by Jamie Begley
You couldn’t look at Cole and be in a bad mood. His sweet nature was that of a child trapped in a man’s body. Ginny had also met them at Penni’s baby shower, and after Ginny had lost her job with Mouth2Mouth, Casey would call occasionally and ask if she was available to help out with housecleaning or babysitting. Ginny had been glad for the extra money, but the more she went to work, the guiltier she felt taking the money because of Cole. Casey had told her that he had been brutalized by their stepfather and, as a result, was brain damaged. She had enjoyed watching him. There was something so special about him that he made you feel good being in the same room with him.
Ginny greeted them, as Penni stood to go around the table to hug Casey and Cole. When they moved away from the table, it didn’t click with her that she wasn’t the only life Penni trifled with. She saw Greer take off like a scalded cat when Penni tried to introduce him to Cole.
Sensitive, Cole started crying at the rejection. Casey then tried to reassure her brother as Zoey took off after Greer.
Ginny started to get up, but Shade placed a hand on her arm. “Stay.”
Ginny had no intention of obeying Shade’s order until she saw that Greer and Zoey were coming back to Cole. She was too far away to hear what Greer was saying to him, and their backs were to them so she couldn’t see what was going on.
When everyone suddenly bowed their heads, Ginny got the impression that Greer was praying for Cole. Then, as each person at the table stood and linked their hands together, she felt warmth shoot into her palm as The Last Riders and Predators surrounded the table, joined together to send their strength and support toward Cole.
Her hand tightened in Shade’s at the immense warmth coming from his hand to hers, and then it traveled from her to pour into Lily. It was as if the heat were a fuse, trying to imbue enough energy to ignite a power within Greer to make Cole shine bright enough to catch God’s attention.
When Shade tore his hand away from hers, she realized others were starting to sit back down while Shade moved toward Greer. Lily and she both sat back down, neither of them discussing what had just happened as they all reached for their drinks. Even Kaden and Sawyer seemed shaken by what had occurred.
“Well, that was different,” Sawyer was saying when Zoey came up behind Lily as she was placing her glass of water down to tell her that Shade was taking Greer back to their hotel room. Ginny missed the rest of Zoey and Lily’s conversation as Kaden slid a cocktail napkin across the table toward her.
Picking the napkin up, Ginny raised her eyes to Kaden’s.
“That’s my private number; call me. I have some free time in the next few weeks. I’d like to work with you.”
Penni slid into the seat that Lily had vacated, for once staying silent and not trying to interfere.
“I just sing for fun. I don’t take it seriously. Thank you, but—”
“You can deny how much singing means to anyone but me, and you may get away with them believing you. I’ve been where you are and know how much you try to fight against giving in to singing the more it wants to get out. I stopped singing after my family died in a crash. Even living on a mountain with no one around, I still sang. You don’t have to use what I can teach you, but at least you may enjoy listening to yourself better.”
Kaden showing a sense of humor was unexpected, as well as making him more human. On tour, he had been businesslike and professional. Most of the parties that the other members had attended, as far as she knew, he hadn’t gone.
The music and songs he wrote drove his fans to keep attending his concerts and buying his albums. Each year, his success had built until he could pick and choose the venue and the opening act he wanted.
Ginny didn’t envy his success, nor did she want the same for herself. What she wanted was what he was offering—his knowledge and ability to turn the words she wrote into lyrics. He would make her a better songwriter.
Songwriters stayed out of the spotlight. They hid behind their songs and lyrics while artists used the opportunity to fulfill their need to be in the limelight. Would she prefer to sing her own songs? Yes, but she would always be fearful of Allerton finding her. Writing songs allowed the only outlet she gave to herself from her past life, and she didn’t deserve that much. How long was she going to continue punishing herself?
Opening her purse, she put the napkin inside.
“Does that mean I can have my hair back?”
“No.” Ginny snapped her purse closed before turning to Penni. “Where did Lily go?”
“She went with Shade and Greer to Greer’s hotel room. When he’s settled, they’re going to meet us at the restaurant. If everyone’s ready, we can go now.” Penni held up the pager with a blinking light to show their table was available.
Penni reached for her purse that she had laying on the table when Kaden motioned their waitress for their tab.
“I got it.” Opening her purse once again, she took out a credit card and gave it to the waitress. “Put the entire table’s tab on my card.”
“I’ll take care of Jackal, Lily, and Shade’s,” Penni protested.
“No, I insist.” Ginny smilingly waved the waitress away with the card.
Penni lowered her voice so the Crosses wouldn’t overhear. “Are you sure? The bill is going to be huge. Greer ordered everything on the menu before he left, and Moon has been trying to beat him.”
“It’s only money. You can’t take it with you,” Ginny repeated the old adage, taking the bill and the credit card. Holding the card firmly in one hand, she placed the bill and ink pen on the table in front of Penni.
Penni’s eyes narrowed at the name printed at the receipt. “That’s my card!”
“Yes, it is. Go ahead and sign. We don’t want to lose our table, do we? And make sure you give her a generous tip. Greer ran the poor woman back and forth at least a dozen times.”
