The words came out at a mile a minute, and my head spun as I finally caught up with everything she was saying.
Daphne was pregnant. I was going to be a father. Again.
How had this happened? She’d told me she was on the pill. Hell, I’d seen her taking her pill. And we always used condoms too. Every single time.
Then it hit me. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d brought a woman home before Daphne. The one and only time we had sex at my house, I’d used a condom from my nightstand. And I hadn’t even thought to check the expiration date. But that box had been there so long that I literally couldn’t remember when I’d bought it.
I wanted a life with Daphne. I knew that without a doubt. And sure, that included having kids together one day. But we’d only been together for a few months. We hadn’t even talked about what would happen with us once this tour was over. Now we had to factor a baby into the equation too.
And then there was Arielle. Up until just a few months ago, it had just been the two of us. She was still adjusting to having Daphne in her life. How would she react to finding out that not only was Daphne going to be in our lives now, but she wouldn’t be my only child anymore? Especially after what had happened with Tim. How was I supposed to explain the difference to her? Would she even see a difference?
“Ezra, say something,” Daphne sniffled. “Tell me we’ll figure this out. Yell at me because apparently a condom broke and my birth control decided not to work too. Ask me how the hell we’re supposed to deal with this while Hugh’s still out there. Ask me how we’re supposed to explain this to Ari. Tell me it’s too soon and we can’t do this right now. Or break up with me and tell me to figure it out on my own.”
That made me snap out of the daze I was in. The last thing I wanted her to interpret my silence as was me not wanting to be with her anymore. I pulled her into my arms, then lifted her onto my lap.
“We will figure it out, Daph,” I told her. “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I know how, but I’m not walking away from this, or from you.”
“What happens when Hugh finds out?” she whispered. “He’ll kill me. And probably you too.”
I kissed her forehead. “I’ll kill him before he lays even a finger on you.”
“What are we supposed to tell Ari? How does this even work after my tour’s over?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I wish I had the answers right now, but I don’t. But we have time. And you’ve got enough to worry about right now. So just try to get some rest, and we’ll talk more about it later. When you’re not a nervous wreck about performing tonight. Okay?”
Daphne nodded and laid her head on my shoulder. “Will you stay with me? At least for a little while?”
“Of course. Let me set an alarm on my phone and let the guys know where I am in case they need me.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket so I could send a group text to my team and set an alarm for half an hour before she had to be onstage. That would give her enough time to get into her stage clothes and touch up her makeup. Then I laid down on the couch, encouraging her to curl up next to me.
“Thank you,” she said in a small voice. “For staying.”
I hated this. The fact that she felt the need to ask me if I’d stay with her when she obviously needed me. The fact that she was thanking me for it. It felt like she was trying to distance herself from me, like she thought I was going to turn tail and run.
Was I scared? Of course I was. But I loved Daphne. And I knew we’d find a way to make this work. Now just wasn’t the time to hash out the details. We could do that tomorrow, when we had a free travel day. Or, even better, we could do it after we caught Hugh.
I tilted her chin up and kissed her, and I could feel her choking on a sob as she deepened it and clung to me like a life raft in the middle of the ocean.
“I love you, Daph,” I murmured. “Don’t ever doubt that. I already knew you belonged in my life. The only thing this is doing is forcing us to get our shit together a little sooner. Okay?”
She nodded. “I’m not scared of being a mother. I’m not scared of the commitment. I love this baby so much already, and I love you and Ari. I already knew I wanted to spend my life with you. I’m scared of what happens when Hugh finds out about this. And I’m worried about how Ari’s going to take it. I know she loves me, but it’s been just the two of you for so long. Now she has a new woman in her life, and she’ll have a baby brother or sister in less than a year. That’s a lot for any kid to adjust to.”
Even though I already knew she wasn’t Katelynn, hearing her say that out loud and getting verbal confirmation that she wasn’t scared of committing to me, Arielle, and this baby was like a huge weight being lifted off of my chest. And it gave me hope that, somehow, we’d make this work.
“Okay, Daph, going live in ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…” Greg said, then counted the final three numbers down on his fingers before pointing at her.
As the intro to “Get the Party Started” played and I got out of Daphne’s way so she could start walking to the stage, my radio earpiece crackled.
“Yates to Team Angel and Team Bravo,” Neil said, his voice shaking and barely louder than a whisper. “The anaconda is loose. Repeat, the anaconda is loose.”
Fuck. Shit. Motherfucker. God fucking damn it!
That was the code that my team and the FBI agents had come up with to tell each other if Hugh was spotted on the premises.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down enough to do my job and keep the woman I loved safe.
We’d talked this through a thousand times. I knew the game plan. Don’t pull Daphne off the stage. Don’t alert the audience to the danger. Try to get eyes on Hugh, but do not confront him. Call over the radio for help from the feds when we got eyes on him, so one of the agents could come take him down.
Knowing the game plan and actually putting it into action were two very different things, though. Especially when the person who was in danger was my girlfriend. My pregnant girlfriend.
