Beckham couldn’t get past his first sentence. “Do you think she’s killed her?” He stopped breathing while he waited for an answer.
“I think we need to find her as soon as we can,” Dion said. His face looked like steel. “Had you ever met Coco before the tour?”
“Not that I know of. I don’t remember even hearing her last name. She did sorta look familiar to me when I first met her, though.”
Dion nodded. “Good. Phil, look into records of all his past employees and people he might have had encounters with over the years.” His mouth settled into a firm line and he looked down at his desk. “I apologize that it’s going into personal territory, but we’ve gotta go there, Beck. Is it possible that you’ve had a sexual relationship with this girl?”
Beckham stood still and looked at the floor. “It’s possible I wouldn’t remember if I did,” he admitted. “I didn’t know I was capable of that, but yeah, turns out I am.” He put his fingers on the bridge of his nose and squeezed. “That stretch where I was high more than not … I very well could have.”
“Thanks for your honesty. And for the record, I’m proud of how you’ve gotten your act together,” Dion said gruffly.
Beckham could hardly see past the shame. It was filling him up, the longer this nightmare lasted. If he’d trusted Roxie and hadn’t been such a fool, she’d be safe. They’d be together right now.
“Anything else you can think of regarding Coco?” Dion asked.
He remembered coming back to his seat on the plane. Something about her eyes staring at him when he’d come back from the bathroom … a cold shudder went through his body.
“I think she was getting bolder. She was usually so quiet and shy anytime I was around her, but the last time I saw her, the day of the fire, I think she might have been making a move and I was too blind to see it.”
They talked for another ten minutes or so before Dion’s secretary paged him.
“Sparrow Sterling has arrived,” she said.
“Send her in.”
Dion opened the door and Sparrow stood there holding Journey. Matt was just behind them.
Beckham moved past Dion and hugged Sparrow. She looked a wreck. When he pulled away her hands trembled.
“I’m so sorry that I haven’t seen you before now,” Beckham said.
“Please don’t apologize. My only consolation in not being there with Roxie was knowing you were with her. How long has she been missing?”
“It’s been about five hours now.”
The tears fell down her cheeks and she gave up trying to wipe them all. “I love that girl. I know you do too. We have to find her.”
He grasped her hand. “We will,” he said. He was about to tell her about Ian’s car, but Dion stepped in then and took her hand.
“Ms. Sterling, thank you for coming. And look at this little beauty,” Dion said, smiling at Journey. She smiled and her dimple deepened, causing him to grab his heart. “Oh, she’s gonna break a thousand hearts.”
Sparrow gave a wobbly smile and sniffled. “What do you know about Ian?”
Dion cleared his throat. He led her to a chair. “Please sit down. I’ll tell you all we’ve heard so far.” He went behind his desk and sat down, opening his file on Ian.
Ian had worked through about four inches of the leather band and had another inch to go. His hands and stomach were bloody and scratched up, but he wouldn’t stop until it was off. He hadn’t seen Coco in a while and it made him nervous to think of her out there, on the loose.
He paused, thinking he heard something and situated the ropes quickly around his wrists. He pulled the blanket up over the leather and lay back, breathing hard. He held the metal lever in one hand. The door opened slowly and Ian sat up, pushing the lever underneath the covers.
A battered girl stood naked in front of him. Her skin was bruised and raw, hair wet. Pink droplets fell to the ground, water mixed with blood. Her mouth was gagged, and a rope pulled taut around her neck made her step carefully into the room. Her hands were behind her. Coco pushed her forward with the hand not clutching the rope.
It took a moment before he realized who it was. Holy fuck.
“Roxie!” He jumped up and went as far as the chain allowed.
She went completely still when she heard his voice. She blinked and tears dropped down her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed. “Ian?”
She tried to turn and fold into herself to keep him from seeing all of her, but Coco pushed her toward him.
“Coco, why would you do this?” Ian asked. “Beckham will never forgive you.”
“He won’t see. I have a new idea,” she said. “Get back in the bed, Ian.”
She pulled the gag out of Roxie’s mouth and gave her a hard push forward. Roxie stumbled and ran into him, and still Coco pushed until Roxie was falling forward and he was falling back on the bed. He heard click, click, clicking and could see over Roxie’s head that Coco was snapping pictures.
“This isn’t gonna work. Sparrow and Beckham both know we’d never do this to them,” Ian said.
“Do they? I think I can make it look pretty convincing,” she said.
Coco looped the rope around the doorknob, and as soon as Roxie felt the rope give enough for her to move, she scooted back toward the headboard, putting her knees against her chest. Ian moved to the other side of her and pushed the covers up with his knees. Roxie got far enough under the covers and lay down.
Coco nodded and snapped pictures. “Good. Ian, lie back and kiss Roxie.”
He stared at her. “No.”
“I dug up a little dirt on you last night, Ian. And I know all about Roxie here. Both of your pasts will make this so easy. Everyone is just waiting for you to fail.” Her voice sounded hypnotic. No stutters and shakes now. “You need to both do as I say, and I’ll be a lot nicer when I kill you,” she said under her breath. “Let me see your face, Roxie.”
Roxie’s head was turned away from Coco and facing Ian, but she wouldn’t look at him. Coco stayed by the door, not budging from her safe spot. Ian looked down at Roxie. He leaned in and heard her gasp. She was scared of what he might do and it killed him. He kissed her cheek and then kissed his way to her ear. Coco clicked away.
“It’s gonna be okay, Rox.” He kissed her ear again but turned his head so Coco wouldn’t see his mouth. “I’m gonna hit her,” he whispered.
Roxie’s eyes shifted to his. He kissed his way over to her other ear.
“I can’t see your faces,” Coco said.
Roxie gave a barely-there nod. She turned to face him and he laid on his side. The only way Coco would get a shot that showed who they were was if she stood right over them. He found the lever and stared at Roxie. They didn’t move.
“No, that’s not gonna work,” Coco said. “Roxie, your turn. Give Ian some love. We need to see you.” She giggled.
When neither of them moved, they heard her move and Ian leaned closer to Roxie’s face. His hands were free of the rope and he was ready to pounce the second Coco was near enough. Instead, everything happened so fast. One second he was leaning in, and in the next, Roxie was yelling and grasping her throat. Coco yanked the rope and moved Roxie into position on top of him.
She rested her forehead against his and cried.
“Roxie … just breathe, sweetheart.” Ian closed his eyes. All of the fury he suppressed was ready to explode into a bloodbath. He took a deep breath. “We can make this look better if we have our hands, Coco. At least let Roxie’s be free so she can wipe her face. Won’t look very sexy if she’s obviously crying.”
Coco was quiet. Agonizing minutes ticked by. And then Ian’s stomach dropped. She was inching closer. He and Roxie didn’t breathe. Coco edged near the bed and instead of untying the rope, she lifted the blanket to wipe Roxie’s face. Roxie rolled off of him. He grabbed a fistful of Coco’s hair, and, in that split second, her eyes grew wide when she saw something coming toward her. She didn’t have time to move before he lunged forward and stabbed her in the side and stomach with the jagged edge of the lever. Blood painted the room in red streaks and polka dots.