Here All Along by Crista McHugh Page B

sucked in a breath through his teeth and silently warned Gabe not to out her. As far as he knew, they were the only ones who knew about Sarah’s past.
    His fellow actor’s smug smile raised more questions than answers. Once he chased down Red and apologized, he needed to have a little chat with Gabe.
    He turned back to Karl. “Listen, I’ve known Sarah for years. I want to respect her privacy.”
    “Too late for that. The entire crew and everyone out there saw your little interlude.” He pointed to the crowd of onlookers standing past security. “If you want to respect a girl’s privacy, kiss her behind closed doors.”
    His chest strained against the breath he was holding. I would’ve if I’d had a chance. Or the nerve .
    “One more time, Kelly. Who is she?”
    He remembered how alive she became when she slipped into character, how she seemed more like the charismatic actress she’d been when he first met her. For the past three years, she’d hidden her passion, her glow, but when she’d stepped on the set, she’d shone like the brightest star. This was what she was meant to do. He only hoped she’d forgive him when this was over. “Sage Holtz.”
    Karl’s eyes widened, and he drew in a sharp breath. “You’re joking.”
    “You saw her. And unless I catch up with her, there’s a good chance she’s going to be on the next plane back to LA.”
    He tried to get past the director, but once again, Karl held him back. “Seriously? She’s Sage Holtz?”
    “She was Sage Holtz. Now she’s just my assistant.” The words stung as he said them. Damn it, why hadn’t he thought of this earlier? Why hadn’t he helped her get her career back on track? But deep inside, he knew the answer. If she got over her stage fright, she’d leave him.
    Guilt drained the fight from him. “Listen, Karl, please don’t tell anyone. She’s become a very private person, and if this got out, it might tip her in the wrong direction.”
    “Yeah, sure,” the director replied, his thoughts appearing to be elsewhere.
    Gideon’s gut sank. He’d been so eager to kiss Sarah, he hadn’t even considered consequences like this. “Give me a call if Mackinzie ever shows up. I need to find Sarah and apologize.”
    “Yeah, sure,” Karl repeated in the same distracted way.
    “I’ll keep him out of trouble.” Gabe appeared beside him with a Yankees hat and a pair of sunglasses. “Put these on, Kid.”
    “Don’t call me that.” But he shoved the baseball cap on. “And I hate the Yankees.”
    “Why do you think I chose that hat?” Gabe grinned and put on his own sunglasses. Thanks to all the poker players who favored them, they could walk around a casino in them without drawing too much attention. “Where should we start?”
    “My place.”
    Casino security helped detain anyone who wanted to follow them, and by the time they were outside, Gideon embraced his newfound anonymity. Even with his stage makeup on, he didn’t stand out too much in Vegas. “Does this usually work for you?”
    “Why do you think I always have a few in my backpack? LA is all about being seen, but in New York, we sometimes like to lie low and just enjoy the city without being chased by the paparazzi.”
    “I see a few White Sox caps in my future.” He waited until they entered Caesar’s before asking, “Was this all part of your plan?”
    “Of course. Sorry it took me so long to lose Mackinzie. That woman was denser than I first thought.”
    The elevators opened, but Gideon didn’t enter right away. “Hold up a minute. You did something to Mackinzie?”
    Gabe grinned and stepped into the elevator.
    Gideon followed, and once the doors were closed, Gabe said, “Mackinzie is probably still on her way to Rome.”
    “What?”
    “You know how well connected my family is.” Gabe rocked back on his heels, appearing very proud of himself. “I introduced her to an Italian prince I know. He’s twice her age and doesn’t have much more than his