Echos in the Shadows (Mystifying Music Book 2)

by Elizabeth St. John

  Brent scoffed, “He makes plenty of money when I perform.”

  “You also aren’t the only one out there.”

  “No, but I’m the only one who deserves it. I’m the one who brings the crowds to this shithole. You all should be thanking your lucky stars I haven’t left you all behind for bigger opportunities.”

  “What opportunities?” Kyle questioned and laughed.

  “There’s the door, dude,” Chris spat in an angry tone. “If you aren’t happy here, I’m sure we could find another lead.”

  Brent’s expression grew tight, “And who would sing?” He stood from his stool and dug out an elongated ball of socks from his bag. He crammed it down into the crotch of his tight jeans and adjusted it in the full-length mirror in the corner. Ignoring him, Bowen walked out of the dressing room and out onto the dark stage. The stage curtain was down. As he picked the strings quietly, he murmured the words to a song he had been working on. His inspiration for his melody finally made her way into his life. He pictured Ally just before the curtains opened to the public.

  Chapter 5

  (Two Hours Earlier)

  By the time Ally showered and dressed, Mike entered their home. “You have been summoned to dinner tonight with the family,” she stated while washing dishes.

  “Yeah, my mom called me at work,” Mike explained as he dropped his keys into the basket on the counter by the back door. He was exhausted. This month, he was working on the road crew. Trimming tree limbs away from power lines, picking up trash tossed on the side of the road by dick head litterbugs, and filling potholes.

  “We are supposed to be there at seven. You have time for a shower. Oh, and thanks for fixing the toilet.” The toilet flushed normally and he did mop up the water…sort of. The pile of soaked towels she discovered was his version of mopping.

  “No big deal. Sorry, I didn’t have time to clean the floor.”

  Ally snickered with her back to him. Washing knives by hand required her full attention. Cutting herself was not something she was aiming for. “I never really expected you to.”

  “Good, because I never really wanted to,” he laughed deeply. “I’ll be ready in ten.” He headed toward the stairs but stopped. “Wait.” Ally stopped washing and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. “I didn’t see your car. Where is it?”

  “Dead on Willow Road.”

  “I thought T was going to fix it.”

  Ally dropped the knife and sponge and lifted her dripping hands into the air. Soap suds rolled down to her elbows as she made air quotes. “He has been too “busy” to work on it.”

  Annoyed, he grimaced. “Damn. Why didn’t you call me?”

  She quickly picked up the knife and sponge. “I forgot her phone in my locker, but a friend from work gave me a ride.”

  “Dude or chick?” His voice held a familiar demand.

  “If you must know, her name is Rebecca.” She could practically feel her lying tongue forking. She turned her head to face him again and smiled. “And no. She’s not single.”

  “Well, damn.” He snickered, “Ok. If it’s not raining later, we will go get your car.”

  “Mike, you and I both know you know absolutely nothing about cars.”

  “As you said, I’m not a moron. I can figure it out.” He expressed assuredly but then paused. “If not, we will have it towed home.”

  “Thanks,” Ally chuckled. “Now, go shower. You stink.”

  “Hey, that’s the smell of money, little girl,” he teased.

  “You’re right, but I have never come home smelling like a million dollars?”

  Mike laughed and sprinted up the stairs, “Ten minutes.”

  Ally still had a bathroom to mop. She grabbed the bucket and filled it with hot water and bleach before Mike’s shower water turned on, positive he wouldn’t enjoy freezing his ass off after work. With the bucket half-full, she grabbed the mop and carefully hurried toward her next chore. Ally hated to think about how many bacterial parasites were growing on the tile floor in the small room. After mopping and cleaning the toilet, she dumped the dirty water into the bowl and flushed it. It didn’t lag and swirled quickly before disappeared into the abyss of the plumbing system.

  Nearly as promised, Mike joined his cousin downstairs in the kitchen. He had gone five-minutes over his ten-minute time stamp. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a bull skull on the front. It was tucked into the waistband of his jeans. His outfit was complete with boots and a black cowboy hat.

