Chapter 32
December arrives. West hasn’t said a word to me. He hasn’t looked at me, texted, or anything, and with every silent moment, the knot of anxiety in my stomach grows.
“All yours,” Ford says.
I cock my right ear toward the stage, listening closely, then reach with my left hand to adjust the mid-range on the equalization rack. Ford gives an affirmative nod that brings me a swell of pride. This is the first song he’s let me mix since shadowing him.
Taking a step back, I survey the Minneapolis crowd. With as much as it’s snowing out, I’m surprised so many people showed up.
The set ends, and into his mike, West says, “We’re going to do a little something different tonight. Two very special girls are turning eight tomorrow. Can I have Lexi and Maya on stage?”
The place goes wild as spotlights crisscross the crowd. Over to the left, I catch sight of a security guard escorting two little girls down the aisle.
Ford says, “Those are my buddy’s kids.”
“Ford…how unbelievably sweet of you.”
He jokingly waves me off. “Just don’t tell anyone.”
I turn back to the twin girls walking on stage. I’ve never felt comfortable around children, well, except for West’s niece, Maria. Truthfully, I’m scared I’ll slip up and treat them the same way I was treated.
West was great with Maria. Playful. Funny. A pang hits me at that thought. His whole family was great. Man, did I royally screw that up.
He takes their little hands and leads them over to two stools already set up on stage.
He and Simon help them climb up, and then West gets down on one knee.
Every girl in the house screams. His image flashes onto the giant screens, and my belly does a slow roll.
He’s dressed for rock in black jeans and a black T-shirt.
With his dark, spiky hair and tan skin, he oozes sexiness.
In his liquid voice, he sings the twins “Happy Birthday,” and the entire venue joins in. The two little girls have perma-grins that they’ll probably have the rest of the week. Heck, the rest of their lives.
The song ends, and he gives them each a kiss on the cheek. The girls in the audience scream and scream and scream some more. I know all too well what a kiss on the cheek from West Wolf feels like, and remembering it makes me all kinds of sorry.
Sorry for everything.
Ford stretches his fingers across the sliding bars, transitioning them into the last song of the evening. The encore comes and goes, people clear out, and a couple approaches the sound area with the birthday twins.
“That was incredible!” the couple screams in unison.
“Glad you liked it.” Ford looks at the twins. “What’d you all think?”
Still with their perma-grins, they enthusiastically nod.
Ford turns to me. “This is Eve. She works on the sound crew. She’s going to take you backstage to meet everybody.”
I freeze. “I am?”
Ford nods and ushers me on. “They’re most interested in meeting West.”
West? “Um…”
One of the twins slips her hand into mine. Strangely, I’m filled with her happiness and know without a doubt that she’s loved and protected. I hope every little girl and boy experiences that basic feeling at least once in their life.
The little girl tugs at my hand, and I lead the family through the crowd to the backstage entrance in a sort of blur. Any second now, I’m going to see West.
The officer guarding the restricted zone unlatches the gate that leads to the dressing rooms and lounge. West’s name is taped to the third door on the right. I tap on it and wait, anticipation ping-ponging around inside of me.
The door swings open, and the same Asian girl I’ve seen a few times now is standing on the other side. My shoulders sink.
She smiles at us. “Hi, I’m Illana. Can I help you?”
The family looks at me, and I remember I’m their escort. “Ford asked me to bring them back to meet West.”
She smiles even bigger, and her gorgeousness makes me want to shrivel up. West steps up, and I’m surrounded by the soothing familiarity that is him. His scent. Oh God—I discreetly inhale—his scent.
He passes right over me, leaving a chill behind. It’s like he doesn’t even know me. Like we hadn’t shared the most intimate moments of my life. We hadn’t even been friends.
He focuses on the twins. “Well, if it isn’t the birthday girls.”
They both giggle.
He squats down in front of them. “You’re awfully cute. I would’ve guessed you were at least ten, not eight.”
They flash him matching toothless grins, and the whole thing melts me. Illana gives us all a wave and excuses herself, and I find myself pleased to see her go. It’s not fair of me, but it’s how I feel.
Fans begin to trickle in, and West stands. “Well, unfortunately, I need to say goodbye. I’ve got promoters to meet with.”
“Thanks,” I tell him, hoping he’ll look at me.
