AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Just A Name
Jane
“Our magazine feature was just released,” Colton announces once we’re thirty thousand feet in the air. He was right. This is a smooth ride, though I wasn’t a big fan of the takeoff part.
He reaches into his briefcase and places the magazine on the table between us.
The blood drains from my face. “Wait. We made the cover?”
“Yep. It always baffles me that people are so interested in my life. It’s—what’s wrong?”
I’m frozen, my eyes still glued to the picture on the front page of this prominent magazine. One I’m sure will end up on every newsstand and supermarket display in the country. My hair color might not be my natural shade, but my eyes betray me every single time. I knew I should have gone for contacts, but I was a mess trying to put them on, so I gave up. I figured if I ever got so famous I was on the front page of some big-shot magazine, I’d have a team of security guards around me at all times.
“You’re afraid he’ll find you,” Colton says, as if reading my mind. I detach my gaze from the magazine, and my eyes meet his. That puts me at ease, reminding me that I’m safe. I might not have a security team, but I have Colton, and I know he won’t let anything happen to me.
I nod slowly. “I didn’t think it’d be such a big deal. The photoshoot was low-key and—I don’t know. I just figured it was some business gazette or bridal magazine. Not Fashion Warehouse.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, his hand grazing mine. “Had I known about your past from the beginning, I would have refused the feature. It was just a way to build awareness of our relationship.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I should have asked about it. Maybe he won’t recognize me.” Though I highly doubt it. When someone steals a pile of cash from you, I’m guessing their face becomes etched into your brain forever.
Colton clears his throat. “Would you be mad if I looked into him? I can find out where he is. That might put you at ease. He wouldn’t know about it, of course.”
My mouth goes dry. The last thing I want is news about Zander, but ever since I left, there’s been this Damocles sword hovering over me, and I’m afraid it’s going to slice me in two. I’m lucky that Colton has the means to do this for me. I can trust him to keep it under wraps. “How?”
“I have a PI. He’s highly professional, the best in his field. He could probably dig up the guy’s whereabouts and current activities in about a week. Then, we can keep an eye on him. If he comes anywhere near you, we’ll see what we can do about it. I do have connections at the LAPD, if it ever came to that.”
Everything about Colton’s speech is matter-of-fact, but it still shoots off fireworks in my belly. I want to dial them down, but I can’t. This wonderful, kind man is offering me security, peace of mind. Something I never thought I’d have. He’s right. I will sleep better once I know where Zander is. Knowledge is power. “Okay. You can look him up.”
Nodding, he takes his phone from his pocket and starts typing.
“Wait,” I say, scrunching my eyebrows in thought. “Didn’t you look me up before we started this whole, um, thing?”
He raises his eyes from the screen. “I did, yeah. But we didn’t do a full background check with my PI. Max did it himself. We didn’t want too many people involved, and since the casting was invitation-only and we were on a tight timeline, we didn’t do a full investigation.”
“Okay,” I say, biting my lip. I look around nervously, but we’re still the only two people in this small aircraft, aside from the crew in the cockpit. “Max clearly doesn’t have a future in investigative work.”
“What do you mean?”
I swallow to moisten my dry throat. “Because when I left five years ago, I used most of Zander’s money to change my identity.”
Colton’s eyes widen. “What?”
“My name isn’t Jane Myers, and I’m not from Arizona. My natural hair color is sunny blonde, and I grew up in a trailer park in Nevada. That’s where I escaped from.”
Colton’s mouth forms a little o.
“I was so afraid he’d find me, I cut and dyed my hair as soon as I got off the bus. I asked around and found this guy who created an entire new identity for me. New name, new birthplace, new social security number, new driver’s license, an entire digital footprint. Glad to see it actually worked. Though I’m guessing you’re going to need my real information if you’re hoping to find Zander.”
“I—yes. It’d make things easier,” he stammers while staring at me, probably trying to imagine me with blonde hair. “What’s your real name?”
I cringe. “Promise you won’t tell anyone other than your PI?”
“Promise.” He nods curtly. “And I have an NDA in place with him too.”
“And promise you won’t laugh.”
He arches an eyebrow. “I won’t laugh.”
