“Maybe it’ll give you a clue as to who is doing this. Obviously, keep yourself and the baby safe. Can someone escort you when Jace is away?”
“We have a security guard. I’m thinking of bribing him to walk me and Layla to and from the venues. Otherwise, I feel safeon the bus and here in our hotel room. I’m not going to unlock the door for anyone or go anywhere alone.”
When I get off the phone, I decide to wait for Jace to return because I want him to know what’s going on. But I’m so tired, I must doze off because at two in the morning when Layla wakes, he’s still not home. Gosh, he was serious when he said he’d be home late.
But the next morning when I wake, the blankets on his side of the bed are messed up, and Layla’s sitting in her pack and play in front of the couch.
What time is it? I grab my phone. Nine in the morning.
Jace must’ve come home, crashed for a few hours, and gotten up with Layla at the crack of dawn.
I glance around and notice a to-go cup of coffee and a plate of croissants with jam and butter on the coffee table. Next to it is a letter. The Cherry Smasher must be getting to me because I brace myself for something mean, but it’s a note from Jace.
Hey, baby,
Got you some breakfast. Sorry I got home so late, but the guys loved the new songs and we were having a good rehearsal. They were butthurt I took off, but I told them I’d give them money for a strip joint next time we had a break in the schedule, and they finally cooled off. Haha.
I roll my eyes. Of course Jace offered them tits and ass. That’s the only thing that seems to work on his friends. I scan the rest of the letter.
I already fed Layla and changed her this morning. Still haven’t found my phone. Call Frank if you need to reach me. I’ll try to stop by this afternoon.
xoxo, Jace
I read the letter five more times, pausing on the xoxo sign-off.
Smiling, I hold it to my chest. It was really sweet of him to bring me breakfast. Plus, he let me sleep in when he could’ve asked me to watch Layla—I know the man must be wiped out after working nonstop.
I’ll see him later today, and we’ll figure out how to handle my stalker.
Only Jace doesn’t come home.
43
JACE
I’m supposedto be somewhere right now.
I try to move, but my whole body aches. When I crack my eyes open, I see why. Because I slept twisted like a pretzel on a piece-of-shit couch in the rehearsal room.
“Why didn’t anyone wake me up like I asked?” I rub the sleep outta my eyes.
Frank looks over at me from another couch. “Sorry. We were working on that arrangement for ‘Firefly’ and lost track of time.”
Shit. “What time is it?” I search for my phone only to remember I don’t have it. I glance around the room, at the empty coffee containers and pizza boxes.
“Ten.”
“At night?” That’s still early. If I hustle, I bet I could catch Rory before she passes out. She slept so soundly last night that when I crept in the hotel room and spooned her, she didn’t even budge.
Cooper laughs. “In the morning, asshole. You slept straight through us playing this song five thousand times to get it the way you wanted it.”
I stare at my bandmates. “You’re saying it’s Tuesday?” They all chuckle like I’m hilarious. It pisses me off. “You realize I have a child, right?” I grab my spiral notebook and head for the door. “I need to check on my girls. I’ll be back in a little while.”
Frank heads me off at the door. “Hold up, tiger. We’ll get you some time to freshen up at the hotel and check on Layla. FYI, I spoke to Rory this morning, and the baby’s fine. So stop worrying about that.” He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I just got a call from Niles. We have to talk.”
I clench my jaw. “What does he want now?”
“Have a seat.”