Penni filled in the receipt, giving the waitress a decent tip before signing her name. Giving the original one back to the waitress, she kept the copy. “Can I have my card back?”
“No, you’re buying dinner.” The card went back in Ginny’s purse. “If the food is as good as you always say it is, then you can have your hair back.”
Penni reached out, catching Greer’s sister’s, Rachel’s arm as she and her husband went past their chairs. “Rachel, have you ever heard of a superstition that it takes three hairs?”
Paling, Rachel gave her a wary glance. “Are you trying to jinx me?” Moving her hand away from Penni’s, she took Cash’s arm, rushing away and giving Penni a glance like she was afraid that Penni would do something behind her back.
“I’ll pay for dinner.”
Ginny gave her the first smile that evening since she had realized what Penni had done. “Don’t be too upset. At least Greer won’t be there.”
Rachel and Ginny were trying to hide their laughter from Penni, who made sure she was sitting at the farthest chair from hers.
Rachel used a corner of her napkin to wipe her tears away. “I can’t believe you actually pulled her hair.”
“I was slightly irritated with her,” Ginny confessed.
“Remind me never to get you angry at me,” Rachel said as Shade and Lily took the empty seats next to her.
Once they ordered, Ginny asked how Greer was doing.
“Greer’s fine. Rachel, search the website for what’s on the menu. He’s going to text you what he picks. He wants you to take it to him when you’re finished eating.”
Ginny saw the same expression on Shade’s face that had been on Penni’s.
“Make sure you give me the bill. Penni’s paying. She wants to make sure everyone has a good time.”
Shade’s lips twitched. “She does, or you do?”
“To tell the truth,” she whispered conspiratorially, “it’s payback for getting me on that stage.”
“You know, I’m good with that. I’ll make sure to order the most expensive thing on the menu.”
“Try the shrimp cocktail
. It’s fantastic.”
The conversation around the table turned toward Treepoint as their food arrived. No one discussed what had happened at the bar with Greer and Cole. Ginny thought more had gone on than praying, but she didn’t want to pry, having her own share of secrets without sticking her nose into other people’s business. She just hoped that what had really taken place tonight had worked and that Greer hadn’t hurt himself.
Zoey kept saying she had felt blessed. She wasn’t the only one. She had felt it, too.
Lily and she spent time talking about Treepoint and how everyone in the club was doing since she left.
“I’m happy to hear that Viper’s brother is staying at the club,” Ginny said, buttering a roll. “Willa told me he was found. He didn’t want to come to Queen City with the other Last Riders?”
“Shade and I both tried to get him to”—Lily leaned into her husband’s side when he placed an arm over her shoulders—“but he preferred to stay home.”
T.A. had told her a few details of what he had gone through, including Gavin’s ex-fiancée coming to the rehab center. She felt terrible for the pain he had suffered for so long, only to find out the woman he loved was married and expecting another man’s child.
“I look forward to meeting him the next time I’m in town.”
After dinner, Ginny hugged Rachel and Lily then told Shade good-bye, staying a safe distance away from him. She then said good-bye to the rest of the group and was hugging Sawyer when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shade disconcertingly watching her, probably noticing she maintained her distance from all the men. Ginny brushed it off, though. Shade may be curious about her, but he would never ask. That was the best part about Shade—he was a man of few words. She wished that was a trait his sister shared.
Deep down, they were sensing something was off with her. Every time she caught the brother’s and sister’s gazes on her, it made her nervous. If anyone could figure out the secret relationship between her and T.A., it would be one of them.
Outside the restaurant, Ginny gave Penni her card back.
“The hairs,” Penni reminded her.
Opening her purse, she gave her hair back.
“Exactly what were you going to do with them?”
“Bury them at midnight when it’s raining. It brings bad luck for a year.”
“Are you still mad at me?” Penni warily moved an arm distance away from her.
“No, I got over it when Shade told me Greer’s to-go order. He ordered three shrimp cocktails and the surf and turf platter.” Ginny raised her hand with the take-out bag to wave at Zoey and Stump as they left in her tiny car.
“Did Rachel forget Greer’s to-go order?”
“No, it’s my lunch for tomorrow.”
Dreading going home and into her bedroom, she knew what she needed to do—what she should have done the last time, if just to reassure herself that she wasn’t overreacting. Reaching for her purse, she took out a different cell phone than she normally used. Pressing one of the three numbers already keyed in, she waited for the call to be answered. It took two rings.
“What’s wrong? It’s been a while since you’ve called me.”
She hadn’t called him since the day she left Treepoint.
“I think I did something stupid twice, and I want you to tell me it’s all right and I’m overreacting.”
“What did you do?” His voice wasn’t starting out reassuring.
Sitting up in bed, she told him about getting up to sing twice at the bar. “I should have pretended to pass out or something … shouldn’t I?”
There was complete silence on the other end.
“I mean, I don’t look anything like I did back then. I was child! Even my voice has changed … Hammer, are you still there?” A tear slid out of the corner of her eye as she waited for him to answer.
“How full was the bar?”
