That motherfucker. I should have fucked him up when I caught him the second time. I clench my fists, ready to pummel his face in. Against my better judgement, I open another clip. It’s Jackson walking right toward the camera in the kitchen that gives me views of the entry hall, living room, kitchen, and family room. He looks around, trying to find another camera.
He smiles. “Nice try, Cas. That was sneaky of you.” He jumps up on the counter to the top of the cupboards where I hid the camera, smiles, then the stream cuts off again. I open more,watching as he takes out all the exterior cameras before moving upstairs. Each one makes me progressively more irritated. By the time I get dropped off at my tour bus, I’m seeing nothing but violence in my near future. This motherfucker thinks he’s so goddamn cute. Wait until he meets the version of Cas I keep locked away and buried.
That’s right, ya boy wasn’t always a rockstar. I’ve known the other side of life. Thankfully my foster family helped me out of a real bad generational crime situation, but that doesn’t mean I won’t turn back to that part of who I am. Jackson is bringing out my dark side, and he’s going to find himself regretting it.
Once on the tour bus, I let the team know I’m back and ready to go. Then I plop down on the sofa to open the last video. The final video starts in Vivienne’s room. I clench my jaw as anger rushes through my nerves. It shows Jackson smelling, touching, and licking Vivienne’s underwear. Then he pulls out a pair of EMT scissors and begins cutting all of it and tossing it on her bed. When he finishes destroying every last pair, he moves on to her lingerie, repeating the actions before throwing it on her bed. Finally he goes to her closet and returns with an armful of bras. He cuts them up too. As if it’s not enough, he stabs each one of her pillows, slicing them open. Then winks directly at the camera, takes off his pants, and masturbates all over the cut-up fabric. When he’s finished, he blows me a kiss.
“Your move, Cas.” He laughs maniacally before smashing the scissors through the camera’s brains, causing it to short-circuit.
I’m going to fucking kill him. He dares challenge me. Jackson wants my attention, and now he has it. This isn’t a grudge match anymore. It’s war.
Chapter twenty-two
Today is the first day of the convention. First-day energy buzzes through my body. This is the space I wish I could live in all weekend. So far, everything is perfect. Roxy and I were surprised with breakfast in bed courtesy of Cas. I’m fairly certain he just ordered two of everything on the breakfast menu. I don’t care. It was definitely the thought that counts. He’s sweet, but I get the feeling he doesn’t want anyone else to know that.
The room phone rings, and Roxy answers. I listen to her side of the conversation, knowing it’s probably the front desk letting us know our ride has arrived. She hangs up, and I ask, “Is the car here?”
“Yup,” Roxy answers. “Are you ready to go, little miss featured cover artist?” I giggle happily.
“You know this is my favorite part of the con!” I squeal.
“Me too, boo.” Roxy snatches our day bag and tosses it over her shoulder. I grab both our water cups, and together we stroll out the hall to the elevators.
“Do you remember the first time my dad brought us to Texas for a convention?” I ask as the doors slide closed and the elevator begins to descend.
“Yeah, we thought it was so cool to go on the floor with him, and we kept telling everyone your dad was famous,” Roxy recalls through laughter.
“I wish he was here.” I sigh, my excitement flickering for a second.
“Hey, none of that. He would be so fucking proud of you, Vi. He was proud of you, and even though he’s not here this year, he got to see you sign.” She gives me a hug.
The elevator dings, and she drags me out to the car. Roxy’s right. He may not have seen me follow in his footsteps as a featured artist, but he knew I made it.
The driver opens the door for us, and Roxy turns back to look at me one last time before she climbs in. I follow her, and the door closes. “Are you okay?” she squeezes my hand.
I nod. “Just those pre-show emotions that eat you alive.”
“I’m glad it’s only pre-show nerves, but if you need to schedule a menty-b, let me know, and we can work it into the schedule.” Roxy’s tone is joking but serious.
I swear if we couldn’t laugh about our pre-show breakdown rituals, then I’m not sure either of us would survive.
“Are you okay?” I ask as the driver gets in.
“You mean, is it fine that my grandparents are too busy living it up in Florida to attend yet another event?” She puts her sunglasses on, pushing them into place with one finger. “Yeah, babe, I think that stopped hurting a few years ago. Besides, it’s more fun when it’s just the two of us. Although I won’t complain if Cas wants to tag along sometime, so long as he brings some friends.”
I cackle. Roxy laughs so hard she snorts, and the driver eyes us both in the rearview mirror like we might be insane. Since we stayed onsite, the drive takes barely five minutes before we’re merging into the celebrity access line. This has always been my favorite part of attending. Our line moves fast enough, but we still get to enjoy seeing all the fans dressed up and in line down the streets, taking over the city in their cosplays.
It’s both humbling and fulfilling to glimpse a fraction of all the lives we’ve impacted before a show. Seeing so many people brought together over a shared love of a fictional world we get to help bring to life is gratifying at a different level.
Roxy and I ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’, pointing out our favorite cosplays as we make our way to the designated entrance, where we’re greeted by security.
When we finally meet up with our team of handlers and the rest of the publishing talent attending, we have just enough time for a snack. While we eat, we’re briefed on the meet-and-greet event opener. It’s surreal to be the person opening the entire convention to the public, but it’s also bittersweet. I try not to over think anything, and pay attention to all the instructions.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m escorted with Roxy by my side to the opening stage at the VIP entrance. The crowd goes quiet as the president of the convention speaks into the microphone. “I want to welcome everyone to opening day. Thank you for being a part of the VIP experience here in Texas. The doors will open in a few minutes and you’ll be able to make your way to the experience you selected on your ticket. Have the QR code ready to scan on your badges for entry. We hope everyone has a phenomenal weekend at the convention.”
Cheers erupt. He waits for silence to fall once more then continues. “It’s with great excitement that I welcome featured cover artist Viv Taylor to the stage to officially open the show.”
I don’t walk onto the stage. I arrive. The crowd goes wild as I smile and wave at the sea of fans. When the cheering has mostly quieted, I lean into the microphone and say my lines. “Good morning, Texas. It’s a great day for a convention. The doors are open, and we can’t wait to meet you.”
