Chapter Twenty Three
Harley
My hands trembled, my voice felt trapped in my throat, and my vision was blurred no matter how hard I tried to squeeze my eyes shut and open them again in an attempt to clear it.
And I was about to go to a stage and perform in front of thousands of people.
“What just happened?” Tim demanded from across the room.
“Cassie,” was all I could say.
Tim frowned, “Cassie what?” Then his eyes widened. “Did something happen to Cassie? Oh, my God, did that stalker get to Cassie?”
I shook my head, once again squeezing my eyes shut, a tear escaped and went down my face. “No.” I croaked. “It seems that Cassie was behind all of that.”
“That’s not possible. She’s your assistant, for God’s sake.” Tim scoffed.
“I don’t think I can go out there tonight,” I whispered.
“What?” Tim boomed. “Of course you can. This is all just a huge mix up. The guys will straighten everything out. You just worry about having a great show.”
But I could see that he had trouble standing behind his words. He was shook, but he also had to think about the people that came to see me tonight.
Those people spent their hard earned money on tickets, and it wouldn’t be fair to them if I bailed at the last second, no matter if we offered a refund.
I looked at Reid then. His face seemed as if it was carved out of granite. Only a vein pulsed at his temple.
My mouth opened and closed. I couldn’t look away from Reid’s stormy eyes. They looked how I felt. Angry, lost with guilt mixed in there.
Have I done something that hurt Cassie? Hurt her so much that she would turn on me. That she would stalk me, make me fear for my safety. My life. She tormented me so badly I was even considering stepping away at one point.
How could I not see it?
“Get that out of your head,” Reid’s voice lashed out, stopping my swirling thoughts. “Nothing you did brought this on. You’re not responsible for her. Something twisted in her head, and it made her do what she did. It’s not your fault. If it wasn’t you, she would find someone else to fixate on.”
I knew his words were meant to calm me, to free me of responsibility. To stop the guilt eroding at my insides.
Unfortunately, they fell flat.
“I-”
Reid was across the room in a flash, grasping my hand, and pulling me up.
“I’ve never told you this, but I’m a huge fan.
Was before, but with the time I spent around you, I became even bigger one.
I see the way you are with your fans. I see how you talk to people around you, people who work for you, people who take care of you.
” He spoke softly, only for me to hear. “You didn’t do this.
If anything, you bring joy to people, happiness.
You bring the light to so many while they are trapped in the dark. Your words bring hope.”
I gulped. His words felt like a balm.
“Don’t let her take that away from you. Don’t let her take you away from your fans. And don’t ever let her distinguish that ray of light.”
“Reid.” I started, but he cut me off.
“You can do this. I’ve seen you up there. Hell, we all have. You’re magic.” He smirked then. “I totally see why Carter Ryan lost his head for you. I can only wish I was brought on sooner, so I would have a fighting chance.”
I couldn’t help it, couldn’t even dream that it would happen in a moment like that, but I threw my head back and laughed.
Sobering up, I chuckled and dragged the pad of my thumbs underneath my eyes to clear any smudges that my mirth had left there, “Hate to break it to you, big guy, but there wouldn’t even be a competition.”
“Just my luck,” he muttered, a half a smile still on his mouth. “But it would be fun to watch Carter squirm a little.”
“Oh, who could bear his scowls then? It took me weeks to get him to crack a smile.”
Reid pulled on my hand, “C’me on, Ms. Thorne. Let’s go so you can light the fire in thousands of souls.”
I indeed let Reid guide me from my dressing room and to the stage.
At the steps leading up to the wings, I turned, “You’ll be here?”
“Wouldn’t move even an inch,” he promised. “I got your back.”
He was right, I could do this.
I’ve crawled my way from way tougher shit. And Carter was out here somewhere, trying to find Cassie, making sure I was safe as I did my job, and trying to end it all. For me.
All so I could do what I loved to do.
Yes, they were all right.
I wouldn’t let her steal my voice.
I could and would do this.
I shook out my arms, and straightened my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I said softly, and looked at Tim.
I could see concern written all over him. It was obvious he was a little lost.
I reached out and took his hand, “I’ll be alright.”
He didn’t say anything, just nodded his head.
“HAR-LEY! HAR-LEY! HAR-LEY!” He looked up as the chants became louder and louder.
“Go, and show them what you’re made of.” He released my hand, and turned me to the steps.
“Harley, baby,” Finn slung his arm across my shoulders. “You ready to rock shit out?”
I looked up at him, and grinned.
God, he had no clue what was happening.
None of them did.
They weren’t close with Cassie, not that I knew of. But the knowledge that someone from our inner circle has turned on us, and did some crazy shit that made us change how we were would hit. And it would hit deep.
I made a mental reminder to be there for them any way they needed once they found out.
I didn't want to chance someone else from my core group to feel like I’ve let them down.
There wasn’t time to let anyone know what Cassie had done.
The show had to go on.
“I was born ready, Finnie,” I said the words I said to him before every show.
He gave me his goofy grime, before he released me, and as the lights went out, followed the path of low glow sticks positioned on the stage and took his place on the stage.
Drum sticks sounded beating down the count, and as the first note blared through the speakers, a roar burst from the crowd.
I smiled my big, stage smile, looked over my shoulder to Reid and Tim, and yelled, “Here we go.”
“Thank you,” I murmured breathlessly into the mic.
We just finished the sixth song, and already the sweat was making my hair stick to my lips and face.
I didn’t care.
I loved it.
Looking out to the sea of people, swaying to my music, stomping their feet to the rhythm, and singing my words back to me was the greatest high.
Still, in the back of my mind stood the fact that they still hadn’t found Cassie.
Was she even here? Or has she slipped out and planned to do something else to me? Something more terrifying than watching me every second without me even knowing. Something more dangerous.
I was doing my best to keep my fear at bay, but my hands still shook a little.
The fact that I could see Carter prowling through the crowd near the stage, looking into face after face, helped.
Just knowing he was here, doing everything he could to keep me safe, helping me to do what I loved doing, helped to soothe my fried nerves.
“And now, I have something special for you tonight,” I murmured into the mic, my eyes on Carter as he walked down back to the stage. “I wrote this song for a man that holds my heart in his hands.”
At that Carter’s head whipped up, his eyes coming to mine, there was a fire burning in them, I could see even from a distance.
God, I felt warm all over just looking at him.
“A man who’s the best man I ever knew. A man who has given me silence I didn’t know I craved.”
The fans started clapping and cheering.
I broke eye contact with Carter for a second to motion the roadie to give me his guitar, and then looked back at the man I loved.
“This one, this one is for you Carter Ryan. You were the silence I didn’t know I needed.”
A blinding smile graced his lips, full of promises and dreams for our future.
A man came to stand before him, pulling his attention to me.
I could see him frown, his eyes jerking to me, then back to the man.
As I struck the cords, the lights went off.
Something was wrong.
“Carter,” I yelled, but he couldn’t hear me. The power was off.
I tried to turn, tried to run to Reid, but something firm struck me in my ribs, and stayed there.
“It’s time for you to come with me. Come with me or your lover boy dies,” the words were hissed into my ear, a hand grabbed my elbow. And then I was pulled to the left wing of the stage into complete and utter darkness.