by Jamie Begley
She still felt the tingle in the palm of her hand when she had touched his jaw and saw the beautiful soul that couldn’t be hidden no matter how hard he tried to disguise himself. He was and would always be Gavin to her.
“Why is Alec standing on his head?”
Ginny looked at Alec, Kaden’s head of security talking to Kaden, and saw that he certainly wasn’t standing on his head.
Kimmy grinned. “Just checking. I see I’m not the only one appreciating your new candy.”
Blushing at getting caught, Ginny fiddled with a button on her cream jacket.
“I have a thing for tats myself,” Kimmy whispered conspiratorially as one of the light technicians approached their table.
“Morning, girls.”
“Lawrence,” Ginny greeted him, looking away when he bent and kissed Kimmy’s upturned lips.
It was everything Ginny could do to hide her disgust when Lawrence raised his lips to send a smug look toward the men in the room, observing them before sitting down next to Kimmy and placing a proprietary arm around her shoulders.
“Where were you this morning? You told me you’d pick me up at nine.”
Kimmy frowned up at her boyfriend. “You told me that you didn’t know how long it would take to make the changes Nick wanted, so you’d drive yourself.”
Lawrence frowned back. “I did, but after Nick called and said that the changes weren’t major, I told you we could ride together.”
“I must have forgotten. I’m sorry.”
“No harm. Just didn’t want to have to deal with Kaden if I missed the meeting. He fired Bruce for missing the meeting last month. I have a bills to pay and a girlfriend to spoil.”
Ginny wanted to gag. The only one who wanted to be spoiled was the man who was trying to guilt-trip his girlfriend.
Ginny couldn’t understand what Kimmy saw in Lawrence and why she was dating him. Ginny had shot him down each time Lawrence had asked her out. The situation changed, though, when they moved to Nashville. Personally, Ginny believed Kimmy started seeing him to deal with her loneliness.
The only person who disliked Lawrence as much as she did was Nick, Kimmy’s brother, who constantly begged her to stop seeing him.
“Bruce wasn’t fired for not coming to the meeting,” Ginny spoke up to correct the untruth. “He was fired for being drunk during the show the night before. He didn’t show for the meeting because he knew Kaden was going to fire him.”
“I wasn’t aware of that.” Lawrence didn’t bat a lash at being corrected. “Then I don’t blame Kaden.”
He was full of crap. How could Lawrence not have known? It had been a source of gossip for a good week after Bruce had shown up to give Alec his work identification.
“The day he came in to turn his badge and I saw you talking to him, he didn’t tell you?” Ginny called him out on another untruth.
“No.” Lawrence shrugged at her. “I guess he was too embarrassed.”
“I guess so.” It was either partially agree with him or call him a liar. With the fib she told Kimmy about Gavin being attached, she couldn’t throw stones at him, much as she wanted to.
Lawrence condescendingly patted Kimmy’s hand that was laying on the table. “When you move in this weekend, all the confusion about rides won’t matter, anyway. We’ll be driving together all the time.”
The news that Kimmy was moving in with Lawrence came as a surprise. Her friend had two previous long-lasting relationships, and with both she had adamantly refused to move in with them.
“I thought we planned to move me next weekend. I haven’t told Nick yet.” Kimmy’s confusion was obvious.
When Lawrence shook his head at Kimmy as if her friend was a child, Ginny twisted her jacket button so hard it came off.
“You were supposed to tell him last week. What’s the holdup? He knows we’ve been dating two months. He’ll understand you wanting to move out of the apartment you share with him.”
Ginny stared worriedly at Kimmy’s demoralized countenance.
“I’ll talk to him at lunch.”
Lawrence shook his head at her, not content with Kimmy trying to make amends. “We’re having lunch with Darla to meet her fiancé. My sister is just as important as your brother.”
“I didn’t ….” Kimmy pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “Of course she is … It just slipped my mind. I’ll talk to Nick after work.”
