Into The Light (Immortal Hearts Book 1)

by Katherine Hastings

  More than fine from the way my stomach did cartwheels.

  He gave me a smile and tugged me forward toward the back of the building. We walked hand in hand up to the bouncers standing guard at the backstage entrance to the building. Roadies carted cases of instruments in and out from the trucks parked just down the way. Aiden walked up like we belonged there, and I waited for him to present the backstage tickets I assumed he had bought.

  “I need to see your passes,” the bouncer said, his arms crossed tight against his massive chest.

  “I don’t have any,” Aiden stated.

  “Then get the fuck out of here,” the bouncer growled.

  Aiden stepped forward and locked eyes with the giant of a man. “You will let us in and then you will forget you saw us.”

  The bouncer stood frozen, his face entranced for a moment before he blinked and spoke. “Of course, sir. Enjoy your evening.”

  My mouth fell open when Aiden turned to look at me. He waggled his eyebrows and pulled me into the backstage area of Madison Square Garden.

  “Unbelievable!” I laughed and trotted to keep up with him. “Why do you even bother paying for anything when you can just do that?”

  “I try not to mess with people’s minds when I don’t have to. Don’t get me wrong, I do it when necessary, like tonight because they were sold out, but I have more money than I could spend in a hundred lifetimes. I figure it’s good for the economy that I pay when I have the opportunity.”

  “Aren’t you just a pillar of society?” I chuckled.

  “Come on, this way.”

  Following him down the halls, we wound through the roadies, musicians, and groupies. Scantily clad women lined the halls, each no doubt waiting for their turn with the musicians. I figured Jeff lived the good life now with this arsenal of women to choose from every night. I hoped he and that ho Sheena were still together so this time she could be the one getting cheated on every night. It served her right. Payment for her shitty morals in sleeping with a man she knew had a wife. Pure karma.

  The music grew louder as we made our way closer to the stage. The energy buzzed around us and I felt it moving into me. For a split second I wished things were different. That I’d be standing at Jeff’s side for this moment to see all our hard work, tears, and money pay off. An unexpected flicker of sadness shot through me that I hadn’t been invited to experience the end of the ride; the exciting plunge downhill at breakneck speeds.

  It reminded me of a sledding hill I visited every winter during my childhood. Getting to the top was exhausting, climbing one slow step at a time through the snow until I reached the peak. But the exhilarating ride back down made the climb all worthwhile. With Jeff, I’d been the one pulling him up the hill, sweating and crying while he sat in his little sled twiddling his thumbs and asking me, ‘are we there yet?’ over and over. Then came the fun part, where we reached the top and I got to climb in the sled and feel the wind whipping through my hair as we rode at breakneck speeds down the hill, screaming our excitement. Instead, once we reached the top, he had pushed me down in the snow and threw some skank in the sled with him, leaving me to climb back down all on my own, without the thrill of the ride.

  Anger started churning in my gut, but one look at Aiden and my stomach flipped over. Sometimes life had a funny way of working out for the best. Alone at the top of the hill, I’d turned Jeff’s betrayal into a golden opportunity. If I had ridden the sled down with him, I never would have met Aiden. And when comparing the two men, if Jeff was an apple, Aiden was a fucking apple orchard. He dwarfed Jeff in every way imaginable, and the thought made me squeeze his hand tighter. Jeff may have gotten the career, but in the end, I beat him down that hill and ran him over, leaving him laying mangled in a pile of snow. At least I would when Aiden finished with him tonight. I giggled to myself and wondered what malicious plan Aiden had to help me get my revenge.

  “Emilia?” His voice sent a shiver up my spine, and not the good kind like Aiden’s touch did.

  “Jeff,” I ground out the name. Aiden’s hand tightened around mine as we both turned to see Jeff standing behind us holding his guitar.

  “Emilia! You’re here! I can’t believe it!” he shouted and stepped toward me with open arms and a clueless smile. Of course Jeff would be oblivious enough to think I’d be happy to see him.

