Finding Forever: Band on the Run Part Two — A Rock Star Romantic Suspense

by Lara Wynter

  I nod and blink back my tears. I can do this. I will do this! I force my aching body to go back into the painful position and try to embrace my pain.

  Madame claps her hands together. “Very good, young Mea. We will make a dancer of you yet.”

  My young heart swells with pride at the rare praise. I may not have much in my life, no real parents to love me, no friends to play with, but I have this. I will dance until the pain fades away. I will dance until the pain becomes my bliss. To dance is life.

  I gasp in a breath as my eyes open, and I push myself up off the tiled floor. At least it’s clean. I get to my feet and brush out the creases in my dress. Turning to the mirror, I take in my appearance. My cheeks look almost hollow. I’ve lost weight since Rudy caught me again. Opening my purse, I touch up my make-up, trying to put some color back in my pallid cheeks. How long was I out for? It can’t have been too long or Leo would have come in here looking for me.

  The memory fragment brings me both joy and pain. That day was the first day in my young life that I remember wanting something again. My dancing improved quickly from that point, and I know I became one of Madame’s star pupils. Not that I ever got to see her other students. I was never allowed to go to a proper ballet class. Madame became one of the few people I held genuine affection for growing up. As I got older, she would occasionally hug me when no one was around, but we both knew that those hugs risked her being expelled from my life, so they were fast and infrequent. I lived for those moments.

  Where is Madame now? It’s been a few years since I last saw her. Rudy announced one day that I no longer needed any further ballet instruction. I never knew if it was because he feared we were getting too close or because he really thought that I needed no further training. If I ever get free of Rudy, I’ll track her down and give her the longest hug I can, and thank her for being a spark of hope in a bleak and lonely childhood.

  It’s time to get back out there before anyone becomes suspicious. I glance around the bathroom and see it. A window to the outside world.

  Rushing over, I pull myself up the sill and look out. The window is small, but so am I. I push it open as far as I can and peer out. The street isn’t much farther down than the floor below me, but it would be an awkward landing if I squeezed myself out head-first.

  A few people walk by, oblivious to my plight. Maybe someone would catch me if I called out—

  “Mea, get back out here,” Leo’s voice carries clearly through the door.

  I drop back to the floor and open the door. “I’m coming. Sheesh, it’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

  Leo glares at me. “Rudy expects a full report when we get back. You want me to tell him you spent twenty-minutes in the bathroom?”

  I walk past him. “Tell him what you want. I’ve done nothing wrong.” I hurry back to the table in time to see Vance slap the waitress on the backside as she leaves the table. What a keeper — not. Looks like he hasn’t missed me at least.

  “Mea! You’re just in time. Our dessert is here.” Vance pauses for a moment as I take my seat. “Along with a special surprise.” He winks at me as if we share some delightful inside joke.

  I look down at my slice of cherry pie. Bile runs up the back of my throat and I silently plead with my legs not to get up and run from the room at the sight of the glossy dark-red filling and golden, sugar-covered pastry. My head swims. This can’t be happening. Cherry pie is something I share with Joss. I can’t sully that memory with this … this … travesty of a marriage proposal.

  The large diamond ring sits nestled on the stem of a blood red rose that sits on my plate beside the traitorous dessert. A tear trickles down my cheek and drips onto my plate before I can stop it.

  Vance reaches across the table and slides the ring off the rose stem. “I hope those are happy tears, my love.”

  I force a smile onto my lips and blink back my tears. “Of course. I’m just overcome by the moment.”

  “Give me your hand,” Vance orders.

  Everything in me is telling me to bolt from the restaurant. Even though I could never out sprint Leo in my heels. The urge to escape is so strong. I want to literally crawl out of my own body and float away. This cannot be happening.

  I can’t marry Vance.

  I just can’t.

  Chapter Seven

  Joss

  I rub my arms against the sudden chill in the air. Why do I suddenly feel like giving up in despair? I shake my head, trying to dispel the feeling.