“You know the plan, everyone,” came Jack’s voice over the radio. “Get eyes on the target, but do not confront. Call for Team Bravo, and we will apprehend the suspect. And do not go anywhere alone. Two at a time, always. Watch each other’s sixes.”
“Ten-four,” I told him. “Team, who’s close to the wings? I need another set of eyes on Angel.”
“I can see you from where I am,” Garth said. “I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“Thanks, O’Brien. Everyone else, stay sharp and stay safe. We don’t know if he’s armed,” I instructed.
I turned my attention to the stage as the knot in my stomach twisted tighter and tighter. I wasn’t sure what was worse: waking up to find her gone and while Hugh was in the wind or knowing that we were all sharing breathing space with this psycho.
“We’ll get him, Ezra,” I heard Garth say from beside me as Daphne started her second song. “This is going to end tonight.”
I nodded tensely, not taking my eyes off of my woman as the pulley started to lift her into the air. Her voice faltered a little, and I wondered if being lifted up like this was making her sick. She’d taken a swig of Mylanta before going onstage tonight, so hopefully that was enough to keep her morning sickness at bay for now.
Just as the second verse started, a gunshot sounded.
The audience screamed as the tech team quickly started to lower Daphne.
Another gunshot hit the lighting rig right behind her, making it spark and fall down. I took my eyes off of Daphne for a split second and looked across the stage into the other wing. I found myself staring at a man who, until now, I’d only seen pictures of.
Hugh Shapiro was here, less than ten feet away from my girlfriend. The look in his eyes was a mixture of anger and excitement, like he was getting off on the terror he was causing everyone.
He fired one more shot—this time hitting the rope she was attached to and making her fall the f
inal three feet to the stage—before turning around and disappearing.
I dashed out onto the stage and rushed Daphne back into the wings, reaching behind her and switching her mic off so I could talk to her.
“Are you hurt, baby?” I asked, making her look me in the eye.
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “He’s here. He’s going to kill me.”
“No, he’s not. He won’t get anywhere close to you. We’re going to lock ourselves in your dressing room, and if he comes in, he’ll be dead before he knows what hit him,” I told her.
“Edwards to Team Angel and Team Bravo. I have eyes on the anaconda. Backstage headed to Angel’s dressing room,” Frankie said over the radio.
Fuck. I couldn’t barricade her in her dressing room. I needed to get her out of here.
“Daph, come with us,” I said, taking her hand. “We need to get you out of here.”
“Let me take her,” Garth said immediately. “He’ll expect it to be you. He won’t expect me.”
“I’m not letting her out of my sight!” I snapped.
This woman was my whole world. The thought of letting her leave while the man who had been trying to hurt her for months was in the vicinity was agony. I couldn’t do it.
“Ezra, I get it. But you know letting me take her is the smart move,” Garth countered.
“He’s right, babe,” Daphne sniffled. “He knows you’d never leave me. It’s the last thing he’ll expect. If you’re still here, he’ll think I am too.”
I took a deep breath and swallowed the terror I felt at the thought of trusting her safety to someone else. Because, as much as I hated to admit it, they were right. I pulled Daphne into a kiss, not giving a fuck who saw anymore. As terrifying as the thought was, if this was the last time I ever saw her, I needed to make it count.
“Garth, take her back to the hotel and lock yourselves in her suite. If he comes in, shoot first and ask questions later,” I instructed, then looked at Daphne. “I love you. So much. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I love you,” she sobbed.
I kissed her again, unable to find any more words. What did a person say in a situation like this?
“Guys, your romance is the stuff of legends, but can we do this later? You know, psycho on the loose and all,” Garth said.
I felt like snapping at him, except that he was right.
“Go,” I told them.
“I’ll look after your girl, Ezra. I promise,” he said, quickly squeezing my shoulder, then turning to Daphne. “Come on, Daph. Let’s get a move on.”
He took his jacket off and covered her head with it as he rushed her away. I watched them for a minute, feeling like my heart was being ripped out of my chest, and then I turned to head in the direction of her dressing room to join the search.
No one was taking this fucker down but me.
He. Let. Her. Go.
The fucking moron actually let her go. He thought he was so smart, sending my doll off with one of his buddies instead of taking her somewhere else himself.
Not that it mattered. He’d be dead soon anyway. Along with his spawn. Both of them. That little brat on Long Island, and the one inside Daphne. And his minions would be next.
I should have killed Daphne. I fucking wanted to when I heard her and that prick Ezra talking through her dressing room door. I fucking told her I don’t share. And what did she do? Fucked around with that pumped-up side of beef. Let him stick his cock inside that tight, wet pussy. My tight, wet pussy. Let him fuck her. Let him put a fucking baby in her.
But I couldn’t kill her. After years of searching, years of taking the wrong girls and tiring of them, after years of having to clean up after myself when I got bored with them and had to dispose of them, I’d finally found her. The one I’d never tire of. The one I was supposed to keep forever.
At least it was still early. We could still have a doctor take care of her little problem. And then I’d punish her for it. Until she understood who she belonged to. Until she understood that the only cock that belonged in her was mine.
