Teasing Trent
Page 22
“I didn’t mean that. Miss Wells, we just want to figure out what’s going on before anyone else gets hurt. When will you be back in town?”
“I don’t know. I’ll call you back.” Ridley hung up and immediately turned her phone off.
She dragged in a ragged breath, her heart beating so hard she couldn’t hear anything else over the sound. It was tempting to pretend she’d never called Agent Graham. To go on ignoring the signs that had been there since the beginning.
Hadn’t she thought it odd that an FBI Agent would be involved in something as simple as a car accident? Now she could no longer ignore the obvious—she was in way over her head. Maybe she should have told Agent Graham that David had come to see her right before the accident. Not that she could see how that would make any difference.
Especially since he already suspected her of killing her friend.
If David had found evidence that Moreno was her father, he would have tried to verify it. But it was doubtful that he would have told Moreno directly of his suspicions. So if she could stay off the grid for a while, there was a good chance that Moreno’s people would never know what he really suspected. If she was lucky, they would never know that he might have a daughter. Daughters, she corrected. After all, this wasn’t just about her.
It had been big news in Florida when the Moreno’s only son had died. No wonder David had told her to lay low. If he’d suspected her father was a Moreno, then he wasn’t just being paranoid when he’d told her he was on to something dangerous. He’d been trying to protect her.
Now he was dead, and if whoever killed him had followed her here, she’d led them right to her sister. If Moreno found her, then it wouldn’t be long before he found Raina, too.
She and her sister might be his only surviving children.
I have to get out of here.
After pulling her cell charger from the wall, she stuffed it in her backpack and made sure it was zipped securely. The thought of someone following her here, possibly hurting her sister or Jackson, made her sick to her stomach. It was a stupid idea to come here. All she’d done was bring trouble to her sister’s doorstep. She was the one who’d wanted to find their father. This was her mess.
No one else deserved to be dragged into the maelstrom of her life.
The day hadn’t been a total waste because at least she’d been able to rest for a bit and charge her phone. It seemed petty to leave without saying goodbye to Jackson but it was probably easier this way. No explanations. No goodbyes.
Business as usual.
* * * * *
“THIS WAY, RAINA! Give us that famous smile, sweetheart!”
“Come on, Legs. Just one shot.”
Early Sunday morning, Raina Winters strutted past the horde of paparazzi camped out in front of the Fullerton Hotel, her security team surrounding her like a moving wall of muscle. Her agent had booked her on back-to-back appearances and photo shoots, so she didn't even have time to enjoy the picturesque hotel with its charming views of the Singapore River. The only thing she would see for the next two weeks unrelated to work was her hotel room, the back of her security chief's tee shirt and the inside of her limo. But it would be worth it to get the first real vacation she'd had since she started modeling.
“Come on, Leggy! Give us a money shot.”
The paparazzo who yelled out was one of the regulars who followed her from city to city. He was just as annoying as all the others, but at least he sold good shots of her. Unlike the greasy pig who'd deliberately gotten down low to take a crotch shot when she was exiting her limo after a night of partying last year. He'd made her look like she'd been completely wasted and showing her thong on purpose. Anyone would look like they were flashing their underwear if they had someone kneeling in front of them taking a picture!
“Just one, Sam,” she murmured.
Samuel Gannon, her chief of security, turned back to her and nodded. He motioned for the other security guards to flank her, preventing the photographers from getting too close.
She turned to the side, lowered her chin and flashed a wide smile. A blinding flurry of flashbulbs went off as the group scrambled to take shots before she whipped around and ducked into her limo. A second later Sam, and two other security agents, followed. The rest would trail them in a second limo. She only needed this much security when traveling and she couldn’t deny that it was weird having so many people following her around.
In the beginning she'd tried to keep current on who was guarding her and would chat with them, ask about their families. As time went on and her need for additional security grew, it became too difficult to keep track. Sam had been with her since the beginning and she trusted his judgment.
That had to be good enough.
“This morning you have another shoot for,” Sam consulted the clipboard he held, “La Fleur. The skin care company. Then this afternoon, we have the layout for the energy drink.”
“Vitamin supplement.”
Sam smirked. “Whatever you want to call it.”
She pulled her cell phone from her purse and turned it on. She'd been so exhausted the night before that she'd shut it off before falling into bed. As it powered up, she looked out the window of the limo as they inched through the crowded streets of Central Singapore. People lined the streets, their garments a kaleidoscope of colors. A bike passed by the limo so closely she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d taken the paint off the door.
