Page 122 of Secrets in the Deep

“No. Breakfast. Something with just you and me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Mom. I’m staying here. I spoke to the director of the next movie and he’s not suing. He was actually really sympathetic to my situation. He let me out of the contract without a fight. I’m not taking any more parts right now. I’m finished being in the spotlight.”

“Just like that. You’re just going to throw it all away?”

“No. I’m not throwing anything away. I’ve done it your way, and I wasn’t happy. Now it’s time for me to livemylife. And I want this. I want the small town. The authentic friendships. Ryan. I want real.”

“Whoareyou?”

“I’m your daughter…I’m just notyou.” She turned and climbed the steps to her trailer.

Inside, she sucked in a deep breath. Because that felt good. In the middle of a really crappy situation with Preston, she’d told two people exactly how she felt, and it was like a weight off her shoulders.

She grabbed a bag from beneath the desk and started throwing things inside. Makeup. Hair pieces. Little trinkets she liked to keep with her on set.

She’d just opened the second drawer when she saw a phone. Notherphone. It was a black iPhone sitting face down…with a small PP engraving in the center.

Preston’s phone.

What the hell?

With shaking fingers, she reached down and lifted it. She turned it to see the screen wasn’t only alight, it was also paused on a video. Paused on trees cloaked in darkness.

Don’t do it, Emily. Don’t hit play. Nothing good could come from this.

But the need to know if this would lead to Preston won, and she hit play.

“Help! Please help!”

Preston’s terrified voice made Emily’s heart thrash against her ribs. Whoever held the phone was running, the phone shaking in their hold, filming the dark ground of the forest.

The camera suddenly lifted and focused on Preston. He was running, but only for a second before he was hit in the back of the head. He cried out and fell, dropping to the dirt hard.

The person carrying the phone was the attacker.

Air caught in Emily’s lungs, her stomach swirling.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of Preston’s heavy breathing. Then the phone started to move. Hope litEmily’s chest that the attacker was moving away. That they were leaving Preston alone.

The person set the camera up, leaning it against something so just Preston’s prone body was on the screen.

Her mouth instantly dried when she saw a knife flashing in the corner of the frame.

Run, Preston. God, please, run!

Blood roared in her ears.

The knife left the frame—then it plunged.

Right into Preston’s back.

Emily screamed.

“We’ve searchedthe grid top to bottom,” Ethan said over the phone, frustration weaving through his words. “Every trail, every drainage, every ridge. There’s no sign of him, or any sign that he’s even been here. No boot prints, no dropped items. Nothing.”

“You went down to the river?”

“Twice. Walked it both directions.”