Rock Chick 06 Reckoning (53 page)

“She’s right, honey. Tiny would want that.” Mace’s body jerked when he heard his sister’s nickname but he didn’t say a word. He just stared at her.

This isn’t going very well,
my brain informed me.

Shut up!
I returned.

Chloe lifted her hand and touched my arm. She put pressure there so I moved to the side. Now Lana was there, standing next to Mace, across from me. But my eyes were on Chloe. She had her hand in her jeans pocket and when she pul ed it out, a chain was dangling from her fingers.

I watched in stunned, frightened silence as Chloe pul ed in a breath so deep her chest visibly expanded with it. She let the breath go and leaned into Mace. She got up on tiptoe, put her arms around his neck, the chain between her hands, a tiny ring dangling from it. She clasped the chain around Mace’s stil frozen neck.

Then Chloe settled back on her feet but lifted a hand to touch one finger to the ring that was now resting at his throat.

“She loved that ring. Never took it off. I’ve been wanting to give it to you since…” She stopped and shook her head slowly then went on, “You gave her that, remember? On her fourteenth –”

She didn’t finish. Mace’s arms shot out and he yanked her to his body so hard her head jerked back and she let out a smal cry. His back arched as he buried his face in her neck.

My throat closed and I felt the tears immediately fil my eyes and spil over.

She hesitated, likely stil recovering from al of a sudden being in his arms. Then Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.

“Out, now,” I heard Lee say and there was movement al around us.

Lana threw her arms around the two of them and I took a step back. The others were leaving and I was going too.

This family needed space.

I didn’t get a second step. Mace’s hand darted out and closed around my wrist. His head came up, his eyes locked on mine and pinned me to the spot.

He didn’t have to say a word.

I settled in.

He let me go and turned to his mother.

She slid into his arms as if she’d been there only yesterday.

As Mace hugged his Mom, I looked to the door.

Floyd was there.

So was Lee.

Floyd winked at me.

So did Lee.

Floyd went out first.

Lee closed the door behind him.

* * * * *

I started the “na-na’s” of Journey’s “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”, the band kicked in the second set and the entire crowd shouted them back at us, hands up in the air, jacking out the beat. The crowd included Lana and Chloe who were front and center with the Rock Chicks.

Lana, I noticed right off, was super comfortable up front at a rock gig. I’d watched as she sung out loud, knowing every song we played (except the three new songs of Buzz and Leo’s, of course). She danced and swayed and let’s just say that Mace’s Mom could
move
. She was sexy as al get out and I could tel she loved rock and rol .

For Lana, an afternoon of Guitar Hero was definitely the way to go.

On the other hand, it took Chloe awhile to get into it (her favorite music was probably Tchaikovsky too). Stil , The Gypsies were on a tear, it didn’t take very long for her to feel the vibe and let it take her where she needed to go.

The security detail was the same as the other gigs except Hank and Eddie weren’t there because they were dismantling Sidney Carter’s operation. In their place was Indy’s Dad, Tom and Hank, Lee and Al y’s Dad, Malcolm.

Tom and Duke both were close to the stage guarding me and the Rock Chicks.

I’d had just enough time after the reunion to tel Mace about Dixon Jones and the Chateau Marmont (and to let his smile of approval and his lip touch give me a happy shiver).

Then Chloe and I let him alone with Lana.

In order to give them privacy, instead of hanging backstage with the band as normal, I sat at the bar, drinking beer with the Rock Chicks and Chloe (who didn’t drink beer, she drank martinis, Chloe was one classy lady), talking to some of my fans with Duke plastered to my side until it was time to take the stage.

I was smiling as I sang the “na-na’s”, my arm up in the air, moving back and forth. The crowd caught my rhythm and, as one, their arms moved with mine and they chanted the “na-na’s” with the band.

My eyes slid through the crowd and I saw Luke at the doors, back to the stage, arms crossed on his chest, talking to one of the club’s bouncers.

