Page 8 of Deadly Designs

As a child television star, Aja Blue was used to herfair share of admirers. Most had been innocent fans, but odd duckshad always glommed onto her, some even going so far as to thinkthey were married. Creepy. Usually, her admirers were older men whosent disturbing letters with chunks of hair, underwear, or one timeeven blood. They’d accost her at signings or press events, and ithad all started before she’d hit puberty. She’d grown up with beefybodyguards, and she’d hated it.

Aja Blue’s first year of college had been the same.All she’d wanted to do was study and learn, but she’d been forcedto keep to herself because the press and paparazzi had craved aglimpse into her new life. Fellow students wanted to hang with herfor what she was, not who. After she’d been there a while, peopleforgot about her, and she’d been able to move around easier. Still,she’d made few friends in her undergrad and grad school years. Shedidn’t trust easily.

Aja Blue’s mother, Candace, was a failed actress anda bonafide stage mom. She’d started Aja Blue in commercials whenshe was an infant. Her resume had included dozens of credits beforeshe could walk. When she’d landed the starring role in a newtelevision series, her mother had celebrated as if she’d alreadywon an Emmy. When the show had been named after Aja Blue, hermother’s jubilee had reached Oscar-winning status.

Aja Bluehadwon an Emmy during her career.Several, actually. Even though she’d starred in many movies, she’dnever won the coveted Academy Award, much to her mother’schagrin.

Despite her success, Aja Blue had never felt like shebelonged in Hollywood. Standing in front of cameras and listeningto directors had not made her happy. She’d always loved interiordesign and had decided to make that her career.

Telling her mom about her plans had been one of herworst days. Candace had acted as if Aja Blue had ruined herlife—hers, not Aja Blue’s. Their fight had reached epicproportions. Even today, their relationship hadn’t healed, thoughAja Blue had tried. Candace couldn’t forgive her daughter forstepping away from the spotlight, and Aja Blue couldn’t forgive hermother for not being what she needed.

Aja Blue didn’t remember her father. He’d left amonth after she was born and started a new family. He had tried toreconnect once she’d become famous, but her mother had forbiddenher from having anything to do with him. He’d died in a caraccident a few months later, before she’d had the chance to knowhim.

No brothers or sisters—her father had remarried, butthe union bore no children—so Aja Blue had no family except for heremployees.

A honking horn brought her back to the present. Shelooked out her car window at the man standing across the streetfrom her office, lounging against the wall. There was nothingcasual about his pose. He was laser-focused on her door. Shesnapped a few photos, making sure she captured his image. The firsttime she’d spotted him was a week ago. He had been outside hercondo, and she’d only noticed him because he’d been wearing a darksuit, sunglasses, and a black fedora pulled low over his forehead,like he was now. He’d looked like a hitman or something, totallyout of place in a beachside community overrun with people inbathing suits, Hawaiian-print shirts, sundresses, andflip-flops.

The second time he’d come across her radar, she’dbeen in Sedona, Arizona, trying to track down a lead on her oldcastmate, Polly Deeken. It had freaked her out so much she’d jumpedinto the embrace of the first man she’d spotted.

Aja Blue’s heart pounded, remembering the rock-solid,muscular arms that had gripped her tightly. They belonged to themost gorgeous man she’d ever seen.Christian Zamora.Justsaying his name in her head made her body shiver. She’d felt such astrong connection, though she’d just met him. His long-lashedblue-green eyes had invaded her dreams every night since. Herfingers itched to slide through his silky blond hair again. And,oh, could he kiss. The man was a master. She’d caught him offguard, but he hadn’t missed a beat. He’d all but inhaled her. Then,he’d been outraged on her behalf when she’d informed him she wasbeing followed. And he’d called her stunning. She’d fallen a littlein love with him that day.

Her finger traced the card he’d given her. It read:Christian Zamora, COBRA Securities.The card had a phonenumber but no address. She’d kept it close since, hoping to see himagain one day. He’d made her feel as if nothing bad would happen ifhe were around. He could take on the bogeyman and easily win.

Instead of staying to see if there might be somethingbetween them, she’d gotten a tip from an old friend who knew AjaBlue had been searching for Polly. The woman thought she spottedher in Scottsdale, so Aja Blue had made the two-hour drive only torun into another dead end. She’d checked out various resorts, allto no avail. However, she’d been smart about using credit cards andhad paid cash using aliases. When her search took her to Tucson,she’d kept her eyes out, but she hadn’t seen the man following heragain . . . until today when she’d driven straight from the airportto her office.

Maybe taking off on a whim to search for her friendhad been foolish, but Aja Blue was worried about her. Polly hadsuffered a rocky path after their show,Aja Blue and PollyToo, had been canceled. Polly had tried to land other roles buthad been largely unsuccessful. She’d been typecast as the naïve,not-too-bright sidekick, and that was all the casting agents sawwhen she auditioned for their shows.

