24. Charlie
24
Charlie
I was drained by the relentless demands of tour rehearsals. All I wanted, all I could think about, was being with Ana. Just the two of us. I knew it was selfish. I had a crew counting on me, sponsors to satisfy, a management team relying on me, and fans I couldn’t afford to let down. But none of that mattered. All I wanted was to make Ana happy.
She was becoming everything I didn’t know I needed—jealous, possessive, degrading. And fuck, the anger and authority in her eyes when she took me backstage had me instantly hard. It was so insanely hot I thought I’d lose control right then and there. I’d never felt anything like it before. She owned me completely.
But even afterwards, as she rode the last wave of her orgasm, she made sure I was okay.
“? Estás bien ? Was that too much, baby?” she murmured, her voice soft but still carrying that commanding undertone.
I lifted my hips slightly, savoring the warmth of her perfect pussy wrapped around me. “No, mi diosa . It was perfect.”
* * *
I sat on the texts from the PI with proof of Callan’s relapse. Part of me itched to call him, to tell him to back the fuck off of me and Ana. But another part hesitated. I felt bad for the poor sod. I understood secrets and vices—addiction was no joke. Still, I’d do anything to protect what Ana and I had. If he made another move to fuck with us, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it against him. No matter how much guilt it stirred, Ana was my priority now.
But this fucking tour.
It was taking too much of my time with her and I could feel her silently pulling away. No matter how much I demanded we spend time together—between lighting setups, rehearsals, meetings, photo shoots—it never seemed like enough.
At home, she sat quietly scrolling on her phone. Every glance at the screen was like a stab to the gut. Was she talking to someone? Hiding something? I hated that my mind went there, but the silence between us was worse than any argument.
I was one second away from calling off the entire tour, dragging her to some deserted island where it would just be the two of us. Forever. Away from the noise, the pressure, the distractions. Because if I lost her…I didn’t know what the fuck I’d do.
“I’m calling off the tour,” I said abruptly one night, only nine days before it started.
We had just gotten under the covers, well after one in the morning. It was another night of her pulling away. She had locked herself in the bathroom earlier, sitting in the bath so long it must have gone cold. I sat outside the door, listening. I wasn’t certain, but I thought I heard her crying.
She came out eventually, red-eyed, her face pale. I’d tried to ask her what was wrong, but she’d just kissed my cheek and climbed into bed, silent as ever.
“No, no…Charlie. Don’t do that,” she said softly now, turning towards me. Her voice was calm, but her hand shook as it reached for mine. Her eyes, wide and panicked, gave her away.
“Then tell me what to do to make this better, mi diosa . I can’t stand this anymore. What’s going on? What did I do? It’s the tour, isn’t it?” I began, not even bothering to hold back tears.
Now that the floodgates had opened, there was no turning back. The panic had risen in my chest and I stood up, pacing.
“No, baby. It’s not that,” she answered back quickly, her voice cracking.
“Then what is it?” I snapped, my anger and frustration and fear mingling into one.
She only shook her head, tears spilling over, like she was afraid to say the words.
“Tell me, Ana! I’m dying each day you pull further away from me. Is it because you don’t love me anymore? Just say it. Just tell me,” I said, dropping to my knees beside the bed, gripping her hand.
She shook her head harder now, her breathing uneven. “I do love you, Charlie. More than anything.”
Her voice broke, and her sobs came fast and heavy. I stood up, my chest tightening, and grabbed the pocket knife off the dresser. Without thinking, I pressed it to my forearm, the sharp edge cold against my skin.
“Stop!” she demanded, jumping off the bed towards me, her voice trembling with panic.
“Then tell me why you’re being so distant, Ana. I can’t take it. If you leave me, it will kill me. Don’t you know that?” I yelled, the knife biting into my skin just enough to sting.
“I’m trying to protect you, Charlie! Please. Just trust me. I’m not leaving you!”
Her words didn’t make sense, but the desperation in her voice made me freeze. Slowly, I lowered the blade. Her hands came up to wrap around my wrist, gently pulling it from my grip and setting it back on the dresser. She didn’t let go of me, her fingers trembling as they pressed against my skin.
“You’re my everything,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Don’t hide from me, Ana. Whatever this is, we can get through it together.”
She nodded quickly, too quickly, but her silence lingered. Her eyes darted to the side, just for a second, before she whispered, “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. You have to believe me.”
I wanted to believe her. I wanted to feel the certainty in her voice wrap around my chest and pull the panic out of me. But there was something in her eyes, something she wasn’t saying.
Her phone vibrated softly on the nightstand. She flinched, pulling back just slightly, like she didn’t want me to notice.
“You’re hiding something,” I said quietly.
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t look at me. “You have to trust me, Charlie. Please.”
Her phone vibrated again, the faint sound pulling my attention like a magnet. She glanced at it nervously, her jaw clenching. We both looked back at each other, almost like a stand off to who would get to it first.
“Ana,” I said sharply, my heart racing. “Who’s texting you at this hour?”
Her shoulders tensed, and she didn’t answer.
“Ana,” I said again, stepping closer, my voice dropping to a low whisper. “What aren’t you telling me?”
The look on her face, fear and resignation all at once, was enough to send dread through me.
“Charlie, please…you just have to trust me,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“No.” My voice came out harder than I meant it to. “This—whatever this is—it’s eating you alive, Ana. And it’s eating me alive, too. You’re crying in locked bathrooms. You’re pulling away from me. And now someone’s texting you in the middle of the fucking night?”
