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

by Lara Wynter

  A look of distaste flashes across Devlin’s expression before he can hide it. “Alright, then. I suppose that will be okay. Do you have a car or should we take mine?”

  I almost laugh out loud at the thought of Rudy letting me have a car. “Can we take yours? I don’t like driving,” I lie. I’m not sure I even know how to drive.

  “Of course. If you don’t mind it not being as fancy as what you’re used to.”

  I smile up at him and take hold of his arm. “Of course not. Not everyone is born to a privileged lifestyle.”

  Devlin leads me down the hall and toward the smaller back staircase. I pray with all my might that we don’t run into anyone.

  “My car is parked out back,” he says, leading me to a back door. I can’t believe how quiet it is. Rudy really must have taken most of the security team. Of course, there is still the manned security gate to get through. If they notice me, and ask where Devlin is taking me, I won’t make it out and then they’ll report to Rudy, and I’ll be punished.

  Devlin takes us over to an older model Ford. My hand shakes as I pull open the back passenger door. I sit on the cracked leather seat and clench my hands together to still their trembling.

  “All set?” Devlin asks, glancing back at me as the car roars to life.

  “You bet,” I reply. “Um, do you think you could do me a big favor and just tell the guys at the gate that you’re heading into the city for lunch?” Sweat coats my palms, and I rub them on my soft caramel pants.

  He looks back at me with a frown on his young face. “Is everything alright, Mea?”

  I clench and unclench my hands, unsure what to say. Do I trust that Devlin’s reaction earlier was distaste at Rudy’s controlling ways? One small expression is a huge gamble to trust with my chances of escape.

  “Mea? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “It’s just—” I close my eyes and take a deep breath before looking back at Devlin. “Rudy always makes me ask permission before I go out.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-one.”

  Devlin frowns. “And your father is still controlling when you leave your own house?”

  This poor guy has no idea who he’s working for. He doesn’t even know Rudy isn’t my father. “He’s very controlling.”

  “There’s a blanket on the floor. Put it over you and crouch down. I don’t know what’s going on here, Mea. But there is no way this sort of thing is okay. If we’re caught, I’ll take the blame.”

  I nod and do as he asks. As soon as we’re away from here, I’ll warn him about Rudy.

  But not now.

  Not yet.

  Devlin is my one chance at freedom, and I’m going to take it.

  Chapter Eleven

  Willow

  I wait, heart in mouth, as Devlin talks to the guy at the gate.

  “Just heading out to get something to eat,” Devlin says, responding to the guy's query about where he’s going.

  “Sounds good. Where are you going? I’d kill for some Phili cheesesteaks.”

  “Sure,” Devlin replies. “If you don’t mind waiting an hour or so?”

  “That’s no problem. Thanks, man. I hope you’re settling in alright?”

  “Yep. Happy to be here.”

  I hold my breath. If the guard mentions me, this whole thing could be done for.

  “Okay. See you soon, Devlin.”

  The car pulls forward slowly, and I expel my breath in a whoosh. I wait for a few minutes before I feel confident enough to come out from under my blanket.

  “You alright back there?”

  I do up my seatbelt. “Yeah, I’m good.” I laugh shakily.

  “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

  I purse my lips, trying to decide what I can and can’t say. “Look, Devlin, you have no idea how grateful I am to be away from there… but, just how much do you know about your new boss?”

  Devlin glances back briefly. “Not a lot. I’m beginning to think not enough.”

  “Yeah, you got that right. Is your father in business with Rudy?”

  “Not really. He’s a property dealer. He helped Rudy get a property on the water he’d been chasing for a while.”

  “Ah, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that your job is forfeit. You can’t go back there… ever.”

  The car swerves to the side of the road and stops. “What do you mean by that? He stares back at me with worried brown eyes. “Care to explain what on earth is going on here?”

  “Pull into that diner on the corner and we’ll talk.” I indicate the place up ahead.

  Devlin complies and parks the car in the half-full lot. He follows me into the place I’ve never seen before. It’s cheerful, but everything looks worn. I sit in a booth in the far corner. Devlin sits opposite me and picks up a menu.

  “May as well eat while we’re here.”

  I sit silently, my brain going a million miles an hour. Devlin seems nice, but what if I tell him what’s going on and he betrays me? He’s probably armed. Rudy’s guys always are. But I can’t tell if he’s carrying or not. I’m pretty sure I could get away from him, given the chance. If he seems suspicious, I’ll just go to the restroom and slip out the back. He’s far too guileless to suspect anything.

  “You want anything?”

  “Um, sure. I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” I reply, not caring about food right now.

  Devlin places our order, then sits back, his arms crossed over his chest. “Enough stalling, Mea. Why is it you think I can never go back to work for your father?”

  I gulp and decide to dive right in. “For starters, Rudy Gadsden is NOT my father. Apart from being a kidnapper, he’s a pedophile, a criminal, and a murderer and that’s just for starters.”

  Devlin stares at me, his eyes probing. “How do I know that you’re not just some spoiled rich brat trying to have some fun with the new guy?”

  “Are you going to try and tell me you haven’t noticed anything suspicious in the past two days?”

