“I actually do have to pee. I’ll meet you guys back in the VIP section,” she said, flashing her wristband.
I smiled. “Okay.”
“Hey, have you seen Sam?” Bailey asked as she sat down next to me on the sectional in the VIP section.
Actually…now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t seen Samantha since we’d left her in the bathroom twenty minutes ago. And Samantha wasn’t the kind of person to just go back on the dance floor without finding us first. Was she?
I got up and went to the railing to look at the dance floor, but there was a sea of people and I couldn’t find Samantha among them. A sinking feeling developed in my stomach as I turned back toward the couch, where Willow was now sitting next to Bailey.
“I don’t see her on the dance floor,” I told them. “I’m going to go back to the bathroom down there and check on her.”
“Want us to come?” Willow asked.
I shook my head. “No, it’s probably nothing. She’s probably just had one too many and threw up.”
“Sure you’re okay going by yourself? Shouldn’t you wrangle one of the guys to go with you just in case?” Bailey asked.
“I don’t think I need security right now. No one’s paying attention, especially not to some girl in the bathroom,” I told them. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
I grabbed my purse from the coat check just in case and then turned around and went back downstairs. Making a beeline for the hallway where the bathrooms were, I crossed the dance floor, weaving through a ton of couples slow dancing and making out to “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears. Luckily, I didn’t get stopped by a single person on my way, though a few people did do double takes.
When I got to the bathrooms, I saw a figure huddled on the floor, and a slight movement revealed the bright pink arm cast that I’d come to know all too well. Except it was broken and coming off of Samantha’s arm.
“Oh, my God!” I gasped, sprinting the ten steps over to her and kneeling down. “Sam. What happened, babe? Who did this to you?”
“I didn’t…I didn’t see them,” she sniffled, slurring her words slightly and groaning quietly. “It was too dark. I just know it was a man. Too tall and buff to be a woman. They grabbed me as I was coming out and felt me up, like they were looking for cash or something. Then they kneed me in the stomach, banged my head hard against the wall, and shoved me onto the floor and stomped on my cast until it broke. It hurts so bad, Daph.”
“You’re gonna be okay, babe,” I murmured into her ear, planting a kiss on her head. “You’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna get you to a hospital. Can you stand?”
“I…I don’t know,” she mumbled.
I moved around to her other side, where her good arm was, and tried to put it around my shoulder and help her up, but I wasn’t strong enough, especially when she needed to use her good arm to support her bad arm.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed.
“No, don’t apologize. I’m going to call Ezra. He’ll get the guys down here to help you,” I soothed her. “Just hang on.”
My hands trembled as I pulled my phone out of my purse and found Ezra’s phone number in my contacts. I hit the call button and put it to my ear, but it went to voicemail. Damn it. He probably couldn’t hear it over the music. I tried one more time, and when he didn’t answer again, I texted Bailey. I knew she’d have her phone on her.
Me: Someone jumped Sam outside the bathroom. Grab the guys and get down here. Please. She can’t get up on her own and I don’t think Ezra can hear his phone over the music.
Bailey: OMG!!! We’ll be there ASAP.
Samantha whimpered as she tried to move her bad arm, and I rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head again.
“Don’t try to move it, Sam,” I said into her ear, so she’d hear me over the music. “Don’t hurt yourself. Just keep it still until we can figure out how to stabilize it.”
I bent over my hurting friend, keeping my arms around her and trying my best to comfort her, since I couldn’t do anything else. I couldn’t tell how long it had been when I felt hands on my shoulders and jumped, crying out a little.
“I need you to back up for me, angel,” Ezra murmured into my ear, instantly making me relax. “Let us check her out so we can see if we need to call an ambulance.”
I tried not to melt at him calling me “angel.” Really, I did. Especially since I knew that was also my code name amongst his team and he’d literally just been talking to them. But I couldn’t help it. Maybe it was the situation. Maybe it was still the alcohol or the lingering effects from whatever the hell had happened between us on the dance floor. All I knew was that hearing him call me by a pet name made warmth radiate from my chest to my entire body.
“Come on, Daph,” he said, rubbing my back. “Let us help her.”
It took a second for me to convince myself to unfreeze and back away. As soon as I did, Ezra pulled me into his arms and squeezed me tight while Hector and Garth knelt on either side of Samantha and tried to help her stand, but even with two strong men, she couldn’t get up. I was worried she might have a concussion or something worse from getting her head slammed into the wall.
“I think we need to call an ambulance,” I sniffled.
“That’ll just end up taking longer,” Ezra countered. “The second the paramedics get here, the entire club will realize you’re here when the commotion draws attention over here. It’ll be so much faster if we can take her out a back door.”
“But she can’t get up,” I pointed out.
“Sam, can I try to pick you up and carry you?” Garth asked.
I saw her nod slightly, and in less than a minute, Garth was standing up and cradling Samantha in his arms like a small child while she tried to hold the remnants of her cast on her bad arm to stabilize it.
“Daph. Sam. What the hell happened?” Josh panted as he walked into Samantha’s hospital room.