Lawrence pulled her closer to his side. “You should ask Kaden if you can take a couple of weeks off so you can get some rest. I’m starting to worry about you. Your look tired, and you’re forgetting a lot of stuff lately.”
Ginny gripped the button so hard she felt the small holes denting the palm of her hand. Disliking the man more and more, she couldn’t help herself from butting in.
“I think you look great. I don’t think anyone else here would agree that you look tired. Cleve and Terrel nearly cried when you didn’t say hello when you walked past by them.”
Kimmy gave her a thankful glance. “Thank you. That makes me feel better.”
“That makes you feel better?” Lawrence removed his arm, stiffly pulling away from Kimmy. “My mistake that I cared enough to be worried about you. I’ll see you after the meeting.” Sliding out of the chair, he let them know he was clearly affronted.
Kimmy started to get up to go after him, but Ginny didn’t give her the opportunity. She would have tackled her to the ground before letting her apologize to that domineering man again.
“The meeting is starting.”
Kimmy settled back on the chair.
Kaden going over the instructions for the performance tomorrow night prevented any further talking. Ginny was so frightened at the dramatic change in her friend that she barely listened to Kaden’s words.
If looks could kill, the one that Lawrence had given her would have left her bleeding under the table. Ginny didn’t think Kimmy had seen it, and even if she had, Ginny doubted she would have called Lawrence on it. This was a Kimmy who Ginny didn’t recognize.
Kimmy might not have seen it, but Gavin had. He moved his position along the wall so he would be able to follow Lawrence’s progress through the room to the group of technicians congregating together farther away from the stage.
Unconsciously, Ginny’s lips curled in disgust when one laughed while looking toward Kimmy and used an elbow as if to congratulate him. She loathed men like them.
Their amusement at Kimmy’s expense was going to be short-lived. After the meeting, she was going to find Nick and have a talk with him.
Unable to watch the men any longer, Ginny started paying attention to what Kaden was telling the crew.
“Here is the set list for tomorrow night. I don’t want any glitches during the show like the last time,” he warned as his assistant began handing out a sheet of paper that held the order of the songs. Kaden didn’t belabor the point; each of the staff knew he expected the best, paid for the best, and if they couldn’t achieve the standards he wanted, they would find a pink slip in their email. “Notice I added the last song that Ginny and I have been working on. If the audience likes it, then we’ll stick with this list for the remaining time we have left. Which brings us to something the band and I have been wrestling with over the last few months.
“We have come to the decision that we won’t be renewing our contract here in Nashville. Not only will we not be extending our contract, we’ve decided to cut our performances short. We’ll finish the next two weeks instead of the next two months as originally planned. The band and I know this will be a financial hardship on the staff, but we want to assure you that you will be paid until the original contract expires. We’ve enjoyed living in Nashville, but we’re ready for a break until we come to a decision on where to go next. We hope you understand.”
Ginny wasn’t upset with the decision. She had already informed Kaden that she wouldn’t be renewing her contract with him. However, she could see that Kimmy was taking the information hard. She tilted her head
, her eyes searching for Nick, who was sitting in the front. Nick turned and gave her a reassuring smile. Kimmy didn’t look for the same reassurance from Lawrence.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw the enraged way Lawrence broke off talking to a sound technician. Kaden’s announcement had obviously put a wrench in Lawrence’s plans, because Lawrence settled wherever a crew hired him. So, unless he picked up and moved with Kimmy, jobless, it would bring an end to their relationship. Because Nick would definitely be going back to Queen City, and that meant Kimmy would too. The brother and sister were close and had grown even closer since their parents’ deaths.
Ginny couldn’t be happier. Even from before he began dating Kimmy, Lawrence made Ginny want to shower to rid herself of the icky scum that his presence oozed. The disgust only escalated with the smothering way he treated Kimmy. Thankfully, she had never been tempted to accept the overtures he made toward her when she first joined the road crew.