  “Maybe a couple of things seemed… odd. But nothing definite. You’ll have to do better than that if you want to convince me.”

  I shrug. “It doesn’t really matter to me what you believe. I won’t be going back with you.”

  “You’re running away? Now you do sound like an entitled, rich brat.”

  “So you think I should go through with my forced marriage to a man I despise?” I snap back.

  The waitress deposits our food onto the table. I use the interruption to stand.

  “I’m leaving now. What you choose to do next is up to you.”

  I turn away. Devlin grabs my arm and pulls me back. I twist out of his grasp.

  “Mea, wait. I don’t want to stop you. I just want to help.”

  I stare at him, trying to judge the sincerity of his words. “How do I know I can trust you?”

  He glances around the diner to make sure no one is watching. He removes the gun from under his jacket and slides it across the table to where my food sits untouched. “You can hold on to this for now, if it makes you feel more secure.”

  I gasp and slide back into my seat. Grabbing the gun, I place it on the seat beside me, out of sight. “You can’t go waving that thing around in here.”

  “You know how to use it?”

  I search my jumbled, messed up memories. “Yes.”

  “What do you need? Can I take you somewhere safe?” Devlin starts in on his food as if what’s happening here isn’t some sort of miracle deliverance.

  He was right to give me the gun. It does make me trust him a lot more. So what do I need to make sure Rudy doesn’t find me? Where can I go? A picture of Horsham House fills my mind, but I quickly reject it. If Maggie is working for Rudy, that’s the dumbest place for me to be. I have no idea if Joss is even still there. If he still lo — I don’t allow myself to finish that thought. I need to be strong now. I’m on my own. It’s not like I can just look up the phone number of a wo
rld famous rock star.

  I need money and the gun that’s stashed in my locker. I touch the small key that hangs on a chain under my shirt. I’ve managed to keep it handy in case a situation ever arose where I might need it.

  “Can you drive me somewhere?”

  “Of course.” Devlin finishes off his burger. “Are you going to eat that?”

  I eye my food. Eating is the last thing I feel like doing, but with my limited funds, I can’t afford to turn down free calories. In answer, I pick up my burger and take a big bite.

  Devlin watches me appraisingly as I eat. I ignore him as I finish all the food on my plate and drink the glass of OJ.

  Instead of telling Devlin where I want to go, I direct him there. He complies willingly enough. He pulls up in the empty lot beside the building and we get out of the car. I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants. I’ve never been here in the middle of the day before. There are a few men coming and going from the building.

  “You can go now,” I say to Devlin. “Thanks for your help.”

  “No problem. Do you know someone that works here?”

  I shake my head. “I have some personal items stored here.”

  “Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Let’s get your stuff and then I can drop you off somewhere safe. If Rudy’s as bad as you say, it’s probably better off if you stick with me until you’re somewhere far away from here.”

  The expression is unfamiliar, but I understand he still wants to help me. Getting as far as I can is certainly a good idea. “Okay. You can wait out here.”

  Devlin sets his jaw. “I’ll come with you. Some of these guys look a bit rough.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “You’ll be vulnerable while your back is to the room. Let me watch out for you. I promise not to pry.”

  “Fine.” I still have the gun, after all. “I mean, thank you.”

  We enter the building. I ignore the man at the desk and walk straight through to the back room and up to my locker. Devlin stops a few feet behind me, giving me space. I inspect my lock. It looks undamaged. Slipping the key in, I unlock it and open the door.

  I stumble back a step. Something’s wrong. I’m very particular about how I leave things and things have been moved. I shove my hand down to the bottom shelf. Pulling out the black satchel, it’s immediately obvious that it’s too light for the gun to be in here. Tears fill my eyes. Without the weapon, I can’t prove Rudy is a murderer. I open it anyway, unsurprised when there is nothing inside. I shove it back inside and kick the locker beside mine.

  Devlin immediately comes closer. “Is everything alright?”

  I rub my shirt across my eyes. “No, but there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m screwed and there isn’t anything anyone can do.” Defeated, I lean my head against the cool metal shelving of the locker.

  That’s when I see it — the gray sweater folded neatly on the shelf. I pick it up, it’s soft and clean. I wonder… I hold it up to my face and breathe in deeply. The sweet scent brings up a vision of the man my heart longs for — Joss.

  Joss was here.

  I turn and crash against Devlin and hug him. He looks shocked as I release him.

  “Good news?” he asks, a bemused look on his face. He must think I’m a lunatic.

  I hug the gray fabric tightly. “The best!” I turn and grab the rest of my stuff from the locker. I have no need to ever return here now. Joss has the gun. All is not lost, and best of all, if he tracked down the gun, he’s still fighting. He still loves me.

  I float back to the car on a cloud of sunshine. I’m away from Rudy’s clutches. I don’t have to marry Vance, and Joss is still mine.

  Chapter Twelve

  Joss

  I rest my head back against the couch of our secret rental house. I’m exhausted from another day of interviews and finishing off the new album. I watch Jasper in the kitchen, hopefully making us something reasonably edible to eat. Cooking is not his primary skill set.

  “You know what still bugs me?” I ask. “Not knowing what it was that I bought at auction. What it was that was so important that Rudy had to steal it from the ranch.”