  Ally chose to wear a soft-pink spaghetti-strap sundress and white cowgirl boots. “It’s about time. I was about to send a search party.”

  “You can’t rush perfection.”

  Ally rolled her eyes. “Can we go now, pretty boy?”

  “Theron not home yet?” he asked as he grabbed his keys from the basket. “Is he coming?”

  Ally shrugged her shoulders, “Not sure. No phone, remember?”

  “Hmm,” he groaned deeply in his throat and nodded, “Right.” He opened the back door and waited for her to make her exit first after grabbing her coat. “I’ll call him on the way.”

  Mike’s truck was not a trashed-out mess you would expect of a bachelor. It was impeccably clean, an opposite reflection of his upstairs bathroom. It smelled nice and every surface was black and shiny. He made a point to spend a small fortune keeping his vehicle appealing to the women in his life. The duo bumped along the road listening to his favorite country radio station after he called their cousin. “He said he would be there.”

  Ally wouldn’t be holding her breath. If T did show up, he would most certainly have a woman with him. The moonlight played beautifully across the surface of Shadow Lake as they approached their destination. Mike slowed the truck to nearly a crawl as they approached the security gate. The red light of the camera above them flashed before the gate opened. Mikes mother was a pack master, as was her husband. Security was of utmost importance. There were several vehicles parked next to her aunt’s grand home. Ally checked the green glowing numbers on the screen of the dash radio. “We are so late.”

  Mike parked the truck next to a black SUV. “Haven’t even gotten out and I can already feel her nagging.”

  “Who?”

  “My mother,” he groaned as he killed the engine and juggled his keys for a moment. “Ok, lets feast.” He leaned his body back a little and crammed them into his jeans pocket.

  “She only loves and misses you,” Ally expressed. Mike didn’t spend nearly enough time with his parents since moving out. None of them did. Ally made as mental note to change that. “You should, at least, call her more.”

  He scoffed. “Yeah, yeah, yerah.” His stomach grumbled. “I hope there’s food left.”

  “Shit. There better be.”

  Ally climbed out of the truck and straightened the skirt of her dress. The house was an old Colonial style, complete with a second story wrap around porch and large white pillars. The front door was painted deep red, and thick rose bushes adorned the style. The sweet fragrance wafted into the air after the recent heavy rain.

  Ground hounds patrolling outside the home. They would come to investigate new arrivals from the security of the shadows. Always remaining hidden unless needed. Knocking went unnoticed during family gatherings. Mike opened the door and Ally followed him inside. The home was packed with people. Having a gathering of that size was a bit much. People were everywhere. Chatting voices and the tapping of forks against plates rang in her sensitive ears. Holidays were hell on earth.

  The cousins made their way toward the kitchen, where they were greeted by their parents. Jessica bypassed Ally and went straight for her son. Mike was far taller than his mother. When she hugged him, the top of her head barely reached the height of his shoulders. “My boy is home.”

  “Hi, ma.” The scent of his mother’s cooking caused him to grow ravenous. “Do I smell ham?”

  “Yes. Come eat,” Jessica replied happily and took her son’s hand, draggi
ng him toward the kitchen.

  “Ally,” Marie cried from across the kitchen as she served a group of several children. Ally knew them all, of course. She placed a genuine smile on her lips and walked around the table to greet her mother. One of the small kids spun around just as she stepped up. His plate hit her smack dab in the stomach. The force caused it to tip forward and smash creamed potatoes and brown gravy all over the front of her dress. She froze and pinched her lips and eyes shut. “Oh no,” her mother said.

  Ally opened her eyes and looked down. The small boy had platinum hair and his blue eyes glistened with tears. His tiny chin quivered as he began to cry. “I’m…sorry, Ally,” he said softly and sniffled.

  She quickly softened her expression. “It’s alright, Connor. It was my fault,” she lied quickly and smiled. “I should have been watching where I was going.”

