by Jamie Begley
The expensive gold metal flashed when light hit it, highlighting the tiny dangling charms. Reaper wished he had paid more attention to the different charms. He had given his first girlfriend in high school a charm bracelet, with several little trinkets commemorating places they had seen. The only one he vaguely remembered on Ginny’s was a Christmas tree with small stones of different colors that shone when the light caught it.
A strong emotion gripped him, one he hadn’t felt in so long. At first he wasn’t sure what it was, until Ginny lowered her hand and the sleeve covered the bracelet again. It was jealousy, attacking him so swiftly and viciously at his heart, trying to jumpstart a reaction from him.
He coldly pushed the emotion aside, concentrating on who could have given her the jewelry. She could have bought it herself, but somehow, Reaper didn’t imagine Ginny spending that kind of cash on herself. She lived simply and frugally, hoarding the decent salary Kaden paid her. No, the bracelet had been a gift.
From Shade’s dozier on her, Ginny’s brothers had been estranged from her since she was twelve, so that left them out. Her foster parents had turned their backs on her once she graduated high school, leaving them out too. Was it Willa? They were close as sisters, which made it a firm possibility that she could have given the bracelet as a gift. Lucky would be able to answer that question for him.
Does it really fucking matter who gave her the bracelet? Reaper castigated himself. Except, a tiny section at the back of his mind, the section that had been duped by Memphis, Crash, and Vincent was signaling something was off about Ginny. He didn’t know what, but until he found out, every-fucking-thing mattered.
There was something else off. In the report on Ginny, Penni told Shade that when Ginny began her singing career in a karaoke bar, she needed a friend to sing with her to help with her stage fright. Shade also explained that the only reason she was willing to perform now was to draw her stalker out. The woman standing in front of him, waiting for her cue, showed no signs of stage fright. Either Ginny was now used to performing regularly or, once again, there was something off about the change in her.
Both little kernels of doubt had his instincts on alert. Was the reason Shade and Rider couldn’t find out who was stalking her because Ginny was withholding information from them?
A bright circle of light swept around the stage as the band ended the current song. Reaper studied Ginny’s composed profile as she was introduced to the waiting crowd. For someone who was supposed to suffer from stage fright, Ginny seemed remarkedly coolheaded.
When the light hit the side of the curtain she was behind, Ginny moved to the side and stepped out onto the stage and the music switched to another melody.
Moving forward now that she was out the way, Reaper was able to view the stage and watched her stand before the microphone stand; the lights hit her full-on, creating a glow around her. When her hand touched the microphone, the shouts and cheers from the crowd automatically stopped, as if the audience were holding their breaths in anticipation. Reaper realized he was doing the same, when he felt a buzz from holding his own.
It was like being transported into a different world when she sang. From the vacant expressions on the audience’s faces, they were right there with him. He had seriously underestimated just how good Ginny was. Ginny made you feel every word she sang as if she’d written the song solely for you.
The bright lights and being on stage highlighted what he missed before—Ginny was star. She might not be famous, but it was there for all to see. For the short time she sang, it was clear—even to someone as inexperienced as him—her future in music would be golden.
Breaking his focus from her took all of his willpower. Assessing the faces in the audience helped, forcing his concentration away from Ginny. Male and female alike were spellbound, making it difficult to take them out of mix of potential suspects.
Mason had been knocked unconscious from behind, so whoever was responsible would have had to drag or carry him down the long narrow corridor to reach the side door of the kitchen of the nightclub. Reaper didn’t think the stalker was just lucky the corridor was empty. It had been meticulously planned after they had found out Kaden called the meeting. The kitchen would have been empty until the evening, giving Ginny’s stalker the opportunity to stash Mason in the freezer without getting caught.
Reaper’s gaze went from table to table as Ginny sang, each word allowing them to experience the emotions the song conveyed.
The sound of clapping drew his eyes back to Ginny as the music changed tempo, blending into the beginning of another song. Jesse, another lead singer and guitar player, moved to stand next to Ginny. The audience started cheering before resuming their silence once again. Jealousy struck again as Ginny and Jesse sang together.
He had gone years without any feelings, other than hatred and revenge fueling every thought, yet Ginny had somehow managed to erupt a maelstrom of emotions within him in a matter of days.
His sanity since coming off the drugs had been hard won. When Taylor had visited, letting him know there was no going back, he almost lost it, yet he somehow came out of the deep despair. Standing behind the black curtain across the stage from Ginny, Reaper felt as if a yawning abyss just opened in front of him.
Ginny wanted a future with him, she saw him as the soul mate, she had been waiting for him. What Reaper was witnessing reiterated to him that what Ginny wanted was never going to happen in a gazillion years. The abyss was too deep and wide for him to be able to reach her without destroying what little of him was left.
The woman was a star. Becoming involved with him would not only destroy her career but the voice the world deserved to hear. Everyone knew what happened to stars when they fell to Earth ….
They disappeared, as if they had never been born.
Chapter Seventeen
A sound at his back had Reaper turning to see Kaden coming up the metal steps. Reaching the top, Kaden silently watched Ginny’s performance, waiting for his cue.
