. Just let me know what happens, and if I can help out in any way.” She stood, preparing to leave.

  “There is one more thing.”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Would you be willing to do some press today? I know you don’t really like interviews, but it’s all recorded. Nothing live.”

  She cringed. “Devon, how important is this?”

  “Very. You’ve seen how Mia’s acting online. We need to get ahead of the story before the media spins it into something that reflects negatively on you, and the rest of the cast.”

  She sat back down in the chair, thinking. “I can see how this could go bad. Mia might try to create a narrative that makes her look like the injured party, railroaded by her mean and jealous coworkers.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Bingo. I wouldn’t put that sort of thing past her at all. Grayson is still here, and he’ll do some of the press with you. But if you would do this, it would be a big help. Can you do it?”

  She sighed. “Is the hair and makeup team here for this?”

  He nodded. “And wardrobe, too, if you want it.”

  She looked down at her khakis and ruffled blouse. “Maybe I’ll swing by there and pretty up.”

  “Thanks for doing this, Sierra. I really appreciate it.”

  “You owe me one for springing this on me, Devon.”

  “Hey, if I’d told you about the press, would you have come in today?”

  “Probably not.”

  “There you go.”

  She pursed her lips, but asked, “Where are the reporters going to be set up?”

  “On the main soundstage. They’ll interview you on Karen’s office set.” He glanced at his silver wristwatch. “They should be arriving within about an hour, so head on over to the prep area and get ready.”

  “You got it.” She stood again and waved as she headed out into the corridor.

  An hour and a half later, a perfectly coiffed Sierra sat behind the desk on the set of Karen’s office, being interviewed by a woman from a national celebrity news show. The wardrobe stylist had dressed her in one of her character’s fine business suits, and Sierra knew that despite her nerves, at least she looked great on camera.

  The first interview was followed by three more for television, two for magazines and one for the entertainment column at the Washington Post. Grayson was by her side for two television interviews and the one for the newspaper, but she did the rest on her own. When asked the inevitable questions about Mia and her departure from the show, Sierra kept her answers brief, consistent and vague.

  “Things weren’t working out with Mia on set. We all wish her the best in whatever she decides to do next. I’m not sure what’s coming for Fiona, but I’m sure it will be juicy.”

  By the time the last interviewer left, Sierra dragged herself to her dressing room and flopped down on the love seat. Grabbing a makeup wipe from her purse, she swiped it over her face until it felt clean again, then tossed the wipe in the trash. Exhaustion got the better of her, and before she knew it, she was awakened by someone tapping her on the forehead.

  Looking up, she saw Jazmin standing over her. “Girl. Those interviews really took it out of you, didn’t they?”

  She nodded, sitting upright and stretching. “Yes. How long was I asleep?”

  “About an hour. Nobody wanted to wake you, even though you left the door open and we could all hear you snoring.”

  Embarrassment warmed her cheeks. “Sorry about that.”

  “No worries. We’ve all crashed somewhere in the studio after one of those extremely long days. I heard you did seven interviews today.”

  “I did.” She stifled a yawn.

  “Then as far as I’m concerned, you earned that nap.” She grinned. “Will you be alright driving yourself home, or do you need a ride?”

  “I’m good.” She stood, getting a full stretch. “Thanks for the offer, though.”

  “Text me when you get home.”

  “I will.”

  Jazmin left, and Sierra shut the door. Changing out of the clothes she’d gotten from wardrobe, she hung them in the dressing room closet and put her own clothes back on. Dressed, she grabbed her purse from the floor. Fishing out the keys to her rental, she left the studio, saying her goodbyes to the folks she passed on the way.

  It was after nine now, and full dark had fallen outside. The half-moon sat high in the sky, partially obscured by a cluster of puffy clouds.

  She checked her messages as she got into the car. There was a text from Roland, saying he’d be late for his shift, but nothing else. Shrugging it off, she slipped her phone into the hip pocket of her pants and drove to the condo.

  Parking her car, she got out and carried her purse up the stairs. While walking, she thought she heard a sound. Stopping on the top step, she looked around. She had no idea what the sound was, where it had come from or if she’d even actually heard anything. She stood there for a few more moments, scanning the area. When she didn’t see anything, she continued to her door.

  On the landing, she strolled to the door and stuck her key into the lock.

  A moment later, she heard another sound.

  She turned, but before she had time to react, someone grabbed her. A strong arm came over her head, clamping her against the body of her unknown assailant. She screamed, struggling to get free.