  “You find anything yet?” I ask Jasper.

  Jasper grunts. “Yeah, and I just forgot to tell you.” He moves on to the next locker.

  Even his infinite patience is wearing thin at my behavior. That’s the third time I’ve asked him the same thing. I force myself to turn back to the entrance. It’s still all quiet, only the sounds of distant traffic and Jasper shuffling through people’s personal items break the stillness of the night.

  If the gun isn’t here, I don’t know what I’ll do. Would its absence mean Willow has been forced to give it to Gadsden? Is she still safe? Why do I have this heavy feeling in my chest? I walk back over to Jasper. I need to do something besides standing here.

  Jasper expertly picks the next lock and pulls open the rusty metal door. The top shelf holds a ball cap and a small cloth bag. I reach in and pull the bag out. Opening it up, there’s a wad of cash. It’s all small notes, some of them crushed and stained. I’d guess, all up, it’s only a few hundred at most. I close it back up and place it back how I found it. Some poor schmuck might need it.

  Jasper opens a black satchel and grins wickedly.

  “You found it?” I whisper, my heart racing.

  Jasper extracts the gun. He’s wearing gloves, but the gun is also in a clear plastic bag. It looks normal enough, but with this evidence, we can put Rudy Gadsden behind bars where he belongs and free Willow from her prison.

  Jasper places the weapon into his inside jacket pocket. My attention goes back to the locker. That’s Willow’s cap, Willow’s money. She probably spent years squirreling away every stray dollar she came across to help her when she had a chance to run. Reaching down into the bottom of the locker, I retrieve a small backpack. I open it and pull out a long, navy hooded top. Holding up to my face, I breathe in deeply. The sweet, sweet smell of Willow causes my head to swim. It’s like I can almost reach out and touch her. I hold it tightly, but it’s no substitute for the real thing. Reluctantly, I fold it back up.

  An idea strikes me. If Willow discovers the gun is missing, I need her to know who took it. I pull off my own gray sweater and fold it up. I place it on the top shelf where Willow will notice it immediately. She’ll know it’s mine the same way I’m sure the one I found is hers.

  Jasper grunts. “Swapping love letters.”

  I chuckle at his dry wit. “Something like that. We need Willow to know we have the gun, but no one else. I figured this was the easiest way.”

  Jasper grins and scratches his head. “You know, if you weren’t a world famous rock star and a ranch owner, I’d probably consider adding you to my team.”

  I slap his shoulder affectionately. “And if I wasn’t all those things, I’d probably consider saying yes.”

  Jasper closes the locker, and I feel like a small piece of my heart is being ripped away. This is the closest I’ve felt to Willow since she was taken. Here in this dingy old building full of old nets and ropes and no doubt vermin hidden in the walls.

  I pull the blue hooded sweatshirt on over my t-shirt. It’s a little snug on my much larger frame, but it must swim on Willow for it to even fit me at all. Will my bandmates think I’m weird if I wear it every day? I shake my head. I can’t get carried away with sentimentality. I need to keep my focus. There is too much at stake to let myself get distracted now. But I still somehow feel lighter as we exit the building. I’ll tell myself it’s because we found the gun.

  Jasper remains silent as we drive. He has his ‘thinking face’ on, so I don’t annoy
him with questions about where we’re going or what we’re going to do next. He’ll tell me soon enough.

  We continue to drive uphill along a narrow street. The trees get greener and thicker as we go along. Finally, he turns into a tree-lined drive and stops in front of a narrow three-story house. Balconies stand out on the upper levels. Green vines climb the trees, the house supports, and even the balcony. The place looks a bit eerie in the moonlight, but I’m sure it’s more appealing during the day.

  “Where are we,” I ask, following Jasper’s lead and getting out of the car.

  Jasper climbs the steps surrounded by greenery. He unlocks the front door and ushers me inside. “I rented this place so we’d have somewhere safe to bring Willow when we find her.”