  Aiden stepped forward, eyes lowered while his chest expanded, and he seemed to grow in size. Even though Jeff wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, even he didn’t miss the obvious display and stopped before taking a healthy step backward. Aiden’s possessive posturing pulled up the corner of my mouth in a smirk. The protective gesture made my little heart beat just a bit faster.

  “Sorry, it’s just good to see you,” Jeff responded with a slight quake in his voice as he eyed up the intimidating man holding my hand.

  His eyes then raked over me, and I noticed the admiration plain on his face. Thank God Mark had picked out my outfit and played dress-up Barbie with me tonight. Normally when you run into an ex you’re in sweats, have a zit the size of Mount Everest on your face, and bags bigger than my Birkin under your eyes. The Murphy’s Law of love gone wrong. I thought running into an ex looking amazing with a smoking hot man on your arm was an urban myth. Yet here I was, looking like a million bucks with a man who looked like a Greek God. This really was the best birthday ever.

  After a pause, he let out a sigh. “You look amazing, Emilia.”

  “You look like shit,” I spit out, realizing only after it came out how awful it sounded. I didn’t even mean it as an insult. He really did look like shit. Jeff wasn’t ever what one would call handsome before, but he wasn’t a complete troll, either. But not tonight. His long dark hair fell limp, he had bags under his eyes, he’d put on a good twenty pounds, and his skin looked like it had aged ten years. Drugs, partying, and this new rock-and-roll lifestyle had not been kind to him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. You just look tired,” I said, cringing at the failed attempt to smooth over my abrupt comment.

  “It’s... it’s a busy life I live now,” Jeff said, shifting awkwardly. “I haven’t gotten much sleep.”

  “I bet. You’re about to play at Madison Square Garden. It’s your ultimate dream.” For a moment a sliver of happiness crept in. Why, I couldn’t explain. Lord knows he didn’t deserve to be here, seizing this opportunity on the back of my support and the destruction of others. My mother always said I was too nice, and this moment was apparently going to be one of them. Perhaps I shouldn’t let Aiden stomp Jeff’s dreams into the ground. Maybe I just needed to wish him well and walk away.

  Be the bigger person. Get my closure without destroying his life. And then...

  “Emilia? What the fuck are you doing here?”

  A voice like nails on a chalkboard. Fucking Sheena.

  Aiden and I turned in unison to face her and watch while she strutted up to Jeff’s side. She cocked a hip and put a possessive arm around his waist. Though admittedly pretty, I wouldn’t call her beautiful. In fact, her lack of model perfect looks pissed me off. If Jeff had cheated on me with someone stunning, his betrayal wouldn’t have been as insulting. And she looked exactly the same, except for her new hairstyle. She’d cut her dark brown hair into a trendy bob with chic straight-cut bangs that fell just above her glaring brown eyes.

  “Hello, Sheena,” I snarled. She flashed a fake smile that showed off those oversized teeth.

  Aiden leaned down and whispered, “That’s her? I’ll admit I thought she’d be much more attractive.”

  The look on her face told me she’d heard his attempted whisper. I wasn’t sure if he’d meant to say it just loud enough for her to hear, or if it truly was an accident. When I caught the look in his eyes, I knew it was the former. God this man was amazing.

  “Looks like you’ve been busy.” She eyed up my Birkin bag and the man holding my hand.

  Seeing her standing next to Jeff reminded me what a shit he was, and that little bit of pity I had for him f
luttered away on the notes of the music coming from the stage behind us. Aiden could have his way with him. Hell, maybe I needed to reconsider the throat-ripping-out thing.

  “You’re up, baby,” Sheena said, turning her attention to Jeff. “You’re gonna blow them away, baby! This is it!”

  Jeff hopped up and down and shook his head, trying to shake off the nerves. I’d seen him do that same move before many shows back when we were together.

  “Emilia? Do I have your blessing?” Aiden whispered into my ear.

  I turned and looked him straight in the eye. “Do your worst.”