Polly had run through her savings account, and theresiduals from reruns hadn’t been enough to maintain her Californialifestyle. She’d sold her condo and started waitressing tosupplement her income when the jobs dried up. Polly had resorted toworking in gentlemen’s clubs when even that wasn’t enough money.That was where Starla Hart had been born, Polly’s strippername.

It had been at one of those seedy establishmentswhere Polly first met Dirk Haines. He was a director promising herfame, but his movies weren’t Hollywood blockbusters. They weresleazy, hardcore porn. Instead of marketing the films under Polly’sstage name, he’d used her real one to draw more eyes. He knewpeople would be intrigued to discover what had happened to thered-headed imp from that long-ago show, and, sadly, he’d beenright. She’d become the star she’d always longed to be, except itwas among the adult industry crowd.

Though she lived across the country, when Aja Bluehad found out what Dirk was doing with Polly, she’d tried to stepin and get her away from him. She knew it wasn’t the life Pollywould have wanted. Acting had been her dream from the time shecould walk. Making a living having sex with men and women on screenwasn’t the same. Young, innocent Polly would’ve been mortified atwhat she’d become.

Aja Blue had been shocked when she saw Polly for thefirst time in a year. When they had first met, Polly had beenchunky. Aja Blue had always thought the baby fat made Pollyadorable, with her chubby, rosy cheeks. Directors disagreed withAja Blue’s assessment, leading to a lifetime of dieting. After thefirst year of their show, Polly had lost the weight and kept itoff. So, she’d been thin, but now, she’d turned into a walking bagof bones. Sadly, Dirk had also hooked her on drugs, probably so hecould get her to do whatever he wanted.

Aja Blue had taken Polly aside and tried to reasonwith her. She’d hoped to reach the old Polly, but her friend wastoo far gone. She had refused to leave Dirk or listen to what AjaBlue had to say.

Dirk had been outraged at Aja Blue for trying to takePolly from him, but that hadn’t stopped him from wanting to hireher. He’d positively salivated at the thought of an Aja Blue andPolly reunion.

In hindsight, maybe she shouldn’t have laughed in hisface. But there was no way in hell she would go anywhere near oneof his movies. His skin had turned an interesting shade of purple,and then he’d tried to intimidate her. He had threatened to sue forslander, though he had no leg to stand on. She’d made no falsestatements about him. Polly was the only person she’d said damagingremarks to.

Months later, Polly had contacted her during a lucidmoment. Aja Blue had tried everything she could to talk her intoleaving Dirk, but he’d caught them on the phone and disconnectedthe call. He’d made his lawyer send her a letter telling her toback off, or she would be sorry. That was pretty much exactly howhe’d worded it, so Aja Blue doubted that the man was a legitimateattorney.

Aja Blue refused to give up. Polly had wanted help,and Aja Blue planned on doing everything she could to assist her.Then Dirk’s production company had been shut down for shoddypractice, and Dirk and Polly had disappeared.

Aja Blue had sent feelers to several oldacquaintances, searching for her friend. One had suggested that shethought Dirk was now using Polly as a hooker to make money. AjaBlue hoped not, but she wouldn’t be surprised. Dirk was ascumbag.

Aja Blue had come close to catching up with Polly inSedona. She’d asked around, and people remembered seeing her. Thesojourn to Scottsdale had been a dead end. Still, she’d caught abreak when a bellhop she had shamelessly flirted with forinformation told her he had overheard a woman matching Polly’sdescription saying she was headed to Tucson.

It had turned out to be another bust. With no otherleads, Aja Blue had hopped on a plane and headed home.

Instead of stopping by her condo, she’d headedstraight to the office. Jay hadn’t returned her calls, and sheneeded to catch up with him to find out how he was progressing withthe Sinclair project. At least, that had been the plan before she’dspotted her tail.

On the flight home, Aja Blue had convinced herselfthat she’d been imagining things. The man hadn’t been followingher. Heck, he probably wasn’t even the same guy. She’d believed ituntil now, when she saw him standing outside her office.

Movement out of the corner of her eye made her glanceup.Son of a three-day-old butter biscuit.The man waswalking toward her. She tugged the baseball cap she’d thrown onlower over her eyes and slid down in her seat.

The wind kicked up, blowing the side of his jacketopen. Aja Blue gasped. He was carrying a gun in a holster beneathhis arm like a gangster. Before he reached her, he stopped andpulled something from his pocket. She flinched, but it was only aphone. As he spoke, his eyes roamed the area. She held her breathas his head turned her way. Time stood still as his gaze slid pastand snapped back, locking on her.

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