Jaden (Jaded #3)

It swung open.

“Thank you, Mr. Cigarette Man,” I murmured under my breath and pulled out the cigarette. It had jammed the door so the lock hadn’t clicked into place, even though the door had shut all the way. Then I moved inside, but a thought struck me.

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Denton. The back door can be opened. Can you have someone let this info ‘slip’ to a trusted media source? I need them inside the hotel for this showdown.

A second later, my phone buzzed. Done. Be safe. They almost caught Bryce opening a door. They’re on the lookout. The media has doubled outside the gate since we arrived.

Thanks. Then I moved forward, muttering to myself, “That’s exactly what I want to hear.”

CHAPTER NINE

I didn’t know where Corrigan had gone, and I wasn’t going to wait. I sent him a text. Inside. I’m heading for her room.

He replied instantly. Don’t. Wait.

No. Wherever you are, stay there. I’m going to get in trouble, but it’ll just be me then. Besides, you can be backup if I need help.

You’ll need help. Wait for me.

Bryce is with her. He’ll help.

Sheldon! Stop. I’m almost to your door.

Sit tight and wait it out. I’m going to head up and bring them to the lobby somehow. I’m not at the door. Already gone.

Sheldon.

I didn’t reply, and instead, headed farther down the back hallway. I was in the employee section. As I went past a room, I reversed and backtracked. It was a locker room. Slipping inside, I grabbed a housekeeper’s uniform. I felt a little ridiculous in the gray skirt and top with a black vest, but whatever it took to blend in. Then I started trying the lockers. The first three were locked, but the fourth sprung open and a nice, shiny, ID badge was inside. I snatched it up and clipped it so the picture was facing against me. If someone saw, they’d see the ID badge, and I hoped that was enough for them to keep moving. I didn’t want that extra attention, not until I got to where I needed to go anyway.

Once I got to the stairs, I sent Bryce a text. What room?

10th floor, room 1014. I’m inside already.

Should I knock to get in there? We didn’t plan this part.

I’ll stand next to the door and let you in. She’s here.

He didn’t mean Guadalupe. He meant the assistant, but I wanted both of them. I sent one last text, Good, and headed up. I bypassed the elevator and went up the stairs.

As I ascended each floor, memories came flooding back. First, hearing from an entertainment channel that there were rumors Bryce had been with her. That’d been a nice gut punch. Bryce hadn’t wanted to talk about it then.

Another floor. Another memory. A reporter stuck her microphone in my face and asked, with a polite fuck you smile as she was hoping for blood from me, “Is this because Guadalupe arrived at LAX two hours ago? I heard rumors that she's going to attend Bryce's first Suns game. Does that concern you at all? Is that why you left Spain, because of her?”

My jaw was clenched firmly now, and I circled to head up the next set of stairs.

With that, another image came back to me. I opened the door to the Public Relations room, hoping to surprise Bryce, and instead, I’d been the one surprised. He was holding her in his arms. His. Mother. Fucking. Arms.

The fourth floor. A fourth memory. “He's close to Guadalupe. I know you don't want to hear that, but they're close. They're friends, Sheldon. I know Bryce would be upset if she were upset.” My hand gripped the rail harder, hearing Bryce’s agent’s warning.

I wasn’t supposed to upset her. Her. Upset. He had been warning me away.

That fucker.

I rounded for the fifth floor. I remembered when I found her at the hotel and had booked myself a room. I followed her down to the lobby, only to hear her praises by the front desk staff. He’d been so eager to gush. “She's beautiful, isn't she? I have a friend of a friend to her makeup girl. They're going to have dinner with Bryce Scout right now. Have you heard of him? He's a big soccer star. They both just moved here. She came for a movie, and he followed her here. She could do so much better.”

Oh yes. I had a good steady boil going as I trekked the sixth set of stairs.

Images of Bryce and her on television. He’d gone to a movie premiere with her. He wore a tuxedo, and she had been beaming on his arm. She had been his date, when I was in the same city. He could’ve asked me, but he didn’t.

He had taken her.

Then at the hospital. I sucked in a breath. The fury raised another notch.