I’d seen her with Beckett. I knew she cared about him. But I was also certain she felt the same electricity as I did crackling between us when we saw each other. And if she did, I knew her heart was feeling torn. I didn’t want her to feel rushed or pressured. Patience was something I had in spades.
I cut down my contact to a text a day just to let her know I was thinking of her. Besides, she was busy getting prepared for her show. But I hated not hearing her voice. Now that I’d gotten it back, I was going into withdrawals without it. The days felt unbearably long.
The guys and I spent time each day working on our set list for the three hometown shows. We wanted to add a few covers in honor of each state. In addition to “Dear Universe,” we were going to introduce one other song from the upcoming album, plus all the old favorites. The rest of my time was spent between the sea and writing another new song.
Meanwhile, Rayne—with help from Lila—managed to shut down all attempts to post any video clips from the anniversary party. Joe and his security team were coming with us to South Carolina for the concert. Their previous commitments would be over just in time.
I sat at the table, staring at scraps of photo paper. Since I’d gotten back from South Carolina, I’d been unable to meet up with Rayne to pick up the last note from the stalker, so the puzzle sat on my table with a gaping hole in the middle. She was going to bring it by after dinner. Hopefully, the pieces she had would give me a clue as to who was stalking me.
Too wound up to stay inside, I went in the laundry room and tugged on my still damp wetsuit. The neoprene was cool on my skin. Grains of sand still inside from this morning abraded my skin. I welcomed the irritation. It distracted me from my longing for Izzy. Sweat coated my body by the time I’d yanked the suit into place. I really needed to invest in a second suit—it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford it.
With my board wedged under my arm, I made my way to where heaven met Earth. As soon as the water came into view, I picked up my pace. The waves looked even better than they were this morning. I jogged through the sand, kicking up grains until my feet hit the water-pressed shoreline. The cool water swirled around my ankles before it receded. I followed it, ready to surrender to the ocean’s embrace. Air filled my lungs before I pressed my lips together tightly and dove into the coming wave. Powerful strokes carried me past the breakpoint.
Sliding my body up my board, I positioned myself to catch the next wave. I counted the seconds between crests. When the count hit zero in my mind, I popped up on my board and rode.
I caught wave after wave until my legs trembled with exhaustion.
Just as I decided to call it a day, movement on the beach caught my eye. Pink hair fluttered in the breeze.
Izzy.
I jumped off my board and swam as hard as I could in the direction of the shore. The woman turned to go. “Izzy, wait,” I shouted against the wind. But she didn’t stop.
By the time I waded out of the surf, there was no sign of her. Maybe she was waiting at the house. I sprinted in the direction of my place. I cut through a side street, approaching my house from the front. The gate stood open, but I didn’t pause to consider how that was possible. I was a man on a mission. As I moved up the cobblestone path, something crunched beneath my feet. Frowning, I stopped in my tracks and looked down. A trail of black ran the length of my walkway. Stooping down, I picked up one of the dark objects. They were little balls of paper. Quickly, I unfolded the one in my hand.
Ice ran in my veins. The little wads of paper were black hearts. I followed the path like a trail of breadcrumbs to my front door. My heart froze in my chest when I caught sight of the large black heart nailed to my front door. In dripping red letters, there was a one-word message. “Soon.”
Without wasting time, I moved around the side of the house and punched in the code to enter the house through the garage. I armed my security system and called Joe to fill him in. He had me check the house while I was on the phone with him. No one had been inside.
A quick check of the time revealed I had about an hour before Rayne and the guys would be here. Probably less than an hour before Joe would be ringing my bell.
I took the world’s fastest shower. At least it was hot.
Then I ordered Chinese takeout for everyone. Mom would be proud of my hosting abilities. That taken care of, I moved around the house mopping up where I’d dripped all over the floor. By the time everything was cleaned up my doorbell rang. Laughter bubbled up when I peered through the glass to find Joe laden with bags and boxes of Chinese food.
