Page 90 of Just What She Needed

The next night she walked hand in hand with Rhys toward the backstage door. With each step she took, the dread and panic swirled through her in ever thicker clouds. She'd done a good job of pushing it aside all day so she could enjoy her time with Rhys and with Illicit. The concert was a tour de force of release-the-Kraken rock thunder, and the atmosphere backstage was almost as entertaining. Mel had declared that morning that she always wanted to be a groupie, an announcement that caused Rhys to choke on his coffee, and swept into the midst of the band, charming all of them. It quickly became clear that Mel was most interested in charming the pants off Drew Cooper, and it was almost funny to watch him fall for her. Best of all, Rhys had blown off the aftershow meet and greet and spent that time privately with Rhett in an inner dressing room for one last goodbye shag.

But now he was going to get into a Town Car, go to the airport and fly off to his next show. Houston? New Orleans? Rhett couldn't remember, she didn't care, and she couldn't stand it. With a choked sound, she came to a halt, unable to go further.

"Rhett? What is it, baby?"

"I can't. I can't be calm about this. I can't act like everything is okay." She gulped down a sob. "Rhys, I'm so afraid."

A look of understanding crossed his face, and he pulled her aside, motioning T to go on ahead of them. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise. Nothing's going to happen."

"You didn't think anything would happen before, but it did." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, ready to use her body as a shield to keep him safe. "That guy ran you off the road and came after you with a gun."

"Rhett, listen to me. Yes, it happened, but it proved how prepared we are for something like that."

She shook her head, negating his assurances. "T and Drew got hurt, and—”

"T got what amounted to a scratch on the arm, and Drew got a bruise. And he wouldn't have gotten that if he'd been wearing his seat belt. Rhett, our security knows their business. Jax and Owen were there to back up T, so were Mike and Devin, and Alex had stopped in front of the truck." He brushed his lips through her hair. "I know you're scared, but I'm well protected."

"But the guy ran you off the road, Rhys."

"And now that we know something like that's a possibility, you can rest assured it will never happen again."

He was lying. Not only did she see it in the way he wouldn't meet her eyes, but she wasn't that stupid, either. There was no way he could guarantee something like that. Those trips to and from the airport and public appearances left him vulnerable to any kind of attack. But just like he couldn't guarantee his safety, there was nothing she could do about it, either. To send him off with tears and panic wouldn't do him any favors, so she swallowed further pleadings and firmed her shoulders.

"I'm sorry I'm being an idiot." She shook her head. "I just never thought about things like this before."

"Rhys?" The deep, gravelly voice of T came from somewhere behind them. "We need to get on the road."

"Coming." Rhys lifted Rhett's chin and kissed her softly. "I have to leave, baby. The plane's waiting."

Rhett closed her eyes and breathed deep. From somewhere inside she found the courage to release her death-grip on his shirt and take a step back. "I know. I'm okay now."

Rhys put his arm tight around her shoulders and led her through the door. A cold wind whipped her hair around, and she told herself it was also the reason tears came to her eyes.

Mel and Drew stood by the open back door of the second of a row of five Town Cars. Rhett noticed the police cars with lights flashing at the front and the rear of the convoy, but it didn't reassure her in the least.

Rhys stopped and turned her to face him. "Trust me, Rhett. I'm coming back safe and sound. I'll be back at the end of May, and we'll start making our home together. I love you, Beautiful, and nothing is going to keep me away from you again."

She mustered a smile. "I love you, too. Call me, okay?"

"Every night." He kissed her, soft and warm and real. "Everything will be fine."

The wind blew his hair across her face, and she filled her lungs with the scents of chocolate and rum before she released him.

He climbed into the back seat of the car, followed by Drew, and after a brief pause, the convoy pulled away from the arena. Rhett watched until the last taillight disappeared into the night, taking her heart with it.

THE END of Book One