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consider her decision. “I’m going, Chris. With or without you.”
    â€œWith,” he said and led her back outside, where the crowd was getting bigger by the minute. It would be near impossible to find anyone there without a GPS attached to their ass, but Chris wasn’t going to say this to Abby. He knew that when she made up her mind to do something, there was no stopping her.
    They backtracked over the red carpet, not bothering to respond to the paparazzi calling out to them. It wasn’t like they were celebrities. A dark-haired guy, tall and with a beard to his chest, raced alongside them as they tried to make an exit. Chris was one second away from telling the photographer to fuck off when he spoke.
    â€œAbby Simpson!”
    They both stopped, turning to look at the bearded guy. Chris wrapped a protective arm around Abby’s shoulders and guided them closer to the guy so they could talk without being overheard.
    â€œOh shit,” Abby said. “What are you doing here? And what’s with the beard?”
    â€œYou know this guy?” Chris asked.
    She nodded, then moved away from Chris and leaned over the barricade. With her right hand, she reached up to tug on the extra-long beard. It moved, but the guy didn’t seem to feel an ounce of pain. “I hope you have a good explanation, Josh, because you’re supposed to be working.” Abby turned to Chris. “He works at The Informer. He’s my computer geek.”
    â€œGee, thanks, Abs,” Josh replied.
    â€œDon’t call me Abs, either. Now, tell me why you’re here, before I fire your ass.” She was beyond ticked. Josh was the second in command, or at least he had been. Not only had he ruined her evening, but he hadn’t followed her orders. Not that she ordered him around, but she’d counted on him to direct The Informer ’s reporters to the right places. Tonight was a big night in Hollywood. Not only was there tonight’s premiere, but there were also a couple of celebrity weddings, and they were trying to find the locations.
    Josh leaned across the barricade, then turned around. “I got a tip, Abs. I mean Abby. You know I wouldn’t intentionally do anything to cause problems at the paper. I received a phone call a couple of hours ago. Whoever it was said that Godfrey was attending tonight’s premiere. I figured given all the grief he’s caused you in the past, I’d show up, see if I could spot him, then call the police. Of course, I would’ve called you first.” Josh scratched at the fake beard and raised his eyes, as though asking for mercy.
    â€œOkay, you did the right thing, but you should have called me first. And your tip was on the money. He was here. I saw him, and he saw me. He actually called out to me. I was about to try to chase him down when someone shouted my name! So for what it’s worth, I’m wasting my time standing here explaining this to you. Now, head back to the office. If you hear anything, you call me first. Do not leave the office, is that clear?”
    Josh had the grace to blush. “I thought I was doing what you would do. I know how important tonight is . . . was. Sorry, Abby.”
    Damn! This wasn’t Josh’s fault. He’d tried to do the right thing. She would’ve done the exact same thing had she been in his position. Minus the beard.
    She took a deep breath. “Forget what I said. Just get back to the paper. I’ll see you later. And if you get any more suspicious calls, you call me right away. Is that understood?”
    â€œYes, Abby. I understand you loud and clear.” Josh saluted her, then backed away from the barricade. “I’ll call you if I hear anything.”
    Abby waved, but Josh turned around before he could see.
    She looked at Chris. “Let’s get out of here. Maybe I can find that jerk before he has a chance to get away again. He’s been on the run for over two