“Where’d he take her?” I growled to the pussy I’d blackmailed to help me.
“I—I don’t know,” Josh stammered, like a fucking little girl.
I stuck my gun under his chin. “Yes, you fucking do. You managed this whole tour, you fucking prick. That’s why I had you help me. Now, tell me where he’s taking Daphne, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out!”
“Th—the Hil—Hilton. The Hilton. Room 1042,” he choked out. “Don’t hurt me. I did everything you asked.”
“You mean like letting them bring in the goddamn FBI?”
“I told you, Ezra did that behind my back! I had nothing to do with it. By the time I found out, it was too late! And you’re the one who let it slip that it was you. Daph figured it out. She knows,” he whimpered.
“She figured it out because I wanted her to know!” I exclaimed. “She didn’t get the message. She belongs to me, and she’s whoring herself out to her fucking band and her fucking crew! And I had to find that out for myself. You didn’t tell me what she was doing like you were supposed to! You stopped, and I had to find out for myself. I told you I’d only keep you around as long as you were useful. That’s not very useful, is it, Josh?”
“Just let me go,” he sniveled. “Let me go. I promise I won’t say anything to anyone.”
Fucking useless prick. I pulled the trigger and watched his brains splatter across the wall. Just like I’d done to that fucker Chad. They’d both outlived their usefulness, and I couldn’t risk them squealing to the goddamn feds after I finally had Daphne all to myself.
Chad was supposed to show her what horrible taste she had in men. Why she needed me to show her the way. And Josh? He was supposed to deliver my gifts. To help me show Daphne how special she was. How good I’d treat her once we were finally together. And he was supposed to tell me everything she did. But he’d stopped doing that. He’d failed so fucking spectacularly that Daphne was knocked up now.
“No. You won’t tell anyone,” I said, sticking my gun back in my belt.
Keeping in the shadows, I walked back to the exit, watching all the fucking simpletons still looking all over the damn stadium for me. Everywhere except for where I was. What kind of fucktards had Daphne hired to protect her if they couldn’t even find one man who was hiding in plain sight?
I waited until two of them walked right past me, then slipped out the door and started walking the four blocks to the hotel.
Fuck. That was a police car. I ducked behind a building to wait for it to pass, allowing my mind to wander. Reminding myself that this was all going to be worth it.
Finally, after months of waiting, I was going to bring my doll home with me tonight. My cock stiffened, knowing what was coming. Knowing that it would finally be right where it belonged: deep inside her.
My hands made their way to the button and zipper of my pants of their own accord, and I closed my eyes as I grasped my aching dick, picturing Daphne on her knees in front of me, begging my forgiveness for fucking that dickwad.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry, babe.”
I slapped her face. I’d told her exactly what to call me.
“What did I say?!” I yelled.
“Sir,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“For letting him fuck me.”
“Who do you belong to?”
“You,” she sobbed.
“Whose cock belongs in that pussy?”
“Yours,” she wailed.
“Show me how sorry you are, doll,” I demanded, shoving my cock against her lips. “Be a good girl and take it all.”
Tears streamed down her face as she brushed her lips over the head, swiping her tongue over it.
“Stop fucking playing around,” I growled. “Suck my fucking cock!”
Finally, her mouth slid all the way down my length, and the sound of her gag
ging as she took me down her throat filled the room. I pushed myself all the way down, loving the sound of her choking on my dick.
“Fuck yes,” I groaned. “Oh, fuck, doll. Your mouth feels so fucking good. But I bet that tight pussy feels better. I can’t fucking wait to find out.”
I kept fucking her face, thrusting my cock all the way down her throat faster and faster, and the sound of her slurping and choking filled the room. Her tears landed on my shaft, and she drank them down as her mouth slid back over them.
“Are you ever going to let another cock inside that pussy again?” I demanded.
She gagged again as she choked on a sob, making her throat contract around me.
“Fucking right, you won’t,” I groaned as the pressure quickly built up to a crescendo.
I pulled out of her mouth and came all over that pretty little face, marking her with my seed, just like the whore she was.
God damn it. I didn’t have anything to clean myself up with, and now I had cum all over my hand and my cock. I shouldn’t have given in. I should have waited until I had the real thing.
Without another option, I pulled the pair of panties I’d stolen from Daphne’s house out of my pocket to clean up the mess and then balled them up and stuck them back in my pocket. I hated ruining them like that, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And soon, I wouldn’t need her panties anymore, because I’d have her.
Looking out onto the street, I could see that it was clear. Not a police cruiser or an Escalade in sight. It was safe to keep moving.
Time to go get my doll. Tonight, she’d finally be mine.
Fucking incompetent morons. What kind of idiots don’t even tell the hotel staff when they’re looking for someone who might be coming for one of their guests? Apparently Eagle fucking Security. Because I just waltzed right through the lobby and onto the elevator and no one even batted an eye.
I got off on the tenth floor and headed in the direction of suite 1042, trying to make as little sound as possible. I couldn’t give Daphne and the fucktard who was guarding her any hint that I was here. Then they might have tried to hide her from me.
Falling Angel Page 30
