Bellerose went straight into another one of their hits, a more upbeat number that I was fairly sure wasn’t about me since it had lighter elements for most of the song. This allowed me a second to pull myself together, rubbing my hands over my arms to ward off a chill that was encapsulating me… despite the heat of the venue with the twenty thousand bodies inside.
I managed to last through another three songs, but my heart really wasn’t in it.
“Ready to run, bitch?”
I spun at the snarky voice, finding Tom standing beside me. He was a rat for sure, creeping out of the darkness. He had to lean in closer for me to hear him, and I had to stop myself from actually clocking him in the nose.
“Run?” I bit out.
A derisive chuckle escaped him, and he was so close to my ear I shivered in disgust. “Come on, you know you’re putting them in danger. I’ll make it easy for you.”
He clearly didn’t realize I’d already been planning this and was trying to guilt me into making the choice I’d already made.
“You can’t be so selfish to want them dead, right?” he pressed. “I’m happy to pay you off with a few hundred thousand. Give you a start in life. It appears you’re owed money from the band anyway. We can call it even.”
Fuck this fucker.
“I would never take money from you,” I said, and I couldn’t help but place my hands on his chest and shove him away. His next words were lost in the screams and music, and I could only be grateful for that.
Turning on my heel, I hurried toward the left side. With Tom here, it was time for me to bail. I had to leave this life behind once and for all and make sure Bellerose was safe.
When I reached security, I was stopped. “You aren’t to leave without an escort,” the big man said as he leaned in closer.
Dammit. Apparently, the orders regarding my safety had gone out to more than just Bellerose’s personal security.
“I’m just going to get a drink and maybe use the bathroom,” I shouted back.
He started to shake his head, only pausing when Tom appeared at my side. “She’s authorized to go,” the bastard told the security guard. “We have others watching her.”
The big man shrugged then like he really didn’t give a shit. He’d done his job, and everyone knew Tom, as interim manager or whatever the fuck he was, had authority here. More than he should have.
When the guard stepped aside, I wasted no time bailing out of the VIP area, making my way down a small walkway until I emerged into the general public. This was the standing-room-only area, with no seats, and as I turned back for one last look at the stage, I found Tom still standing at the VIP entrance smiling at me.
I didn’t like that smile. It was the smile of a man who had won, and it went against every part of my being to let that happen. But what I was doing was not actually his plan. No matter what he thought, I knew the truth.
I’d done this for my boys, and I would get far away and alert Ricci to my newfound independence. Once they knew I wasn’t with Bellerose anymore, it’d just be up to me to stay hidden. Alone, I would save them all.
As I had that thought and was about to turn back around to leave, a bag was slammed over my head. My scream was lost in the crowd, and a second later, when something heavy cracked into the side of my covered head, everything went fuzzy.
My last emotion before I passed out was an all-consuming rage.
Rage and fear.
thirty-eight
JACE
Flo had arranged for Billie to watch the concert from VIP, right in front of the damn stage. I hadn’t said anything when she mentioned it to us, because I wanted her within line of sight while we were performing. So I’d much rather she be right there in front of us, instead of backstage somewhere where we had to rely on, frankly, incompetent security.
But shit, I wasnot preparedfor how goddamn nervous it would make me. Especially on the song that meant the most to our story. At those opening notes of “Broken and Bleeding,” my heart was torn open. All the pain and betrayal of that day eight years ago came slamming into me like a fresh wound. The whole thing grew infinitely worse as I pushed on, singing the signature track that’d scored Bellerose our first number one hit. My eyes flickered open, and there she was. Staring up at me with a gut-wrenching mixture of adoration and regret painted across her perfect face.
My voice hitched, and I gasped slightly while scrambling to get a grip. Rhett—that prick knew me better than anyone—caught it and smoothly shifted into an impromptu guitar solo while I pulled myself together with my back to the crowd. I made out like it was part of the show, but I was dying inside.
When I turned back, the lights had shifted. Or Billie had. Either way, I couldn’t see her anymore, and it was equal parts relieving and distressing. For the rest of the concert, I searched for her in the VIP area. Sometimes I caught a glimpse of her beautiful face, but then I wondered if maybe I was imagining things.
This past week had been… torture. Seeing her with Rhett, watching how he looked at her with such unashamed affection, it was cutting me deeper than I ever could have imagined. I couldn’t keep going like this. And Grayson announcing he’d asked her to stay? It was too much.
She couldn’t stay. My heart couldn’t take it. As soon as the show was finished, I would make plans. I’d transfer the entire contents of my savings to her, buy her a house, a car, whatever it took… but she couldn’t stay on tour. I’d end up killing my best friends out of pure, poisonous jealousy.