  “Oh,” I look around the living room of the furnished house. The high ceiling has polished wooden beams and a large skylight. The muscles in my shoulders relax, making me aware of how stressed I’ve been. “Is this where you’re going to stash the gun?”

  “That’s the plan.” Jasper’s eyes are in constant motion, even here, “There’s a safe in the master bedroom.”

  “And no one can trace the rental back to us?”

  “No. As long as no one follows us directly, we’re safe here.” Jasper heads up the stairs, no doubt to lock away the gun.

  I wish we could just give it to the police now, but then we would have no leverage to use against Gadsden if we can’t locate and rescue Willow on our own. Jasper has been busy trying to track down the various properties that Gadsden owns, but it’s tricky because he can’t tip anyone off as to what he’s doing. Our strongest chance of success relies on stealth. Gadsden has a lot of thugs working for him. We’re way too under-manned to make a direct attack.

  I head up the stairs and look into the rooms. There is a large bedroom with a deck set right up among the trees. My mind drifts. If Willow and I were married and none of this had ever happened, I could imagine living in a house like this. We could raise a family and have friends visit. In the summers, we could go hiking in the forest and fishing in the lakes. My heart aches, picturing such an idyllic, simple life that can never be ours.

  I just want to be doing more to find her. Going into the studio day after day, pretending nothing is wrong, is slowly killing me inside. They praise me for the depth of emotion in my voice, but it’s coming from a place of desperation and it’s taking its toll on me. I collapse onto the bed and close my eyes. Even sleep doesn’t bring me the peace I long for any more. My dreams are often turbulent and troubled. I’m not sure how much longer I can go on like this. My heart aches, but that's nothing to what Willow must be going through.

  I need to be strong for her sake.

  I need to keep going.

  I need to hold on.

  Chapter Eight

  Willow

  My hand trembles violently as Vance slips the ostentatious diamond ring onto my finger. The cherry pie sits untouched on my plate. The ring has two gold bands covered in smaller diamonds. The main diamond sits higher, surrounded by a golden ring with more diamonds. The whole thing is over the top and sits heavily on my finger. I long to yank it off and throw it out into the water until it sinks to the bottom.

  It’s hard to hold back the tears, but I’ve already slipped up enough tonight. Even Vance will pick up on my abhorrence eventually if I can’t pull myself together.

  “Let’s dance,” Vance announces. He leads me over to a small dance floor where a few couples sway together. I let him pull me close and reluctantly place my arms around his waist.

  “This will be our song, mon amore.”

  I hate the endearment that tumbles from his fishy lips. I listen to the music to see what song is now ruined for me forever. It’s from Romeo and Juliet. Theirs is a tragic love story. Much like this one is going to be. I smile at the thought. Although this Juliet doesn’t intend to die in the end. If Romeo wants his tragic ending, I won’t stand in his way.

  “Ah, you’re smiling, Mea. I know how much you love to dance, and so I will accommodate you in this, being the generous man that I am.”

  I nod, keeping my smile fixed in place. “You are indeed generous. This night has been ... illuminating.”

  We continue to sway back and forth. As if this is even dancing. I let my eyes close so I can imagine it’s Joss with his arms around me. Those broad shoulders and that muscular back. That small smile, complete with the adorable dimples, softening the carved jawline. The way it felt when I ran my hands up his back and into that gloriously thick, soft hair — My eyes fly open when I feel the slicked back strands of Vance’s overly styled locks. How could I let my imagination carry me away like that?

  Vance is looking right into my startled gaze. “You see how it can be between us,” he lowers his head, his lips coming closer.

  At the last second, I turn my head so his kiss lands on my cheek and not my lips.

  “Come, now, little one. Don’t play coy with me. I know you want me. You don’t have to pretend anymore.” Vance places his hands on my cheeks, his fingers sliding into my hair. He holds me still while his lips meet mine. I try to pull back, but he only uses the opening to deepen the kiss.

  I let my body go still under his hold and picture myself back on the ranch in the sunlight, the man of my dreams beside me ...

