Injury (3 page)

Chapter 4

Robert “Cope” Copeland sat at the bar watching Dani and Liz
gyrate around the dance floor. Cope had worked for four years for the limo
company Dani’s manager used to procure drivers. He’d been driving Dani around
and doubling as her bodyguard since she’d lost her license three months before,
though he’d been an occasional driver for her during the filming and promotion
of
Injury
. Not that she’d remember.
She’d been plowed most of that time.

At first, he’d thought the job akin to babysitting a spoiled
rich brat, and he should know—he used to be one. But she’d turned out to be
different than the average nobody thrust into wealth and fame at a young age.
Dani didn’t act spoiled, and she didn’t throw money around. She was beautiful,
of course, and he’d felt the pull of her charisma luring him in. He’d lusted
after her from day one, but he’d kept it in check. The income from the job was
more important than any woman right now.

Cope wanted to own his own limo company and had been working
long hours to save up the money he’d need to get it off the ground. A graduate
of UC Berkeley with an MBA, Cope wanted to build the business himself, though
his parents were wealthy enough to help him out. His mother pestered him to let
them give him the money every time he visited.

But he knew there’d be a steep price to pay if he
conceded—and not in cash. They’d own him, probably swallow his company whole,
merging it with the rest of their conglomerate. That had happened to his older
brothers, and Cope had concluded it wasn’t for him.

A coffee in front of him, Cope’s gaze followed the girls as
they wove around the other dancers. Almost all eyes were on them, and they made
a gorgeous pair. Both young women wore short dresses that hugged their bodies.
Their spike heels threw them off balance, giving a sexy sashay to their hips.

They never glanced at him, which was typical. To Cope’s
chagrin, Dani remained oblivious to his existence if she wasn’t telling him
where she wanted to go. He suspected she didn’t even remember his real name
half the time though he’d helped her up to her apartment often enough after a
night of hard partying.

At least this night looked tame compared to the usual antics
the girls got up to. But since he’d had to rein in an attraction to her, had
behaved himself, the least she could do was acknowledge he existed. He knew he
wasn’t her type, which was anyone old enough to be her father. Cope figured
he’d never be in the running whether he worked for her or not. He was only four
or five years older than she was.

A guy standing on the sidelines, swaying drunk, leered at
Dani. Cope frowned. In here, a place frequented by celebrities, no one pestered
her for an autograph. The management frowned on it, and anyone harassing the
patrons would get ejected. Outside she was fair game, and Cope had helped her
dodge the reporters and fans vying for her attention when they’d first arrived.
There had been far more of them than usual since the news of her mother’s
arrest had broken. He’d figured it would be a tame night once they’d gotten
inside.

This guy looked like trouble though, and Cope figured he’d
need to keep a close eye on him. Guys like that might try anything, including
slipping her a
roofie
. The creep sidled closer to
Dani and Liz.

Tan, wearing a tight-fitting black T-shirt and cargo pants,
the letch crept nearer. One hand swept down to block his crotch from her view
the closer he got to her. The jerk was trying to conceal the hard-on he
sported.

Casually, Cope took a sip of his coffee without taking his
eyes off Creepy Guy. Cope would wait and see Dani’s reaction to the douche
before interfering. Whatever Cope’s opinion of the guys Dani dated, it wasn’t
his right to interfere if she wanted the attention. After all, she’d dated that
sleazebag Greg Henderson for months, and Cope could only stand back and watch.
It had been like Bambi versus King Kong, and Cope had wanted to slug that
fucking ape on more than one occasion. Instead, he’d had to drive them around
and call the son-of-a-bitch “Mr.”

Creepy Guy had arrived at his target and tapped Dani on the
shoulder. His lips moved, then Dani’s as she replied to him, but she shook her
head while she spoke, so that was good. The guy took her hand then, and Cope
sat up straight, itching to jump over there.

Dani pulled away, again saying something and shaking her
head. When the guy put his arm around her, Cope was off his barstool and at her
side before Dani or Creepy Guy could make any other move.

“Is this guy bothering you, Miss Grayson?” Cope had to shout
to be heard. His voice must have reached Dani loud and clear, because she threw
Cope a relieved glance and nodded.

“You need to back off,” Cope shouted, and he glared daggers
at the arm around Dani.

Creepy Guy scowled and looked at Dani, who stepped away and
moved closer to Cope. Cope put his arm around both Dani and Liz and drew them
away from the dance floor, Creepy Guy glaring after them.

“You okay?” Cope looked from Dani to Liz.

They both nodded and smiled at him.

