Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
I nod again.
“Mav?”
I look to him.
“You love her?”
Now I hold his eyes. “Yeah. I fuckin’ do.”
“Then I promise you, we’ll get to the bottom of this with her in one piece.”
I inhale, then drop my cigarette on the ground and crush it out with my boot. “Yeah,” I mutter. “I fuckin’ hope so.”
He slaps me on the back. “We got your back.”
I hope so.
Fuck.
I hope so.
-19-
SCARLETT
“This song is for someone pretty special,” I say into the microphone over the roaring crowd, over the bright lights of cell phones being pointed in my direction.
Through all that. I can still see him. Standing in the crowd, Mal by his side, watching me. My eyes haven’t left his. My heart hasn’t stopped aching for him. I am so in love with this man, it seems nothing I can do is going to take that away now. I’m royally screwed, and I’m completely okay with it.
“He saved me. He taught me how to breathe again. He made me feel again. So, I’m going to sing this one for him. It’s a cover, of course, but I think ya’ll will know it.”
I start singing “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. The crowd goes wild, all of them more than familiar with the song, but I only have my eyes on him. Standing in the crowd. Staring at me. Face blank, but those eyes, oh, those eyes, they’re locked on mine and I can read every thought just with one, single look. I sing, not once looking away from him, my voice trailing out over the crowd, who are all singing along with me.
It’s the most intense moment of my life.
It’s the only way I can tell him just how much he’s come to mean to me.
One day, I’ll finish my song, and I’ll dedicate it to him. But for now, this one says everything I can’t. I belt out the words, both hands clutching the microphone. When he’s standing in the crowd, everyone else is drowned out, and it’s as though we’re in the room together, completely alone. Being the strong, masculine man he is, he doesn’t make any movement, but I can see it in his face.
What it’s doing to him.
The tightness of his jaw, the softness in his eyes, the way his body is almost leaning toward me, as if he wants to shove through the crowd and haul me off the stage. When the song is finished, the crowd goes completely crazy. Screaming and cheering. It’s the most incredible sound. As was hearing them sing along with me. That sound never gets old, it’ll always make my skin prickle. There is something about hearing people’s voices blend together when they sing along, that gets me every time.
Every single time.
My eyes finally leave his, and scan over the crowd. And that’s when I see one of them. Treyton’s men. I would recognize him anywhere, he was around more than once when I was with Treyton. His eyes lock on mine, and I freeze. Thankfully, not mid-way through a song. He jerks a little, and then as quickly as I saw him, he disappears into the crowd. How long have they been at my shows, watching me? I take a deep breath, not wanting to cause any more problems for Susan, and face the crowd again.
Both Mal and Maverick are watching, trying to see what I saw. Their heads turn back to me, and I give a little nod. Both of them start moving toward the direction the man was standing. Daniel, his name is. I wonder how many other of Treyton’s men are here, right now? The ones I don’t recognize? Is he here? God.
I close the show, using my happiest voice, using my best performance, and then I disappear off the stage and out back. Susan is waiting, a massive smile on her face. “That was an incredible show, it’ll help with all the negative media attention surrounding you right now. Well done, Scarlett.”
“Susan, I saw one of Treyton’s men in the crowd. Maverick is looking into it, but it was definitely one of them. If Maverick and Mal come back, can you please let them through?”
Her eyes widen. “Of course. I thought we’d been filtering who was coming in and out? We haven’t seen Treyton.”
“He’s using other people, you wouldn’t recognize any of his men. He could send anyone in, and obviously that’s what he’s doing.”
She nods, pulling out her phone. “I’ll double security, maybe start running checks on everyone coming in. We’ll figure something out, don’t panic.”
I nod, but I don’t feel all that well suddenly. Amalie comes over, putting her hand on my shoulder. She’s sweating from the show, it was hot in there. Her eyes are wide and concerned. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’m just not feeling that great. Stress, maybe?”