  His sinister smile deepened the dimples in his cheeks. He released my hand and walked up to Jeff, catching him as he headed onto the stage. They locked eyes, and I tried my best to read his lips. I couldn’t hear the actual words, but Jeff nodded his head. Aiden touched him on the shoulder and stepped out of his way. When Jeff marched onto the stage, I heard the roar of the crowd.

  After shooting me a haughty glare, Sheena moved to the edge of the stage, and Aiden waved me forward. I walked toward him at the side entrance and when I peered out at the crowd, the sight of the full house of people screaming Jeff’s name amazed me. He’d always dreamed about hearing the roar of the crowd and feeling the adoration of so many fans. I glanced to Sheena who beamed with pride when Jeff picked up the microphone.

  “What did you do?” I asked Aiden. His eyes danced with excitement and he looked like a kid on Christmas morning. He slid an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to his side. I caught Sheena’s glance at the impressive man claiming me as his own.

  Not this time, bitch. I narrowed my eyes and leaned in closer, pressing my body against his muscular frame.

  “Just watch,” Aiden said, pointing to Jeff on the stage. I followed his finger and watched the man I once called husband take the microphone in his hand. The crowd roared again while he lifted it to his lips.

  “Hello, New York!” he screamed, and they returned the sentiment by screaming back. “I am so thrilled to be here with you! I came here tonight to play you some rock-and-roll! Is that what you want?”

  The roar of the crowd reverberated through my entire body, even more powerfully than I could have imagined. Jeff stood in front of them, the blue spotlight beating down on him while the band prepared to count off.

  “Before I get started, I have to tell you all something!” he shouted over the noisy crowd.

  Aiden’s smile grew while he squeezed my shoulder tighter.

  “I don’t belong up here. I shouldn’t be here,” Jeff started, the excitement in his voice dissipating as the crowd quieted down with him. They looked as confused. I glanced up at Aiden who waggled his brows and gestured for me to keep watching.

  “I don’t belong here!” Jeff shouted the words this time, and the crowd fell silent. The musicians behind him shot glances to one another, and I realized this was not part of the show.

  This was all Aiden.

  “I’m a half-assed musician and the only reason I’m here is because I stole a woman’s inheritance after her parents died. I used her to help me get here. I tricked her into marrying me when she tried to take the money and leave. Then, after years of supporting me and taking care of me, after my song became a hit, I left her for one of the many whores I liked to fuck. And I didn’t even feel bad about it!”

  One of the whores?

  The crowd booed, and I glanced over to see Sheena shifting uncomfortably. Perhaps that was news to her as well.

  “I left her with tens of thousands of dollars of debt and saddled with a mortgage while I ran off to live this dream! Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, I dumped my high school bandmates... the ones who helped me get here. I replaced them with these guys because my manager told me I could go farther without them.”

  The crowd booed even louder and random items pelted Jeff on stage.

  “Then, I slept with the girlfriends of my current band. All of them.”

  The band glanced amongst each other again before their eyes all narrowed into slits and focused on his back. If looks could kill, Jeff would have burst into flames.

  “I destroyed so many lives to get here that I don’t deserve to play for you tonight. I don’t deserve to have a music career.”

  “Get off the stage you piece of shit!” a woman screamed and broke the silence.

  The crowd joined her in a chant for Jeff to get off the stage. Boos and shouts replaced the cheers that had greeted him.

  “Oh. My. God.” I gasped, glancing up at a grinning Aiden. “You did this?”

  He nodded and flashed a bright smile. “Wait for it...”

  I turned my attention back to Jeff. There he stood on stage, thousands of people screaming for him to get off, his music career in shambles, and this would definitely be viral online tomorrow... the new musician who got up on stage and tanked his entire career. I couldn’t help but look over to Sheena’s ashen face. She looked more than ready to run.

  “I need to admit one more thing before I go!” Jeff shouted into the microphone.

  The crowd kept up their incessant booing while he stood motionless on stage.

  “I just pissed my pants,” he said matter-of-factly.

  My hand flew to my mouth and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. The crowd fell silent for a moment while Jeff stood in front of them.

  “Yes!” Aiden shouted, his rolling laughter following.