  The car ride back to Rudy’s mansion is not as unpleasant as I feared. Leo drives the Mercedes while I sit in the back beside Vance. His soft snores fill the car with their cadence. A bit of drool runs from the corner of his mouth. All that alcohol he consumed tonight is finally taking effect. If he sleeps for the whole trip, hopefully I can escape anymore of his slimy kisses.

  How long can I play out this charade, though? There is only so long this can go on before he forces me to do things I don’t want to do. Tonight's kisses were unpleasant enough. I will not marry this man. I need to bring my escape plans forward. The next time I have an opportunity to leave the house, I need to take it, no matter what the risks. But if I fail — The thought is too awful to contemplate. I can’t fail. I won't fail.

  The car pulls up in front of Rudy’s house, my prison. Eric is standing in front of the house. His gun is visible in its holster. Eric fills in for Leo on guard duty, usually at night when Leo sleeps.

  “Go with Eric,” Leo snaps, in his ‘must be obeyed’ voice.

  I obey gladly, happy just to be away from my ‘fiancé.’ Not that he deserves that term. Forcing me to marry him against my will makes him a snake, not my future husband.

  I follow Eric into the house, but instead of leading me back to my room, as I’d hoped, he takes me to Rudy’s office. He gestures for me to go in while he remains at the door.

  Rudy looks up from his laptop. “Ah, Mea, you’ve returned. Do you have some good news for me?”

  I step closer and hold out my left hand for inspection.

  He smiles and claps his hands together. “I’m glad to see you didn’t mess this up for me, Mea-bene.”

  I fight the scowl that tries to twist my mouth. I am not his good girl, born to do his bidding. I do not belong to Rudy Gadsden, no matter what he believes. I will go along with it for now because I have no choice. But when the time comes to twist the metaphorical knife into his cold dead heart, I will do it with no remorse.

  Rudy raises his brows, a sure warning he’s noticed my struggle to control my emotions. “The wedding will be in three weeks. Preparations will start tomorrow.”

  I gasp. “So soon? What’s the hurry?”

  “You overstep, Mea. But in this instance, I will tell you. I have some business dealings I need to finalize and—” He looks me up and down before scowling. “I can’t have the merchandise getting sullied before the wedding.” Rudy’s cold gaze bores into me. “You must keep yourself pure before the wedding. He must think you have been with no man before.”

  I shake my head, confused. “But I haven’t been with anyone like that.”

  Rudy throws back and laughs. “You expect me to believe that pret
entious pop star had you under his roof and didn’t take advantage?” He shakes his head. “Ah, Mea, I think you forget that I know the ways of men. We must keep you away from Vance as much as possible before the wedding. He thinks he is getting your purity, and I will not risk him learning otherwise before our deal is finalized.”

  “You,” I lean forward over the desk. “What do you know of the ways of men? You disgust me! You live your depraved lifestyle, thinking it’s okay to fantasize about young boys! One day you’ll be caught in your depravity and you’ll rot in hell where you belong!” My chest rises and falls with my outburst. It’s like I have no control over what just came out of my mouth. It appears even I have a breaking point.

  Rudy stands, his face like thunder. He strides around his desk and places one hand around my neck. He pushes me backward until I slam against the wall of his office.

  My bones thud against the wall as I struggle to draw a breath. Rudy’s hand pushes harder, making it even more taxing to get any air into my burning lungs.

  “You would think to defy me now, Mea culpa? Now, when you are on the cusp of leaving my house?” Spittle lands on my face, but I can’t move. “Do not think that Vance can protect you from my displeasure.” His grip tightens, and I struggle feebly to draw oxygen into my lungs. “You are mine! You will always be mine while I still draw breath on this earth.” He chuckles evilly. “And maybe not even in death will I release you. I can kill you right now if I so desire. Don’t think I can’t find some other harlot to take your place.”

  My vision starts to dim, and I close my eyes.

  I smile.

  Kill me now, then. At least then I will be free. The blackness overtakes me like a blessing.

  Chapter Nine