Nowhere to Run (Stephanie Carovella) Read Free Page A

through his briefly, she turned to Jesse. They stared at each other for a moment, both silently stepping forward, their arms awkwardly enveloping each other.
    “I’ve missed you,” Jesse whispered close to her ear, adding softly, “I just wish you were coming home under different circumstances.”
    Stephanie nodded, blinking back tears, her hold on him tightening. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed both Jesse and Ben until now. “Me too Jess, me too.”
    Stepping back, she pasted a fake grin on her lips. “Well, I guess I was wrong about never stepping back into this hellhole.”
    Jesse nodded, a lump developing in his throat. He cleared it quickly. “Come on. Let’s get the hell of here.”
    Stephanie moved in between Jesse and Ben, linking her arms with them. “Which one of you is going to take pity on me, and let me crash on your couch?”
    Ben opened his mouth to speak, but Jesse interrupted him. “Ana would freak if you stayed with Ben.”
    Stephanie nodded in understanding, not seeing the glare Ben shot Jesse. She shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not a big deal. I’d be freaked if a skeleton from my boyfriend’s closet blew back into town.”
    Bumping Jesse with her hip, her lips twisted into a smile. “I guess it’s just you and me then, huh cowboy?”
     
    ***
     
    The man watched through the crowded terminal, his eyes traveling over the sleek lines of the redhead’s body. Scanning the terminal, he slowly began to follow her.
    He scowled. The whore actually thought she could stroll back into L.A as if nothing had ever happened. As if she hadn’t abandoned him. She had left him and walked away without even a goodbye. And, now she was back, acting like nothing in the world was wrong.
    Following her down the escalators, he whistled a jaunty tune, a smile plastered on his lips. Inside, the fury he felt made his blood boil. Yes, she had been bad. She would pay. Time and time again, she would pay. This time there was going to be no escape for her.
     
    ***
     
    Carolyn Mathers frowned, slipping a hand through her red hair, her eyes darting nervously around L.A.X. Once the Darling of Hollywood, four years ago she had abruptly left all the fame and the glory behind.
    Forced into exile, she was making a comeback and she was going to do it with a vengeance. She would be someone again – a megastar. Promised a seven-film contract with Callendor Studios, there was nothing or no one to stop her. Not this time.
    Tapping her fingers impatiently against her Louis Vuitton handbag, she stepped onto the escalators. She hoped the studios hadn’t forgotten to send a Chauffeur to pick her up. They knew how nervous she was about coming back to L.A, especially after what had happened four years ago. They knew how skittish she was, after that maniac had almost killed her.
    A crazed fan – it’s what the police had told her. She knew better. She shuddered delicately, refusing to remember. She still had the emotional scars from the mental and physical abuse she had been put through.
    Even after all this time she still found it hard to close her eyes at night. She still woke up screaming. Night after night, time after time she woke up in a cold sweat. Her hand moved to her throat, tracing the faint scar from her attack. Quickly she removed her hand, nervously tightening her grip on her handbag.
    Her attacker had never been caught, and this made her apprehensive but the studios had promised her, promised her this time would be different. This time she would be protected.
    A hand on her shoulder made her jump, interrupting her thoughts.
    “Ms Mathers?”
    She spun around quickly, staring at the uniformed man with a puzzled frown. “Are you with Callendor ?”
    He nodded, tipping his hat slightly. “I called out to you when you came out of the terminal, but you didn’t hear me.”
    He took his hat off, holding it to his chest. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but if I came back without you they’d have my