Continuing his perusal of the audience, Reaper remained still, despite being uncomfortable with Kaden being so close. He watched the crowded interior and saw the already full club was even more packed, all waiting for Kaden’s turn on stage.
Reaper wasn’t surprised at Kaden’s popularity. The sexual energy he put off was hard to miss. The music he wrote and sang captured listeners, while his looks did the rest. Kaden exuded a sexual chemistry that, along with his talent, he could easily fill a venue twice the size of this one. Reaper had missed his rise to fame, but he didn’t need Shade’s file to fill in the blanks. The media had documented the rise and the fall. Except it wasn’t much of a fall, since his audience hadn’t deserted him after the knowledge of his drug use and the hard partying that characterized his lifestyle during his early years. The death of his mother, sister, and her family had been the turning point for Kaden, withdrawing from the limelight for several years before emerging with a more mature, hardened appearance. His private life had gone through a change, also. The hard partying days switched to a reclusive lifestyle with a wife and children. Kaden protected them with an iron fist. No part of his fame was allowed to impact his family, who were his main priority.
Speculation had been rife that Kaden would return to his previous lifestyle, yet the singer remained steadfast in the new life that he was building, while the other band members were more than happy riding the rough edges of a knife. Kaden and Alec were managing to keep their screwups to a minimum, exerting their control over the band in a contract that Kaden demanded before resuming his place in the band.
Alec, never far away when Kaden was performing, was at the bottom of the steps with one of his men, making sure none of the fans had the opportunity to get within breathing distance.
“Ginny’s a good kid. Whoever is stalking her won’t stop. It’s just going to get worse as she gets more popular.”
“I agree.” Kaden’s remark was enough to have Reaper take his eyes off the crowd. He continued his perus
al, hoping to find a defining face to store in his memory.
Reaper’s focus switched to another table, but a couple at a table in the center of the nightclub blocked his as they tried to find empty seats.
“Is she planning on returning to Queen City or Treepoint when the show ends?”
“You’ll have to ask her that question.”
“I have.” Kaden said as Ginny and Jesse’s song trailed off and the crowd started shouting for another.
“Then I guess we’ll both know when she does.”
“Will you be staying with her, or is she going be handed off to someone else?”
“Viper will make that call.”
Kaden’s arrogant features, shadowed by the black curtain, held disappointment in his answer. “I thought you were smarter than that.”
Losing focus from Kaden’s derision, Reaper shifted his full attention to him. “What in the fuck does that mean?”
“If you or any of The Last Riders think Viper is calling the shots where Ginny is concerned, then you’re all delusional.”
Raising a questioning brow, Reaper started to disagree with him then stopped. “Why? Has she said something we’re unaware of?”
“She doesn’t have to. It comes from experience with dealing with her. Look at her.”
Following Kaden’s gaze, he saw Ginny smiling out to the crowd as they shouted at her to continue singing.
“She never stays despite how loud they get. It takes me two songs to get them calmed down, and even then, it’s because the waiters tell them she’ll sing again later in the show. I tried to add an extra song to her set, and she told me no. And anything I try to change, she disagrees. I’ve only had one other person tell me no when I want my way.”
With another wave, Ginny walked toward the curtain.
“Who’s the other person?”
“My wife.” Giving him a wry look, Kaden walked out just as Ginny reached the curtain.
When she caught sight of Reaper standing behind the curtain, warmth filled her expression. Unsettled, his hand went to the metal railing. It was the look he imagined seeing on Taylor’s face when she had come to visit him, but and it hadn’t been there. He had known Ginny less than six days and had felt more love from her than he had from Taylor the whole two years they’d been together.
“Did you watch?”
Detouring away from what she was really asking, Reaper took the only route he could. “I didn’t see anyone standing out in the crowd.” He was afraid if he gave an inch, she would take a mile.
What she was seeking wasn’t in him anymore. When Ginny realized it would never be, she would move on to greener pastures. I’m doing her a favor, Reaper told himself.
Her aminated expression faded as she went down the steps and back to her dressing room.
Nickel was waiting outside her door and gave her a broad grin as she approached. “Damn, woman! Next time Reaper can watch your door. You sounded great!”
“Thanks, Nickel.”
Reaper could barely hear Ginny’s low voice with Kaden’s music playing a few feet away.
“You mind giving me a few minutes alone? I want to go over the song Kaden and I are going to sing. Tonight’s the first time we’re singing it in front of an audience.”
“Go ahead. You want me to get you something to drink?” Nickel asked.
“No, thank you. I keep several drinks in my room.”
Expecting Nickel to make a remark about Ginny’s reserved withdrawal into her dressing room, Reaper waited for him to ask if he was responsible. When Nickel just resumed his position by the doorway, he was the one left wondering why Nickel wasn’t questioning Ginny’s reticent behavior.
The longer they stood there, Reaper became even more curious. Was Nickel holding his tongue, just to keep from starting an argument with him? Or was it his guilty conscience that had him reading more into the way she was acting than any hurt feeling he assumed she was having? Tired of standing still, he started walking down the narrow corridor that led into the main part of the club. He nodded at the three guards posted to stop anyone attempting to get backstage, then turned around and started walking the same route back, mulling over Ginny’s behavior. Fuck, he was worse than a thirteen-year-old boy experiencing his first crush, overanalyzing every-fucking-thing said or done around her. There was only one way to find out.
