“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
***
Colin only heard Tamra’s half of the conversation, but he was not happy. “Kelly’s on the way?”
Tamra tucked her phone back into her pocket. She chewed on her lip. Colin wanted to take her into his arms and keep her there until she changed her mind. He didn’t think she’d let him. One of the things he loved about Tamra was her independence, but he was not enjoying that trait at the moment.
He’d have to figure out how to convince her another way. He couldn’t let her leave. He was afraid she wouldn’t come back.
“Yes, she’s going to relieve me then we’ll find another bodyguard for you.”
“Are you off the case completely?”
“I’ll be working in the background,” she said. “This is for the best, Colin. I’ve let my personal life and my professional life bleed together. That can’t happen in my business. My company has a reputation to think of. And if the number one rock star in the country dies on my watch, then my business will be done.”
“I’m not going to die.”
“I’m not taking that chance,” she said.
She brushed past him. He let her go, but a moment later followed her. “Where are you going? You have no home.”
“I’m going to a hotel,” she said as she threw clothes into her suitcase.
As each piece of her wardrobe landed, a piece of his heart went with it. She would pack up his heart and take it with her.
Too bad she didn’t want it. That was clear, but he was nothing if not persistent. He was not going to give up on her. Or them. They were good together. He was writing songs again.
His phone rang; Larry. Bad timing.
“Can I call you back?”
“No, I talked to Docta Hop’s agent. They have a place for both of you to stay while you do this album.”
He rubbed a hand down his face. “That’s good. How soon can I get there?”
“Tomorrow. Docta Hop is going to be there tonight.”
“Tomorrow is fine. That’ll give me time to do some songwriting.”
As he spoke he watched Tamra pack. She was almost done. Almost gone. Almost out of his life. Recording the album would take up most of his time. He had to carve some out to make it a priority to see her. He was not going to lose her.
Colin Brennen didn’t lose.
***
Larry drove Kelly to Colin’s penthouse. Her phone rang. Her ex-husband.
“Hello.”
“I’ve been called out of town on business. Sophie needs to come home.”
She sighed. Of course. Nothing could be easy. “Here’s an odd request. Could you put her on a train to Penn Station? I’m in New York and can’t come out to get her.”
“Uh, sure. I can do that. I’ll look at the schedule and let you know when she’s expected to arrive. Thanks for being flexible.”
“No problem. You, too. Make sure she charged her cell phone,” Kelly said.
“Like that’s a problem.”
Kelly laughed. What was she thinking? “Right.”
She disconnected.
“Problem?” Larry asked.
“No just a detour at some point. Not sure how I’m going to figure it out.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I have to pick up Sophie at Penn Station. I don’t know what time yet. Maybe I can get Tamra to do it.”
“I can do it,” Larry said.
Kelly looked him over. She wasn’t ready for her daughter to meet him. She didn’t know yet where this was going. “I don’t know that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? It’s just a ride from Penn Station to Colin’s house. I’ll walk her into the lobby and leave her in your hands.”
“She might try to sing for you,” Kelly said.
“That’s fine. I know how you feel so I have no problem turning her down,” Larry said.
Kelly chewed her lip, pondering this for a moment. “Okay. I’ll show you a picture of her and send her a picture of you.”
“You can trust me.”
She put a hand on his shoulder. “I know. I just like to keep my lives separate.”
“Sometimes those lines blur.”
“I know.”
“So why does she have to come back early?”
“My ex has been called out of town on business.”
“That’s a pain.”
“It happens. We both try to be flexible. Just makes it easier, especially on Sophie.”
“Good that you have the relationship with her father.”
“Yeah, it is. We’re trying to be grownups.” They’d arrived at Colin’s building. “You can just drop me off.”
“No, I’ll come up.”
“Where will you park?”
“Under his building.”
***
Tamra tried not to pace, but she was ready to go long before Kelly arrived. Colin was sitting at his piano, playing and writing things down, then playing the same notes over and over.
The tune was starting to get on her nerves. She couldn’t ask him to stop because she knew he had an album to put out soon. Besides, he was ignoring her and that was probably a good thing. She didn’t want to argue with him before she left.
The elevator dinged and she spun around to see Larry and Kelly walking in. Relief flooded her.
“Good to see you,” Tamra said. Colin ignored all of them and she thought he was pouting. How mature. She gathered her suitcase and purse. “I’ve got a cab on the way.”
“I’d drop you somewhere, but I need to wait to pick up Kelly’s daughter,” Larry said.
“Oh?”
“The ex has to go out of town early and Sophie’s coming into New York,” Kelly explained. “He’s putting her on a train to Penn Station. Larry’s going to pick her up and bring her here.”
“I see. No, I can get a cab. I’m going to wait downstairs,” Tamra said.
She chose to ignore Colin right back. Two could play that game. He had to understand. She was done trying to convince him.
The doors on the elevator had begun to close when Colin put his arm out to block them.
“Don’t go,” he said.
