by Mandy Baggot
She hoped the boiling rage and disappointment she was feeling was burning into him. She should have known this would be the response she got. It was true that there had been no threat, no reason to suspect anything but an admirer but until she knew where Simeon Stewart had been for the past two hours she wouldn’t feel settled.
She opened the door and stepped out of the interview room. She took a moment, leaning against the wall for support. This would not get to her. This would not change any of her plans. She was back in the industry. It was where she wanted to be. She was going to do all the things she should have been doing for the last ten years and she was going to enjoy every second. She held her breath, felt her breath, let it calm her, let it bring her back down into the moment as she’d been taught in therapy. She looked down into her hands and realized she’d left the chocolates on the table.
He leapt out of the chair when he saw her approach. She was smiling at him but he didn’t feel it from her.
‘What did they say?’
‘Can we get out of here?’
‘Are they checkin’ it out? They could pull the camera footage from the front desk at Gear.’
‘Officer Dunbar thinks I’m psychotic,’ she stated.
‘What? Did he say that?’
‘He didn’t need to say it; I could feel it from him. Did you know it’s not a crime to send chocolates in the state of Tennessee, Miss Blackwood?’
‘He said that? I’m goin’ up there.’ He moved past her, heading for the stairs.
‘Jared, no!’
‘They need to take this serious, Honor. We shouldn’t have to wait for the horse’s head before they make this into a case!’
‘Please, Jared, I don’t want to do this now. He’s probably right.’
‘Probably ain’t nothin’ like good enough. All they need to do is check the prints from the box, pull the CCTV and call his parole officer. They can even search his property for whatever reason they like without a warrant.’
‘Can they?’
‘It’s part of his parole conditions, along with stipulations about knives and guns.’
‘Well that’s reassuring.’
He saw her let out a breath and he stilled, came back closer and put his arms around her.
‘Listen, I’m just concerned for you. I don’t want this jerk-off thinkin’ he can get away with tormentin’ you like that.’
‘I know. But it mightn’t be him. We have to remember that.’
He breathed in the scent of her hair and tightened his hold. ‘Are you sure this has nothin’ to do with Dan Steele?’
She shook her head. ‘I have no idea.’
‘Because if I find out he’s behind this, I’m gonna have to do what’s right.’
‘I just want to move on. I don’t want my life to be about anyone else. It’s my life. Mine. And no one’s going to take this second chance away from me.’
She let him go and looked into his eyes, her determination and grit shining through her expression. He took hold of her hands and locked her gaze.
‘The second anything else happens I’m gettin’ that CCTV pulled and I’ll do whatever it takes to find out who’s behind it. You hear me?’
She nodded.
‘So, how d’you fancy starrin’ in my new video tonight?’
Chapter Thirty
‘Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to rock it country style? We know out there amongst you are country fans from twenty seven different countries!’ The crowd cheered, blew whistles, stamped their feet, waved cups and banners in the air.
‘You’ve gathered here at the LP Field from right across the globe. And over the next four days and nights you’re gonna experience the cream of the Nashville scene! We’ve got country legends, Kenny Rogers … Dolly Parton … and Vince Gill. And the stars of new country … Blake Shelton … Carrie Underwood … Little Big Town … Jed Marshall … and Honor Blackwood! Welcome to the Marlon Festival! And kicking us off … the wonderful … the awesome … ladies, he wants somewhere to hang his hat … Dan Steele!’
The roar from the crowd took Honor aback even though she should have expected it, should have remembered it. She was in the wings, waiting. She was on next. Straight after Dan. It was probably coincidence or a well-planned schedule for the gossip magazines, whichever it was she didn’t have the energy to contest it. She wasn’t a diva and she had to stop making her life about everyone else. She was in control of her own destiny now and it felt good.
She watched Dan performing for the fifty-thousand strong crowd. On talent he totally deserved his place on the bill. He’d improved a hundred percent as an artist, had obviously taken time to hone his craft while she’d crawled into a corner with hers.
A pair of arms circled her waist, drawing her body against him. She leant backwards; let his strength prop her up from the inside out. Reaching up a hand she dragged her fingers over the stubble on his face until he moved his head lower and she turned to meet his gaze.
‘OK?’ he asked her.
She responded by assaulting his mouth, pressing her lips to his, wet, warm, opening for more, desire rushing at her. She couldn’t get enough of the way he felt melding with her. He gave her a complete body and head rush whenever they connected.
She looped her arms around his neck and turned full frontal, staring into his eyes, those slate gray eyes that set her alight with every flicker.
‘God damn, Honor.’ He traced her jaw line with his thumb.
‘What?’ She snaked a hand down from the waistband of his jeans, her fingers nibbling up the centimeters of denim as they tracked a path over his fly. He was everything she wanted. Everything and so much more. He understood her completely. He never asked anything of her. He was always there, solid, determined, on her side without question.
‘You wanna know how I feel right now?’
The words had come out as a gruff whisper when he ducked his head low and put his mouth close to her ear.
‘Yes,’ she responded.