“Ready to leave?” He guided them toward the exit as he
talked.

Dani checked the time and glanced at Liz. “Just after
midnight. I don’t mind packing it in.”

Liz agreed, and Dani looked at Cope again. “Thanks for your
help. Liz is coming to my place, so we can go straight there.”

The women wanted to hit the bathroom first, so Cope waited
for them, spending the time scanning the club for Creepy Guy. He huddled with
two of his buddies on the other side of the dance floor. They threw Cope a
glance or two and returned to their huddle.

Might be trouble, Cope thought, and regretted he wasn’t
licensed for concealed carry though he had a black belt in Judo. Impatient, he
checked the hallway leading to the restrooms. It puzzled him how much time
women could spend in there. The longer they hung out here, the greater the odds
Creepy Guy figured Cope had robbed him of a sure thing. Not true, of course—Dani
had rejected the guy, but he’d refused to recognize the signals.

Relieved to see Dani and Liz approaching, Cope waited for
them to catch up to him. When they reached him, he linked arms with them and
stepped outside. He insisted Dani and Liz wait by the entrance, near club
security, while he went for the car.

Cope went around to the back of the building into the
parking lot and found his path blocked by Creepy Guy and his two odious hangers
on. One guy had a scar across his cheek, and all three were broader than Cope
though not taller. The last guy looked pasty and more nervous than Creepy Guy
and Scarface.

Cope scanned the area. No one in sight. Hard to believe the
bastard wanted to mix it up, but he probably saw the limo driver as an easy
target since they outnumbered him. They didn’t outmatch him though, and they
weren’t sober. For Cope, it would be like kicking rabid hamsters. Cope shook
his head. “You don’t want to fight me.”

“You think you’re tough? There’re three of us.”

“I’m not interested in a fight. Go home. I’m on duty.”

Creepy Guy sneered, and the three brutes braced as if to
spring. Scarface was the biggest one, so Cope lunged at him first. No sense in
waiting to let them decide when it would start. He smashed the heel of his hand
into Scarface’s nose, and the guy dropped like a stone. Cope dodged, avoiding
Creepy Guy and his pasty friend, then twisted, kicked, and sent the two
assholes to the pavement.

All three looked stunned. Cope loomed over them. “Go the
fuck home or I’ll call the cops and have your sorry asses up on assault
charges.”

Creepy Guy was a tenacious little fuck—he actually argued
about it. “We’re the ones on the ground. You jumped first.”

“Look up. The security cameras will show everything,
including you guys greeting me in such a friendly way.”

“What happened here?”
Daniella.

Annoyed that the women hadn’t waited by security as he’d
instructed, Cope turned to Dani and waved her and Liz toward the limo. “Get in
the car, ladies. These gentlemen came to see us off.” Cope, who hadn’t even
broken a sweat, watched while the three thugs struggled to their feet and
dusted off.

Dani and Liz picked their way across the cement to the limo,
and Cope opened the passenger door for them. The women climbed into the car,
and he slammed shut the door. He spared the three thugs cursory glances while
he jumped into the vehicle and pulled out of the parking spot.

The limo arrived in front of Dani’s apartment before one,
and Cope, leaving his four-ways flashing, let the women out in front of the
building. No one was around, but he walked them through the lobby to the
elevator anyway. While they waited for the elevator doors to open, Dani turned
to Cope.

“I’m sorry for the trouble you had. Thank you for coming to
our rescue.”

“No problem, Miss Grayson. In future, I’d appreciate it if
you’d remain by security. It could have been worse.”

“Yes. They could have hurt you. When you didn’t return right
away, we went to check on you.” Her chin rose, and her eyes narrowed.

“I handled it. Next time you want to check on me, send
security. I don’t want you taking risks. Fans or reporters might have swarmed
you.” He sounded brusque even to his own ears, but the thought of the chance
she’d taken angered him.

Dani frowned and averted her eyes. “Okay. I’m sorry. Thank
you for helping us.” She looked up and smiled at him, something that always lit
up his insides. Gorgeous though the rest of her was, that smile, Cope thought,
was her crowning glory. He was helpless before it, and all he wanted to do when
she turned it on him was kiss her.

To Cope’s relief, Liz spoke then, breaking the spell. “Yes,
thank you. Who knows what would’ve happened if you weren’t there? One jerky guy
is annoying, but three of them is scary.”

“It’s my job, ma’am.” As soon as the words left his lips, he
wanted to kick himself.
Ma’am? It’s my
job, paired up with ma’am? Am I a middle-aged cop on an old detective show?
Jesus.
Cope wanted to bang his head against the wall. He could take down
three guys without getting winded, but Daniella Grayson made him lose his shit.