He looked like a puppy dog standing there. Her heart went out to him, but she preferred to rip the bandage off all at once. No use prolonging this goodbye.
“I have to go.”
“Stay with me. Stay as my girlfriend. Or whatever you want to be called.”
She shook her head. This would only crash and burn and she’d be singed in the process. She didn’t need that in her life. “It won’t work, Colin.”
“Why not? It’s working now.”
“We aren’t in the depths of the reality of your life. We’ve been playing pretend house. That’s it. No public scrutiny.”
“Is that what you’re worried about? What others will think?”
“No, I just don’t want to be in the public eye. It’s one thing to be an anonymous bodyguard. It’s different when I’m in your life. As your girlfriend. I don’t want that publicity.”
“You don’t think it would help your company?”
“It might, but it wouldn’t help me,” she said.
He cocked his head. “I don’t understand.”
“You couldn’t. You’ve been searching out the spotlight your adult life. We muggles don’t want it. And can’t understand wanting it.”
“Something specific happened.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it. Won’t change my mind. Let me go, Colin. It’s for the best.”
He let the doors close and it hurt her heart.
***
Colin stared at the closed doors of the elevator for a moment. His heart ached as it descended to the lobby with Tamra.
He spun around, but Larry and Kelly had made themselves scarce. He wondered where they’d gone. As big as the apartment was, most of it was this room and the three bedrooms.
“You guys can come out now. My humiliation is done.
”
Kelly poked her head out of his exercise room. “I’m sorry, Colin.”
“Not as sorry as I am, but I’m not defeated. This is just an obstacle.”
She smiled as Larry followed her back out into the living room. “You don’t give up easily?”
“No. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I did,” Colin said.
“I guess you wouldn’t,” she said.
His heart was heavy in his chest, but he’d feel better after a good night’s sleep. Sadly, he’d be alone in his bed. Tamra would be in some hotel room.
That was stupid.
“You guys need some lunch?”
He might as well keep busy because his songwriting was for crap. He couldn’t concentrate. He’d just have to wait until he saw Docta Hop tomorrow.
“I’m starved. Do you have the address for where you and Docta Hop are recording? It would be great if I could check it out before you move in,” Kelly said.
Kelly followed Colin into the kitchen where he pulled out some containers from his fridge and put the contents into a pot for soup. He put a low flame under it, then turned back to them. Larry and Kelly sat on the other side of the island.
The landline phone rang before Colin could say anything else.
Colin answered.
“This is Gus. You need to come down here. That lady friend of yours has been attacked. I’ve called the cops and an ambulance.”
“Tamra? Is she okay?”
“Just come down here.”
Colin hung up and then turned off the pot. “Tamra’s been hurt.”
He sprinted to the elevator with Kelly and Larry on his heels. The elevator took too long to come back up and then too long to get to the lobby. He bolted out of the door and towards the front where Tamra lay on the ground.
His heart was in his throat as he knelt down next to her. Her face was bloody and she had bruises on other parts of her body. “Tamra?” She didn’t respond, but he could see that she was breathing. This was all his fault.
*
Kelly ran to stand next to Colin when her phone rang. Sophie. She’d almost forgotten her daughter was coming into the city. Damn.
“Hello, honey.”
“Hi, Mom. Dad said to call when I get to Newark, that Penn Station would be the next stop.”
“Yes. I can’t come and pick you up, but my friend Larry will,” she said.
“Ok. Text me a pic of him and where he’ll be,” she said.
“Thanks for being flexible, Sophie.”
“No problem, Mom. It’s been a day like that.”
The ambulance parked in front of the building. Kelly tugged at Larry’s arm. “I have a strange request. I need to text a picture of you to Sophie so she knows who you are.”
“Is she ready to be picked up?”
“The train’s at Newark. I’ll take Colin to the hospital,” Kelly said.
“You’ll have to get a zip car or something like that,” Larry said.” Colin doesn’t keep a car here and his driver is probably in New Jersey.”
“Right.”
“The doorman can help you.”
Her heart raced. This was all happening too fast and she was deeply concerned about Tamra who hadn’t woken up yet. Colin was holding her hand, talking to her, his eyes wet from his tears. He really loved her.
Now Kelly had to protect him, knowing this. No pressure at all. And her daughter was on her way into town. “Okay, thanks.”
The men on the ambulance took vital signs, inserted an IV into Tamra, and then put her in the ambulance. One of them quickly interviewed the doorman before they left.
Colin tried to get into the ambulance but was stopped. Kelly put her hand on his arm. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
He nodded, but didn’t take his gaze off of Tamra until they closed the ambulance doors. The ambulance left with lights and siren on.
***
Colin thought his heart was broken when Tamra left. It was even more fractured when he saw her on the ground, not moving. And this was his fault. This could have been a random attack, but he doubted it.
The doorman had procured a car for Kelly and she drove him to the hospital. He stared out the window, hoping that Tamra would be okay. Then he would have to stay away from her. People were clearly in danger around him.
