Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air #2)(11)

He saw the exact second that it registered, she had no pockets in that little black dress, and most likely no cell phone.

“My phone’s in my car,” she whispered. “And my car’s in the shop. I need a phone. He needs help. We have to help.”

Her eyes were fully dilated, twin balls of horror, and he pulled out his cell. “Who needs help? Tell me, and I’ll call.”

“There’s a dead body. I saw the gun.” She covered her face. “I saw it happen, ohmigod, Shayne, I saw it happen.”

His gut went cold. “Where?”

“Out front.”

Jesus. “Wait here.” Sounds from the large party filtered over him as he ran down the hallway; laughter, music, talking, sounding all so surreal as Dani’s words ran through his head.

A dead body.

A gun…

Passing a server who tried to offer him a tray of hors d’oeuvres, he headed out the double front doors. It was raining like a mother, coming down in slashing sheets that blocked out much of the light from the two lamplights on either side of the walkway. As the doors closed behind him, shutting out the sounds of the party, all he could hear was the rain slapping the concrete.

There was absolutely no one else around. No engines running, no people, nothing. Turning in a slow circle, he took a second look, and a third. He even moved down the steps, directly into the rain, getting soaked within seconds as he walked into the parking lot, up and down the aisles of parked cars, looking, searching…

Finding nothing.

Slowly heading back, he blinked past the water in his face, taking in the parking lot one last time before the front doors opened.

Dani.

“Did you call the police?” she demanded, hugging herself. “We have to get them out here right away.”

She needed a coat. And a warm room.

And possibly, a straitjacket. “Dani.”

She stared at him with dark, tormented eyes, then turned to look at a spot only five feet from him, her gaze glued to the sidewalk.

The empty sidewalk. “But…” She didn’t say what he’d already discovered.

No dead body. No gun. No bloodstains.

Nothing.

As if to emphasize this, the rain increased, hitting the ground like bullets, pounding into him with painful velocity.

Shoving her hands into her hair, Dani pushed the strands off her face, then stepped to some invisible mark and slowly turned to him. “It was here.” She hunkered down to get a closer look at nothing. “Right here.”

“What was that, exactly?”

Straightening, she turned and hobbled into the parking lot, limping on her one high-heeled sandal.

“There’s nothing there, Dani.”

“But only a few minutes have passed. Not long enough to dispose of a body and all the evidence, right?” Standing in the downpour, she turned in a slow circle as he’d done, taking in the parking lot, the area all around them, her bare limbs gleaming with rain water, pale and shimmering as she hugged herself.

“Dani—”

“There were two of them,” she said hoarsely, eyes still wild. “They were…fighting, I think. Or maybe not. One of them shot the other. I saw the gleam of the gun. I saw that person fall.”

Again he eyed the spot she was talking about. Nothing but wet pavement. No bloodstains, no sign of trouble…“Did you hear the gun go off?”

“No. The rain is too loud. I think.” Lifting her head, she leveled him with those eyes. “I know how it sounds, but I swear it, Shayne. I saw somebody die.”

He wanted to believe her. Her terror was genuine. But then there was his reality. Half of the people inside had heard about her. Her own mother had told them.

The girl was crazy.

Was this how she was crazy? Did she get perfect strangers to kiss her and then make up wild stories? If he went off sheer odds alone, he’d have to admit, the cards were stacked against her.

She was staring at him, clearly reading the thoughts all over his face. “Damn you.” She covered her mouth, her hand shaking. “Damn you.” Then as if she couldn’t quite get enough air, she bent over and breathed like a person on the very edge.

“Dani.” He put his hand on her back, and she straightened. Glared at him.

“I am not making this up, Shayne.”

Maybe not, but she was in full panic mode, complete with near hyperventilation, dilated pupils, possibly going into shock. Keeping his hand on her, he pulled out his cell, hitting Brody’s number.

“Hey,” Brody complained. “I’m in the middle of a plate of food here.”

The only thing Brody loved more than his planes was his food. “Is everything okay in there?”

“I don’t get these little appetizers. They’re just teasers. We need some real food in here, you know? Want to get a pizza?”

“Jesus, forget the food. There’s no problem in there, nothing at all?”

The good humor dropped from Brody’s voice. “No. Why? What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” He watched Dani, who walked away from him, again crouching down, peering at the sidewalk, rain pouring down her face.

“Shayne?”

“Stay tuned,” he said, shutting the phone, walking toward Dani.

“I’m not crazy,” she said, without looking at him. “I’m not. I saw someone die, right here.”