Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  The lights shone down on her. Damn, it was so hot! Kyra squinted and lowered her gaze. She wanted to avoid his face. She wanted to avoid the whole crowd. She began the haunting tune to the song she struggled with and sang the first verse. Her voice came out shaky. She struggled.

  I can't sing this song. Not here. Not now. Maybe not ever.

  Her heart pounded in fast, rapid beats. Blood thundered in her ears. Sweat dripped down her face. Was she even singing any more? Her lips were moving, but Kyra couldn't hear her voice now. "I'm sorry. I can't do this." She stopped abruptly and fled the stage with her guitar. She almost fell. The room was full of gasps, and she thought there were even a few boos.

  Kyra stumbled and fell into someone's arms. As the world spun around her, she was carried out by someone. It didn't dawn on her right away because of her frazzled state of mind that she'd fallen right into his trap. Brandon. Amy's boyfriend.

  And the brother of Taryn's late boyfriend. That's where she knew him from! She'd only seen Brandon a few times back in the day, but he was pretty recognizable.

  "We're going in my car," he whispered in her ear as he led her out. To everyone else, they probably thought he was her knight in shining armor, saving her from the fear of the stage. Kyra was so numb, she couldn't scream. No words came out when she opened her mouth. Her family would be safe at least, since she'd never said anything, even if she didn't finish the song.

  A car door opened, and Kyra was shoved in the seat. "Don't you move." He slammed the door. She should run. Push that door open and go. But what about her family? He showed her the live video. He had someone watching their every move. Running wasn't an option, not if she wanted everyone else safe. Kyra's phone rang, startling her.

  "You better not even reach for it," Brandon snapped from the driver's side. He grabbed her purse and tossed it in the back. The sound of a click alerted Kyra. She tried tugging on the lock. Damn childproof locks. Brandon grunted and in the dark of the night, Kyra could only see his shadow. He fiddled with something, then pulled an object from his pocket. He closed the driver's door and turned on the engine, then cranked the radio. "Hold out your hands. No one knows you're with me. Good one freaking out on the stage. That way I didn't have to cause any damage to the place."

  She complied, thrusting her hands out. He wrapped something around her wrists, tugging them roughly together. Rope. He was tying her hands. "Why? What do you want?" she whispered. The threads cut deep in her wrists. Kyra could barely move without a piece of them stabbing her.

  "I want you to suffer like you should have, you bitch," he muttered, tugging on the rope again. Kyra's fists were pushed together. She could barely move her hands. Then he shoved them down in her lap and leaned over to buckle her seatbelt. He shoved something in her face. It smelled horrible. "Sleep tight for a few," was the last thing she heard before there was nothing.

  *****

  "I can't find anything on her itinerary that Mark scheduled." Amy's face masked into one of worry. "She was on the phone earlier talking about going somewhere, but Sharon and I were busy with something, so we never paid attention."

  "She's not answering her phone, either." Matt hung up after Kyra's voice mail picked up. "Maybe she went to see Taryn." It was a last hope, because he wasn't sure Kyra wanted to talk to her former drummer again, but it was a number he had and a chance to take. "Let me try her."

  Mrs. Sanders nodded. Her husband stood beside her with an arm around her shoulders. Both were nervous.

  Taryn answered on the third ring.

  "I hate to bother you again, but is Kyra by any chance with you?"

  "No, she's-"

  Chaos erupted outside in the form of gunshots and yelling.

  "Oh my God, what's happening?" Amy shrieked, ducking as if the bullets or people were going to come fly her way.

  "Dad? Mom?" David rushed down the stairs, his voice timid and questioning.

  "Matt? What the hell is going on out there?" Taryn yelled on the other end of the line.

  "Someone was watching the house according to a security team, and now there's gunshots being fired outside." Matt peered at everyone. "Stay away from the windows," he instructed to Amy and Sharon. "Taryn, hold on." He set the phone down. Another phone rang. He wasn't sure if it was a cell, a house line, or what. Way too much happened at once, but Matt knew none of this was good. Where the hell was Kyra?