“I’m going to have to make some phone calls while I’m there. I’ll alert security also. You aren’t even going to go to the bathroom alone. Whoever is doing this, just shot across our bow.”
“Seems like a direct hit to me,” he said.
“Well, that may be, but I think I need to step up security.”
“Make sure Tamra has security in her room. I’ll pay whatever it costs.”
He would not let her get hurt again. His heart ached. Was this what love really felt like? He’d been in lust before, but never felt this deeply about anyone. Part of him went with her in the ambulance.
Not one to be afraid of emotions, he took it all in, but he understood why people shied away from loving someone else. This was devastating to him. And if this was his fault, a direct result of his stalker, then he wasn’t sure how he’d ever make this up to Tamra.
Kelly parked, then put a hand on his arm. “I’m sure no one followed us, but let me just take a quick look around the lot before you get out. We really have no idea about this attack. It could have nothing to do with your situation.”
“It’s too coincidental to be anything else.”
“Let’s just be safe, either way.”
He waited until she said it was okay. They entered the hospital and asked about Tamra’s condition.
“I also need to speak to security,” Kelly said to the woman behind the desk. “Can you send someone into the waiting room?”
“Sure.”
Kelly guided Colin to the waiting room. There was no news yet of Tamra’s condition. Colin paced while Kelly watched him. The television blared some women’s talk show and the noise irritated him.
He’d been on one of those shows and told Larry he’d never do it again. They all talked at once and no one listened to any of the guests. He found the remote and turned off the show.
No one else was in the room so he figured that would be okay. Kelly sat with her legs tucked under her. Colin felt that she must be upset too, so he sat down next to her.
“I’ve made this all about me, but she’s your best friend. You must be nuts over this.”
She nodded then, her eyes blinded by tears. “She is my best friend. She’s always been the stronger one. The more driven one. I can’t imagine life without her.”
“I understand that.”
He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. He needed one back as much as she probably did.
“Thanks, Colin.”
“I’m sorry. I can be boneheaded. I just saw her laying there and I was sure she was dead.”
He let go, then stood, pacing away.
“You really love her.”
He spun back to Kelly, a sardonic grin on his face. “I told her.”
“That would explain some things.”
“Yeah?”
“Tamra needs to be dealt with like a skittish horse. You can’t rush at her. You need to move slowly.”
“And slow is not part of my vocabulary,” he said with a frown.
***
Larry successfully found Sophie at Penn Station. Or she found him. He could see her resemblance to Kelly the instant she said hello to him.
Where Kelly had deep brown eyes, Sophie’s were just a shade or two lighter.
“You must be Larry. Or Mr. Byrne as I’m supposed to call you,” Sophie said then rolled her eyes. “Where are we going?”
“To Colin Brennan’s penthouse. Your mother had to go to the hospital. Her business partner was injured.”
The girls’ eyes grew big. “Is Aunt Tamra okay?”
Larry really had no idea how much to tell her. “As far as we know.”
He figured that would be fine.
/>
They were in the car driving to Colin’s place when Sophie spoke up. She was going to go down a road that Kelly didn’t even want her on. “So you’re a talent agent?”
“Yes, I am and I’ve been given strict instructions to tell you that I’m not interested.”
Sophie turned away from him, her arms crossed. “Of course Mom would tell you that.”
“She’s protecting you from a very harsh industry.”
“Whatever.”
Sophie remained silent for a few blocks. “My mother doesn’t know how good I am. You would be a much better judge of that with all of your experience.”
Larry wanted to smile, but he didn’t want to be condescending. If he stayed with Kelly and it developed into something more, he didn’t want to make an enemy of Sophie. “Your mother was pretty clear about her directions. And pretty clear about what you would say to me.”
“Really? And you’re going to potentially miss out on the next big thing?”
“Sophie, no offense. I’m sure you’re talented, but everyone thinks they are the next big thing. A very small percentage actually is.”
She crossed her arms and humphed. “Maybe Colin Brennan will think differently.”
“You won’t bother him. He had a lot going on in his life and you will respect that you are in his house.”
Sophie frowned, then clamped her mouth shut. He hoped he hadn’t been too harsh, but the last thing Colin needed was to have a teenage girl singing at him.
***
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes, a nurse came in. “Mrs. Lambert?”
“That’s me,” Kelly said standing.
Colin realized that she was probably Tamra’s emergency contact. The nurse looked at him and he knew when she recognized him because she smiled. Then her professional demeanor took over and her face was a mask again.
“Tamra is awake. The police are talking to her right now. You can see her in a few minutes, but we’re keeping her overnight. She has a concussion, but nothing is broken.”
“Thank you.”
The nurse told them the room number then left after giving Colin the once over. He didn’t often dislike his fame, but right now he did. He’d rather be an anonymous person in the hospital.
While they waited a few minutes to see Tamra he paced again. That’s when he spotted the new issue of Inkspot. He picked it up and found his spread with Tamra.
Rock Your Body: A BWWM Romance Page 22