  “Holy shit.” It was still all I could manage to say from behind the hand I still held clasped over my mouth.

  The crowd shouted again, and Jeff dropped the microphone and started off the stage, moving toward us wearing an expression filled with horror.

  “Aiden... I... I can’t believe... Did that just happen? I feel so vindicated.” And I did. Watching Jeff blow up his fraudulent career had been so cathartic. He didn’t deserve to be there. And now the rest of the world knew it, too.

  “What did I just do?” Jeff mumbled when he arrived at Sheena’s side. He reached out to wrap his arms around her, but she scoffed and sidestepped his embrace.

  “Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Me,” she snapped. “You and I are done. You are over and the fuck if I’m dating you if you’re just some schmuck in a garage band.”

  “Ready for the rest of your present?” Aiden asked.

  My head nodded before giving it another thought. He pulled me to her side and looked her square in the eyes.

  “Sheena. Listen to me. You will not leave Jeff. Ever. You wanted him, you got him. You will stay at his side when he is a washed-up musician playing for pennies at dive bars. You will stay at his side even when he cheats on you, which he will, repeatedly. You will sit in misery at his side for the rest of your days because you don’t deserve to go off and live a happy life. You’re a shitty person, Sheena and this is the life you deserve.”

  “This is the life I deserve,” she responded in a robotic tone.

  “Did I miss anything?” Aiden turned to me.

  I stood stunned at his side shaking my head before the smile pulled up on my lips. “I’m pretty sure you covered it all. And then some.” I chuckled while I watched Sheena and Jeff stand awkwardly beside one another, the wet spot in his pants now impossible to ignore.

  “Why did I do that?” Jeff mumbled, searching first Sheena and then me when she didn’t respond.

  “Was anything you said up there untrue?” I asked him.

  “No. It’s all true.” He dipped his head.

  I no longer felt even an ounce of pity for him. There were far more deserving people who could take his place in the spotlight. People who’d earned it and had worked for it. “Then you don’t deserve this, Jeff. None of it. Go home to Milwaukee. Try to be a better person.”

  “I’m ruined,” Jeff mumbled.

  “Goodbye, Jeff,” I said and felt the weight of my anger leave my body. The hurt, betrayal, and humiliation poured off me in waves. For a moment I closed my eyes and relished the sweetness of the release.

  “Are you ready
to go, Emilia?” Aiden whispered.

  I opened my eyes to find him staring at me, his eyes searching my own. Without warning, I flung myself forward and threw myself into his arms. He wrapped his around me and pulled me tight to his chest, pressing his chin to the top of my head and enveloping me in a cocoon of safety and security.

  “Thank you, Aiden. Thank you,” I whispered.

  “You’re welcome, Emilia. Happy birthday.”

  “No girl in the world has had a happier one. Ever.”

  “Well, then my work is done, and I need to get us home before the sun comes up and I turn into a pumpkin.”

  “A pumpkin?” I asked, pulling back enough to look up into his face.

  “Well, a charred and burning pumpkin.”

  My face lit up with recognition and I grimaced. “Yeah, that. Then let’s go.”

  I glanced to Jeff one last time. He wore the weight of his choices plain on his face, and the band he’d betrayed now leaving the stage and heading his way only deepened the worry lines in his worn skin.

  “Good luck with that,” Aiden said to him before slinging an arm around my shoulder and leading me away.

  Jeff watched us walk away, and I took a deep breath and left the last of my anger behind me with him. He’d broken me... or tried to, but tonight Aiden had helped me patch up the last of the cracks. When we made it around the corner, I allowed myself to explode with the emotions I couldn’t even begin to process.

  “Did that just happen, Aiden?” I laughed, hopping up and down. “Did you seriously just mind control him into saying all that?”

  Aiden nodded and chuckled. “I told him to walk on stage and admit all the terrible things he did to you and his bandmates to get here. The rest was up to him. Although, I meant for him to admit what he did to his previous bandmates. It hadn’t occurred to me he had also wronged his current bandmates. That was just a welcome surprise.”