  "What's going on out there? What? Okay, I'm coming right now." Mr. Sanders turned to everyone. "It's a police officer." Then he headed for the front door.

  Matt picked up the phone again. "Taryn?"

  "Listen to me!" she screeched. "I know where Kyra is!"

  He heard her, but Matt was also giving his attention to Mr. Sanders and the police officer. He only picked up bits and pieces, but he heard the name Brandon McKay, hired gunmen, and Kyra.

  "Hold on. Did I just hear the name Brandon McKay?" Taryn's voice raised even more.

  "Yeah. He's Amy's... boyfriend. Was Amy's boyfriend," Matt explained.

  "Brandon McKay is my late boyfriend's half brother. Matt, what the hell is going on?"

  "Say what?" Matt nearly dropped his phone. Everyone, including the police, stared at him. He covered the mouthpiece. "I have a friend of Kyra's on the phone who just informed me that Brandon McKay is the brother of the man who died in the car crash six years ago. And no one knows where Kyra is tonight."

  "Actually, I do!" Taryn insisted. "She went to Romy's, a bar about forty minutes from you. Kyra wanted to get past her crowd fear, so she went without anyone knowing. The only reason I know is because she let it slip out."

  "My boy- ex-boyfriend is who?" Amy hissed. "I was dating a guy who had something to do with Kyra? Oh God, no wonder he seemed to fuel off my resentment toward Kyra. He... he used me! I let him right in, never knowing!"

  "Taryn, tell us where this place is and everything you know about Brandon," Matt begged as the whole Sanders' household went into a panicked uproar.

  Amy held up a hand. "I know where Romy's is. It's the place I met him. If Kyra's there and Brandon found her, I know exactly where he took her."

  *****

  Music played from a speaker near Kyra's ear. She moaned and tried to sit up, but her entire body was weighed down. Why couldn't she move? Why did her head have to pound so much?

  Where the hell was she?

  "H-help," she croaked. Her voice barely made a sound over the music. Something cut into her hands, and she tried to pry them apart. No dice.

  As Kyra focused, she realized the song playing from the speakers was Heartless.

  Brandon. His threats. He caught her coming offstage. She'd left her guitar there, too. Didn't anyone come after her to give it back? Was anyone going to find her here before it was too late? Only Taryn knew where she was, and there was no way for her to know how much danger Kyra was in.

  She was going to die.

  Why the hell couldn't she move? If she didn't know any better, Kyra would think she was encased in concrete. "Why are you doing this?" she tried to scream, but it hurt so much.

  A door opened and light poured in. Footsteps. A shadow. "Ahh, you're awake. Good." He yanked her in a sitting position. "How do you like your digs? Won't be for long, but it's until I can make this place go up in smoke, like I wish you had. You were supposed to go down, Kyra. Not come back up."

  "So it's true," she whispered.

  "That you were framed? Yeah. You don't remember? You really weren't driving. Jordan was. I was in the other car."

  "I didn't kill your brother?" If she wasn't in this current situation right now, Kyra would be relieved to hear the news.

  "No, you didn't. But it doesn't matter. He needed to die, too."

  Wait, what? Why did Brandon want his brother to die?

  "He had such a promising career. He and Taryn were so happy. You and your band didn't deserve the damn limelight. I wanted to give Leandra what she deserved. The full spotlight. Sure, maybe her voice isn't as pure as yours, but that girl
has some talent!"

  Brandon and Leandra? Now that one she didn't see coming. "You used my sister."

  "So what if I did?" A bitter laugh. He flicked at her, then stood. Seconds later, she heard the sound of liquid splashing around on the floor. "She's got talent, though. Too bad she's got the Sanders blood. I needed to find a way to get your attention. Figured if I found a way to get your sister to Nashville, I'd have a way of bringing you down. Shame Amy's resentment toward you only kept her from what she wanted- music. Then that fire happened- not even my idea, and you were brought right in front of my face. Perfect!"

  "You were in love with Leandra." She coughed. What was that smell? Gasoline? Heartless ended, but began again. He had the damn song on repeat!

  "Yes, and my brother wanted to break up with Taryn and go after her. Look who won after that crash." He laughed. The sound made her stomach turn.