“Hey, man.” I threw open the door. “Where’s the delivery guy?”
“He was coming up the walk, so I paid him and relieved him of his burden. You planning to feed an army, D?”
“Nah. Didn’t know what everyone was in the mood for, so I ordered a little of everything.” I shrugged and held the door wide.
“I’ll just take it all to the kitchen.”
I followed the big man through the open space to the kitchen.
After he set everything on the bar, he stepped to the puzzle on the table. This was his first time seeing it in person.
“How often do the letters come?” His large fingers turned over the scattered, unattached pieces in the middle.
“It varies. When they first started coming years ago, they didn’t have puzzle pieces, and they arrived every few months or so. Recently, they’ve been coming nearly every week. Rayne is bringing the latest one over in just a little while.” I picked up a stray piece and rotated it in my fingers.
His large head shook as he moved around the table to study it from a different angle. “I don’t like this. My gut says the part missing in the center is you. I think it’s symbolic that your stalker cut a photo of you to bits. And the particular photo she chose to chop up is you standing in front of what you openly admitted to the world years ago as the most romantic spot in the world. I’ve got a bad feeling about this, man.” He looked up at me.
“You and me both. It worries me that I might be putting a target on Izzy by trying to reconnect with her. I don’t know what this stalker chick will do,” I admitted.
“I need to read the letters. And I’ll make sure someone from my team is with you all the time until we can get things figured out. The black hearts and the message on your door make me feel like this is on the verge of escalating.”
“The letters are in the drawer over there behind you. What do you think about Izzy? I’m supposed to hang out with her after my show in South Carolina.” I didn’t want to give up any opportunity to spend time with her. But if Joe thought it was a bad idea, I’d have to listen to him.
“She’s coming with her boyfriend?” he confirmed.
“Yeah.” I scowled.
“That’ll probably help. Plus, there will be tons of security between my team and the venue staff. She should be safe there.”
“OK.” I was still uneasy, but I had to trust my staff. And I wasn’t worried enough to walk away from her for good.
Reaching overhead, I pulled a stack of paper plates from the cabinet. The doorbell rang while I was getting out silverware and cups.
“I got it, D.” He ambled down the hall to the front door.
A feminine voice drifted from the foyer, followed by a chuckle.
“Smells good in here,” Rayne announced as she came around the counter to give me a one-armed hug.
“Hope you like Chinese,” I said.
“It’s one of my weaknesses. What’s with the paper littering your walkway?” She stepped to the counter to peek in the containers.
“Seems a visitor got past my security gate and left a message while I was surfing.” I shook my head and filled the cups with ice.
“Better change the codes again,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah. And I’m installing a camera.”
She set her purse on the countertop behind us with a thud. Glitter-tipped fingers dipped inside and withdrew a stack of envelopes.
“I th
ought you just had the one letter?” I asked.
Her lips turned down in a frown. “Two more came. One yesterday and one today. I didn’t open them yet since I was going to see you today.”
I held out my hand to take the letters.
“Bring them over here,” Joe demanded from where he waited by the puzzle.
As I moved around the counter, I pulled the letter from the opened envelope and handed it over to my bodyguard and friend. Then I dumped the puzzle pieces onto the table. After checking the postmarks, I slid my finger beneath the flap of the oldest of the two letters. Quickly, I emptied the paper scraps to the table. A sense of urgency and dread mounted as I repeated the process with the other envelope. With trembling hands, I unfolded the first note.
Dear Universe,
I need help removing the obstacle in my way. I should've dealt with it ten years ago.
Love,
Me.
Fury and fear waged a war inside me as I mentally confirmed the only logical obstacle she could be referencing. Without saying anything, I thrust the flimsy sheet at Joe.
Trepidation made my heart pound and my mouth go dry as I read the next one.
Dear Universe,
Thanks for showing me where she is.
Love,
Me.