“I got jumped at the nightclub we went to. I didn’t see who did it. Just that it was a guy. Why would he break my cast?” Samantha sniffled. “I don’t get it.”
Yeah, I didn’t understand that either. If this had been motivated by money or something, why would they go to the trouble of stomping on her cast until it broke? That made no sense to me.
“Did they take anything?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I didn’t have anything on me. I left everything at the coat check. But they checked my pockets and even put their hand up my shirt to see if I was hiding anything in my bra.”
“Have the police been called?”
“What’s the point?” she said sadly. “I didn’t see the guy. I just know it was a man from his build. I just want them to re-set my arm and get a new cast, and then I want to go back to the hotel and get some sleep.”
“Do you need some time off again?” I asked her.
“No,” she sighed. “We don’t have another show for a few days anyway. Tomorrow’s a travel day, and then we’ve got a free day before the next show. I’ll be okay to work by the next show day.”
“Daph, are you hurt at all?” Josh asked, sounding almost bored.
“No. I’m fine. Just here for moral support.”
“Well, that’s something at least. Maybe we can keep this mess out of the press,” he muttered.
“Right. Because obviously that’s the most important thing,” I scoffed.
“Look, maybe you think you can just do whatever you want because you’re Daphne DeVille and people love you, but too many more scandals like this and you’re going to start losing fans, which equals less album and ticket sales, which equals less money,” he snapped.
“Sam’s lying here with head trauma and a broken and dislocated elbow and you’re worried about ticket sales?!” I growled.
“Yes. I am. And I’m worried about your public image. Because it’s my job to be. Look, I know you want to be here for your friend, but I’d be more comfortable if you went back to the hotel with Ezra. I already sent
Bailey and Willow back with Garth and Hector. I’ll stay with Sam myself.”
“He’s right, Daph,” she chimed in groggily. “We don’t know who hurt me or if they know I’m in your band. And if they do know that, it could be connected to the creepy gifts or the stuff that happened at your shows before you replaced the stagehands and tech crew. You’re safer back at the hotel with Ezra and the rest of the guys.”
I sighed. They were right and I knew it. At least about it being safer for me to go back to the hotel. Josh could take those ticket sales and shove them up his ass. But I hated leaving my friend in the hospital by herself. Samantha must have seen how torn I was, because she spoke again before I could open my mouth to say anything.
“I’ll be fine, babe,” she insisted. “But I want you safe. Just go back to the hotel and get some rest. I’ve got my phone too, so I’ll let you know what the doctor says.”
“Promise?” I pressed.
“I promise. Now go get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.
Every head in the entire place turned to look at me as I walked out into the waiting room, but surprisingly, no one got up to hound me for a picture or autograph. Apparently the general public did have some boundaries, after all.
I scanned the area for Ezra, but I didn’t see him anywhere. But less than thirty seconds later, a black Escalade pulled up in front of the emergency room entrance. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed outside. Just as I walked outside, the passenger door of the car opened, revealing Ezra in the driver’s seat.
“No driver this time?” I asked as I got in and fastened my seatbelt.
“Nope. He stayed at the hotel when the guys took Bailey and Willow back,” he explained. “Do you trust me not to crash the car?”
I snorted. “Yes, I trust you.”
“How’s Sam?” he asked.
“She’s in a lot of pain,” I sighed. “I should have stayed in the bathroom with her. Isn’t that, like, rule number one of going to a nightclub? Don’t let your friends go to the bathroom alone?”
One of his hands left the steering wheel and landed on my shoulder. I turned to look at him, and I found nothing but sympathy in his eyes, though they were firmly focused on the road.
“Don’t do that, Daph,” he said softly. “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t do that to Sam.”
“But maybe I could have stopped it. Maybe they wouldn’t have targeted her if she wasn’t alone,” I countered.
“Or maybe you would have gotten hurt too. Maybe they knew who she was and they hurt her to try to get to you.”
“Do you think this has something to do with the creepy gifts and what’s been happening at my shows?”
“I don’t know. All I do know is they broke her cast, and I don’t think some random person who was after money would have done that. To me, that looks like someone trying to send a message.”
I choked down the lump in my throat, but I didn’t let myself cry. I couldn’t. If I let myself cry, if I let myself really feel this, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get back on a stage until we figured out who was behind everything. Because, honestly, I was on the same page.
Ezra pulled the car into a parking space in the hotel’s private garage and turned to look at me. There was something warm in his eyes, a complete contrast from the electricity we’d shared on the dance floor earlier tonight.
“Do you have something to cover your hair with so people won’t recognize you inside?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“Hang tight for just a second,” he told me.
He popped the back hatch and got out of the car, then rummaged around in the back for a minute before coming over to my side of the car. After opening my door for me, he held out a hoodie. I gratefully accepted it, tugging it over my head and pulling the hood up, inhaling the comforting scent of cedarwood. I heard a quiet snort, and I looked up to see his lips twitching, fighting a smile.
“What?” I chuckled.
“That thing’s huge on you,” he said, the smile finally breaking free. “You’re swimming in it.”
“It’s comfy, though,” I said, feeling heat color my cheeks.