  With his free hand, he raised a blade to her throat.

  “Shut up, or I’ll slit your throat.” His voice was as calm as if he’d asked her the time.

  Terrified, she went still and silent.

  “Good. Now drop the purse.”

  She released her grip on the strap, and it fell to the cement floor of the landing.

  When he bent to retrieve it, she elbowed him.

  He swung out with the knife, and a stripe of red-hot pain seared her arm.

  She ignored
it, reaching out to twist the doorknob.

  Slamming the door before the man could follow her inside, she leaned her back against it, panting and gasping for air.

  She could hear his angry shouts from the other side. The door shook as he pummeled it.

  Reaching to her left, she flipped open the plastic cover and smashed the red panic button on the alarm panel. The high-pitched wail of the system’s sirens rang all around her.

  The pounding stopped, and she assumed he’d run away, though she didn’t dare look.

  She looked at her arm, saw the slashed sleeve and the bright red blood staining it.

  Sliding down the door, she sat on the floor and dissolved into tears.

  * * *

  The moment Campbell pulled onto the street leading to The Glenn, he heard the sirens. He’d been headed over to see Sierra, to talk to her about what had happened in New York, and in the days since. He sped up, pushing the speed limit to make it to the complex. When he got there, the guard let him in and he drove to Sierra’s unit as fast as he could without the strategically placed speed bumps destroying his undercarriage.

  He parked next to her car and got out, sprinting up the stairs.

  He pounded on her closed door, calling her name. “Sierra! Sierra, it’s Campbell. Are you in there?”

  She opened the door, and his heart sank. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face still wet with tears. Aside from that, the left arm of her blouse had been slashed, and the fabric was stained with blood.

  Seeing her hurt this way made him seethe with rage. He opened his arms, and she fell into them. “What happened?”

  “I was robbed. A man with a knife took my purse and...” She couldn’t say more as she began sobbing.

  He rubbed her back. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He looked around then, realizing something was very off. “The real question is, where the hell is your security guard?”

  “Roland wasn’t here. He texted me...said he would be late.”

  Campbell shook his head. “Well, this is a fine kettle of fish.”

  Two police cars pulled up, and Sheriff Jarrod Riordan himself climbed out of one of them. While he climbed the stairs, he called out, “What the hell’s going on up there, Cam?”

  He gestured for Jarrod to come up. “She’s been robbed.”

  “Holy smokes.” Jarrod picked up the pace. When he saw her arm, he called down to the officer getting out of the second car, “Get an ambulance over here.”

  The next couple hours passed in a whirlwind of activity. The paramedics came, and while Sierra didn’t need to be transported, they did clean her wound and patch up her arm with liquid stitches. Jarrod and his deputy took her statements, taking notes on everything she remembered about her ordeal. When Roland finally showed up for his shift, he received a stern reprimand from Jarrod, who threatened to bust him down to station janitor if he didn’t straighten up.

  After the police cleared out and Roland took up his post on the landing, Campbell took Sierra to the bedroom. He helped her change into a nightgown, careful not to touch or stretch her wound. When she was changed, he tucked her into the bed and sat down on the edge of it.

  Her eyes were still damp when she lay down. “Campbell, stay with me. Please.”

  “You know Roland is right outside your door.”

  “I know. But I need you to stay in here with me.” She grabbed his hand. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  How could she say she needs me, when she’s never told me how she feels? He sighed, nodded. “Sure, I’ll stay. Now you just try to get some rest, okay?”

  She closed her eyes.

  As he sat and watched her, Campbell wondered what to do next. Inwardly, he kicked himself for letting his feelings for her develop into something this serious. He’d opened his heart to her, and she’d offered nothing concrete in return.

  When he’d left his house to come here, he’d had every intention of telling her he didn’t think they should see each other anymore. He’d left her to sleep alone in the bed in New York, and she hadn’t protested. Nor had she offered much in the way of conversation on the return flight. Now, after what she’d gone through, he couldn’t think of any good way to tell her that. Leaving her alone in this fragile state seemed wrong, even though he didn’t want to get more deeply involved with her right now.

  The part of him that had already fallen in love with her was at war with the logical part of him that knew this could never work. But what could he do? If he left her now, he’d be the biggest heel in all existence.

  He lay across the foot of her bed and stared at the ceiling, much the same way he had that night in New York. Only this time, they were back on his home turf, and he was still just as confused about where all this would lead.

  He didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until he woke up to find her gently shaking him.