He does with a blank expression that says he’s being tolerant of my presence because of the family. “No problem.”
I search my brain for something else to say, but come up blank.
West’s attention flicks down to the Bugs Bunny on my T-shirt and just as quickly back up. Is he thinking about the fact that we both like cartoons? Does he remember telling me that? I open my mouth to say something, anything, but West just shakes his head.
“See you around,” he says and brushes past me.
I’m barely able to focus the rest of the night as I work alongside Anne, taking the stage down and getting ready for the next city on our tour.
“West hates me,” I tell her right after we let ourselves into our hotel room.
“He doesn’t hate you. His feelings are hurt.”
I sink onto my bed. “I did what I thought was best.”
“Try to talk to him. At least try to get back to being friends.” Anne sits down beside me. “There’s only so many times you can kick a puppy before they get angry and bite back. This is West biting back.”
“What if he doesn’t even want to be friends anymore?”
Anne nudges her shoulder against mine. “Grow some lady balls and go find out.”
She’s right… I go to get up, and my phone buzzes with a call. I check the display. Brynn! “I have to take this.”
She nods and heads into the shower.
“Are you okay?” I answer as soon as Anne shuts the door. “I’ve been so worried. Your emails freaked me out.”
“Thank God you picked up,” Brynn whispers, and then her breath hitches, and the sound of it twinges through me.
“Don’t cry,” I tell her, though my own tears gather. I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve heard her voice since the night she helped me run.
“Oh,” she sniffs. “I’ve missed you so much.”
I lie back on the hotel bed. “Me, too, Brynn. Me, too.”
“Are you safe?” She sniffs again. “Everything okay? Do you need anything?”
I sigh, just absorbing her. “Everything’s fine.”
“Good. That’s good. We don’t have much time. Don’t tell me where you are or what you’re doing. I don’t want to know.”
I sit back up. “What’s going on?”
She doesn’t immediately answer, and I find myself thinking about the moment I told Brynn all my secrets, just weeks before she helped me run away.
I can’t believe you’ve hidden this from me. That’s what she said to me with such guilt in her voice. Like she thought she should’ve known or something. I just shook my head and hugged her and assured her she wasn’t to blame.
There’s only one person to blame for the things that have been done to me.
Brynn breaks the silence. “Now, I don’t want you to worry about me, but Grayson is having me followed.”
I stop breathing for a second. “What do you mean he’s having you followed?”
“I can tell. Everywhere I go, there’s a car that traces me. They’re good. It took me a while to figure it out. Listen, I’m fine. I pretend the car isn’t there, and they have no clue I’m onto them. I just want both of us to be careful.”
“What is he telling everybody about my absence?”
“Oh, he’s good. At first, you went on an extended trip to South America where you were volunteering with one of his many foundations. Then upon your return, you got sick. You now officially have Lyme disease that went untreated far too long and has led to homebound care.”
I huff. “Clever.”
“He’s that. I played along, asking if I could see you. He said you weren’t up for visitors or phone calls, but he’d let me know when you were. Aside from that, something is going on. He and my dad have been in an unusual number of private meetings.”
Brynn’s father holds a position on Grayson’s board, and though he has always been a fabulous dad to Brynn, his loyalty to Grayson runs deep.
“I’m sorry, Brynn. I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with all of this.”
“Hey, it’s okay. I promise. All that matters is we got you to safety. As far as everything else, I used cash, and I keep the burner phone hidden. No one knows anything. Laura, promise me you’re being careful.”
“I promise.”
“You cannot tell anybody who you are and be ready to run if I tell you to.”
My head’s so full of everything I can hardly think straight. It’s been a while since I felt someone was watching me, but I think of that suited man in the Chicago hotel and of the flash I saw in Central Park. I’m about to tell Brynn both things when—
“I think it’s good he’s following me. That means he doesn’t know where you are, right?”
“Right...”
“Someone’s coming,” she hurriedly whispers and then just hangs up. I didn’t even get to tell her goodbye.
I sit forever just staring at the phone, idly listening to Anne puttering around in the bathroom. What’s going to happen if I do indeed have to run? I’ll never see Anne again. Or West.
Sickness sours my mouth as I think about the next thing. Being caught.
No.
I shake my head.
No!
I’ll do anything it takes for that not to happen.