“I don’t know. I’ll call you back.” Ridley hung up and immediately turned her phone off.
She dragged in a ragged breath, her heart beating so hard she couldn’t hear anything else over the sound. It was tempting to pretend she’d never called Agent Graham. To go on ignoring the signs that had been there since the beginning.
Hadn’t she thought it odd that an FBI Agent would be involved in something as simple as a car accident? Now she could no longer ignore the obvious—she was in way over her head. Maybe she should have told Agent Graham that David had come to see her right before the accident. Not that she could see how that would make any difference.
Especially since he already suspected her of killing her friend.
If David had found evidence that Moreno was her father, he would have tried to verify it. But it was doubtful that he would have told Moreno directly of his suspicions. So if she could stay off the grid for a while, there was a good chance that Moreno’s people would never know what he really suspected. If she was lucky, they would never know that he might have a daughter. Daughters, she corrected. After all, this wasn’t just about her.
It had been big news in Florida when the Moreno’s only son had died. No wonder David had told her to lay low. If he’d suspected her father was a Moreno, then he wasn’t just being paranoid when he’d told her he was on to something dangerous. He’d been trying to protect her.
Now he was dead, and if whoever killed him had followed her here, she’d led them right to her sister. If Moreno found her, then it wouldn’t be long before he found Raina, too.
She and her sister might be his only surviving children.
I have to get out of here.
After pulling her cell charger from the wall, she stuffed it in her backpack and made sure it was zipped securely. The thought of someone following her here, possibly hurting her sister or Jackson, made her sick to her stomach. It was a stupid idea to come here. All she’d done was bring trouble to her sister’s doorstep. She was the one who’d wanted to find their father. This was her mess.
No one else deserved to be dragged into the maelstrom of her life.
The day hadn’t been a total waste because at least she’d been able to rest for a bit and charge her phone. It seemed petty to leave without saying goodbye to Jackson but it was probably easier this way. No explanations. No goodbyes.
Business as usual.
* * * * *
“THIS WAY, RAINA! Give us that famous smile, sweetheart!”
“Come on, Legs. Just one shot.”
Early Sunday morning, Raina Winters strutted past the horde of paparazzi camped out in front of the Fullerton Hotel, her security team surrounding her like a moving wall of muscle. Her agent had booked her on back-to-back appearances and photo shoots, so she didn't even have time to enjoy the picturesque hotel with its charming views of the Singapore River. The only thing she would see for the next two weeks unrelated to work was her hotel room, the back of her security chief's tee shirt and the inside of her limo. But it would be worth it to get the first real vacation she'd had since she started modeling.
“Come on, Leggy! Give us a money shot.”
The paparazzo who yelled out was one of the regulars who followed her from city to city. He was just as annoying as all the others, but at least he sold good shots of her. Unlike the greasy pig who'd deliberately gotten down low to take a crotch shot when she was exiting her limo after a night of partying last year. He'd made her look like she'd been completely wasted and showing her thong on purpose. Anyone would look like they were flashing their underwear if they had someone kneeling in front of them taking a picture!
“Just one, Sam,” she murmured.
Samuel Gannon, her chief of security, turned back to her and nodded. He motioned for the other security guards to flank her, preventing the photographers from getting too close.
She turned to the side, lowered her chin and flashed a wide smile. A blinding flurry of flashbulbs went off as the group scrambled to take shots before she whipped around and ducked into her limo. A second later Sam, and two other security agents, followed. The rest would trail them in a second limo. She only needed this much security when traveling and she couldn’t deny that it was weird having so many people following her around.
In the beginning she'd tried to keep current on who was guarding her and would chat with them, ask about their families. As time went on and her need for additional security grew, it became too difficult to keep track. Sam had been with her since the beginning and she trusted his judgment.
That had to be good enough.
“This morning you have another shoot for,” Sam consulted the clipboard he held, “La Fleur. The skin care company. Then this afternoon, we have the layout for the energy drink.”
“Vitamin supplement.”
Sam smirked. “Whatever you want to call it.”
She pulled her cell phone from her purse and turned it on. She'd been so exhausted the night before that she'd shut it off before falling into bed. As it powered up, she looked out the window of the limo as they inched through the crowded streets of Central Singapore. People lined the streets, their garments a kaleidoscope of colors. A bike passed by the limo so closely she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d taken the paint off the door.
