Page 45 of Heartbeat Girl
“Rupert!” I called out excitedly as his bald head came into view. I told the workers to let him in the backdoor when he arrived. The band was already prepping for the show. I needed to introduce them at some point, even though they’d been around each other while touring with Ruth.
“It’s good to see you, Jayne.” The old man came up and wrapped me in a giant hug. I sighed, comfort rolling over me like a blanket. With him there, it almost felt normal again. Except there was no Ruth. And I was highly suspicious that my band was vampires.
“You, too.” As we separated, I gestured for him to follow. “Come on. No need to explain things to you. You remember the band when they toured with Ruth, right?”
“I remember them, but never spoke to them.”
I laughed. “They’re something else—”
“Jayne.”
Speak of the devils, and one appeared. My neck prickled as I looked over my shoulder and saw Liam approaching. It took all my energy to push my thoughts away from what happened last night. I wasn’t exactly sure what happened. Things were fine. Then they all got weird when Liam became possessive.
“You’re supposed to be on stage in…” I glanced at my phone. “Five minutes.”
“Rupert, right?” Liam completely ignored me and offered his hand to the man.
“Yeah, that’d be me. Don’t tell me Jayne’s been telling lies about me?” Rupert elbowed me playfully.
“She lectured us the first night and then hired you. I assure you it’s nothing but praise,” Liam assured him.
“That sounds like Jayne.” Rupert grinned at me.
“Can I speak to you for a minute?” Liam grabbed my bicep.
His touch wasn’t hot or cold. Justpresentand that tingled my skin. “What is it?” I asked.
He glanced at Rupert, who lifted his brow and smirked. “I’m going to see what kind of security I’ll be working with tonight. Can’t hold back all these young girls alone.”
The second he strode off, Liam tugged me forward.
“What are you doing?” I complained.
“Are you that happy Rupert’s here?” Liam pulled me along, but I couldn’t study his expression. Only his back.
“What?” I scowled.
“I heard the excitement in your voice,” his words sounded irritated.
“You weren’t even there,” I stated.
Why did he seem so angry? Was he jealous of Rupert?
“I’ve worked with him for years. So, yes, I’m happy he’s here.” And to give the old man work because I knew he struggled with finding a similar job he liked. Hiswifetold me.
When I noticed Liam taking us to the single stall bathroom, my eyes widened. “You’re not taking us in there, are you?” When he opened the door, I tried to get away from his bruising grip. “Don’t you dare!”
Despite the warning, he yanked me inside and slipped in behind me. The click of the lock had the hairs on my arms rising. My heart hammered as I watched his hand drop from the doorknob.
“Did you lock the door?” My hands shook as I removed my phone from my skirt pocket. “It’s time for you to be on stage!”
He exhaled and lowered his head before frowning. “Are you that afraid of me?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? You forced me into the bathroom.”
I backed up, and he followed. Before I knew it, he had me pressed against the wall. With both arms propped on either side of my head, he pinned me there. This near, I could see how clean-shaven he was.
“You think I don’t notice how much you’ve avoided me today?” he asked.