When it came to intimate relationships, Ginny would readily admit she was no expert. Nevertheless, she had been lucky to witness several happy relationships, but what Kimmy and Lawrence shared was as unhealthy as a relationship could get. Kimmy went from fun-loving and self-confident to timid and insecure. Even Nick noticed the drastic change in his sister.
“I’m with Kaden. Nashville rains too much for me. I won’t miss having to run to the apartment garage every time a tornado siren goes off, either. How about you?” Kimmy asked once the short meeting was over.
“I won’t be going back to Queen City.” Holding back where she was planning to go, Ginny saw Gavin signal with a downward pull of his hand to stay put before slipping unobtrusively through the door where Lawrence had gone out.
“I went shopping while you were gone. If you have a few minutes to spare, I want to show you. I dropped the outfits off in your dressing room.”
“I’m free after tomorrow night’s soundcheck.”
“You mind if we do it now? You can pick out which one you want to wear, and it’ll be ready for you to put on after the soundcheck. I don’t want to take too long. I don’t want to keep Lawrence and his sister waiting.”
Ginny bet she didn’t. Kimmy had a big decision to make and probably needed an opportunity to discuss Kaden’s announcement with Nick before she went to meet Lawrence.
Regarding her impatiently when Ginny remained unmoving, Kimmy restlessly started walking ahead without her. “It won’t take long.”
Giving in when she saw Kimmy was getting upset, Ginny caught up with her.
Making their way to the back of the stage, they walked toward the dressing rooms. The back area had a large platform with steps going down, leading to a long corridor and the performers’ dressing rooms. At the end was a large room where VIP guests were able to relax while waiting for the show to start, and where they were able to get a private meet and greet with Kaden and the band. Her dressing room was more of a closet than a room, barely large enough to fit the dressing table, chair, and the rack of outfits Kimmy picked out.
“I hope you like what I chose,” Kimmy said, waiting for Ginny to open the door. “There’s one I fell in love with for you. It’s a white dress.”
“Then I’m sure I’ll love it too,” Ginny assured her, opening the door, then coming to a standstill at the destruction within.
“What the hell …?”
Kimmy stared, just as shocked as she was. Shreds of colored fabric had been cut and tossed around the room. Pressing her trembling lips together, Ginny read the message scrawled on her mirror in lipstick.
“Nightingale, if you don’t sing for me, you won’t sing for anyone.”
“Kimmy, go find Gavin,” Ginny instructed hoarsely as she moved farther into the room.
A knife had not only been taken to the clothes but also the seat cushion on the chair. The white stuffing was mounded on the dressing table. Pushing down the bile that was rising from her stomach, Ginny looked down at the white foam to see a dead bird laying in the center.
“I’m here.”
Forcing her eyes away from the bird, Ginny met Gavin’s eyes in the mirror behind her. Wanting to run into his arms and hide from the fact that the tiny bird had been killed to hurt her, Ginny had to turn her nerves into steel as she turned to face the man standing behind her.
“I hate him.”
Chapter Ten
“What the fuck? Who did this?”
Sin appeared next to Gavin. Ginny would have recognized who it was by the voice alone. It was just as good as Kaden’s, the melodic tones distinctly his own. It was much deeper and smoother, making a woman think of fine whiskey and a smoky bedroom with satin sheets and a sexy drummer sprawled on top. Kaden’s was more like cognac—dark and mysterious with notes of fire underneath.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at the devastation in the room any longer. Brushing past the two men, Ginny rushed out of the room where Kimmy hastily moved aside in the corridor to give her space.
Gavin immediately exited the room, his phone already to his ear. “Alec, get to Ginny’s dressing room, pronto. Lock down the exits. I don’t want anyone leaving without my eyes on them.”
“Did you leave my room unlocked when you brought the clothes?” Ginny whispered as Gavin continued to talk to Alec.