  "You're sick." She coughed again before bile rose in her throat. The world spun around her. Kyra fell and hit her head on something hard when she landed.

  "I don't care what you think!" he shouted, coming close to her again. "Now raise your head. I want the last thoughts you have to be about this song, so listen to it loud." He yanked her upright again and thrust something over her head. Kyra heard sirens and a helicopter.

  "Damn it! How the hell did they find us already? Looks like I'd better get this place torched. Leandra will be happy to know-"

  Headphones were thrust over her head. Seconds later, the melody to Heartless filled her ears. She tried to shake the headphones off, but Kyra couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening any more. What the hell did he mean about Leandra? Then the heat filled the room. Smoke billowed above orange flames which danced around.

  Were they going to get her out of here in time? The sounds of sirens had been distant. There was a lot of gasoline. she could smell it.

  Heartless.

  Heartless.

  Her own words screamed in her head as the song played. Kyra's vision blurred as she cried. Please let me make it through this!

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  "What the hell is going on?" Matt craned his neck to figure out where the rising smoke came from. He rode in the car with Mr. Sanders and a police officer on the way to the old cabin Amy had told them about. The men in custody told them Brandon hired them to keep an eye on the house and they were to shoot on his command. They also said something about Kyra. So Brandon was with her? Or had he done something to her?

  Fire engines, police, and ambulances rushed toward the scene of the fire. Would they be in time if Kyra was in that building? Matt choked back a cry of fear as he stared down the burning embers. He'd told the law enforcement that he was going, no matter what, and they'd allowed him and Mr. Sanders to go. Kyra would need someone close to her when they got to her. This was a longshot, but it was all they had. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they stopped. Matt burst out of the car, despite the yells of warning.

  "Matt! What are you doing?" someone yelled. In the background, he heard shots fired. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He wasn't thinking correctly. All he knew was he had to find Kyra. They weren't even certain this Brandon guy was here, let alone with Kyra, but he couldn't get past the fact of the fire and now the gunshots. There was trouble.

  Matt ignored them all and raced toward the building, shouting Kyra's name.

  "Sir, you can't-"

  "I'm a volunteer trained EMT and fireman. I can do this. I have to get her!" Matt yelled.

  "You're not following protocol!"

  About fifty yards away, a scuffle occurred. Police swarmed around something. Did they catch him?

  "Screw it! The woman I love might be in that building and I have to get to her!" Matt shoved past them and into the tiny house. Flames licked all along the walls, and he coughed as smoke filled his lungs. "Kyra! Baby!" he shouted, dodging a falling beam. He could make out the faint shadow of a door through the smoke and headed for it. He kicked at the door and it opened easily. The fire was more intense in here.

  The sound of coughing alerted him that someone was in here. "Kyra?"

  No answer, but Matt prodded through the smoky mess anyway. A figure huddled on a hard surface. If this was Kyra, why wasn't she moving? Why didn't she answer him?

  He ran to the person and picked her up. He knew the person was female once he held her in his arms. Her hands were tied, and something snapped behind him when he lifted her in his arms. Good God, it was Kyra! She had something over her head. A pair of headphones? What the hell did this guy do? "I've got you, Kyra. We're getting out of here." They needed to, before the whole place blew. Matt noticed the flames and the direction and could smell the gasoline.

  He had a harder time getting her out of here, but in the middle of the original room, another firefighter had entered. "We need to get you out of here!" he yelled.

  Coughing and sputtering, they made it out of the building. After about a hundred feet, a loud boom and a blast of heat followed. They'd been seconds away from being in that explosion.

  "Matt Greer, you are one reckless man. You could have been killed!" the officer who'd driven them shouted.

  He reluctantly handed Kyra over to the paramedics, who worked on her immediately. They untied her hands, removed the headphones, and covered her face with an oxygen mask.

  "Damn right. I needed to get to her. I know, I should have followed rules..." He coughed again.

  "You saved that woman's life tonight. We'll figure the rest out later. Let's get you looked at."

  "Brandon- what happened to him?" He wanted to wring that bastard's neck!

