Rick glared at her now, all humor gone. His hand snapped over her lips, shutting her up.
Judy stuck to his back as he walked through the house. The kitchen was untouched; the dining room had overturned chairs. Inside the bedrooms, several drawers were opened as if someone had packed in a hurry. There wasn’t any sign of anyone.
Rick holstered his gun and surveyed the room. “I don’t think they’re coming back.”
“Oh, Becky. This is bad.”
“Doesn’t look good. Is there any close family nearby?”
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure.”
Judy stepped over the glass in the middle of the living room and noticed a dark spot on the carpet. She knelt down and touched the sticky liquid. “Is this what I think it is?”
Rick touched her finger and frowned. “Call the police.”
The suite at the Hilton filled with people quickly. Zach recognized Karen’s friends and shook Blake Harrison’s hand. “Thank you for expediting the lawyers and bail.”
Blake shook his head. “Don’t mention it.”
“I’ll pay you back.”
Blake waved him off. “We’ll work that out later.”
Zach’s parents walked into the hotel room and eyed the crowed that had gathered. To his father’s credit, he hadn’t called him on how he and Karen were found when they were arrested. By now, their pictures were spread all over the tabloids and the media filled the lobby of the hotel, all of them hoping for a statement about the adulterous affair. Seemed they were more interested in a sex scandal about a celebrity wife than about a possible kidnapping.
A hush went over the room as his parents walked in. Zach could see his mother’s torn expression as she glanced at Karen. But she seemed to get over whatever stopped her quickly.
Janice lifted her hand to Karen’s face. “Are you OK, dear?”
Zach noticed Karen’s hesitation. “I’m fine.”
“This looks like it hurts.”
The bruise on Karen’s face reminded him of the police slamming her against the wall.
“It’s not bad.”
Before Karen could finish introductions, the door to the room opened again.
Mike strode in, his hard gaze landing on Zach briefly before he found Karen.
He walked to her side and pulled her into his arms. “Are you all right?”
She sighed. “I’m sorry.”
He pulled away, looked her over. His gaze stopped at the angry bruise on her face and he cursed under his breath.
Janice kept glancing between Karen and Mike and then back to Zach. Sawyer remained silent in the back of the room.
“It’s OK,” Mike told her. He kissed her forehead softly before leaving her and walking toward Zach.
Zach squared his shoulders and tried to prepare for their very public confrontation.
A tick in Mike’s jaw was the only motion on his brother’s face. They stared at each other. When it looked as if Mike was going to walk away without a word, Zach started to relax only to have Mike’s fist fly through the air and catch him in the jaw.
The room exploded as Zach fell back to the floor.
Karen jumped between them, Blake grabbed Mike’s arm, and Neil stepped in front of Karen.
“Michael!” Janice yelled.
Mike waved his hand in the air. “That’s for not keeping her safe. The media is going to massacre her character and for that I blame you.”
Zach wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, looked at it, then his brother. Mike wasn’t hitting him for sleeping with his wife, but for being caught by the press.
Zach nodded and waved off Neil’s hand as he reached to help him up.
Mike pushed forward, pressed his hand into Zach’s palm, and hauled him to his feet. At first, Zach wasn’t sure if his brother was going to swing again or not. One fist was fine, expected even, but Zach had no problem reminding Mike who the older brother was.
Karen moved between the two of them. “Are we good here?”
Zach looked at his brother.
“Yeah,” Mike managed.
Karen turned to Zach, dabbed his lip with a tissue, and blessed him with a soft smile. “Don’t we make a great pair?”
“I’d smile but it hurts.”
Mike chuckled.
“Nice to know you still have a right hook to rival mine,” Zach told him.
“Learned from the best.” They’d fought growing up, as brothers often did, but the fight never went into the night or the next day. Seemed they were going to keep the tradition.
Sawyer cleared his throat from across the room. “Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?”
The room grew silent again.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Karen was stuck, literally, between Zach and Michael. Across from the three of them sat Janice and Sawyer, both of them held their emotions in check as everyone else left the room.
“What’s going on?” Sawyer said a second time after the room had cleared.
Karen placed a hand on Michael’s knee, offering encouragement. The motion didn’t go unnoticed by anyone.
“You were never supposed to meet Karen,” Michael said. “Our marriage was scheduled to last a year. A year and a half tops.”
Janice blinked several times, her eyes switching between Karen and Michael. To Karen’s right, Zach watched her.
This was Michael’s story to tell, however much of it he wanted. She’d offer nothing and back up whatever he said. So far, nothing was a lie and easily agreed to.
“Scheduled to last? What does that mean?”
“My life is in Hollywood, Dad. Every film in the past four years has doubled my salary every six months. Publicity, dating, marital status…all the graphic details…all of it heightens public interest and keeps my name on the lips of producers and my fans. Karen and I have had a paper marriage…only.”
Karen glanced at Zach.
“Wait. You two have never been…”
Karen shook her head, looked Zach in the eye. “No. Never!”
Relief washed over Zach’s face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t. I made a promise to Michael.”
Zach took her hand in his, squeezed it.
Sawyer shot out of his chair. “But we’ve all seen you kissing…holding each other.”
Michael shook his head. “I never wanted any of this to touch you. I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
“But—” Janice started.
“I’m an actor, Mom.”