When the women were safely behind the closed doors of the
elevator, he watched the numbers tick off until the count stopped at the
penthouse. Done for the night, Cope headed outside to the limo to return it to
the station and clock out.

Chapter 5

Dani opened her eyes, glanced at the clock, and was relieved
to see it was still early. No headache. She hadn’t overindulged the night
before. Liz was still asleep in the guest room—she’d had more to drink than
Dani, who’d only had two drinks the whole night.
See, John? No problem.

But she wouldn’t tell him she’d had even that much—why go
there? She had it under control. It felt good to wake without a hangover. Next
week, she’d be expected to participate in meetings and attend photo shoots and
fittings. Best to get the hard partying out of her system by then.

The prospect of starting a new project excited her even if
it meant working with Greg Henderson. She looked forward to sliding into the
skin of a character, and Felicity Sanderson in
Injury
was one of her favorites.

Dani rose, showered, dressed, and went into the room she
used as an office. She synced her phone with the calendar on her computer and
called Luanne, her assistant.

Luanne had worked for Dani for the past two years. At first,
it had been weird to have an older woman working for her. After a few weeks of
letting her organize everything, Dani didn’t know how she’d managed before.

When Luanne answered, Dani asked her to book a flight to
Toronto for the next morning. She wanted to see her mother before shooting
started. With that out of the way, Dani strolled to the kitchen to get coffee
going.

The aroma of fresh ground Kona coffee wafting through the
air brought Liz stumbling from the guest room. Mouth opened wide in a yawn, Liz
perched on a barstool at the island in the kitchen and propped her chin on her
hand.

“Protein shake?” Dani said.

“Sure. Chocolate, please.” Liz glanced at the clock. “Oh, my
God. It’s dawn. How are you up so early?”

“It’s not dawn,” Dani replied. “It’s already eight o’clock.”

The blender sat on the counter by the fridge, and Dani
plugged it in and prepared the shakes. She set Liz’s in front of her and
prepared a vegan berry shake for herself. The phone rang as Dani sat down at
the kitchen table. The two women locked gazes.

“You going to get that?” Liz said when Dani made no move
toward the phone.

“I’m screening.” If the calls started up again, she’d have
to disconnect the phones.

The voice-mail message ended, the beep sounded, and a male
voice spoke: “Miss Grayson, this is Detective Aaron Vega of the Sharon County
Police Department in Ontario. I’d like to speak with you about your mother.
Please call me back—”

Dani skidded into the living room and snatched up the phone.
“I’m here, Detective Vega.”

“Oh, Good morning. Sorry to bother you, Miss Grayson.” He
gave Dani a badge number, which penetrated the numbness flooding her, but
floated from her mind by the time he stopped speaking.

“Do you have a few minutes?”

“Yes.” Dani sank onto the couch, posture rigid. Behind her,
she heard the kitchen chair shift and the patter of Liz’s footsteps heading
toward the spare room.

“This call is being recorded. Sorry about your father. I’d
like to talk to you about what you remember from that night.”

“Not much. All these years I’d believed what Lilli had told
me—that he’d left us.” Not for the first time since she’d heard the news, Dani
tried to recall everything that had happened that night.

“Miss Grayson, it would be better if we could speak in
person. Are you planning to visit Toronto anytime soon?”

“I’m flying out tomorrow.”

“Great. I’d like to meet with you and get the
details—whatever you remember.”

When she agreed, Vega gave her his phone number, and Dani
entered it into her cell phone. She told him she’d have her assistant get in
touch to set up the meeting, ended the call, and hurried to the spare room. Liz
sat on the bed, chin resting on the top of her bent knees. “Are you okay?”

Dani nodded. “It was a cop asking about Lilli.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I want to go out.”

Liz climbed from the bed and walked to Dani’s side, putting
her arms around her friend. “Are you sure? If you want to just hang here, I’m
okay with that.”

“I’m not interested in hanging. Let’s get the hell out of
here. I don’t want to dwell, Liz. There’ll be plenty of time for that in
Toronto.”

“Okay. Lend me some clothes? I only have what I wore last
night.”

Dani grinned, grabbed Liz by the hand, and led her to the
walk-in closet in the master bedroom. “Help yourself.”

Liz squealed and scurried into the closet, which was the
size of a small bedroom, trailing her hands over the racks of clothes.

They spent the next hour getting ready to go out, Dani’s
stomach in a constant knot at the prospect of facing her mother soon.