Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hoping I don’t come off like a fucking nutcase. If anyone is going to believe me, it’s Bee, but still, I always feel like I’m going insane. “I thought I saw him out there.”
“The stalker? I thought you didn’t know what he looked like?” she accuses like I’ve been keeping something from her, which I haven’t. We’re practically together all the time, so there’s no room for secrets. Besides, she’s my only confidante. If I can’t tell her, I can’t tell anyone.
“I don’t, but I get this sick feeling in my stomach, and this man out there made me uncomfortable.”
She purses her lips like she always does when she’s thinking. She runs her fingers through my hair, feeling for more pins and loosening any tangles as she says, “Interesting. Maybe the center can give us the video footage, and we can find someone looking suspicious.”
“I’m sure they’re not going to find anything. You know how it is. They never find anything, and everyone makes me think I’m going crazy.”
She tilts her head, giving me a scowl through the mirror. “You know that’s not true. Last month, the threat was real with the twenty dead roses delivered to your hotel room. The police finally got on it.” The number was significant because it was my twentieth birthday.
The police questioned my ex-boyfriend, whom I’d just broken up with, but they’d been barking up the wrong tree. The guy didn’t give a shit about me. He wanted someone who would spread their thighs, and he moved on to the next chick the same night. Hell, he’d moved on long before I ever dumped him, sleeping with anything that had a pulse.
“What good is it that they are ten steps behind? By the time they find this guy, I’ll be dead,” I remind her.
“Maybe you need to find a place to lay low for a while.” Taking a brush, she runs it through my hair. It’s relaxing, and the stress of my day begins to wind down.
“I do have a break after today, but where?” It has some merit, but to what end? The stalker could find me wherever I went. Hell, he could be someone within the inner circle of the music community. It’s something that has been on my mind since the first note.
“I can’t say. I’m only tossing out an option. What about that hotel we stayed at with the friend you made?” That is an option.
“Lena? Her husband was really nice.” She’s about our age, and she’s married to a handsome older man who worships the ground she walks on. That man was super amazing to us because we were hanging with her.
“Yeah, I had a fantastic time there.” She sounds almost whimsical, mentioning it with a smile on her face.
“Are you getting tired of working for me, Bee?” I ask, staring at my cousin through the mirror.
She stops brushing and sighs. “No. I’m worried about you. It’s unsafe, and just like you, I don’t believe the police are doing their job.”
I spin in my chair and take her hands. “Thanks. I’m nervous too. How about we go to the hotel, order some room service, plan a vacation, and then decide what our next moves will be from there? After the next show here in two days, I’m not beholden to anyone. I have job offers but haven’t accepted anything, you know.”
“Of course, I know,” she says, giving me an appeasing smile. I wonder if she wants something more than being my manager.
“Okay. So let me change, and then we can get out of this place.” A little stress disappears and I’m ready to go rest.
Once I go into the changing area, my mind returns to the handsome stranger, and I take in his features. His hair had been cut short to his head, almost shaved, eyes light, a stark contrast to his olive skin color. I remember how deeply focused they were on me, as if he was trying to stare into my soul. Then they dropped down to my lips. If I’d given him another moment of my time I might have been pulled in for a kiss, and that would have been a pleasurable mistake. Goodness, the sound of his voice when he apologized took me by surprise. It was smooth with a deep timbre.
“Andi, are you okay in there?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“The house wants to know if you’ll meet with some fans. It’s only a handful.” Immediately, I think of the handsome man. What if he’s waiting for me?
“Give me a minute.” I overhear her tell them yes, and then I remember my stalker. “Shit.”
“Relax. I’m sure your stalker isn’t going to start trouble. I’ll inform security to do a search of those who want an autograph.”
“Thanks, Bee.” With another deep breath, I step out of the room in a cute sweater top and jeans. Slipping on a pair of flats, I take one more look at myself before greeting my fans. The moment I step outside, I don’t see him there. In fact, I catch the back of him and the woman he was with as they move toward the exit. He has his arm around her shoulder, and I have to fight the sadness that overwhelms me.