Just the beautiful lilt of her voice sent rivers of heat cascading through him and straight down to his groin. He wanted her so badly it left a physical ache inside of him every time he had to let her go. Why was he still letting her go? She wasn’t Karen. She was different, pure, true, loyal to the core. He could trust her.
‘You’re my everything,’ he stated. He held her gaze, watched the movement of her pupils, saw how his statement had affected her.
She caught his hand in hers and interlocked their fingers, pressing them tight up to his knuckle joints until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.
‘Five minutes, Miss Blackwood.’ The runner’s voice snapped him back to reality. They both had work to do. Whatever he needed to let go of would have to wait.
‘Shoot! I’m not ready. Jared, it’s the Marlon Festival.’ She clapped a hand across her mouth as if it had only just dawned on her what she was about to do.
‘Relax, it’s all good. Over there’s your band.’ He pointed to where the musicians were standing by. ‘Over there’s Ollie and Malcolm, my security guys. Them and me ain’t gonna take our eyes off of you for a second. And I happen to know the whole front line of dudes doing crowd control out there is the best there is.’ He squeezed her hand in his. He’d been waiting for this reaction for a while. He was concerned she’d got anonymous gifts but he was less concerned now he’d almost ruled out Simeon Stewart.
He’d called in a favor from an old friend who knew ways of finding out everything and anything. According to him, Simeon Stewart was living a quiet existence in Nebraska. He had a job at a fish factory and was Mr Routine. Still a loner but a loner who was living by a tight regime, habits he’d abided by the same time every single day for at least the last week since Mack had been trailing him.
‘I can do this,’ Honor stated, nodding her head.
‘We can do this,’ he replied, again catching her eyes with his.
She kissed his lips, then let his hand go, snatching up her guitar.
‘Milo! You ready?’
‘Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and let’s hear it one more time for Dan Steele!’
Honor rubbed her fingers up and down the fret board of her guitar. She just had to wait for her cue and then she was on. A few weeks ago she didn’t think she would ever have it in her to perform on a stage again and now here she was at the Marlon Festival. At the Marlon Festival, with a new record company, new material and a man she adored. She glanced behind her, across the stacks of amps and rows of guitars, to Jared. She swallowed as he made an OK sign with his thumb and forefinger and winked. Most of this was down to him. He’d had faith in her. He’d pursued her for his tour and now he was an integral part of her life.
She blew out a breath and turned just as Dan arrived in the wings. Sweating from the lights and his energetic performance, he received claps on the back from his crew and one of them threw him a towel. Before she could take a step to avoid the moment he was right there in front of her.
‘That was wild!’ He beamed, his joy at such a great reception from the audience written all over his dewy face.
She plucked at the top string, not knowing what to do or say. Milo took a protective step closer to her.
‘You’re going to blow them away,’ Dan stated. He wiped his jaw with the towel and settled his eyes on her. ‘You always did.’
Her stomach contracted with nausea. Now her nerves were running rife. She didn’t want to think about before. She had to concentrate on now. She jutted out her chin a little, forcing a smile.
‘ … a former CMA award winner and now she’s back. With a new sound, a new label and a whole heap of guts and determination … ’ The announcer was building to a crescendo.
‘Go bring down the stadium,’ Dan told her. He put a hand to her face and the touch had her jerking back like he’d branded her with a hot poker.
‘Creep. Let’s go, Honor,’ Milo said, buffeting Honor forward as her name was called and the audience screamed in anticipation.
She straightened her curls over her scar and took another breath. She adjusted the guitar strap on her neck and willed her legs to stop shaking.
‘Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for, Honor Blackwood!’
He was moving but he saw nothing and nobody. Tramping over cables and equipment, a red mist had descended and his pulse was expanding and contracting out of control. He reached his target, swung back and planted his fist on Dan Steele’s jaw.
The slightly taller man fell back against a Marshall amp stack, disorientated. Jared didn’t wait for any response. What response was there to give? He’d touched Honor again! He piled in on top of Dan, his anger exploding, raining blows on the other musician until roadies, technicians and other artists started trying to break it up.
‘Jed, stop!’ A roadie pulled him off, grabbing one of his arms. Jared treated him to a leather-sleeved elbow in the face.
Someone was helping Dan up from the floor. His face was cut from Jared’s rings, his nose bloodied. He wiped at it with the sleeve of his shirt, narrowing his eyes.
‘What the fuck, man? Somebody call the police! I want him arrested.’
‘You want me arrested? I warned you what would happen if you touched her again! And you’ve been stalkin’ her! Sendin’ her stuff she don’t want from you!’ He made to move forward but two roadies had his arms. He tried to shake them off but nothing was doing.
‘You’re fucking insane! D’you hear me?’ Dan held the bottom of his shirt to his nose as the blood continued to pour.
‘Let go of me! This ain’t over until he’s not talkin’!’ He shook his shoulders, trying to release himself and get back to Dan.
‘I’m going to get you charged with assault. How’s that going to work with your Marlon Award nomination?’
‘You think I give a fuck?’ Jared snarled.
Dan nodded, wiping at his nose. ‘We’ll see.’
He saw the dark blue uniforms approaching from the arena floor but right now he didn’t care. Dan Steele needed to be taught a lesson. He wasn’t going to stand by and let him disrespect his girl like that.