  Jasper shakes his head. “Get used to disappointment. Chances are high, we’ll never know what was hidden in that violin case.”

  I tilt my head to one side, trying to work out some of the day's tension. “If that mistake hadn’t led to me meeting Willow…” My train of thought wanders. How could I regret anything that led to me meeting the love of my life? If only we could have met under different circumstances. If she hadn’t been kidnapped, and if I wasn't a rock star, maybe we could have met like normal people do, gone on proper dates and gotten to know each other that way.

  I should check my emails, see if Tony has sent any updates on finding Willow’s parents or my sister. Pulling my laptop toward me, I fire it up and type in my password. My inbox is crowded with a few hundred emails. I haven’t been keeping up with everything very well. I run my hands through my hair as I search for anything important.

  Something jumps out at me in the subject line.

  Bikes at sunrise and memories

  I hurriedly click to open the email.

  Hey there, baby bro!

  You can probably imagine my surprise when your lawyer friend, Tony, reached out to me to see if I wanted to make contact with you!

  All these years, I thought you mustn’t have been able to forgive me for leaving you when you were just a little kid. After all, you’re doing so well now. A world famous rock star, huh? Who would have thought those scraped, knobbly knees and chubby cheeks would one day be making women across the world swoon? I did try to contact you a few years ago, but I guess I didn’t try as hard as I should have. The last thing I wanted was for you to think I was after your money or something. I’m seriously happy you’ve made it, Joss. (And just so you know, I didn’t believe a word that silly actress woman said about you. I hope you’ve found someone better now).

  Anyway, a little about me. After Mom separated us, I think we’ve spent time in just about every state! I went to six different schools until I was in my senior year, and she told me we were moving again, if you can believe it? (I’m guessing you of all people can understand). I finally put my foot down and said I couldn’t move halfway through my senior year of school. So she up and moved, anyway! Those final six months were really difficult for me but I won’t spare you with all the gory details now. I managed to graduate and get a small scholarship to Central Michigan. I’m now working as a park ranger where I mainly mentor and train summer staff. I really love it and it helps me to feel grounded.

  I’m engaged to an amazing man named Adam. He’s a speech pathologist, and we met at a concert a few years ago. He knows all about our history, and he was really excited for me when you reached out through, Tony.

  I’m hoping this is the start of us reconnecting. I’ve missed you so much since we left. Anyway, I'm attaching all my details so you can contact me, and we can go from there!

  All my love,

  Julie

  I sit back from the screen and take a deep breath in. Wow. I can’t believe I’ve finally made contact with my only sibling. I want to pull out my phone and call her right this second… but the timing is terrible. It sounds like she’s doing really well and has made a wonderful life for herself. I can’t risk Gadsden finding out about her and using her to get to me — if he ever discovers I have the gun he wants so desperately.

  Jasper places a plate beside my computer on the low table and sits beside me. I glance over at the ham sandwich and glass of milk.

  “Milk?” I raise my eyebrows quizzically.

  Jasper shrugs. “It’s good for your bones.” He chuckles. “It was all we had, and I didn’t want to go out and leave you here alone.”

  “It looks great, thanks.” I pick up the sandwich and take a bite. My stomach rumbles. I guess it’s been a while since I’ve eaten. It actually tastes pretty good. I turn the screen toward Jasper. “I heard from
Julie.”

  Jasper leans forward and quickly scans the email. “You weren’t planning to call her, were you?”

  I sigh. “No. Not until this thing with Rudy Gadsden is resolved. Once he’s safely behind bars, I’m taking the first flight to Michigan I can find. Hopefully, with Willow by my side.”

  “Good. It should be safe enough to send her a quick reply. Let her know your life is pretty crazy right now — she’ll assume it’s music stuff — and that you’ll call her when you have more free time.”

  I finish the rest of my food and chug the glass of milk. “I can do that. I’ll write it now and you can check it when I’m done.”

  Jasper grunts his agreement, and I type out a quick reply. Pushing down the guilt I feel at not being able to tell my own flesh and blood what’s really happening in my life, I sign off. Jasper reads through what I’ve written and hits send.

  I get to my feet and take my plate back to the sink. I just want this to be all over. Pulling open the refrigerator door, I can see that Jasper wasn't kidding. There really isn’t a lot in here. More milk it is, then. I bend down to grab the milk as the sound of shattering glass fills the night.

  “Get down!” Jasper's voice is harsh and demanding.

  I drop to the floor as glass fragments rain down over me. Looking up, I see a small bullet hole in the metal door of the refrigerator, right where my head had been only moments before.

  Jasper rests a hand on my back. “We need to leave, now!”

  I shake glass out of my hair. “The car?”

  “No. We’ll have to go out the back and over the fence. They’ll be expecting us to try and get to the garage.”

  “How many?”

  “Three, maybe four. You have your gun?”

  I nod. “I need to get the laptop. It has all Julie’s details on it.”

  “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Keeping low, I dash back to the table. In one swift movement, I slam the lid of the computer shut and tuck it under my left arm. I pull out the pistol from its holster and keep moving toward the back of the house.