  “Campbell. Hold me?” she whispered to him in the darkness.

  Obliging her, he moved to the top of the bed. Taking off his shoes, he slipped under the covers with her, fully clothed, and took her into his arms.

  She sighed as she snuggled close to him, and before long, sleep claimed her.

  He lay in the dark for a long time, listening to her measured breaths in the silence.

  Chapter 16

  “Here’s your green tea, Sierra.”

  “Thanks, Jazzy.” Sierra grasped the steaming mug by the handle and set it on the coffee table to cool.

  Jazmin sat down on the other end of sofa, with her own cup in hand. “I’m glad I came over. You look like hell, girl.”

  “It’s been a rough few days.” It was Wednesday, two days since her ordeal, and she still felt uneasy about leaving the condo.

  Blowing some of the steam away from her cup, Jazmin took a tentative sip. She wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. Needs some lemon.”

  “There are some in the produce bin in the fridge.”

  As Jazmin went to the kitchen, Sierra sighed and sank deeper into the sofa cushions. Her whole world had been turned upside down, and she couldn’t figure out how to cope with it. She knew she’d have to leave the condo eventually, but she didn’t know when she’d have the strength. She wouldn’t characterize what she felt as fear; it was more like exhaustion, and a general sense of unease. I just don’t have the energy to be around people right now.

  Jazmin returned then and dropped a slice of lemon into her teacup before sitting down again. “Let’s talk about it, Sierra. Tell me what happened.”

  She recapped the assault, and the aftermath, for her friend. “The police chief called me, said they already arrested the man who robbed me. The security footage showed him crawling through the gate behind a car, out of the guard’s line of vision. Then he got onto the landing using a grappling hook.” She threw up her hands. “A freaking grappling hook. Can you believe it?”

  Jazmin’s eyes widened. “That guy was on some type of adventure movie kick. It seems a little much for a small-time purse-snatching.”

  She shook her head. “It is. There’s more to it, and I hope the police are grilling his ass real good to find out all the details.”

  “Well, what happened with Campbell? You said he got here before the police.”

  “He did. Apparently, he was already on the way here and heard the panic alarm going off.” She yawned. “He stayed with me that night. Yesterday morning when I woke up, Campbell was getting ready to leave. I wanted him to stay, but he had to go back to work.”

  “You don’t want the man losing his job, do you?”

  “It’s a family business. He’s not going to lose his job.” She frowned. “But that’s not the biggest issue.”

  “Then tell me what is.” Jazmin sat back against the cushions with her cup.

  “He was just so standoffish with me. I mean, he stayed with me that night, but didn’t seem like he wanted to be here.
He barely said two words to me the next morning before he rushed out the door.” She ran her hand over her scarf-wrapped hair. “I don’t know what’s going on with him.” He’d held her while she slept, like she’d asked. Still, his embrace had been different. It lacked the warmth she was used to getting from him.

  “Have you asked him?”

  “There wasn’t time to.” She reached for her mug, sipping the tea and letting the sweet warmth of it wash down her throat. “I was exhausted that night, and he was in such a hurry to leave in the morning.”

  Jazmin shook her head. “I’m sorry you’re going through all this, girl. But try to give Campbell the benefit of the doubt.”

  She twisted her mouth to the side. “Why should I?”

  “He’s a good guy, but he’s still a guy. Odds are he had no clue what you were feeling.”

  “I felt vulnerable and uneasy.”

  “You never told him that. You said so yourself.” Jazmin set her tea down on the table. “Remember, men don’t think the way we do. If you don’t explicitly tell them something, they aren’t going to know.”

  She sighed. “Maybe so. But after what I went through, you would think he could muster a little more sympathy.” She’d come to care about Campbell since they’d started spending time together, and based on what he’d said before, he was in love with her. He’d been so closed off since New York, and she couldn’t really blame him. How am I going to get myself out of the mess I’ve made between us?

  “That’s another thing about guys. They can be pretty short on emotional support sometimes.” Jazmin patted Sierra’s leg. “Luckily, that’s what friends are for. As long as you got your girl squad, you’ll be good.”

  “You know, I was starting to think Campbell was different from all the other men I’ve dated.” She folded her arms over her chest, feeling her frustration rise. “But it turns out he’s just like the rest.”

  “How so?”

  “These men have bought into the stereotype that the media keeps pushing about me. No matter what I do or where I go, people will always see me as an ice queen.” She’d pretty much played the part in her interactions with Campbell over the weekend, and knowing that only made her feel guiltier.