AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 1
Riley adjusted her sunglasses as she stared over the novel she was using as a prop. The gentle sound of cascading water from the nearby fountain joined the soft music playing over the speakers to create the lobby’s upscale atmosphere. People came and went as the afternoon turned late, and the busy time for checking in heightened. She couldn’t help bouncing her foot as she nervously waited for Shadow Walker to enter the Billionaire Club resort.
She was a pond-sucking lowlife—a tabloid reporter. Riley had come to terms with it. It was better than her last job, which was being the hot dog on times square. No, she didn’t sell hot dogs. Shewasthe hot dog. You know those annoying people in costume who try to get you to take a picture with them? Yeah. That was her. Being a bottom-feeder tabloid reporter was actually a step up from that.
But she never thought she’d find herself sitting incognito at the Billionaire Club, waiting for the famous masked singer Shadow Walker to come in. Of course, if he weren’t in costume, she wouldn’t recognize him. No one knew his true identity. He was the mysterious man who wore a mask for every performance and public appearance.
She wasn’t looking for Shadow Walker, though. She was looking for his manager. Shadow never went anywhere without his manager, and she’d done her homework. Jalen Carter had a very distinctive burn mark on his face making it impossible for her to miss him. She had planned it all out. She’d gotten close to a few stars by pretending to be the hotel concierge. No one refused when she offered to do their bidding.
The lobby door opened, but a woman entered, and Riley let out a breath. So much was riding on this. She’d taken an enormous gamble to even come to Grand Cayman. Booking a room here was expensive. She bit her lower lip as doubt made her chest tighten and not for the first time that morning. When Gary had told her she could have a promotion and a massive bonus if she uncovered the famous masked singer’s true identity, she knew he was asking the impossible. But the more she thought about it, the more the idea wouldn’t leave her.
And now, here she was in the Cayman Islands hiding behind a book. Anxiety surged in Riley. If this didn’t work, she could kiss any thought of a promotion good-bye, and then she wasn’t sure how she would get the money she desperately needed to pay her father’s medical bills. He was on the waiting list for a heart transplant. After two surgeries that failed and half a dozen trips to the ER, his life savings were gone, and more bills just piled up. If she didn’t get a promotion soon, they would both be out on the streets.
Digging in her purse, she exhaled when she saw the last piece of wintergreen gum. She unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and the burst of icy flavor helped calm her. She could do this. It was nothing. On a scale of one to crazy, this didn’t even hit number five in the strange things she’d done to get a story.
Following Alicia Keys into the women’s restroom and pretending her stall was out of toilet paper was maybe a two. Posing as a police officer to talk to Brad Pitt was more daring, perhaps a six, and could have gotten her into trouble if anyone had found out. But the craziest thing she’d ever done had to be when she pretended she was a waitress. Her face heated at the mere thought of it, and she shoved the memory out of her mind. No one needed to remember how she dumped shrimp down the front of Lady Gaga’s dress.
One of the staff walked by, and Riley hid her face. The incident last year had gotten her kicked out of the Billionaire Club. Okay, so maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to hide under the buffet table to get that photo of Garth Brooks. How was she to know it would come crashing down with just one small bump?
Taking a deep breath, Riley stared as the doors opened, and an entourage entered. She spied Jalen right away, carrying a small dog. Maybe a terrier? She wasn’t up on her dog breeds, but it was adorable.
A flock of men clad in black suits and ties followed Jalen. The bald one touched his earpiece and spoke, revealing him to be security. This was it. He was coming. Her mouth went dry as she held her breath. A moment later, Shadow Walker entered the lobby surrounded by another group of security guards. A bellboy followed suit with a full luggage cart.
Riley stared at the masked man as if she could unravel the mystery just by sheer will. He was tall and thin, and his black outfit and mask made him look like the Dread Pirate Roberts, even though he was supposed to be a ninja. He wore gloves and a skull cap, and the only part of him not covered by his costume was his nose, mouth, and jawline. A sword hung in a sheath off his belt.
He nodded at a few passersby but didn’t do anything extraordinary. He ignored people for the most part and waited for his manager. For some reason, she thought maybe he would be more charismatic. At least, on television, he seemed to be. Perhaps he was just tired, but seeing him in person fell flat for her—what a letdown.
Too bad. But it didn’t matter. Riley wasn’t there to fall in love with the man. She just needed to figure out his true identity, which meant she would be spending all her time with his manager anyway. There was no way anyone would let her close to Shadow Walker. Her gaze traveled back to Jalen.
He was taller in person than she expected. And despite the mottled skin that started at his hairline and went down his forehead and over one eye, he was a rather handsome man. She would guess he was in his mid-to-late twenties. His blonde hair was long enough to fall onto his forehead and appeared silky soft. He moved gracefully, petting his dog while speaking with the woman behind the desk. His smile came easy. Riley leaned forward as the woman handed him the room keys. “You’ll be in 175, which has indoor access. I gave your team the entire wing, so there shouldn’t be any foot traffic.”
A jolt of electricity ran through Riley. 175. Perfect. That’s exactly what she needed. She closed her book and stood. Time for part two of her plan—a change of clothes and an excuse to meet with Shadow Walker’s manager. She took in a deep breath as she crossed the lobby and walked past the mass of security guards. If she could succeed and find out who Shadow Walker was, she just might be able to save her father.
* * *
Jalen glancedat the teen he’d paid twenty bucks to dress up in Shadow Walker’s outfit and cringed. This was the worst one yet. Hadn’t this kid ever seen Shadow Walker? He just stood there like a dead fish. Not that fish stood. They had no feet. Jalen was so flustered he couldn’t even think of a good simile. Next time he was going to make sure his double would at least wave at people. This was an embarrassment.
Jalen glanced at the woman behind the desk, taking the key card. “Thank you.”
The red-headed woman gave him a once over, and her smile widened. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
What did that mean? Jalen just gave her a cursory nod and turned, unsure of how to answer her. He wasn’t looking for anything. He was there to do a gig. But of course, she didn’t know that. To the world, he was just Shadow Walker’s manager. No one of consequence.
He set down Sir Barks-a-Lot, letting him pull on the leash as he led the security team to their group of rooms. He gave the bellboy a tip and led Shadow Walker into his suite—the one adjoining his own. He turned to the teen. “Change and then knock on the door that joins our rooms. You can leave from my suite.”
The kid nodded and grinned. “Yeah. Sure thing.”
Jalen started to leave, but the kid reached out and caught his arm. “Wait. Is Shadow Walker coming later, then? Do you need another double to sneak him into the building?”
“He’s coming tomorrow. We don’t need another double. Thanks.” He tugged on the leash, telling his dog it was time to go.
The kid didn’t let go of his arm. “So, do you know who he is?”
Jalen sighed, tired of the same thing every time. “Yes. I’m the only one who knows.”
A hungry look came into the teen’s eyes. “What’s his name? Will you tell me? I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”
Right. That’s what they all said. Jalen leaned close to him, and the kid’s grin widened. He let a couple of seconds tick by. “Not a chance,” he whispered, gently slapping the kid’s shoulder.