I collapsed into the chair closest to me, dropping the offending paper to the floor. The world around me spun and faded.
“D, yo man! Wake up, dude.” A sharp jerking motion ripped through my body, rattling my teeth and jolting me back to the present.
“Are you OK?” Worry filled Rayne’s eyes as she stooped in front of me.
“Yeah. What happened?” I shook my head in confusion.
Grabbing my arm, she pressed her fingertips to the underside of my wrist. “You fainted. Maybe you’re in shock or something?”
“Did you see it?” I demanded anxiously.
“See what? All I saw was you hit the chair then collapse forward. I dove to keep you from smashing your pretty face against the tile,” Joe stated as he still gripped my shoulder, keeping me upright when I wobbled.
“The last letter. I must have dropped it.” I was nearing panic. My heart raced and sweat trickled down my spine.
“Here it is.” Rayne stood from where she’d bent under the table and handed the note to Joe.
“What the hell?” Joe thundered, crumpling the note in his fist.
“Do you think that means she knows where Izzy is, or do you think she’s just effing with me?” I tried to stand.
I needed to move. To do something. Not sit here helplessly.
Joe pressed me back in the chair. “It could be she’s bluffing. But is that really a risk you want to take? Would you put Izzy in danger like that?”
Sighing in defeat, my shoulders slumped forward. “No. I’d never risk her safety. But I also don’t want to sabotage my chances of getting her back either. Is there any way you can send a guy to keep an eye on her? Her apartment building requires a code to get in and has a doorman. She’d only need watching when she leaves, which she’s not doing much of since she’s preparing for her show.”
“I’ll send Ty and Deric.” He grabbed his phone and started tapping on it. Watching his large fingers fly across the screen was a sight to behold. Looking up, he caught my eye. “But I still think you should tell her.”
“I will when the time is right. Just make sure they stick to her. I’ll cover all their expenses. Get them there as soon as possible. Tonight, if there are flights,” I demanded.
“On it,” he confirmed.
The front door clattered open and voices filled the cavernous area at the front of the house.
“Hope you fixed dinner, D,” Jett shouted.
“That boy is always hungry,” Rayne commented just as the guys descended on us in the kitchen.
“Sweetheart, I ain’t no boy.” He flexed his muscles, making her blush and turn away.
I folded the letters back up and stuck them on the counter. Shaking the worry from my mind, I greeted my bandmates with bro hugs.
“Did you get egg rolls?” Wilder asked.
“Does a fat hog fart?” I asked incredulously.
“Did you just call him a fat hog fart?” Joe boomed with laughter.
“No, man, it’s a saying. Like do one-legged ducks swim in circles or does a bear crap in the woods or is a frog’s butt water tight,” I explained with a laugh.
“Oh, I got it. I need to remember that one,” he said with a chuckle.
“So, yes there are egg rolls,” I said and started to open the containers lining the counter, announcing each one as I did. “And noodles and rice and General Tso’s chicken and crab Rangoon and sesame chicken and beef with broccoli and pot stickers. Dig in.”
Stepping out of the way, I watched as my friends filled their plates. With dishes piled high with Asian cuisine, we made our way to the living room.
For a few moments the only sounds were forks scraping plates, ice clinking, moans of satisfaction, and Wilder’s noisy eating behaviors.
Rayne finally broke the silence, “You guys were awesome on The Spiel. Your fan page has been blowing up.”
In the past few weeks, Rayne had proven herself invaluable at not only handling our fan mail, but our social media group accounts as well. And she’d been helping Lila. I wasn’t sold on keeping Lila around, but the other guys wanted to give her a shot. The band was a democracy, not a dictatorship. But if she made it past the trial period, I’d make it clear she had no business in my personal life.
“That’s awesome. We had fun doing it,” Wilder answered with food still in his mouth.
“Where are your manners, dude?” Jett admonished, smacking him in the arm.
