She couldn’t form words.
Why would Adrianna go this far? Messing with her drink and now leaving a timed paint bomb inside her bag.
Valentina studied her. “Do you want me to take you home?”
Emily managed a nod.
She brushed a strand of hair behind Emily’s ear, her voice reassuring. “Okay. I’ll get Talia then we can go.”
24
“Ishouldn’t have left you there.”
“It’s fine, Talia. We were filming. You couldn’t have expected anything to happen.”
“No, I should have, especially after you told me about that nasty photo incident and the flowers.”
Valentina turned sharply from the passenger seat. “What photo incident? What flowers?”
Emily’s lips pressed thin in hesitation, but she remembered the way Valentina had wiped her clean. “Someone sent me flowers the other day, but I got spooked and dumped them because of said photo.”
Valentina’s brows pulled together, her head tilting as she watched her, rightfully confused.
“A slashed photo of my face was delivered to my condo, smeared with what looked like blood.”
“Don’t leave out the fact that it was accompanied by a dead rat, Emily,” Talia cut in.
Valentina’s face twisted in horror at the insert. “What the fuck?” She glanced between both women. “What sick bastard would do something like that?”
“Someone who needs more jail time, that’s who,” Talia snapped.
“We don’t know if it’s him for certain.”
“Give it a break, Emily. Who else would it be? He’s out to get you for sending him away all those years.”
“Chelsea said?—”
“I don’t care what Chelsea said. My gut says this has him written all over it.”
Emily didn’t argue. If Talia was right, she was in more danger than she’d thought. Each incident felt like a warning, teasers to something worse. She turned to the window, letting them continue.
“Did the police on set question Adrianna?”
“Yeah, but someone said she was with them the whole time. The security footage doesn’t cover that section. Cameras aren’t allowed near wardrobe bays or quick-change alcoves. Whoever did this knew exactly where the blind spot was.” Valentina clicked her tongue. “I still think it was her. She has a track record—maybe not this dramatic, but crazy enough. I even saw her pour something into Emily’s drink when you stepped away for a call before.”
“I’m saying this for your own good.” Talia looked behind her during a red light, meeting Emily’s eyes. “I don’t think you should be on set without security anymore. Matter of fact, I don’t think you should be without security period.”
Emily went to answer, but something caught her eye in the side-view mirror, angled enough for her to see from the back seat.
A black SUV. She’d noticed it a couple blocks back, chalking up the two turns it took with them to coincidence, but not anymore.
Her stomach tightened.
Heading straight for the mansion hadn’t seemed like abig deal. Valentina had asked Emily if she’d moved and she’d simply said yes. She’d explained the one-hour drive and Valentina had accepted it, saying she needed to see Emily make it home safely with her own two eyes. Now Emily was wondering if she’d put both women in harm’s way.
“Talia…”
Her manager’s eyes flicked to the rearview at the tremor in Emily’s voice.