  Marie placed her hands on the boy’s shoulders and knelt down to his level. “Connor, take your plate to the sink and I will fix you another.” He nodded before shooting ally another apologetic glance. She nodded and he rushed toward the sink.

  “That’s going to stain,” her mother stated in a whisper and began to help me clean the still clinging potatoes from the pink fabric.

  “I should have known better than to wear this tonight.” Her eyes pinched with threatening tears. Being in her line of work, she didn’t get to dress like an actual woman often. “At least, I got to feel pretty for an hour.”

  “Don’t be silly. You’re always beautiful.”

  “Even when I smell like a dead animal?”

  “Ewe.” Marie poked her finger into her mouth and made a low gagging sound, making Ally laugh. Marie knew if she could get her daughter to smile, she wouldn’t be so upset about her dress.

  “now, a hug from my Ally,” Jessica stated happily while she approached. Ally spun around in time for her to notice the mess. Her face strained a little as she took in the stain. “Upstairs,” she said and took her left hand into her right. Ignoring everyone, she practically dragged her niece upstairs to her bedroom. She locked the door behind them. “Take that off and go find something else to wear in her closet.”

  “Aunt Jessy, you don’t have to do that. I just need to wash this off.”

  “I have plenty of dresses in there. Go find one and I’ll toss yours into the washer.” She wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Ally sighed and carefully pulled the dress over her head. Using her left arm to cover her naked breasts, she passed the pink dress to her. “Now, go find something else to wear.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jessica smiled and winked as she snaked her body carefully through the bedroom door, leaving Ally alone. Once alone, she made her way to the closet. Jessica didn’t make it a habit to dress fancy. She was laid back and simple. Most of her wardrobe consisted of jeans and t-shirts, but in the back, behind everything else, were the dresses she promised. After fishing through them one by one, she found a pretty yellow dress and slipped it on. It was knee length and comfortable. The fabric bushed softly against her freshly shaved legs as she walked down the stairs.

  Joining the group of people was easy enough after she got her plate of vegetables. Her mother always made sure to fix things Ally preferred to eat. The potatoes had the perfect amount of salt and butter. The sweet lemonade put her directly in heaven. The sky was clear of threatening rain clouds for the moment and she could enjoy the stars. Children were running around outside while she sat at the outdoor table with her immediate family.

  Theron did eventually show up, and as predicted, he had a woman with him. Humans were welcome but the ground hounds watched her closely from the darkness. Theron was a good-looking man with dark hair, lavender-grey eyes, and a thick body build. The woman was gushing all over him. He grabbed a beer before joining our family at the outdoor table. He pulled her down to sit on his lap while he sipped his beer. Ally notice how uncomfortable the woman was with the public display of affection. Not exactly a good first impression and T was being an ass. The woman’s cheeks flushed a deep red. When she tried to stand, he gripped her hip, keeping her firmly against his lap.

  Ally cleared her throat and stood from her seat. “I’m going in for cheesecake. What to join me?”

  “Sure,” the woman announced happily. Her hair was honey-blonde and her body was tall and slim. She was extremely pretty. Theron gave his cousin a displeased glare but released his date.

  The two women entered the kitchen through the back door together. “I figured you needed to get out of there for a minute.”

  Theron was not what Ally would consider a misogynist. He was the exact opposite. He loved women. He respected them but he was also a dominant male. Sharing was not a personality trait he possessed. When he was with someone, he was devoted to that person. Of course, until someone better came along. She already knew this young lady wouldn’t last. Theron would not be truly happy with anyone until he found his true mate. Something Ally longed for. Bowen quickly came to mind but she pushed the potential thought away. There was no way.

  “I appreciate that. Sitting on his lap was not the first impression I wanted to make.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Ally expressed with a smile. The room was nearly cleared out of people. Only a couple pack members lingered near the sweets. She handed the woman a plate. “Her ya go.”

  “Thanks.” She put out her hand after taking the plate. “I’m Deborah.”

  “Allyssa.”