“No,” Kimmy answered, giving Gavin a frightened look as he ended the call. “I swear, Ginny. I’m always careful about locking doors. Alec drummed that into my head when he told me I was the only one who had a master key to get into all the dressing rooms. Well, beside him. I wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardize my job or anyone’s safety.”
Ginny placed a reassuring hand on Kimmy’s shoulder. “I believe you.”
Gavin didn’t seem as sure. “Where’s your key?”
Kimmy raised her wrist in the air, showing the purple elastic wristband with the key dangling.
“It’s never out of my sight. Ever,” she stated forcefully. “Not even when I sleep.”
Ginny hit her forehead with the palm of her hand, aggravated at herself.
“The door was unlocked when I opened it.” Ginny shook her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t catch that before I opened it.” She hit herself again. “Stupid.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Thanks for trying to make me feel better,” she snapped at Gavin.
“I’m not here to make you feel better. You should have waited for me. I told you to stay put.”
“I screwed up. Okay? I feel bad enough as it is.”
“Good.”
Sin came to her rescue. “This isn’t her fault. It’s the fucker who trashed her room. We all leave our rooms unlocked once we arrive. No one expects their room to be trashed. Usually the place is full, with everyone coming and going. Whoever it was knew that everyone was in the meeting.”
Ginny paled, grabbing Gavin’s arm, forgetting her irritation at his rebuke. “Alec usually has a security guard walking the area, even during the meetings.” Fear that she would have another death on her conscience, Ginny started walking frantically back to the door. Had the security guard been in there and she hadn’t noticed?
Gavin caught her, preventing her from entering. “Sin, you and Kimmy go to the VIP room and lock the door. I know it’s clear because I just came from there.”
Sin nodded. “I can watch Ginny too.”
“She’s stays with me.”
Sin didn’t argue and neither did Kimmy, looking relieved to be out from under Gavin’s suspicious regard.
“Kimmy didn’t have anything to do with this. If she said she locked my door, I believe her.”
“I do too.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” he said shortly, moving her out of the way as Alec arrived with four men from his staff. There was enough testosterone in the thin corridor to make any woman have the jitters, yet the only one who drew her gaze was Gavin.
It wasn’t Alec who took charge; it was Gavin. Giving quick instructions, he had Alec check on his handheld radio
to see if any of his staff was missing, while he sent two off to check the security footage, then placed the last two at the opposite points of the corridor to make sure no one left.
“Mason is missing,” Alec reported.
“Are the exits covered?” Gavin asked.
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll start at the VIP room and work our way down. You have an extra man you trust?” Gavin asked Alec as they walked toward the room a few steps away.
“Nate.”
“Get him here.”
Using his knuckles to tap on the door, Sin opened the door at Alec’s prompting.
With his hand on her back, Gavin urged her inside, checking the restroom before going back to the doorway.
“Nate’s here,” Alec told Gavin as he came through the door.
“Stay here with them. No one comes in here until I get back. Understand me? No one.”
“Yes, sir,” Nate responded deferentially to Gavin’s instructions, even though his boss was inches away.
Content his order would be obeyed, Gavin took her arm, moving her to a private corner of the room. “You have your phone?” he asked.
“Yes.” Ginny patted her jacket pocket, reassuring herself it was still where she placed it this morning.
“I want a happy emoji texted to me every two minutes. If you become the least bit uncomfortable, text me a sad one.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t care if this fucking room catches on fire, you don’t fucking leave.”
“I swear,” she promised, trying to lighten the hard-lined way he was talking to her.
Gavin wasn’t having it. “Don’t disappointment me again, Ginny.”
Ginny reached out, running her hand down the length of his arm. “I won’t.” She tried not to be hurt when he shrugged away from her touch.
Feeling helpless, she watched Gavin and Alec leave the room, shutting the door behind them.
With her heart pounding, Ginny took a chair closest to her.
“Why would someone want to trash your dressing room?” Kimmy’s frightened voice broke the silence.