‘Jared, what the hell is going on here?’ Buzz exclaimed, arriving on the scene.
‘Great, all the cavalry are here. Can I have my arms back now?’ He shrugged his shoulders hard and the roadies let go.
‘What have you gone and done?’ Buzz asked, his gaze drifting to the wounded Dan.
Jared shook his head. ‘Yeah, it’s all me. Because I’d do something like that to someone who don’t deserve it.’ He pointed a finger at Dan who was talking to the police officers. ‘He was messin’ with Honor.’
Buzz shook his head and drew a breath in. ‘Right before the awards.’
‘Jeez, Buzz, what was I supposed to do? Leave it a few days and then whup his ass?’
‘Jed Marshall?’ The police officers were standing in front of him and right away he was blown back ten years. A searing headache sliced across his temples and for a second he was unbalanced. He looked over to Dan who was having his wounds attended to by a medic. If he got to rewind the last ten minutes would he do the same thing? Or would he let it go? He knew the answer.
He turned his back to the officers and folded his wrists behind his back. ‘Read ‘em to me.’
Chapter Thirty One
The set had been the tightest they’d ever played and she was buzzing from the crowd’s reaction. They’d debuted a song she’d written with Jared and it had gone down a storm. Milo put his arm around her as they left the stage.
‘That was awesome, Honor. You had them from the first note and they rocked it out there!’
‘Great job, Honor,’ Sisqo, the drummer joined in.
‘Worked it, honey,’ Winnie, the backing singer agreed.
‘Thank you so much everybody.’ She was smiling so much her cheeks were aching. She couldn’t wait to see what Jared had thought about it. She was passed a towel and a bottle of water which she took, but her eyes were all over the backstage area looking for one person only. She headed down the steps toward the trailer dressing room. Jared wasn’t on until later that night with Tim McGraw, but he might have had to do an interview or a meet and greet. She couldn’t remember, she’d been too nervous about her own performance.
She scanned the people milling about the artists area.
‘Honor.’
Larry’s voice jolted her and she looked in the direction it came. There he was, right in front of her, his Stetson in his hands looking pious. She didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? He was working with Dan Steele now. They might have shared the last ten years but time and people move on and that’s what she’d done. She had no business with him anymore.
‘If you excuse me I have an interview to get to.’ She made to move past him but he caught her arm and stopped her.
‘Honey, Jed’s been taking downtown,’ he spoke.
‘What? Is he sick?’ Her heart thudded, the feel-good sensations evaporating from that one sentence.
‘He’s been arrested,’ Larry filled in.
She shook her head as if she didn’t understand the statement. ‘What?’ She’d been on stage a little over forty minutes. What could have happened in that time?
‘Let me take you there,’ Larry offered.
‘No. Why would you?’ She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do. What did you do when your boyfriend was in jail? Did you go there? Did you wait and see what happened?
She put her hands to her head and tried not to panic. But she was panicking. Because the situation was so alien. She was at a festival, she’d just performed, and she was going back on stage later with Lennon and Maisy from the TV series, Nashville. This wasn’t right.
‘Come on, I’ll take you there,’ Larry said, shepherding her away from a band of media who had gathered at the entrance to the backstage area.
‘What did he do?’ Honor asked, tears forming in her eyes.
‘I’ll have my car brought around,’ L
arry responded.
Word from the hospital was Dan Steele had four stitches in a facial wound and a broken nose. She knew before the words came out of Larry’s mouth what Jared had done. It was because Dan had touched her before she’d gone on stage. Because she’d reacted to it, winced and pulled away. Perhaps if she’d not let it bother her. No, she knew he would have reacted the same way. She wasn’t condoning it. But she understood it. That’s who he was, someone who meted out his own justice, hang the consequences.
‘He isn’t a bad person.’
Larry had stopped the car outside the police station and she didn’t know why she’d felt the need to say that. What was she justifying? His actions? They were his, not hers. She didn’t need to take ownership of the situation even if she was caught in the middle of it.
‘I’m happy things are going so well for you with Gear, darlin’. You know I didn’t want you to leave Micro but perhaps a change is what we all needed.’
She looked out the window, observed the brick building they’d visited only a week ago when she’d reported the anonymous presents. Perhaps Jared was being interviewed by the same lame officer.
‘Professional collaborations don’t have to become personal ones.’
She turned her head to look at him. ‘You’re not my advisor anymore.’ Her tone was harsh.
‘I know, honey, but I’ve looked after you for ten years, you don’t just switch off the care button.’
Honor shook her head and bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to hear any of this. It was all irrelevant. She was the only decision maker in her life now.
‘Someone like Jed Marshall is always going to have trouble following him around. And if you’re with him then trouble’s going to find you too,’ Larry told her.
‘You don’t know him like I do. Trouble doesn’t follow him. Trouble’s a side-effect of who he is. He doesn’t bullshit, he doesn’t lie or cheat or disrespect people. If he sees something wrong he puts it right, even if that means cost to him. Like today,’ Honor stated.
‘We’re not in an episode of Sons of Anarchy here, Honor.’
