Relieved at the assurance there was no danger of fire, the tension drained from Ellery’s body, leaving her muscles wobbly. She found herself clutching Logan’s arm for balance, and she despised herself for showing weakness. Logan patted her hand where it gripped him, so tight it wrinkled his tux coat. He probably thought of her like one of those stupid helpless women in action movies whose sole purpose was to put the hero in even more danger.
“No guest can get in without an invitation, right?” Logan asked. “Doesn’t that mean it must be someone in the service staff?”
“Right,” Jake said. “But the service staff is huge. Some are hotel employees—hosts and hostesses, maintenance, cleaning crew. Waitstaff are from the caterer. We barely have any employee records, because the turnover is so high.”
“Nothing’s changed. It’s like a heads-up,” Cole said. “We’ll just keep our eyes open.”
Logan reached inside his coat and extracted his cell phone. His brows arched. “Text from Josiah. Says they need Ellery backstage in the dressing room.”
Ellery swallowed, an act made difficult by a mouth that felt like it was coated in talcum powder. “I have a different dress for the auction. Maybe I’m supposed to change before dinner.”
“Want me to take her back?” Jake asked.
“No. I’m going with her.”
Logan’s protective growl stirred something warm in Ellery’s belly. After all, the sweet kiss he’d just given her contradicted Allegra’s claims, didn’t it? Could it be he loved her after all?
She gave his hand a squeeze and led the way around to the backstage door. Inside the dimly lit area, behind the heavy closed curtains, people were bustling about in a frantic manner, though the live auction didn’t start until after dinner.
“They’re interspersing live testimonials throughout the evening.” Logan tipped his chin at the stage, where a woman in a wheelchair was having her nose powdered. “Usually, they just have a video, but they thought testimonials would make it more personal. Especially since this is the first time they’ve held a Limitless fundraiser in Austin, and some of the biggest potential donors don’t know much about the program.”
“Hi!” called a boy on crutches, his expression gleeful, despite his twisted body. “I’m going to be on stage!”
“Leave them alone, Tanner,” a woman scolded in a gentle tone before turning to address them. “He’s so excited. He doesn’t understand people are too busy to talk.”
“We don’t mind at all.” Logan took the words out of her mouth. “How old are you, Tanner?”
“I’m seven,” he said, lifting his chin. “I’m in first grade.”
Ellery knelt in front of the boy whom she would’ve guessed at being no more than five years old. “That’s very exciting that you’re going to be on stage. I bet you’ll have lots of pictures to show your friends.”
“Will I have pictures, Mom?”
“Lots of pictures,” she said, her voice cracking.
Tanner’s eyes came to rest on Ellery’s cheek. “What’s wrong with your face?”
“Tanner! That’s not polite,” his mother hurried to correct him.
“That’s okay. He’s just being curious.” Ellery pointed to her cheek. “This came from a burn.”
“I have scars, too.” He pointed to his legs. “From surgeries.”
“I had to have surgeries on my arm,” she said, holding hers out for inspection.
“The doctors said I was very brave.” His forehead wrinkled, a challenge in his narrowed eyes.
“You must’ve been braver than I was,” Ellery said, accepting Logan’s hand to help her to her feet. “I don’t remember anyone calling me brave.”
Tanner’s grin returned. “Maybe next time you can be brave like me.”
Throat tight, Ellery nodded. How many more surgeries would this poor kid have to endure?
“Talking to a kid like Tanner is so humbling,” she murmured to Logan as they continued toward the back of the stage.
A woman with a familiar clipboard glanced up as they approached the dressing room, peering at them over her reading glasses. “You’re Ellery?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“Okay, we’ve had a wardrobe malfunction with one of the purple dresses. So Josiah decided to have all the models switch to the green ones now.”
“Where’s Candace?” Ellery eyed the old-fashioned clipboard. “I can’t believe she let that schedule out of her hands.”
“She’s lying down on the sofa. Took something for a sudden migraine, but it hasn’t worked.” She pulled a key from her blazer pocket. “Rita’s already in here changing. I’ll let you inside.”
“Are you sure it’s Rita?” Ellery asked. “I’m pretty sure I saw her out front when we came back here.”
“I probably misunderstood.” She gave a sheepish shrug. “I’m just a bookkeeper. I don’t really know the models by name. I think Josiah called me as a last resort.”
“Okay, I’ll try to change fast,” Ellery said.
The woman turned to Logan. “I’m sorry, sir, but no men are allowed in the women’s dressing room.”
“I just need to talk to Josiah,” he said. “Is he in the men’s changing room?”
“Josiah’s gone. He left to get a prescription refill for Candace.” She pointed at a door. “He went toward the lobby two minutes ago.”
“I can’t believe he’s leaving by himself.” Logan punched at his cell phone, his expression more anxious than angry. He held it to his ear and made a face. “Of course, it’s going straight to voice mail.”