Her breathing hitched as she looked down at her hands. “It’s nothing. It’s just…work stuff,” she said weakly, her tone so unconvincing it made me angrier.
I grabbed her phone off the nightstand before she could stop me, my thumb already pressing on the screen.
“Charlie, no!” she gasped, lunging for it.
But it was too late. The message was right there, burning into my brain:
Why haven’t you left him yet? Time’s running out.
I stared at the text, my heart pounding. “Who the fuck sent this?”
“Charlie, give it back!” she pleaded, tears spilling over as she reached for the phone.
I stepped back, holding it out of reach. “No. You’re going to tell me right now who sent this. Is it Callan? Someone else? Ana, who?”
Her lips trembled, but she didn’t answer.
“Is someone threatening you?” I demanded, shouting.
“Charlie…” She shook her head, and then quietly, she spoke. “It’s Jake.”
I froze. The name hit me like a slap, and for a second, I thought I’d heard her wrong.
“Jake?” I repeated, my mind racing. “What the fuck does he want?”
She covered her face with her hands, her sobs muffled by her palms. “He knows,” she choked out.
“Knows what?” My voice was trembling now, barely controlled.
“About Sarah,” she whispered.
I staggered back a step, staring at her. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Ana wiped her eyes, her face pale. “ He’s the one who had her killed, Charlie. And he knows you hired someone, too. And now he’s threatening to expose you, hurt you, or worse…if I don’t end this.”
My blood turned to ice. “Hurt me? Why? What does he want from you?”
“He wants me , Charlie.” Her voice was flat, cold. “He knows about you hiring someone to watch him, about hiring someone to rough Sarah up, about your past with your ex. He’s said things about Callan, threatening to use it so Sloane will leave him. He’s using it all to twist the knife. He says if I don’t comply, if I don’t go back to him, he’ll expose everything.”
I stared at her, anger and fear tight in my chest. “And you were just going to let him get away with this?”
“What choice do I have?” she snapped, her voice rising. “He knows too much. He’s dangerous, Charlie, and powerful. And he’s watching us. If he thinks I’m not playing along, he’ll…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
I shook my head, barely able to think, just react. “We need to do something, Ana. He can’t do this to us. Let’s just…let’s fucking kill him.”
Ana inhaled sharply, an audible gasp filling the room. Her eyes widened, a mix of fear and disbelief flickering in her eyes. “Charlie, you can’t just—”
“I know, I’m just thinking out loud,” I interrupted, shaking my head as my thoughts spun. “But we can’t just sit back and let him destroy everything. There’s got to be a way to stop him.”
Ana looked away from me, shaking her head. She was quiet for a moment, her head down, her thoughts clearly racing. When she finally looked up at me, her expression was guarded, but her voice carried her usual confidence.
“There’s one thing I could do,” she said carefully, almost hesitantly. “But you’re not going to like it.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
She took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto mine. “I could pretend to leave you, Charlie. Go to Jake. Make him think he’s won. Pretend I…wanted him all along.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. “No, Ana.” My voice was trembling with disbelief. “You’re not serious.”
“I am,” she replied firmly, stepping closer. “It’s the only way to throw him off. He’s obsessed with control. If I give him what he wants, if I make him think I’m playing by his rules, it could buy us time. Time to figure out how to stop him.”
“No,” I said immediately, my voice rising. “Absolutely not. You think I’m just going to sit here while you pretend to crawl back to that psychopath? Do you even hear yourself?”
Her expression softened, but her determination didn’t waver. “Charlie, listen to me. This isn’t about pride or feelings. This is about survival. Jake has all the power right now, and the only way to tip the scales is to make him feel secure. If I go to him, act like I’m done with you, he’ll let his guard down. And that’s when we strike.”
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “You don’t understand how dangerous this is, Ana. You’re putting yourself in his hands, giving him every opportunity to hurt you—or worse.”
“I know the risks,” she said quietly, her gaze steady. “But he won’t hurt me. Not if he thinks he’s getting what he wants. He’s too arrogant for that. And I’ll make sure I’m always in control.”
“Ana, no,” I said again, my voice breaking. I reached for her hands, gripping them tightly. “There has to be another way. I can’t let you do this.”
Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t look away. “There isn’t another way, Charlie. I’ve thought about this for days. He’s too smart, too calculated. The only way to beat him is to play his game better than he does.”
I shook my head, desperation clawing at my chest. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“And you don’t know what I’m capable of,” she shot back, her voice rising. “I’ve survived worse than Jake. I can handle this.”
I stared at her, my heart pounding, every instinct screaming at me to protect her. “What if he sees through it? What if he figures out it’s an act?”
“He won’t,” she said with quiet certainty. “Not if we plan it right. Not if I play the part perfectly.”
My throat tightened as I considered her words. The idea of her being anywhere near Jake, much less pretending to want him, made me sick. But she was right—Jake was holding all the cards. And this…this could give us the upper hand we desperately needed.
“Fuck,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’re right. I can’t fucking believe this.”
I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly, as if I could shield her from the nightmare we were about to walk into. “If he touches you, Ana—”
“He won’t,” she whispered, cutting me off. “Because I won’t let him.”
Her confidence was both reassuring and terrifying. I just hoped we weren’t making a mistake we couldn’t come back from.
And if he fucking touched her, I vowed that I’d kill him myself.