“I don’t know, maybe sixty or seventy people.”
“Each time?”
Ginny raised trembling fingers to wipe the tear away. “More the first time.”
“How many more?”
“I don’t know. Maybe forty or fifty more.” Ginny bit her lip, not wanting Hammer to hear the wobble in her voice.
“What age range would you say were in the crowd?”
“Mostly twenty- or thirty-somethings.”
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you. You know you fucked up. You don’t need me to tell you that.”
She did. She had known it was a dangerous risk that she should have run from.
“I miss it, Hammer.”
“What do you want from me? You want me to give you permission to sing? You’re a grown woman now. The ball is in your court. You have to figure out how you want to play it or let it go forever. I’ve always let that be your decision. I won’t try to influence you one way or another. You’re the one who has to pay the price for what you took, so you should be the one who decides to use it.”
“I don’t have it—”
“Ginny … you might not have it in your possession, but you know where you hid it.”
“No, I don’t—”
“Then, if you don’t, I’d start trying harder to remember. Either that or don’t sing in public anymore.”
“Kaden Cross offered to give me singing lessons,” she admitted. “It’s been so long that I don’t think I’d be recognized.” She tried to give herself the reassurance that Hammer wouldn’t.
“Kid, you’ve always known your own mind. If you believe that no one will recognize you, then we just have to wait and see, won’t we? If it’s only singing lessons, what harm could it do?”
“I know, right? Thanks, Hammer. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
“Ginny?”
“Yes?”
“Be careful. Anything, and I mean anything, makes you feel as if anyone is watching you, call me. If anything happens to me, Jonas or Killyama will contact you. You still remember where the safe house is, right?”
“Yes.”
For a brief, infinitesimal moment, she had forgotten about the other lives who could be in danger.
“Never mind. I won’t do it.”
“What would T.A. tell you to do?”
“Take the fucking lessons.” She laughed.
“Then take the fucking lessons.”
Still filled with uncertainty after ending the call, Ginny scooted off the bed after ending the call, about to go into her bathroom and take a shower, when a piece of paper fell to the floor as she stood. Curious, Ginny bent down to pick it up, recognizing the paper from a notepad in Gianna’s bedroom. Gianna must have written her the message after Ginny had gone out to meet Lily and Shade. Gianna hadn’t been in the apartment when she left, going out with her boyfriend to get last-minute supplies. They had several people over tonight, including her boyfriend, celebrating his birthday. It must not have been important, or she would have mentioned it when she was at her door.
Her blood ran cold as she read the message. Gianna hadn’t been the one who left the note.
I can’t wait for the day you sing only for me, Nightingale.
What the hell? What did it mean? Had one of Gianna’s friends just been joking around and placed the note in her room?
Checking outside of her room, she then checked the rest of the apartment, making sure everything was securely locked. She was glad that Gianna’s boyfriend had stayed the night with her, feeling safer with more people in the apartment. By the time she was back in her bedroom and had taken a shower, she convinced herself that it was just a prank one of the partygoers had pulled.
Placing the note in her nightstand, she turned down her blanket and lay down. Running her hand underneath her pillow, she felt the comforting feel of cold steel under her fingertips before she turned the light off.
She was sure it was a prank, but if it wasn’t, this nightingale was armed.
Ginny was eating toast when Gianna and her boyfriend came into the kitchen the next morning.
“Rough night, Chris?” Ginny asked when he put a hand to his stomach after seeing what she was eating.
“Might have eaten a couple of slices of cake too many,” he admitted. The poor guy looked so sick, he was green.
Gianna didn’t spare him a sympathetic glance as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot Ginny made when she got up. “It wasn’t cake that had you puking your guts out in my bathroom; it was all the beer you drank.”
“I told you I was sorry. Don’t you love me anymore? I love you. You’re the light of—”
“Can it. I have to go to work.” Gianna’s face was breaking into a smile, despite pretending to still be mad at him.
Ginny could understand why. Chris looked exactly what he was—a nerd who spent most of his time in a lab. He looked like he was eighteen or nineteen when, in reality, he was twenty-nine. His thick, black glasses took up most of his face, and from being inside all the time, his skin was pasty-white. Ginny hadn’t understood Gianna’s attraction to him until she got to know him better and saw that he catered to her like she was the most important person in his life. It would be hard to resist that.
Ginny hid her grin as she put her coffee cup up while Gianna went behind where Chris was sitting on the stool to rub his back.
“I have to go,” Gianna said, giving Chris an air kiss.
“Gianna, I don’t want to make you late,” Ginny stopped her before she could make a move to leave, “but I found a strange note on my bed last night. Did you see anyone go in my room?”
Gianna and Chris both frowned.
“No. In fact, I made sure that no one went in there. Chris and I both made it plain that your room was off limits. What did the note say?”
Ginny told them, and both of them stared at her as if she had grown two heads.
“What does that mean?” Chris asked.
“Ginny sings,” Gianna told him.
“Oh … I heard you mentioning that to a couple of people last night when they asked where she was.”
Ginny narrowed her gaze on her. “So, you knew what Penni had planned?”