Page 31 of Grip Me Tight
“What about the guys? Are they okay?” I look out, seeing Noah in the spotlight, drawing the crowd’s attention. I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until it shudders out when I catch sight of Tanner, arms stretched wide, looking like he’s channeling some god as smoke swirls under his feet.
“Is this part of the show?” I take a tablet out of my bag and head to Twitter, immediately seeing fuzzy pictures of Jax in mid-air.Shit. I need to figure out what is happening.
“Definitely not part of the show,” Emil says, leaning over my shoulder while I scroll seeing hashtags for #JaxJumps and #KingmakerCrazy.
“I need to get back to the production room.”
“Sorry, New Girl. No one’s supposed to move until we’re told we can at this point.”
The tension continues for a few minutes until finally we’re given the all-clear and Laird steps up behind us.
“Everything okay?” he asks, phone in hand. His hair is sticking up and his suit looks rumpled.
“We’re fine, but what’s going on?”
Laird shakes his head. “I’ll fill you in later. For now, spin something good that makes Jax look like a hero.”
“Well, what was he doing jumping off the stage?” My fingers tighten on the tablet as I sort my thoughts. I’m fighting not to look up at the stage because I don’t want to be distracted by Tanner. His powerful voice rings out over the roar of the crowd. “Are the guys in danger?”
Laird shakes his head. “No. Looks like it was an isolated incident with Ajax’s new girlfriend.”
“He has a girlfriend?”
Laird’s lips tighten. “Apparently. Leave that part out though, for now.” He turns to me, arms crossed. “Vera will be calling you in about ten minutes. She’s with the agency and works on our PR. Ajax is on his way to the hospital, so I need my line clear.”
I gasp. “Hospital?”
“I understand it’s just a precaution, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here.” He pins me with a stare. “Look, I know this is a bit of a change for you, but I checked you out and Noah says you’re some kind of creative genius. You don’t have a cute animal to work with but make this a minor blip. No drugs, no rehab, no exhaustion spin, alright?” He checks his phone again. “I have to go speak with the local cops. I’ll check in with you later.”
I don’t know about creative genius, but I nod. “Got it.” I take a deep breath. “Emil, did you get any shots of the audience closest to the edge of the stage?”
“A few, mostly just when the guys head there to interact with the crowd.”
“I’ll need to see them.”
“Sure.”
I hear the cheers fading as I head back to the corridor, remembering the pressure of Tanner’s hand on mine as I jog down the stairs. I bypass the dressing rooms and head into the production room, the buzz of chatter pausing briefly when I step inside. I walk over the bank of screens, taking a seat next to Michael, one of the production managers, who turns to me, lifting his headphones off.
“Did you get any shots of what Ajax was looking at?”
“Yeah, some asshole was dragging a girl up to the front. She looked pretty rough.”
“Can I see?”
He spins back to his computer, pulling the feed up on his laptop. Above me, the screens show the guys closing down the concert. I know they’re supposed to do another mini-set as an encore, but I don’t know if it’s possible without Ajax. The bass is being covered by the female guitarist from Ash and she’s strutting around, lights flashing off her pink hair, her tight leather pants showing off long, strong legs. Is she deliberately licking her lips at Tanner? My throat burns as he flashes her a sexy smile and I give myself a mental shake. I signed up for this. No matter his abrupt change of attitude about me since I got here, I’m dealing with Tanner Steele, rock star, and not the guy I grew up with. And dealing with the star means I get a front-row seat to seeing him with the women who want him just as badly as I do.
Was Pink Hair at the bar last night while I stayed back in my room, working? Was she laughing with the guys, drinking and dancing, while I adjusted the sleep goals on my watch to make sure I get enough sleep? I’m hardly rock star material compared to the gorgeous woman standing under the spotlight with Tanner.
She was on stage at the rehearsal earlier, and while Tanner was on the floor with me, she was hanging out with Noah, but that doesn’t really mean anything. I’m certain they’ve shared before. I swallow hard. I promised I wouldn’t do this to myself and here I am not forty-eight hours in to this job thinking about who Tanner might have spent the night with, instead of focusing on the crisis unfolding right in front of me.
I square my shoulders, leaning in to look at Michael’s screen. He clicks through the frames and sure enough, just behind some girls kissing each other, I see a large man in a black coat elbow his way into the crowd at the front, his arm locked around a small, dark-haired woman in a red dress. She stumbles, her hair in her face and I squint at the screen. “Hold there.” The woman is a mess. Her face comes into focus for a second, and her eyes are wide and dark, her mouth tight. She looks ill, but I haven’t exactly been around a lot of people who take drugs, so maybe she’s having a bad reaction to something?
My phone buzzes and my heart catches. I really need to get a new phone, even if it is a pain in the ass. I can’t have this anxiety when I need my phone for work. Luckily, it’s another unknown number, and as I swipe up, I see it’s Vera, texting to let me know she’ll be calling in twenty minutes. I note the time, send a quick acknowledgement back to her, and turn my attention back to Michael’s computer.
He clicks pause and then switches it to a slower speed so I can see the couple causing the disturbance. The man forces the woman’s chin up so she’s watching the stage and she screams. I click ahead a few frames, my stomach in knots, as the guy starts dragging her back through the crowd. Next, I see a surge of people, arms up, screaming with excitement. This must be as Ajax is coming off the stage.
“Any word on this woman? Is she okay?”