I kept singing and my eyes kept moving and I saw Mace, standing head and shoulders above the crowd, his eyes were scanning. I waited and, just as I knew it would, his gaze came to me. I didn’t know it but the minute his eyes hit me, my smile grew brighter. I also didn’t know that Lana and Chloe caught my smile and turned around to see what I was smiling at. Further, I didn’t know, when they saw it was Mace, Chloe burst into tears again and Lana hugged her.

Mace’s eyes left me to scan the crowd again and my eyes kept moving, stil singing the “na-na’s”, stil living in my happy place, my
lucky
place. The place where my band was heading to LA to record an album. The place where I’d chased Mace’s demons away and gave him back his family. The place where I lived now. The place where Mace loved me.

My eyes travel ed the length of the bar and something shifted in that happy place. I couldn’t put my finger on it but something was wrong.

Stil chanting with the crowd, my hand in the air, my eyes went back up the bar.

Then down it.

Then back up.

Then it dawned on me that Tex wasn’t sitting at the bar.

And Tex never brought the tequila.

And Tex never brought the tequila.

Automatical y, the band and I finished the “na-na’s” as my eyes flew through the crowd, searching for but not finding Tex.

Then the band stopped playing and I said into the mic,

“We’re gonna take a break, be back!”

The crowd roared and I gave them a wave and a smile, keeping up appearances but, as fast as I could, I moved offstage.

Duke was there with a beer and he shoved it in my hand.

“Girl, normal y you kick ass but tonight, I gotta tel you darlin’, you are the
shit!
” Duke said to me and normal y I would be stunned, maybe even moved by his compliment.

Duke didn’t hand out compliments very often.

Instead I looked up at him and asked, “Where’s Tex?” Duke’s body went stil then his head jerked around to scan the bar.

My band had come down behind me and the Rock Chicks were rounding the stage but I didn’t look at them.

I moved.

I shoved though the crowd. People were trying to get my attention, to stop me, to talk to me. I heard their words as I moved, shoving through until I saw Mace coming my way.

I stopped in front of him, put my hands on his chest and tilted my head back.

He was looking down at me, smiling, face soft, voice low, “Babe –” he started.

I cut him off, “Where’s Tex?”

His head jerked then shot up. He, too, scanned the bar.

My fingers curled into his t-shirt. “When I arrived, he met me at the backdoor. He went off to get me tequila. I haven’t seen him since. With everything that happened, I didn’t think –”

I didn’t finish. Mace’s hand wrapped around mine and he started pushing through the crowd. By the time we got to the side of the stage, the Rock Chicks were looking pale and the Hot Bunch was in a huddle. Lee sliced an unhappy look at Mace and got on his phone.

“Has anyone seen him?” Roxie asked.

“When we arrived but I haven’t seen him since,” Jet answered.

“Fuck,” Duke muttered.

“What’s happening?” Lana asked, getting close to Mace and me.

“One of our people is missing,” I told her and looked up at Mace. “We need to make an announcement. Stop the show,” I said.

Lee flipped the phone shut and addressed the group,

“The girls are going home. Then I want everyone in the field.

Bobby, Matt, Duke, Tom and Dad wil stay on Stel a and the band. Matt, you’re responsible for getting Stel a home.

Dad, arrange police escorts for every band member when the gig’s over. Yeah?”

Malcolm nodded.

“Fuck!” Duke exploded. “How did we miss this?”

“It’s my fault,” I whispered.

Lee’s eyes sliced to me. “Get that out of your head.

Finish the gig,” he ordered then his gaze moved through his men as Hector and Darius arrived at the huddle from wherever they’d been. “Luke, you got Ava and Al y. Darius, you got Shirleen, Daisy, Lana and Chloe. Hector, you got Jet and Roxie. Vance, you got Jules and Indy. Mace, you’re with me. Let’s go.”

They went except Mace who looked at Matt. “I gotta know you got this.”

Matt nodded. “I got it.”

Mace’s eyes went to Tom and he skewered Tom with what could only be described as
a look
.

