Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  "You inhaled a fair amount of smoke, but Matt got to you and pulled you out of there in time." Dad was almost in tears. "I knew I liked that man. I've only heard reports of what happened to you in there... Damn, baby girl. I hate thinking that things like that can happen to my child near my town."

  Seeing her father in tears sent Kyra in a fit of tears as well. Matt saved her? She didn't remember this. She didn't remember Matt being there at all. The last thing she recalled was Brandon putting the headphones over her ears, then the flames and smoke. Matt risked his life for her. She covered her heart with her hand. Emotions took over.

  "Yeah, my sentiments exactly," Dad replied, his voice tinged with plenty of emotion.

  Kyra gestured to Matt's empty bed, wishing she could actually flat out ask.

  "Matt's taking a walk. Andrew came up with Randy, so they're visiting. No one wanted to disturb you."

  Kyra closed her eyes again, but all she saw was the flames surrounding her. She heard the song play relentlessly in her mind over and over again, and Brandon's angry, bitter voice when he told her what he'd done.

  Kyra drifted in and out of sleep until she couldn't sleep any longer. That evening, they took off the oxygen mask, and she was slowly coming around to be able to speak. The only people she allowed in the room were her parents and Matt. She didn't want to see Mark yet, and she didn't feel up to talking to the police.

  Tomorrow, she'd have to face it.

  Kyra sipped her water while Matt held her hand.

  "This is from Andrew, Blaine, and Randy." He produced a card and a soft teddy bear. "They all send their well wishes. Especially Andrew. He cried today, and it's been a long time since I've seen my son cry."

  "I'm sorry," she rasped, setting down the water.

  "For?"

  "Making you all worry."

  "Kyra, baby... the only thing I worry about is how you're going to handle this. You were already trying to deal with a fear on your own. Why?"

  "I wanted to sing at the benefit concert," she whispered, taking more sips from the water cup.

  "And because you're afraid of crowds, you thought if you bared your soul to a crowd who didn't know you, that you could do it?"

  She lifted her shoulders and let them fall, though it hurt. "If you accompanied me, I'd be okay. I had to go without anyone I trusted."

  "Mark didn't put you up to it, did he?" Matt's voice turned edgy and cold.

  "No. It was all me, I swear. He didn't even know."

  "That's what he said, but I didn't believe him. Taryn's been calling, too. She heard about Brandon and wants to know more. She says to feel better and call her when you're up to it."

  "Matt, how did you find me so soon?"

  "When we all thought Brandon might be coming after you, Amy told us a few places to look for him. Places he'd taken her to. The local police kept their word and had someone keeping an eye on the neighborhood. They discovered the guys Brandon had watching the house with a gun. Somehow, they must have alerted him, which might be why he set the fire and tried to run."

  Kyra sputtered her water and landed herself in a coughing fit. She was sick at the thought. A small little house in the middle of nowhere, and that man had been there with her sister. A murderer, there with her little sister.

  "Hey. Stay with me. This is why I'm not supposed to talk to you about this. You need to be calm. Please," he pleaded, kissing her hand, then rubbed circles with his thumb up and down her arm.

  "Should have known better." Kyra sobbed, her body aching.

  "Shh... Hey. Stop, Kyra. This isn't good. What's done is done. How were you to know Brandon would show up and that he was connected to your past? He'd been watching all along." He moved his hands to her face, wiping away her stream of tears. "I've got you. Come on, don't cry." Matt's tone was calm and soothing.

  "I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I was always okay in a crowd with you." She closed her eyes, realizing how whiny she sounded.

  Matt must have moved closer to her. Kyra felt the weight on the bed shift. "I love you, Kyra Sanders. Call it crazy, call it too soon, but I don't care. I love you and I want to make everything better. Right now, the best thing you can do is get better. We'll get through the rest." His hands were in her hair now, stroking, rubbing, calming.

  He loved her?

  Matt loved her!

  "I love you, too," she whispered, reaching to pull him close.

  I love him.

