Page 18 of Flame True

Oh, but she had found things that ultimately took her mind off it. Her cheeks flamed.

“At least drink something,” her mom smiled, her green eyes dimmed of their usual warmth and guilt churned in Mulberry’s stomach.

She hated the circumstances because she didn’t want to drag them through another ordeal.

Her mom passed her a cup of water.

Mulberry lifted the cup to her mouth with shaking fingers.

Grace checked her watch as the door to the conference room breezed open, and Xander Montague strolled in, his trademark black braid down his back. With his black designer collarless shirt, black suit, and pale complexion, it was easy to see why the media called him the Prince of Darkness of the business world.

Mulberry had never seen the man smile, but she trusted him implicitly.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I wanted to confer with the police and my contacts in the press. So far, nobody has noticed anything,” Xander pulled out a chair. “Mulberry, I wish it was better circumstances, but I hope to help you. Grace, thanks for coming to us.”

“There’s nobody else we’d trust,” Grace said.

Her mother clutched Mulberry’s hand.

She sighed. Even if she didn’t want to be here, Axis Management knew what they were doing, and Xander, with his aloofness and the way he never smiled, made her feel safe.

All his reactions were genuine.

He wasn’t being fake because her mother was a movie star, he seemed to like her, to like them, and that kept Mulberry from bolting.

“The police are convinced it’s a break-in,” Xander said.

“It looked like a break-in when I came home,” Graced wiped away a tear.

“I’m so sorry, mom,” Mulberry patted her mom’s back.

She hated seeing her mom upset.

“It’s not your fault, honey. I saw the place was a mess. The door was broken, and the windows smashed. Broken furniture, everything, all our stuff had been gone through, tossed on the floor. I called the police. I hadn’t heard from Mulberry for a full hour.”

Mulberry crossed her arms.

Aunt Cassie had held her through a panic attack, and by the time she had settled down two hours later, she had finally called her mom.

“We were at a presser for the show and then a friend’s birthday party,” her mom rushed to explain.

“No judgements here, Grace. I only want the picture of what happened,” Xander soothed. “Anything strange this week that you noticed, anyone, following you or hanging around the house, Mulberry?”

“No,” Mulberry said.

“I am only ruling things out by asking you, are you sure the security system was engaged?”

“Yes. I turned it on after my friend Emma left.”

“It’s my fault for taking on this series. I thought all of this was behind us now.” Grace wrung her hands in her lap.

“No, mom, it’s not your fault.”

“There is no evidence indicating it’s connected to the kidnapping,” Xander said.

“But, you don’t think this is random?” Grace sat forward, her elbows on the table.

“I don’t know, Grace. It’s a known fact that I am a paranoid sort. I like to run down all the possibilities. The police have assured me they are on this, doing their best. Nothing was stolen from the house, and there has been no media coverage of you buying that house, Grace.

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