Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) (12 page)

The pieces fit but he couldn’t wrap his head around the possibility. He said, “Mila told us about Ella long before she showed up. She never called her Raven.”

“Stage name?” Kyle shrugged. “Mila knew her since they were kids. She didn’t know her as Raven Star… but as Ella. And Mila isn’t fussy about celebrities. Never has gone for all that fangirl stuff, so why would she stop calling someone she’s known forever by anything but what she knew her as when they were kids?”

Trent raked his hands over his hair. “Maybe. Shit, maybe that’s why she’s so worried whatever she has to tell me will change what I feel.”

“Will it?”

He shook his head. “No. I know her. She’s nothing like I’d expect a movie star to be.”

“Well, she’s not answering her phone, and Mila’s worried. Ella drove away with her hair tucked up under a baseball hat, big sunglasses, and bulky sweats like she doesn’t want anyone to recognize her.”

Trent’s brow wrinkled. “The calls are going straight to voicemail like her phone is turned off.”

“Okay, that’s weird, but she admitted she had a stalker. So maybe she’s checking on her brother.”

“There is an unconfirmed rumor Raven’s brother is missing. And until the other day no one knew she had a brother. Maybe the stalker knows something and leaked it to draw her out.”

Cold dread flooded through Trent’s entire body. If she really was the famous woman, could this asshole be trying to get to her through her family?

He pulled out his phone and called. Yep. Straight to voice mail. “Shit!”

“Hey, could be nothing. She’s pretty pale, and it’s a sunny day. Maybe she’s protecting her skin,” Kyle offered with a half-hearted shrug.

“What if—” Trent started, but Kyle held up his hands.

“Stop right there. We don’t know anything for sure. Just wanted you to realize she wasn’t home.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better? ’Cause it sure as fuck doesn’t.”

“Well, Mila thought you should know, but she wouldn’t give me her thoughts on what Ella was doing or why.”

“Great, that’s fucking perfect. Why tell me if you can’t give me any solid info? I’m going to stress out and worry the rest of my damned shift.”

“Would you rather not know? Then wonder what happened when you get home and she’s nowhere to be found?”

“Maybe? She might be back in time. And if she’s not? Shit. Now I have a million questions I can’t ask because she’s not around. Can’t look for her because I don’t have a damned clue where she’d run off to. And I’m stuck here wondering what the hell is going on.”

“It’s league night. So calm down. If she doesn’t come back before you’re off work, we’ll go play pool. Hopefully, you can get your mind off worrying.”

Trent sneered. “I’m not drinking.”

“No surprise there. You never do. Now come on. Your sister is in there, and she’s doing well for the first time in years. Encourage her.”

Trent rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t have waited to tell me this shit until we were done here.” As much as he wanted to find her, he had nothing to go on. No clue where she might have gone.

“Nah, you’d wind up texting her sooner or later, then worry when she didn’t answer. Figured it was better to get you the information now, rather than later.”

“Shit, yeah, I guess. Why didn’t she call?”

“Maybe she’s worried about who might follow her?”

“I wish she’d told me what the hell was going on and where she was headed… just in case.”

“Yeah, so does Mila. Whatever the reason, don’t push her for answers. She may not feel it’s safe enough to share.”

“I want to protect her—keep her safe. I can’t do that if she’s keeping shit from me.”

“Hey, you aren’t in a committed relationship. You can’t expect her to give you every last secret at the drop of a hat.”

“Yeah, which is why Mila doesn’t want me to push, and I haven’t, but damn it, this is killing me. I want to understand what’s going on with her.”

Tina came out of the kitchen with a smile. She threw her arms around Kyle. “I just got a text from Mila. I’m going to go hang out with her and the kids for a while. We all need to get together soon.”

Trent managed a smile. “Tomorrow. Barbecue at my place.”

Turning to her brother, Tina hugged him and stepped back. “Does that mean I get to meet this mysterious woman?”

He nodded hoping she would be there. Whatever Ella was hiding, she clearly didn’t trust him with it yet. That cut deep.

