Chapter 4
Rio
"You killed that!" Chico screams as he makes his way to me backstage, bumping my shoulder. "They sang your verse at the tops of their lungs. The crowd missed you."
I smile because it really feels good. I worried what that would be like after being gone for more than a year and a half.
But being onstage felt like coming into my second skin.
Yeah, they're here for Chico tonight, but they remembered me.
That's good enough for me right now. I still have a long road to my tour-kickoff concert and only a few months to prepare.
I change my sweaty shirt while Chico goes to change for his next set.
When I exit the dressing room, I see her alone, standing by the wall. Luna. She’s staring right at me, but her expression blank, unlike the way she was dancing in the audience. She was really working those hips, shaking them to my music, but now it’s like she doesn’t even know me.
Why does she hate me so much? I want to close the distance between us and ask her what her problem is.
All I did was ask her out, and one minute she was into it, but the next, she texted back as if I had done something to her.
Now, every time I see her, she acts like a pure loca.
Why are the hottest ones always unhinged?
Thierry comes out of nowhere to stand by her. He hands her a glass of water, and then his hand goes to her waist and drifts to her ass. He pulls her to him, and her head lolls to his shoulder. Then, like he's done it a million times, his head comes down, and he tilts her neck up to kiss her.
I'm stunned. That’s her friend’s boyfriend.
But her hand is shoving at his side.
And the alarm bells go off in my head.
"Something's wrong with her," Tito says.
I take my gaze off them and look at him. "You see that too?"
"She looks like you when you were on the Vibe."
Vibe is something someone gave me months ago to take the edge off. The flashback is quick and strong. I couldn’t feel a thing with my skin being so numb. People kept pulling me. I didn’t want to go but couldn’t say no. Looking at Luna brings it all back.
Then I hear her voice clearly. "I don't feel good. Leave me alone."
She is pushing at him, but Thierry brings her closer.
I take a step forward, and Chico's hand is on my shoulder to stop me. "Stay away, man. It’s none of your business. That’s how that crowd parties."
I look at him, but I hear her say, “No, I don’t want to.”
As much as I don’t like this chick, I need to make sure she is okay.
I shake Chico's hand off my shoulder and cross the distance. "What's going on?"
Thierry smirks at me. "What does it look like?"
Luna's eyes are glassy. Her body is unstable, like she can’t stand on her own.
"She's not okay. Are you trying to take advantage of her?"
Thierry laughs. "Yeah, right."
I ignore him. "Luna, you want to come with me?"
She doesn't move, but whispers, “Yes.”
I step forward.
Thierry holds up a hand. "Back off."
His bodyguard remains by his side but doesn't move. He's staring at Tito. My cousin is big enough for him to think twice.
I extend a hand, and Luna latches onto it. I pull her, but Thierry holds her back.
“Let her go, man. She said no. That means you fuck off.” If I have to tell him again, it won’t be with words. My hand flexes to a fist, ready to do the talking for me.
“Mind your fucking business, man,” Thierry shoots back.
"What's going on?” Adina rushes to his side, but her gaze is on me.
Thierry points at me. “Luna is not feeling good, and this asshole wants her to go with him."
She looks from Luna to me, pressing her lips. "No, she hates him." Her phone pings, and she looks at it. Then her face goes pale, and she turns to Thierry. "What the fuck?"
On her phone screen is the image of Thierry kissing Luna. In the next second, she turns to Luna and tries to slap her. "You bitch."
Both bodyguards step in the way. I move Luna back, but in that moment, she tugs at my hand.
"I want to go home." Her voice is soft, almost fading, provoking a heaviness in my stomach.
I’m going to make sure she gets there.
I move her away as Adina is screaming in the background. "That fucking slut. She always wants what I have. I can't believe you, Thierry. Why her?"
I take Luna out of the place.
"Get me an Uber."
I shake my head at her. "You can't go home alone. Tell me where you live, and I'll take you."
"But I hate you. You're a dog." Her eyes are darting from side to side.
"I know, but we have to get you home."
"Call Sel…" She sways against me with her full weight.
I manage to catch her, but her eyes roll back. My heart drops as I hold her with one hand and pat her face. "Luna."
She doesn't open her eyes or look at me again. My heart is pounding so fast I'm barely aware of the yelling around me and the gathering crowd.
A hand presses on my shoulder. Thankfully, it’s Tito. "We have to get her to a hospital."
I pick her up, her limp body heavy against my chest, and we load her into the backseat of my waiting SUV. I place her head on my lap as we drive away. I keep patting her cheek, but she's out cold.
"Let's go to St. Anthony's. It's the closest one. Rio, you need to call Maeven," Marco, my driver, says.
I look away from Luna to the front of the car. His usually jovial face is now marked by a deep frown. "What? Why?"
"You didn't see people snapping photos and videos? This girl's face is already all over the place after she kissed Thierry."
"He kissed her. Forcibly. She was practically a zombie."
"It won't matter. The internet is already on it,” Marco insists.
I clench my teeth. There’s never a moment where there’s not a fucking camera around. "This just happened."
"No kidding. People are going live on TikTok. This shit is going viral. Maeven won't be happy," says Tito, holding up his phone.
"What else is new?"
Five minutes later, we pull up to the emergency room. When they take Luna away, I pull out my phone and call Maeven.
“Rio? What’s wrong? Why are you calling me at this hour?” She’s out of breath.
“We have a problem. There’s this girl, Luna, who seems to have been drugged—”
“Get off me. I gotta go,” she tells someone. “Rio, did you have sex with that impaired girl?”
“What? No. I took her away from Thierry Banks. He was kissing her against her will, and then his girlfriend, Adina, wanted to beat her. We brought her to St. Anthony’s. She’s in the ER. Marco said I should call you—”
Her audible breath fills the line. “Hold up. Are you talking about Luna Santos?”
“Yeah, she’s out cold. You know her?”
“Yeah,” she says, and there’s all kinds of rustling on the other line. “Help me find my pants. Luna’s my old intern. I’m on my way, Rio.”