  *****

  Kyra was much better the next day until she had to tell her side of things to the police. At one point, when she mentioned the rope around her wrists and the song on repeat as the structure started on fire, Matt had to run to the bathroom because her encounter made him physically sick. So that explained the headphones. That sick bastard wanted to kill her while she listened to the song that terrified her. He'd given her something that temporarily paralyzed her body. If Brandon wasn't sitting in a jail cell right now, Matt would have gone to find that man and kill him. He'd never had those kind of thoughts before.

  Hearing what Brandon's motives were, Matt wondered how much of this Mark had to do with. Hell, this was worse than the thoughts that Taryn and Kyra's ex... Jordan?- had. If the man who was supposed to be her friend, mentor, and manager had anything to do with this, Matt wasn't sure how much control he'd have over kicking his ass, either.

  Apparently, to keep things from being suspicious, Brandon made the club believe he was one of Kyra's bodyguards. So when she panicked and ran off stage, no one knew any wiser, even when she left her guitar in the showroom and her car on the lot.

  After the police took her statement, Kyra was physically and mentally exhausted. Matt hated the idea, but he had to finally go home. He'd been released today, and he couldn't stay all day like he had been.

  They could all hope that the worst was over.

  "You sure you don't want me to stay?" Matt asked Kyra for the fiftieth time.

  "I want you to, but get home to Andrew. He needs you." Kyra took one last bite of Jello and made a face. Out came the quivering lip. "Maybe you could sneak in something good before you go."

  He laughed and pushed her tray away so he could hug her. "You're so persuasive. Remind me not to tell you my weaknesses again."

  "Aww, but..." There it was again.

  "You think I'm going to sneak good food in past that guard outside your door? Every time I walk in here, even though I've been sharing this room with you, he glares at me as if I'm a monster. Kind of intimidating."

  Next came the wide eyes.

  Matt kissed her gently. "I'm glad he's keeping the woman I love safe. Okay, okay. I'll go grab something for you. Whatever your heart desires. I'll also keep my phone by my bed all night. If you need me for anything, even just to talk, call me."

  Kyra finally leaned back. "You saved me. So many times, and so many ways."

  He brushed her hair back, kissing her forehead. "You saved me, too. I know the future is going to be uncertain for a while, but I'm willing to wait for you. I love you. I'll be back in a bit with something, okay?"

  Kyra's eyelids fluttered closed, and she smiled. "I love you, too."

  Hearing this amazing woman tell him she loved him was like a dream. It wasn't a dream. Matt stared down at Kyra's unmoving form. Her chest rose and fell as she drifted off to sleep. What would a year from now be like, once her comeback release excitement had worn down a little?

  Matt finally left the room. He pulled out his phone to call Blaine. Andrew and David had guitar lessons today with Jameson, so Randy drove them, and Blaine had offered to come pick Matt up once he got the green light to go.

  "I'm pulling up right now," Blaine answered. "How's Kyra?"

  "I left her sleeping. She asked me if I'd bring her some real food." Matt entered the elevator, hoping they wouldn't lose connection.

  "Sure. We can pick something up, and I'll bring you right back."

  The phone call did cut off, but Matt didn't call Blaine back. Instead, he hur
ried out of the hospital to find her car pulled in the pick up lane. He jogged to it and climbed inside. "Thank you for coming to get me," he said to her as he clicked his seatbelt.

  "No problem. I sure hope this is all over now." Blaine shuddered before she drove forward.

  "I know. I feel so torn. I want to go home to Andrew, but Kyra's there by herself and..." Matt glanced back at the hospital.

  "She'll come home soon. Randy and I can keep Andrew longer if you really want to stay. After what the two of you went through, no one would blame you." Blaine pulled out of the parking lot and sped up.

  He sighed, but said nothing. The radio was on quietly, but when the deejay began talking about Kyra and the recent events, he turned it up.

  "Kyra Sanders is currently recovering from a-"

  "Oh hell no. Let's not listen to all this," Blaine muttered, turning the knob. "The stories are spinning out of control." She put on a different station, something non-country.

  Just as they were about to head back to bring Kyra her food, Matt's phone rang. Randy was calling. "Hey. What's up?"