  As they shook hands, Deborah smiled. “Oh, you’re Ally.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Theron speaks highly of you.”

  “He does?” Ally questioned in utter confusion. She would never have guessed her cousin gave her a second thought. Other than butting into her personal life. “You been with Theron long?”

  “We have been dating off and on for a few months. He loves you a lot.”

  Ally chuckled and cut into the cheesecake. Typically, people used graham crackers for the crust but she couldn’t stand it. This one was made by her mother. It had a flaky buttery crust and smothered in cherries. She placed the first piece on Deborah’s plate. “Having a live-in maid would make anyone happy.”

  “You’re more important to him than you think.”

  Over cheesecake and small talk, Deborah invited her out to a club she and Theron were going to when they left. Ally was tired and refused, but after much persistence from Deborah, she finally agreed.

  Chapter 6

  Theron and Michael were not thrilled about having their baby cousin tag along. Her presence was probably a huge boner-killer, but Ally didn’t care. Since before she can remember, she was actually having a good time. Deborah and she danced to nearly every song. After an hour, Ally was sweating like a pig and probably smelled like one too. The alcohol in her system coursed through her body, relaxing her. The two women went to the bar and ordered two shots of tequila.

  “You having fun?” Deborah asked over the extremely loud music blasting out of the large speakers.

  Ally smiled, “Yes. Thanks for asking me out.” She couldn’t be sure if it was the liquor or just her appealing charm, but Ally liked her new friend.

  “Anytime you wanna get away from those boys, you just let me know. I will give you her number.”

  “Great,” she replied a little too loudly. Though people were still drinking and talking, the music had shut off.

  The bartender put the glasses in front of them and poured. “Shots!” Deborah announced happily. They clicked the tiny shot glasses together “Too good times.”

  “Good times,” Ally repeated before tossing it back. Some of the liquid splashed against her cheek, making her laugh.

  The piercing sound of a microphone sounded over the loudspeakers. It caused her sensitive ears to tweak a little. She spun around and noticed a guy on the stage with a microphone in his hand. “Ladies and gentleman. Can I have your attention?”

  The crowd settled down a fraction. Theron and Mike came up to the girls. “Come on, let’
s get out of here,” Mike said.

  “No way!” Ally stated while the man on stage continued speaking. “I want to see what it is.”

  “It’s live music night,” Deborah said happily. “It’s like getting to see a concert, but the guys don’t like it.”

  “Really? This sounds like fun.”

  “For the second time tonight, please welcome Brent ‘Pretty Boy’ Loveless and Modification.” The man announced proudly before making his way off stage. People rushed toward the sage in a huge hoard.

  “Yay, woohoo,” Theron stated in a drab tone and rolled his eyes. “Time to go.”

  Ally’s expression tightened as she fished through her memory. Ally had heard that name before, but the alcohol in her system was fogging her mind. “I know that name.”

  “Ally, let’s go,” Mike replied with a snarl on his lips. Her cousins were always overbearing and protective, but this was a little ridiculous. It was only a band.

  “Everyone knows who Pretty Boy is. You will like him and the band.” Deborah leaned in closer, “Plus, he’s hot.”

  “Don’t encourage her,” Theron protested deeply while glaring at his date. “We should go.”

  A sweet country acoustic sound began to play before the curtain opened. It held a heartbreaking tune which drew Ally in instantly. As the curtain opened more, she saw a man dressed in cowboy attire sitting on a stool. The bright stage lights were directed at only him. He held a microphone and began singing. She couldn’t focus on the words but the music coming from the guitar was mystifying. She closed her eyes and began to gently sway to the alluring sound, feeling almost dizzy.

  “Come on, Ally. Let’s try to get up front,” Deborah said excitedly. She took her hand and jerked her into the crowd of people. Ally almost lost her footing. All the females seemed to be directly in the front of them all. They were all swooning over the lead singer. Once the music beat picked up, he stood from the stool and began winking and pointing to them all, Ally included. She wasn’t impressed but the ladies were screaming in excitement.