Don’t interrupt her show
DON’T INTERRUPT HER SHOW
Wyatt
I decided she was worth the pain. It was worth staying on her service to know she was safe. No one would care about her protection the way I would, and if all I got from here on out was to watch her shine from behind the scenes, it would have to be enough.
The alternative was never seeing her again, and that hurt worse than not being able to touch her but still being close.
Maybe I’d been a masochist in another life.
Jamie greeted me with a smile when he opened her front door. “Enjoy your days off?”
I stepped inside, my gaze already scanning the room for Brynn. “Yeah, it was alright.”
It was the worst three days of my life, and I couldn’t wait to lay my eyes on Brynn again. There’d been a knot in my stomach since I left her, and only the sight of her safe would ease it.
We walked down the hall and into her huge kitchen where Stella was yammering on while she pointed to things on a tablet.
Brynn was drinking out of a coffee mug, her gaze staring vacantly out onto the patio while she nodded along.
I suspected she wasn’t actually listening to her manager. She seemed too lost in her thoughts.
Jamie cleared his throat. “Wyatt and I are trading off.” Her gaze shot from the patio to mine in a heartbeat, and I could’ve sworn relief filled her gorgeous green gaze that I’d pictured every time I closed my eyes.
Jamie clapped me on the back and then turned around and exited the same way I’d entered.
Brynn and I stared at each other, neither of us saying a word, but the energy between us grew and expanded, sparking like electricity.
Stella interrupted our moment, her gaze fortunately focused on her tablet and her watch. “Damn, where does the time go? Brynn, we need to get you to the venue for tonight’s show.”
Brynn blinked and her face morphed into that professionally neutral expression she seemed to wear the most. It was void of the passion she’d had on her face when we’d been together.
The way her smile was so bright it seemed to light up the whole room and her eyes would practically glitter.
There was none of that now. If she wasn’t so beautiful, she’d look like any other corporate CEO walking into a boardroom.
Only her boardroom was a stage, and it hit me all at once that she was a performer.
Not in the sense of her actual job title, but in the way she always seemed to be performing some role with her staff or her dancers or anyone she interacted with.
The first time I’d seen her with her guard down was at the cabin.
She hadn’t been performing then.
Sadie’s words from three nights ago came back to me. She’d asked if Brynn had a reason for ending things. Was it this? Her life? The fact she always had to be “on” for someone? Did she think I wouldn’t want to be with her in this chaos?
Did she think I couldn’t handle her fame? Or that it would become too much for me?
How often had the past men in her life proved to be inadequate when it came to her lifestyle, including the parts she couldn’t control?
I looked at her through a new lens. She seemed exhausted with bags under her eyes and the corners of her mouth turned down more than usual. Had she slept as poorly as I had the last few days?
I sat in the passenger seat as we made our way to the venue, the driver another one of Raf’s guys who I’d worked with occasionally.
It took more restraint than I knew I had not to constantly look back and check on her.
As it was, my ears were attuned to her every sound.
The soft cadence of her voice as she spoke to Stella.
The way her body shifted on the expensive leather upholstery.
The slight catch in her breath when she said my name.
Turning around, I met her vivid green eyes. “Yes?”
She swallowed once, her throat moving with the motion. “Is everything good with security at the venue?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I didn’t imagine the slight wince at my returning to the formality I’d used before our time in Tahoe.
“Same rules as before. Anyone coming to the meet and greet has already been vetted. We also did background checks on all ticket holders who got floor seats.”
Stella frowned. “Is that really necessary since she’s not being threatened anymore?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice cold and tone hard.
If I’d had my way, it would’ve been extended to anyone who bought tickets period, but Raf was concerned with a close attack.
It would be nearly impossible to get a long-range weapon into tonight’s venue.
It was the “nearly” that made me grind my teeth.
Raf had wanted to pull back the added security measures since we already had her stalker in custody.
I’d been the one to put my foot down and demand it all stay in place.
I faced forward and they resumed their conversation for the remainder of the drive.
I was always amazed at the moving parts that went into a professional show of this caliber.
But Brynn’s shows seemed to have more moving parts than normal.
The costumes and props, the band equipment, the literal mechanics she had going on as well.
It was impressive but also utter chaos, and chaos always made me uneasy.
It was easy to miss little things in this level of madness. And often it was the smallest thing that could alert you to danger.
I was scanning the audience from my spot backstage.
It wasn’t ideal because there were blind spots, but it allowed me a decent view and kept me close to her if I needed to get to her quickly.
Another bodyguard was stationed on the other side of the stage to cover the blind spots I couldn’t see from my position.
She started singing one of her slow songs, and I’d seen her perform enough times now to know exactly when there were supposed to be flashing lights.
The one that caught my attention wasn’t part of the show. I narrowed my view while I hit my earpiece to communicate with the other bodyguard.
All my senses hyperfocused, and before I’d consciously made a decision, I was already rushing onto the stage. The crowd saw me before Brynn did, but the fingers all pointing behind her caused her to turn around.
Her eyes widened when she saw me rushing toward her, but she didn’t hesitate or question my movements.
She ran straight toward me, and I loved her so much more in that single second than I’d ever loved anyone.
Her complete trust in me when I knew how important these shows were to her was something I’d never fully appreciated before.
She jumped into my arms and I spun my body, shielding her from the audience just as a burn of pain flared in my back.
Get her to safety.
It was the only thought in my brain as I ran off the stage, my steps faltering the closer I got to the backstage area where she’d be completely shielded from view of the audience. I could already hear the other bodyguard in my ear saying he’d called in reinforcements.
My pulse raced as my vision started to waver. The effects of the blood loss were swift, which wasn’t a good thing. I squeezed my arms around her tighter. Would this be the last time I ever held her in my arms?
We made it to the darkened backstage, the stage manager standing by with her cellphone to her ear and talking quickly to someone on the other end. I set Brynn down and then staggered a step before collapsing to the floor.
Black tinged my vision, but I could still see well enough to watch Brynn fall to her knees, her terrified eyes staring at her bloody hand. Her gaze shot to me as everyone rushed around us. She leaned over me, grabbing my face until all I could see was her.
Tears filled her beautiful eyes and spilled down her pale cheeks. She was shaking her head. “No. No, no, no. You can’t leave me, not like this. Please,” her voice broke.
I ached to touch her face, to feel her smooth skin underneath my rough palms one last time, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find the energy to lift my arm.
“You were worth it,” I said, the words coming out a hoarse whisper that I hoped she heard.
And then everything faded to black.