“Sorry, Rayne. I’ve been living with a bunch of guys for the past three years. My manners took a hiatus,” Wilder said with a laugh.
“I have brothers. I’m used to guys acting like pigs,” Rayne said.
“How many brothers do you have?” Jett asked.
She tucked her chin down and stared at her plate as she answered, “Two. They’re both in the military.”
“I bet they’re super protective of you,” Wilder mused.
“They are. Made it impossible to date until they both moved across the country. But I miss them,” she said wistfully.
No one spoke for another few minutes. I was sure each of us was thinking about who we were missing.
“Excuse me. I’m gonna grab another egg roll.” Maddox stood and left the room.
I tuned out the chatter and wondered what Izzy was doing at that very moment.
“Hey, Daw, why didn’t you put the new puzzle pieces in?” Maddox called.
I glanced up at Joe. I’d totally forgotten about the newest puzzle pieces. Leaping to my feet, I started to move in the direction of the kitchen with Joe hot on my heels.
By the time I arrived, Maddox was positioning the loose pieces onto the poster board with tape. A sharp gasp exploded from my mouth as I took in the reassembled pieces of my body. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see myself. I’d figured the image would be of me from early on. And the scrap showing my tattoo a couple of letters ago was solid confirmation. But seeing me there in dark jeans, blue shirt and a leather jacket was like a gut punch. Though my head was missing, I recognized myself.
Without getting any more letters, I knew what the missing pieces would show. They would fill the Izzy shaped hole in the image, much like I was trying to do in my heart.
Chapter 9
Izzy
The rest of my week flew by. I spent every waking moment at the gallery, working in secret and trying to come up with an alternative focal piece that wouldn’t totally ravage Beckett’s heart. My anxiety was high with the indecision plaguing me. It was affecting every aspect of my life.
By Friday, I had a tentative plan. Whichever route I went, the original one that I’d already started or the alternate, it would take twelve-hour days for the next week to get either project finished. And
I’d need to work on several canvases at home too.
“Isabelle,” Charles called from the doorway.
I peeked from behind the easel I was working at. “Yes?”
“There’s a handsome doctor here to see you,” he said with a wide smile.
“Beckett’s here? Now?” I squeaked. He wasn’t supposed to get into town until tomorrow.
Charles chuckled. “Surprised?”
“A little. And I look a mess.” I dropped my brush into the jar of solvent with the others and wiped my hands on the stained, dress shirt I wore as a smock—one I’d stolen from Dawson many years ago.
“Men in love don’t notice such things,” he admonished with a dismissive wave. “Shall I show him back?”
“What? No. Tell him I’ll be out in a few minutes. I just need to clean up my paints.”
I scurried to store the paints I had out. Taking one of the brushes from the solvent, I wiped it on a cloth. Then I ran the bristles through safflower oil until no more pigment came off. With care, I deposited it into a clean jar of solvent. I repeated the process with the remaining three brushes. Within minutes, I was able to remove the clean brushes from the second solvent jar. I finished up as quickly as possible and stashed my supplies.
I snatched up my purse and strode to the door. With a crimson tipped finger, I flipped off the lights and locked the door. Slipping next door, I made sure the door where all my finished pieces were stored was also locked. Charles and I had the only keys to the pair of rooms.
I moved around the back rooms of the gallery, expecting to find Beckett killing time by looking at the art on display. As I worked my way through the rooms, I didn’t run into him. Finally, I reached the front lobby and found him tapping away on his phone by the front door.
“Beckett, hi.” He was dressed in a suit. The gray really suited him. “What a nice surprise?”
“There you are.” He glanced up at me.
I stepped up to him with my arms open, but then I remembered I was still in my smock. “Hang on a second, and I’ll give you a proper hello.” With clumsy fingers, I unfastened the buttons, so I could take off the paint-spattered shirt.
Lyrical Odyssey Rock Star Series: Box Set 1 Page 54