by L. V. Lewis
I take out the box and look at it. When I’m all alone, I open it again. My body only wants to remember how good it made me feel, how calm and mellow life was when the drugs flowed through my system.
My mind, on the other hand, remembers the fucked-up shit I did when I was strung out. It’s an all-out war between my mind and body as I roll my thumb over the bag.
“I know you’re going to pour that nasty shit down the drain.”
I look up to see Malik staring at me and then nodding to the heroin.
“This nasty shit got me through some tough times.”
“It also destroyed your ex and almost destroyed you.”
“Yeah. It did.”
“I’m guessing your old pal Stephen got that to you somehow.”
All I do is nod.
“So what are you going to do? Take it, give him the win, and destroy any future you have with Sky? Or are you going to man the fuck up and get rid of it?”
It’d be so easy to fall back into my addiction. Like putting something back on that you long forgot and haven’t worn in a while. But Sky is worth so much more than the easy road. She’s the one I’d trek through deserts and mountains for. She’s the inspiration songwriters write songs for. Am I ready to give her up that easily? Fuck no!
I don’t think twice when I turn on the faucet and let the powdery contents flow down the drain.
“We need a plan to catch this asshole,” I say, staring at the now empty sink.
“Already way ahead of you,” Malik says. “Think it’s time we had a little talk about my military connections.”
Thirteen
Dallas, Texas
AT&T Stadium
SKY
“I want you to watch it,” Brody says, walking into my dressing room after the Dallas show. He paces behind me, but I watch him closely in the large mirror.
“Watch what?” I ask.
“The tape Stephen is holding over me.” He stops and stares at me. “I want you to see it. It’s the only way he’s going to lose that fucking power he’s dangling over my head. He knows I don’t want people to see who I was back then, but, the truth is, it’s you I’m afraid to show it to.”
I turn around and take his hands in mine. He feels so cold. I hate that he’s so nervous. Over the last few days, I’ve realized that I don’t care about who he was in the past. I never knew that Savage Saban and I never will. The man standing in front of me, right now, is the real one. Brody Kent is who I fell for all those months ago, the one who showed me I could be the independent woman without my mother hovering over me and acting condescending of every decision I ever made on my own. The man is always showing me that I am not a freak for wanting certain things in bed.
I’ve always wanted someone who could see me as Skylar, the woman, and not the pop singer. Brody is asking me to do the same for him. What I always wanted was something that Brody needed, and I am so ready to give it to him. I hate that he worries about my reaction. Although, not knowing was stressing me, I know that nothing on that video will change how I feel about him right now.
“I don’t need to see it,” I finally say.
He stares at me as if unsure of my words. “What did you say?”
“I don’t need to you to show me what’s on that video. I know everything I ever need to know.” I wrap my arms around his waist. “Brody Kent, I love you more than anyone or anything. You’re part of me now. That means my good is yours and yours is mine. It also means your demons are mine and mine are yours. You can’t take the good and leave out the bad. You have to trust me to handle both. I’m not Kim, and I’ll never be her. You’re not going to make the same mistakes as you did then because you’re different now.”
“You can’t know that,” he says.
“I do, for the simple fact that you want to share the bad parts of your life with me, even though it scares the hell out of you.”
“But you don’t know everything. I drank some of the vodka in our suite and more that night at the club trying to refrain from getting high on my drug of choice. Stephen left a box with heroin in it when we were in Miami. He wanted me to take it, and I almost did.”
I try to comprehend his rush of words. “He tried to force you to take it?”
He nods. “It was an ultimatum. If I don’t do it, he releases the video for you and the world to see, but I refuse to let him hurt you. That’s why I want you to see it. Better me than him. I couldn’t stand if you’re bombarded with it by him.”
“What did you do with the drugs?” I ask. My voice is calm. I don’t want him to think I’m accusing him or judging his struggle with the addiction, but I have to ask.
“With the help of Malik, I poured it out.”
“How did Malik help?”
“He simply reminded me of something I almost forgot.”
“What’s that?”
“That you’re worth fighting for, Sky. I can’t promise I won’t let you down or that I won’t be tempted to slip again, but I can promise you I’ll never stop fighting for us. I will do everything in my power to keep fighting.”
“Then I promise to do the same, too.”
“I don’t know what I did to ever deserve you, but I’m going to work hard to keep you.” He leans down and kisses me with a force that feels like a combination of love and determination.
I melt against him to fall deeper into his kiss. He makes me tremble and relax simultaneously.
He pulls back. “I think there’s a way to catch Stephen,” he tells me.
“Thank God. I’m not sure how much longer I can take him ruining our lives.”
“Malik and I have a plan to catch him, but it’s going take some work, and we’re going to need your help, too.”
“I’ll do anything for this nightmare to be over. My mood is starting to affect my performance, and I want to fix it before San Diego.”
“You sure you’re up for this?” Malik asks Brody. We’re all sitting together on the plane, finally headed for California. Alyssa and I sit together on one side while Brody and Malik sit together so they can strategize.