Reaper resumed his position by Ginny’s door. “Did Ginny seem different to you?”
Nickel frowned. “No. Why?”
“You don’t think she was acting weird?”
“I’m not getting what you’re asking. She seemed normal to me.”
Was he imagining the change?
“She wasn’t acting friendly or smiling like she usually does.”
Nickel shook his head at him. “She seemed pretty normal to me. Ginny’s never been much of a talker to any of us. I think she’s shy. Maybe that’s what you’re getting since you haven’t been around her long.”
Were they talking about the same woman?
He started rubbing his temples, as if to clear the confusion that Ginny was creating in him. Letting his hand fall to his side, he saw that Nickel’s look of confusion matched his.
“She didn’t seem shy when she went out shopping with you,” he argued.
“Ginny acted friendly, but nothing out of the ordinary that I could text home about.”
“Why would it be worth a text home?” Reaper’s own curiosity grew.
“You’re kidding, right? Most of the brothers pulling detail with Shade and Rider have been trying to get with Ginny since she worked for us at the club. Believe me; if Ginny gave me any hint she was interested even a little, shit, I’d been on that like cotton candy on a stick.”
“How many brothers have tried?”
“It’d be easier to tell you who hasn’t.” Nickel laughed, leaning his shoulder against the wall to face him. “She getting to you too?”
The way Nickel was talking to him reminded him of the days when they shared an easy camaraderie. They would sit around, shooting the shit, talking about women and getting laid, or who they wanted to fuck next. His freestyling sexual conquests ended when he fell in love with Taylor, but that didn’t mean he had stopped listening and joking with the brothers. No, that had come to a crashing halt when he turned his back on the club.
Memories flashed back of the good times he and Nickel had shared, until he remembered who else had typically been there—Memphis and Crash.
Their betrayal of him was something even death couldn’t repair. What they had allowed to happen to him showed a deep-seated hatred from two men who he had considered friends.
If he misjudged their friendships, then who else had he misjudged? He had no intention of allowing anyone close enough to find out.
“She’s an attractive woman. Could be I’ll have better luck than the rest of the other brothers.”
Reaper didn’t feel any qualms at drawing Nickel into his ploy to piss Ginny’s stalker off. The more people believing there was a developing relationship between Ginny and him, the more likely the stalker would find out.
“Go for it, brother,” Nickel encouraged.
An unexpected pang of guilt at deceiving Nickel almost had him revising bringing Nickel into his plan. Squashing it down became harder when Nickel started confiding about Ginny’s likes and dislikes.
“You can’t crack Marty’s skull as much as you want to. Rider tried that, and Ginny busted a napkin dispenser over his. Plus, Ginny didn’t talk to him for two weeks.”
Reaper narrowed his eyes at Nickel on that bit of information. Nickel wasn’t so gung-ho on Marty as he pretended to be in front of Ginny. The fucker had been trying to get laid.
No longer feeling guilt at lying to Nickel, he listened, stunned at the intel the brothers had gathered in their efforts to get Ginny in their beds.
“Getting on Willa’s good side will help, but not much.” He snorted. “I tried that myself. Any mention of Ginny to her, and she sics Lucky
on you, giving you one of his sermons on chastity. Have you had to listen to that spiel from Lucky?”
“No … I can’t say I have.”
“The whole time I just … I just wanted to smash his nuts with the Bible sitting on his desk.”
“I take it listening to the sermon didn’t help your cause with Ginny?”
“It did jack shit. Save yourself the effort. You have a better chance of kissing Marty’s ass.”
“I take it that was the route you were taking.”
Nickel uncomfortably breezed on past that fountain of information. “Another thing, don’t bad-mouth Lucky in front of Ginny; she’ll rip you apart. Moon found that out when he was complaining to Shade about Lucky winning his paycheck playing cards. Since then, anytime Viper wants to send Moon to relieve one of us, she turns him down.”
“I thought it was because he was hitting on the women backup singers and crew?”
“Fuck no! Moon was doing his best to get Ginny. He was behaving. At least, for him. He had his pick of the women, but he was keeping on the down-low because he had higher ambitions.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Reaper listened to Nickel spill Moon’s secrets, none of which was interesting to hear. What had grabbed his attention was the part about Lucky.
“It was a dumb move from Moon. Lucky was her pastor and mentor when she was younger.”
“Yeah.”
“Anything else I should know?” he gritted out. If the brothers had made as much effort in finding Ginny’s stalker as getting her in bed, the fucker would have been caught by now.
“Act like you like kids. Doc screwed the pooch on that one. He wouldn’t let one of Kaden’s kids sit on his motorcycle. Ginny crossed him off the list too.”
Reaper could imagine the hardcore biker’s reaction to letting a kid touch his motorcycle. He had yet to allow any brother to park anywhere near his prized possession.
“Oh … before I forget, don’t tell her—”
A throat being cleared had them turning and startled to see Ginny opened her door.