  "Not sure if you've heard, but Leandra Ashlyn was just arrested and is being questioned about the car crash. They're also wondering what she had to do with Brandon's attack on Kyra. It's on the news this evening."

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Kyra went home a day and a half later. Nights were the worst for her, plagued with nightmares. The nurses came into her room and found her crying, so they gave her something to help her sleep. Would the night terrors ever end?

  The news was out about Brandon's arrest, and then Leandra Ashlyn's. Kyra hadn't heard word on what Leandra had to do with anything, but there was supposed to be a press conference over it tonight. Kyra didn't want to, but she knew she'd be right in front of the TV watching.

  She wouldn't see Mark. He was here for days, apparently begging everyone to convince her to see him. She wasn't ready. If he had anything at all to do with letting her take the fall for the accident, she was done. At least with Brandon's confession and her statement, they were reopening the car crash case. From what she heard, the police talked to Taryn and Jordon about the blackmail they claimed happened. She only heard bits and pieces, but it sounded like everything was finally being brought out in the open. Did it even matter any more? Her career was probably done for. She couldn't even get on stage. The concert she'd been planning would go on after the new year, when the new clinic would be complete, but without her as a performing act. She'd lined up Baby Stetson, and with Avery's help, Belinda Wainscott. That was as far as she'd gotten before the night she almost died.

  The media was outside the hospital waiting, but thanks to a good hospital staff and her family, they got her out of there with little interaction.

  Now home, Kyra was settled in her room with Mom, Dad, David, and even Amy hovering over her. They asked what she needed every five minutes.

  "I love you guys, but I'm fine!" Kyra insisted, covering herself with the blanket. "I just want to lay here and think, hopefully even sleep. Thank you for everything. Please, please don't hover!"

  "Okay, okay." Dad held his hands up. "Glad to have you home, sunshine."

  "Me too, Daddy. I'm sorry I'm a grump."

  "I think you've earned the right," he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead, then shuffled out of the room.

  "Dad, wake me up before the press conference on Leandra, would you?" Kyra called after him.

  He poked his head back in the room. "Sure thing." Then he disappeared again.

  Amy was the only one who lingered. "Can I talk to you?"

  "Sure." Kyra opened her eyes to glance at her sister.

  "I'm sorry about everything. Maybe if I'd talked more about Brandon, this wouldn't have happened. I didn't know he was... who he was. I can't believe I was with a man like that! I almost... I thought at one time I was pregnant." She shuddered.

  "He was good at keeping secrets. I'm sorry you got caught up in my crossfire." Kyra blinked back tears. "I wish you'd told me how you felt, most of all. I never knew how much what I did and went through affected all of you."

  "You don't hate me?" Amy sat on the edge of the bed.

  "Hell no. Do you hate me?"

  Amy shook her head. "No. I have resentment issues, but I don't hate you. You think we'll get past this?"

  "I'll try if you will." Kyra meant it. She'd love to have a good relationship. "It'll take a day at a time, but I love you."

  "Okay. Thanks." Amy stood, ready to leave. "I know you thought I had something to do with what happened to you, and it bothers me. I don't have anyone to blame but myself, because I hid things. I think that was my wake up call. We're so bad off, you thought I was part of a plan to hurt you."

  "I didn't like thinking it, Amy, but there were too many secrets all around me. Hey," Kyra called when Amy was at the door. She hated that they were that bad off, too.

  "Yeah?"

  "I love your song. I really want to hear more."

  "I'll play something for you soon. Sleep well."

  *****

  "Dad?" Andrew appeared at the doorway of the shop's office that night.

  "Hey! Come on in. I'm just finishing up some stuff." Matt leaned back in his chair. What a long day. Things weren't looking good for the shop, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He also couldn't concentrate. Kyra was home, and all he wanted to do was go be with her. Her dad had called earlier and welcomed them both to come by.

  "I just want to say I'm sorry." Andrew trudged in and plopped on the chair across from him.

  "For what?" Matt stopped fiddling with the computer and gave his son his undivided attention.