“Hell yes,” Brody says. “I want this over and done with so we can all move on. It’s the only way Sky and I are going to ever have a life together.”
“I’m with him on that. The quicker we get him, the sooner we can breathe easier.”
Malik nods. “Good. I just wanted to make sure, because once the plan is in place, it’s go time. There’s no pulling back from it. My guys will be here to capture him and hand him over to the police.”
“Like Sky said, it’s the only way to get him to stop and possibly get the help he needs,” Brody says. “I don’t want him to try to hurt anyone else because of me. I don’t want to give him any more time to attack us in a way we don’t see coming.”
“I have good news,” Malik says. “One of my buddies tracked him down. He’s in some rental place in San Diego, probably hiding out there until he makes his next move.”
“Why can’t we just go get him now?” I ask.
“Right now, we have no proof. If we move in now, there’s a good chance he’ll get off the hook.”
“What do you mean we have no proof?” I look between Malik and Brody. “You have the notes he left behind, pictures of his threats, and even my mother’s own admission.”
“We know that, but there’s no physical evidence we can use to take to the police. He’s been careful with everything. No prints on the things he leaves behind, no DNA to trace, nothing really. It’s almost like he’s a ghost.”
“How’s that even possible?” I ask.
“Blame it on too many crime scene shows,” Alyssa says. “They practically teach viewers how to get away with crimes. Dude is probably streaming all episodes on repeat.”
“Not helping me calm down right now,” I tell her. I appreciate her sense of humor, but knowing Stephen’s prepared to get away with anything he does will not ease my conscience.
“Sorry, hon,” she says. “I’m just as nerv
ous as you are.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to either of you,” Brody says.
“That’s a fucking promise,” Malik says. “Your safety is top priority.”
“Don’t scare off potential suitors,” Alyssa says. “I’m still free and single over here.”
“What about Dylan?” I ask. “Thought you had fun at the zoo.”
“I did, but I haven’t heard back from him since then.”
“That’s not like him,” Brody says. “Want me to give him a nudge?”
“No,” Alyssa says. “It either works out or it doesn’t.”
I can tell she hopes the prior holds true, but all of that can wait until we have this maniac with a thirst for revenge.
“It’s going to take all of us to play our parts,” Malik says. “We know your mother pulled strings to get Stephen backstage the first couple of times, and she told me who they were. They’ve all been fired.”
My eyes widen. “Which means someone else is sneaking him in now since he left that awful gift for Brody.”
Malik nods. “Exactly. Find that person, and we’ll get Stephen.”
“I like this plan,” Alyssa says.
“What do you want us to do?” I ask.
“It’s a little complicated, but it’s important. Without you two, we can’t pull this off.”
Alyssa and I stare at each other, silently agreeing.
“Tell us everything you need from us and we’ll do it.”
Fourteen
San Diego, California
Qualcomm Stadium
BRODY
“I hate this more than I thought,” I tell Malik. “I don’t want to put the girls in any danger. It’ll be my fault if anything happens to them.”
“Man, you just got to let that guilt shit go. It will eat you up from the inside out if you let it.”
I glance over at him. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”
He nods his head solemnly. “When you’re a soldier, they break you down to build you back up. It’s not just to make you stronger, which it does. Doing that also makes you realize how much you need your team to survive.”
“Survival is a good thing, right?”
“Depends on how you see surviving. In war, you know you’ll lose comrades, but it doesn’t make it easier, especially when they die next to you.”
“I can’t imagine it.”
“Don’t. It is sometimes best not to. The ones I want to help the most are the ones who bring the war back with them, either physically or mentally. Like I said, survival is all about how you look at it.”
“I’m glad we have men like you and your friends protecting us, both over there and here at home.”
“It’s my job, Brody. No need to kiss my ass, but thanks.” He looks over to where Sky and Alyssa huddle with their band and dancers. “Promise me when we get out of this, you’ll show that girl what it means to live, and I mean really live. I’ve seen her go through some insane shit while doing this job. I know she loves it, but sometimes people need to take a break from their passion, too.”
“I promise I’m going to do my damn best to try, but she is Skylar Samuelson. No one can get her to do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
“That’s true. One of the only positive things she got from that crazy-ass mother of hers.”
“Didn’t she hire you as Sky’s bodyguard?”
“Yeah, years ago, but I work for Sky. My loyalties will always be with Sky. Best you don’t forget that.”
I hold my hands up. “Never will. I’m glad she has you looking out for her.”
“Yeah, you’re not as far gone as I’d thought you’d be either.”
“Thanks?” I ask. I think that’s a good thing but I’m not sure.
“That’s the closest to a compliment you’ll ever get verbally from me, Brody. Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it.”
Malik nudges me in the side. “Do you see that?” he whispers to me.
At first, I don’t see anything but the group of people huddled together. Taking a closer look, I notice that one of the dancers is looking around sporadically, almost as if she’s waiting for someone to show up.