  "In the back of the squad car, spewing off obscenities about Kyra. We need to move and let the firemen do their job."

  *****

  "You sir, should be resting." One of the nurses at the hospital chided Matt when he ambled through the hallways inquiring about Kyra. They kept trying to get him to lie down, but all he wanted was to know her condition.

  "I'll rest when I'm dead," he snapped, realizing how harsh the words were, especially with tonight's events. "Please tell me how Kyra is."

  "She's alive and stable, thanks to you," Kyra's father said from behind them. "I know you all say family only, but this man is family. Kyra is awake and responsive. She's freaking out, though."

  Matt's pulse raced. "Let me see her. Please," he begged. It was nearly two hours after he'd run into that building to pull Kyra out. Matt couldn't focus or rest until he could see for himself that she was okay. Or at least okay enough to ease his mind.

  With a curt nod, the nurse aided Matt to Kyra's room. "Just a little while. She needs her rest."

  Matt entered the room, afraid of what he'd see. Kyra's fearful gaze landed on him, and she relaxed. He approached her bed and sat at the edge of it. The oxygen mask still covered her face. Matt reached for her hand and closed his fingers around hers. He couldn't think of what to say. Kyra's eyes welled up with tears. "Don't cry," he whispered, overcome with his own emotion. "Don't talk, either. You need your rest and your strength. I wanted you to know I'm here. It's going to be okay now. I don't know why you felt like you needed to do that alone tonight, but when I found everything out- Oh Kyra, you scared the hell out of me."

  She squeezed his hand, the tears streaming down faster.

  "Shh. C'mon baby. Don't cry." He leaned over to wipe the tears with his free hand. "Brandon's been arrested, and they're questioning him now. Hopefully soon, you'll have all the answers. You close those beautiful eyes and rest now, okay? I'll come back and see you real soon." He choked up. The thought of leaving her killed him. Kyra's eyes widened, and she tensed.

  "Mr. Greer? We need to let her rest now."

  Kyra diverted her gaze to the nurse shaking her head. She pointed at Matt.

  "I don't think she wants me to go. Every time I move away, she tenses up. She's scared." Matt stood now, but Kyra's grasp on his hand was tight. "If I'm being admitted, then can't you find a way to let me stay with her?" Kyra nodded at t
hat, then burst into another fit of coughs. "Easy there," Matt soothed, stroking her hair.

  "Well..." The man shuffled from one foot to the other. "Let me see what I can do. It's obvious you do seem to calm her." He darted from the room, leaving them alone. Matt sat down again to be close to Kyra. "If I can't stay in here, you have to calm down," he said to her. "You're safe, Kyra. He won't hurt you again."

  *****

  Kyra woke up in the early morning hours, just before sunrise. The sound of hushed, angry voices outside her door alerted her. One sounded like Matt. When did he get up? The hospital allowed him to stay in the room, since he was admitted for overnight observation. She slept soundly- well, as soundly as one could after last night, knowing that Matt was there with her. She'd also seen her parents for a little while before fatigue consumed her.

  "You have a lot of explaining to do, Mark," Matt snapped.

  Mark? He was here already? Well of course he was. Mark was her manager. This was probably all over the news, and it affected him. It sounded like he and Matt were butting heads.

  For the next few hours, she drifted in and out of sleep. She wasn't sure what time it was when someone tapped her arm gently. Kyra opened her eyes to see her father peering over her. "Hey, sunshine." He smiled, using his nickname he'd given to her as a child. "You have a lot of visitors hoping to take a peek at those pretty eyes today. How ya feeling? Give me a thumbs up or down."

  Kyra raised her hand and waved it, as if to say 'in between'.

  "Mark's here. He has some things he wants to say, to clear up about Brandon and the accident. No doubt the press and the cops are here, but we're keeping you secure. Matt made sure that if anyone was guarding your door, they weren't sent from Mark."

  She wasn't sure if she wanted to see Mark. If that man had anything to do with covering up what Brandon did for Leandra, she'd blacklist his ass everywhere. But he deserved to give her the truth, so she had to see him at least once.