“Come on. Let’s get you back to your room so you can get some rest.”
Ezra led me inside and walked me to my hotel room. After what had just happened, he insisted on sweeping it again, so I stood in the living room of the suite while he checked the bedroom and bathroom.
“Okay, you’re all clear,” he announced as he walked out of the bedroom. “You going to be okay?”
I nodded. I didn’t really have a choice but to be okay.
But instead of leaving, Ezra pulled me into a hug. It felt like second nature to let my arms slide around his waist and rest my head on his chest.
God, why did he have to give such good hugs? And why did this have to feel so incredibly right? After the emotional night I’d had, I couldn’t help the few tears that leaked free and wet his shirt.
“You don’t have to pretend to be okay if you’re not, angel,” he said softly. “Not with me. I know it feels like you don’t have a choice but to be okay, but you’re allowed to let yourself feel this.”
Again with calling me “angel.” And this time, I knew it wasn’t him slipping up and calling me that because he’d just been talking to his team. I couldn’t understand why I was not only okay with it, but actually melted hearing it. We’d known each other for less than two weeks.
“I’m scared,” I admitted. “Not just because of what happened tonight, but because of the gifts. Because of the photo leaking. Because of the stuff that happened at the shows in London, Paris, and New York. I don’t know if it’s connected or not, but I can’t help but think it is. And I don’t know what to do about it.”
“That’s why you have me and the rest of the guys,” he said, squeezing me a little tighter. “To help you figure out what to do about it.”
“I know,” I sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you like that.”
“You can unload on me whenever you want, Daph. It’s okay.” He rubbed my back, still not letting go of me.
“Thanks. For everything tonight.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s what I do.”
“No, it’s not. You went above and beyond the call of duty tonight. And I appreciate it,” I told him. “I should let you go get some sleep, though.”
“Do you want me to sleep on the couch out here tonight?” he asked.
I pulled back and looked at him, raising my eyebrows. I couldn’t have actually heard him right, could I?
“I mean it,” he said before I could open my mouth. “If it’ll make you feel better having someone else in here tonight, I’ll sleep on the couch out here. Your bedroom door closes, so you’ll still have complete privacy. You’ll just have a little extra muscle out here if you need it.”
“Okay,” I said before I could register what I was doing. “Let me call down to the front desk for an extra blanket for you. Do you need a phone charger? I have a spare. I saw we have the same phone.”
He chuckled. “My room’s just down the hall. Will you be okay for a few minutes while I go grab my stuff?”
“Right.” I shook my head. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
As Ezra walked out the door, I tried to convince myself to text him and tell him that he didn’t really need to come back. But, try as I might, I couldn’t do it. Because the truth was, I’d sleep just a little easier with him in here tonight.
I was woken up by my phone ringing. I groaned and checked the time. Eight in the morning. Well, my alarm had been set for thirty minutes from now anyway. But I’d only gotten about four hours of sleep.
“Hello?” I answered, not even bothering to check the caller ID.
“Ezra. Where are you, man? You never came back to the room last night,” came Hector’s voice.
“Sorry,” I yawned as I sat up. “I slept on the couch in Daph’s suite.”
“You did what?” he asked, sounding shock
ed. “So much for not mixing business and pleasure.”
I snorted. “Did you miss the part where I slept on the couch? She was upset and scared after what happened with Sam, so I offered to sleep on the couch. Anyway, what’s up?”
“The front desk got a delivery for Daphne. We tried to find you, but when we couldn’t, it went to me. Man, it’s…it’s not good. I think what happened to Sam last night had something to do with the gifts she’s been getting. It looks like she’s got someone following this tour.”
“Does Josh know?” I asked.
“Not yet. Sorry, but I don’t trust that fucker as far as I can throw him. And something like this…I’m debating if I want to try to involve law enforcement. Though, with as much as we’re traveling, it’s almost pointless.”
“Let me wake Daph up,” I told him. “Come to her suite. You can tell us both about it and the three of us can decide about involving law enforcement together. It’d be FBI territory since this person is crossing state lines, but I still don’t know what they’d do.”
“You got it. I’ll be there in ten,” he told me.
I hung up with Hector and went to knock on Daphne’s bedroom door.
“Daph? You awake?” I asked.
I heard quiet groaning from the other side of the door, so I knew she was awake at least. I knocked again.
“I’m sorry to bug you first thing in the morning, but Hector got a delivery for you and we need to talk to you before we get on the road. He’s going to be here in ten minutes,” I told her.
“Okay,” she called, sounding beyond exhausted. “Give me five minutes.”
I went and started some coffee with the crap-ass coffee pot that was in the room, and three minutes later, I heard the bedroom door open. Turning around, I had to take a second to catch my breath as I took in the woman in front of me.
I’d seen Daphne without her heavy stage makeup, leather pants, and spike-heeled boots before. She wore things like jeans and yoga pants to the venues and got into her show clothes there, then changed back out of those and into normal clothes for the trip back to the hotel. And even like that, she still looked like a rock star somehow. Maybe it was the way she carried herself.
Falling Angel Page 9