“I see it,” I whisper back. “You think it’s her?”
“Looks like it. Only one way to find out.”
The plan is a complicated one when put together, but everyone’s parts are simple. Still, it all requires patience to keep from backfiring on us. With only two shows left, it’s a given Stephen would act out for one of them. It looks like Malik’s plan to use the mole as bait for Stephen is playing out like he thought.
Once this is over, I plan on locking Sky in a room and never letting her out, and it’ll be loads of fun trying to keep her there.
For now, we have to get through this first.
We need to make sure the girl we spotted is indeed the one who has been letting Stephen in backstage. That’s where Sky and Alyssa come in. The choreographer added one new dance scene where all dancers have to pair up.
Alyssa will ask everyone to do one more group huddle before they go back on stage. Since Sky doesn’t usually do this, we thought it was best coming from Alyssa to seem less suspicious. If the person who’s helping Stephen needs to let him in, it’ll be during a time when they can easily slip away, like the second group huddle they don’t expect. Whoever that person is paired up with will be missing a partner, thereby verifying who the traitor is. Malik and I have split up to take different sides of the stage and follow whoever leaves the area.
I realize right away that I’m the closest to the girl who is sneaking away. No surprise that it is the girl who was looking around. I text Malik to let him know, and he texts back that one of the male dancers can’t find his partner named Mandy.
I guess Mandy has other plans. I follow from behind and keep a good distance in the shadows. I keep my phone out to ready it and hit record. She creeps near a back exit that doesn’t have anyone manning it, something Malik did on purpose to give Stephen the opportunity to break in.
Mandy opens the door. “Hurry up!” she says to someone on the other side. “I have to get back.”
Stephen rushes in before she closes the door to lock it back in place.
He pulls her close to him, “You’re a treasure, doll. You know that?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Mandy says. “Whatever. Save that mushy stuff for later. Go plant you stuff for Sky’s boyfriend and then straight back out of here before you get caught. This is the last time I’m doing this shit for you. You owe me big time.”
“I’ll pay in full after the show,” he says, kissing her and grinding into her.
“I prefer money over sex most of the time,” she replies.
“After this time, we’ll have more than enough money to swim in. I plan on making Brody Kent pay for what he’s done.”
I’m tempted to wipe that smirk off his face, but I can’t deviate from the plan. Malik was clear on that. The more footage we get, the easier it’ll be to put Stephen away. I sink deeper into the shadows of some large equipment covered by sheets.
The two walk fast, looking around for someone to spot them. When they get to the backstage area, they split off. The male dancer argues with Mandy, but I follow Stephen instead. He has no problem finding Sky’s room, which makes me believe he knows the layout of the arena. Although, The Savages played here years ago, the inside has changed drastically in design and structure.
I stand outside and watch him as my recorder picks up every detail. It’s hard to hold back, knowing this guy can’t let the past go. Sky has been a wreck because of it, and I’ve been fending off Kim’s ghost when she had nothing to do with this. I keep thinking how she’d be disappointed with what he’s doing, but even I’ve been guilty of that.
“You’re going to finally get what’s coming to you, Brody,” Stephen says, “and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”
I sense Malik nearby before I see him. He nods to sign
al that’s enough video feed. I stop it and walk into Sky’s dressing room, making Stephen jerk back.
“Brody?” Stephen says. “What are you doing here?”
“You mean in my girlfriend’s dressing room? I think the question is what you are doing here? Planting more drugs to knock me off track?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says.
“Save it,” Malik says, grabbing him by the collar. “The jig’s up.” Malik leans over and reads the new note Stephen planted. “So, looks like you’ve gone from drug dealer to extortion. Asking for only $5,00,000? Want us to bump it up to a cool ten million?”
“I just wanted to make him pay more than the share of Kim’s royalties his lawyers gave us. We deserve to see that fucker suffer for what he did to Kim.”
“Money isn’t going to bring her back, Stephen. As I told you before, I’m sorry for what I did to her. Even more, I’m sorry my actions and influence caused you and your parents to lose her.”
“Shut up! Shut the fuck up! You never loved her. Not really.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I never meant to hurt her. I would never want what happened to her happen to anyone, but this isn’t the way to go about fixing things. You should’ve just come to me.”
“Easy words for a man who disappears for years with no trace. You couldn’t even face my family. You ran like a little bitch!”
I close my eyes at his words, because he’s right. I was a coward, but not anymore. It took me finding Sky to find my strength.
“I’ll say it again,” I say. “I’m sorry, Stephen. Sorry for everything. That doesn’t give you the right to hurt people I care about.”
“Police are waiting outside,” Malik says. “Time for you and your little dance fling to meet them.”
“This isn’t over,” Stephen says. “I still have copies of that video. It’ll ruin you, Savage.”
I look up at Malik and he nods his head. He had his old military friends raid Stephen’s house. They took all hard copies of the tapes and removed any evidence of it from his computer.