“Yeah, you are,” he says. “You’re all—” He rounds his shoulders, stuffs his hands in his pockets, and walks a double-pace, making fun of my strides.
I smack him in the stomach. “Well, I am angry. They attacked my girl—someone shot up my client’s set.”
He blows out a frustrated breath. “Do you think they were connected?” he asks.
I glance back at him. “What—the shooter and her attacker?”
“Yeah.”
The question makes me balk slightly. “That’d be one hell of a fall for someone to take just for their friend to get revenge,” I reply. “Imagine asking someone to shoot up a music festival just so you canmaybeassault the girl who got away from you the first time.”
“So, you’re sure it was one of them?” he asks.
“It sure as fuck wasn’t random,” I say, searching the faces of the people hanging out backstage. “They were waiting in the dressing room.”
“Maybe they were after one of the guys. Or Andi,” he says.
I laugh. “Imagine being that fucking dumb,” I say about the Andi comment. “I don’t think anyone ever wants to face Mads Tourning. The last guy that touched her is dead—by hisfists. No one is that stupid.”
“But they’re stupid enough to come near someone you care about?” he asks.
My mind filters to Lance’s face before I blew it off. “They shouldn’t be,” I say. “Hey, are you sure your arm is okay?” I ask him.
He brushes me off, his arm already stitched up from the bullet graze. “Stings, but not bad. I’m just glad you and Reed saw the guy before things went down.”
I’d been in the walk when I saw him. There was something off about the way he walked… Rumors had reached us before the set that someone had been showing off their gun to some friends, though venue security had assured us they were investigating it, double-checking bags and bodies at the gate.
“Reed was pissed at the crowd,” I say, looking around a corner. “He’s never like that, and I’ve been to enough of their shows, I know. I—”
I freeze mid-sentence, mid-stride, as I hear a voice that makes a chill run down my spine.
“Oh, shit,” Liam says.
My entire body feels like it turns to fire as I pivot to my left, and there, standing against one of the trailers near the one I took Bonnie and Reed to last night… is Rad.
“Gemma…”
“You can walk away right now and say you lost me,” I say, gathering my wits. “Otherwise, I just need you to back me up. I’m not going to do anything here that isn’t just a threat.” I peer at Liam over my shoulder. “I want him dead too much to jeopardize that.”
I turn back around and advance on the asshole.
“I’m just going to rough him up a little—Hey, fuckhead!”
A few of the people standing around him, including Rad, turn toward me.
“Ah… who are you talking to there, princess?” he asks, laughing. “Hey, fuck head. Ha. That could be any of us—whoa,what the fuck?!”
I slam my forearm under his throat, grab a fist full of his t-shirt, and shove him into the side of the trailer as he throws his hands up.
“Easy, bitch. What the hell? What happened—did I fuck your wife, too?” he asks.
I want to cut the smirk off his face.
I scoff. “You fucking wish,” I say.
“Well, what the hell? Who the fuck are you?”
“—clear out, people,” I hear Liam telling those around us. “Clear out. Nothing to see.”