“Go have fun, Tina. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to meet Ella.” She kissed Trent’s cheek and started down the hall. “Don’t forget your snickerdoodles.”

Chapter 14

Ella pulled into the parking lot and looked around. She spotted the old truck Shannon had restored, and she grinned. Of all the people she knew in Hollywood, she only trusted Ryan. And that trust extended to his significant other, Shannon. They had their own secrets to hide.

She climbed out of the rental car and walked into the diner. Ryan sat in the back corner and held his hand up in a wave as she entered.

Keeping her head down, she made her way toward him and slid into the booth. “Hey, how are you doing?”

He shook his head. “We have a lot to talk about. Want to eat first? Then we can go on a drive.”

“That bad?”

He nodded and looked around. Ryan didn’t need to say another word. She got it. Sensitive information could give either one of them away.

“I’m not hungry,” she admitted.

He threw down some money and stood. “Then we won’t waste time.”

She didn’t bother to mention her relief. “Let me drive?” she asked.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Rented under another name.”

“Smart thinking.”

“Learned a few things from the movies.” Especially the
Midnight Daughter
series.

Moments later, they were on the road again. “What’s going on with Sam?”

Ryan turned in his seat. “He’s gone. His house was ransacked. I think your stalker is looking for you. Plus, someone told the media your brother is missing.”

“Shit. That’s just great. It was Sam’s idea to hide our relationship.” Fear rolled through her. She’d hoped disappearing would make her stalker lose interest. Apparently not.

“We felt you should know,” Ryan explained.

“You couldn’t email me that?” she blurted out, then softened her tone. “Sorry, I’m not sure driving all this way was such a great idea if this asswipe has any chance of finding me.”

“Well, thanks. I love ya too,” he snipped.

She winced, guilt seeping in. “It’s not that, Ryan. You know better.” She held up her left arm, showing off the scar on her outer wrist. “And you remember what my face looked like. The concussion I had. Can you blame me if I don’t want him to find me?”

He reached over to squeeze her hand with a sad smile. “No. I don’t want him to find you either. Maybe email would have been better, but there’s been someone following me when I’m out. It’s why I hiked away from the ranch and hopped in Shannon’s truck since no one has found out we’re together.

Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she shook her head. “Sorry. It’s good seeing you, I’m just paranoid.”

“I miss my best friend. You’ve been gone and there isn’t anyone who knows the truth and understands. I’m constantly around money-grubbing, attention-whores.”

She offered a smile. “You could go away too. Wouldn’t be too hard.”

“With the way everyone is searching for you? Shit, I disappear, and everyone will start saying you and I ran away together.”

“Who the hell cares what everyone thinks? I don’t give a shit about what the tabloids print. Disappear and what they say doesn’t matter.” She shot him a smirk. “It’s true. I haven’t even looked at the news, or the gossip magazines, nothing. Mila happened to mention I was spotted abroad. Otherwise, I haven’t heard anything about Raven Star, and I want to keep it that way.”

“And you didn’t know your brother disappeared,” he pointed out.

“What do you want me to say?” She sighed. “He told me I was making a mistake when I left LA. He hasn’t even emailed me. No messages on that disposable cell. I didn’t want to fight, and I didn’t want to risk anyone finding me.” Rubbing her arm, she met his gaze. “When did he disappear?”

“Three days ago.”

“Damn him. Why hasn’t he emailed since I left? What happened to him?”

“He was coming around. Last week, he asked if I knew how to find you. I told him to email you. He said that was ridiculous, but he’d think about it. At least, he finally started to realize you needed more than a short break.”

Fear edged in. “What if the stalker got to him?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. The police found receipts for tickets to several countries, all around the same time. Like he was trying to leave a trail—a false one.”

She looked over. “So you don’t think he was taken?”

“The police are pretty sure he had left before someone got into his house. The alarm went off. It was set as if he was leaving, not staying.”

She pulled off the side of the road and turned to Ryan. “Why didn’t you open with that?”

“Was hoping you knew what happened to Sam.”

She shook her head. “Nope. He hasn’t emailed, and I didn’t give him another way to contact me.”

“Maybe he didn’t want you to worry.”