Tom said, “We got it. Go.”

Mace looked at me and I started babbling, “It’s my fault.

We didn’t think. We didn’t catch it. Everyone was caught up in my shit, your shit, Dixon, your Mom, Chloe. I knew I should have waited until al this was over. If something happens to Tex –”

His finger went to my lips, effectively quieting me then down and his hand curled around my neck. He stared at me as he gave me a neck squeeze.

Then he was gone.

Fear streaming through my system, my eyes were locked on the backstage door Mace went through fol owing Lee.

“It’s al my fault,” I whispered.

Jules

My cat Boo and I didn’t sleep wel , tossing and turning al night, waiting for Vance to come home or phone to say everything was okay.

He didn’t.

The alarm went off and I got out of bed, fed Boo and did my morning business. I was standing, hips against the counter, eating slightly toasted toast (I was trying, with limited success, to learn how to cook, I’d tried but never got the hang of making toast and since the morning sickness was sticking with me, slightly toasted was a lot better than ful y burnt) when Vance walked in the backdoor.

His eyes cut to me and he said, “Hey, Princess,” before he turned to deactivate and reactivate the alarm.

I waited and he came to me, put an arm around my waist, brought me to him and touched his lips to mine.

I knew this wasn’t good. If the news was good, he wouldn’t have had to put his arm around me before giving it to me.

After he’d lifted his head, he said softly, “We got nothin’.” I closed my eyes and opened them when Vance’s arm went tighter around my waist.

“I gotta shower and get to the office. We’re havin’ a briefing and we’re al goin’ back out.”

I nodded and asked, “Do you know what this means?” He shook his head. “Sid’s usual y communicative, let’s people know what he wants or what he’s done and why. No word.”

“Do you think Tex is al right?”

His face went tight and I had my answer before he said,

“Sid doesn’t mess around. It’s not lookin’ good, Jules.” I bit my lip and tried not to cry.

“Hank says Roxie’s a mess,” Vance told me. “Can you take some time today, get to her?”

I swal owed back my tears and nodded.

Tex was Roxie’s uncle. He’d been estranged from his family for decades but through letters, since she was a kid, they’d been close. Eight months ago, she’d done for Tex what Stel a had done for Mace last night. She’d brought him back into the family fold.

Vance kept talking. “I’m gonna be busy, Princess, so you need to cal the real estate agent. Put in an offer on that house.”

“It can wait,” I said.

His arm got tight again and his hand came to the side of my face. “It’s the only place we’ve seen we both like. It’s right. You’l stil be close to Nick and I’l be close to the office. I don’t want to lose it, make the offer.”

“I can’t think of anything but Tex right now. There’l be another house –”

“Let us worry about Tex. You take care of our family.”

“Crowe –”

His body shifted back a few inches and his hand went to my bel y. He liked to put his hand there, these days he slept with his hand there.

It should probably be said I liked it when he put his hand there. Maybe even more than he liked to have it there.

“I want to be settled before he comes, Princess,” Vance said quietly. “Make the offer.”

My eyes narrowed at what he’d slipped in, thinking he could get away with it.

We’d been having an ongoing argument about the baby’s sex since I hit my second trimester. Neither of us wanted to know (for certain) so we hadn’t asked the doctor.

For some reason (probably hormones), this argument honestly annoyed me. Vance (and now Nick was in on the act) thought it was hilarious. In fact, they both brought it up regularly and it had advanced. Now we were fighting about names.

“It’s not a he. It’s a she. And her name is going to be Rebecca Ann, for Auntie Reba.”

His lips formed a smal smile, his hand left my bel y, he got close again and both his arms went tight around me.

“As much as I’d like you to have a girl to name after your aunt, it’s gonna be a boy. And we’re namin’ him Max,” Vance returned.

See what I mean?

“It’s a girl but
if
it should be a boy, we’re naming him Harry,” I shot back.

“I’m not namin’ a kid Harry.”

“Yes you are. Harry’s a good name.”