  "I got upset with you the other night because I wanted Kyra to stay with us. I know I've been moody. I guess... ever since what happened the other night, I felt I should say that. In case... if something ever happens. I don't know. You're all I have. I don't want to lose you, and I want you to be happy."

  "Andrew..." Matt watched his son's face. "I'm sorry things have come down to this. I'm trying to make the best of things since your mom took off."

  "I know you are. I'm glad we can finally talk about stuff without pissing each other off. I'm not gonna lie, I still think Kyra as a stepmom would be wicked, but I understand if you don't ask her to marry you. I see how happy you've been with her. I'm really glad you saved her life and that you both made it out. I could have lost you, and it scares me."

  "Me too, bud. Just so you know, I love Kyra. I even told her this. I don't know where things are going to go, because I don't know what she wants to do, especially now."

  "I bet. Why does this stuff keep happening to her and the rest of her family?"

  Matt wished he had an answer. "Life is full of complications and unknown. Speaking of the Sanders', you want to go visit? Kyra's home, and her dad said we can come say hi."

  "Yeah." Andrew's eyes lit up.

  "Then let me close up and we'll go. Thanks for talking to me about your feelings." Matt closed up his computer and turned off the lights.

  "You really love her?" Andrew asked on the way.

  "I really love her."

  "That's cool. I hope it works out. For your sake, not just mine."

  "Me too, Andrew. Me too."

  *****

  He pulled up in front of Kyra's house. The door opened even before Matt knocked.

  "Come on in. Maybe you can cheer her up a little. I know she's been through hell, but I don't like that I can't do anything for her." Kyra's mom ushered them in. "That press conference is coming on soon. She insists on watching it, so maybe you being here will help her."

  "I can try," Matt said softly, reaching out to hug her.

  "She's up in her room. I think she's awake. Hi, Andrew."

  "Hi, Mrs. S. Can I go see Kyra, too?"

  "Of course. If either of you are hungry, I have some leftovers from dinner."

  Matt loved this family and how much they've come to be there for him the past few years and vice versa. "Thank you." />
  Andrew followed him up the stairs, and they stopped at Kyra's door. He knocked. "Hey, Kyra. Andrew and I came by to welcome you home."

  A light came on. "Come on in," she called.

  Andrew pushed the door open and entered first. "Hi, Kyra. Welcome home."

  Matt lingered behind to let Andrew have a little time with her. He could tell Andrew hesitated and seemed a little intimidated. The whole thing was crazy. Way more than a fourteen year old should ever have to deal with.

  "I never got to thank you for the bear and the card before, so thank you. How are you doing? How's the guitar lessons going?" Kyra sat up in bed, pillows propped behind her back.

  "You're welcome. Guitar lessons are a blast!"

  They talked for about ten minutes. Kyra kept asking questions and was genuinely interested.

  "I'm gonna go say hi to David for a bit and let you and my dad talk. Can I hug you? Will it hurt?"

  "You better hug me. I missed you. Come here. Don't be afraid." Kyra and Andrew exchanged a hug, which warmed Matt's heart. "By the way, I thought I'd tell you before David does that I own the new high score on Super Smash Brothers."

  "What? I worked hard for that score!" Andrew let her go. "How did you manage that?"

  Kyra cracked a smile. "Determination. Good luck too, because I blew yours out of the water."

  "Dude!" Andrew gawked. "I gotta go see this." Then he left the room.

  "I think you just earned more points in that boy's book." Matt grinned. He heard Andrew talking to David in awe, probably about Kyra's score.

  Kyra shrugged it off. "I needed a way to vent my frustration while I could still be resting." The usual sparkle in her eyes wasn't there. It hurt to see her miserable.

  "So, I have something to tell you. Remember how I had something special planned for you?" He'd had this whole thing planned. Now he wasn't sure how to proceed.

  Kyra nodded, patting the spot beside her. Matt moved in a span of a heartbeat to sit beside her. Kyra rested her head against him as he pulled her close.

  "Well, I don't know if I should still go about it, considering. Some of it has to do with a crowd."

  "When is it?"