“Yeah. Instead, he vanishes without a word.”

“You practically did.”

“I told everyone I was done with Hollywood. I had a long talk with him. He knew I planned to disappear. And I’ve sent emails to him. I don’t know what to do at this point. Do I leave it alone? Do I nag at him? What do I do?”

“He’ll answer eventually.”

She sighed and changed the subject. “How are you and Shannon?”

“Good. Sooner or later I may take your advice. We want to make it official.”

“That’s amazing. It’s about time.”

“Yeah. What about you? You find someone?”

“Maybe.” Guilt flared once again. “In fact, I should get back before he gets off work.”

Light danced in his eyes. “What does he do?”

A smile pulled at her lips. “He’s a fireman. But I haven’t told him who I am yet. I plan to tonight, but I’m terrified how he’ll react.”

“If it’s real, you being Raven Star won’t make a difference. Good luck, angel.”

“I may need it. There’s a spark between us. I don’t want it to fade.”

“That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

She nodded. “For now. Maybe once everything settles down, I’ll invite you and Shannon over. If Trent makes it through the truth, I want him to meet some of my closest friends.”

He snorted. “Why can’t you believe a man will love you for you? I see the fear in your eyes.”

“Yeah, well Jackson didn’t help with my trust issues. He did a number on my heart. He only saw me as a publicity opportunity, nothing more.” She had made the mistake of dating her first co-star, but learned her lesson quickly.

“They aren’t all like that. Look at Shannon. My job was never an issue.”

“That’s different. You two were meant for one another.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic. You should get back to your fireman. See what he says. Keep me posted. And I’ll keep you informed about Sam.”

“Thanks. I hope he’s all right.”

“Don’t worry about that right now. Take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

She drove back to the diner in silence and pulled in next to Shannon’s truck. A chill ran down her spine as Ryan climbed out.

“Thanks for filling me in. Take care of Shannon.”

“Will do. You stay safe.”

Something inside Ella, a niggling feeling, told her she was being followed. Not by Ryan, but a black SUV. She couldn’t shake it, though whoever it was stayed a safe distance behind her. She took another freeway and the SUV followed, so she headed into the next town. Then the black vehicle closed the distances, staying on her bumper.

Thankfully, it was a small enough area that finding the town hall and the police station wasn’t difficult. She drove around a few blocks after spotting her destination, then stepped on the gas and flew past where she’d spotted a cop car a few minutes earlier.

The black SUV stayed on her ass and she motioned to the vehicle behind her as she passed. The cop turned his lights on and headed onto the street. She pulled over, and the SUV kept going. So did the cop.

With a breath of relief, Ella got back on the freeway and went to the nearest car rental location to trade hers in on another make, model, and color. Then she grabbed a map and plotted a way to get back home… avoiding all freeways and interstates.

Chapter 15

“Ella’s not home,” Trent growled when Kyle answered his door. “Where the hell is she? Her phone’s still off. No text. Nothing.”

“You going to calm down?” Kyle asked in a demanding voice.

Trent shook his head. If that bastard had her, he needed to find her. And if she left… Trent didn’t know what to think. Either way, he needed to find her. “If Mila has any clue where Ella is, please tell me so I can go look for her.”

Mila stepped outside with her arms wrapped around herself. “I don’t know where she went. Even if I did, it’s not my place to tell you.”

He didn’t miss the stressed lines on her face or the tension in her shoulders. “But you’re worried too.”

Her head dropped, then she looked up at him with big, sad eyes. “Yeah, but she may be protecting us.”

He stepped closer, “What do you mean?”

“If she hasn’t told you, I’m not.” She spun and slipped back inside.

Before he could follow, Kyle blocked the door and shoved Trent back. “I get that you’re worried, but you
will not
intimidate my wife.”

Pacing away, Trent scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry.” He leaned around Kyle, raising his voice so she could hear. “Mila, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be an ass. I’m worried about Ella. I know you are too.”

She peeked over Kyle’s shoulder. “I don’t have answers, though. Make you a deal. If I hear from her first, I’ll call. As long as you do the same.”

“You got it.”