Not again.
There’s only one person who would use a blocked unknown number.
The stalker.
Nausea runs through me, and with a shaky thumb, I open the message. I don’t want to read it, but I can’t help myself, and like a moth being drawn to a flame, I read the words on the screen.
Unknown number: It should have been you.
Unknown number: I won’t get it wrong next time.
Tears begin to run down my face before I even register what’s happening, and my arms shake so much, I can barely hold onto the phone. That’s when I realise with a sick sense of dread that I’m on my own. With a cry of fear, I push one foot in front of the other, but my heel catches on the lip of a step as I rush up the short flight of stairs to the backstage, my heart pounding and hands sweating. Rounding the corner, I look for the guys, but of course they’re on stage. The stage. If I get as close to the stage as possible, they’ll see me, and as soon as they finish, I’ll be safe and in their arms.
Being so close to the end of the show, most of the crew will be busy taking down everything they can, so backstage is pretty much deserted, except for one lone figure watching the guys from the wings. He’s in the shadows, so much so I almost miss him. When I make a noise of surprise, he spins around in shock and steps in front of me. “Ms. Menro?” He frowns, his face morphing into an expression of concern.
“Oh, Oliver,” I call out, feeling frazzled as the auburn-haired man takes another step towards me, his hand stretching out to steady me. “Please, call me Gabby,” I respond instantly, hating being called by my surname.
“Are you okay?” Oliver asks, seeing the tears on my face and taking in my trembling hands. His anxious expression changes to alarm as he scans the area behind me as if looking for someone following me. “Did someone hurt you?”
His question surprises me, but then I suppose it really shouldn’t. The whole crew knows about the stalker, and everyone has been interviewed by the police and told to look out for anything unusual. I’m just so used to sticking with the guys that it feels strange to hear someone else speaking about it openly. Shaking my head, I take a deep breath. “No, I’m fine, I just need to speak with the guys.” Hugging my arms to my chest, I take a small step back from him, not because he’s making me feel uncomfortable, but I just don’t want to be touched by anyone but my guys right now. I also really don’t want to discuss this with anyone but them, even though something about Oliver makes me feel comfortable. It’s odd. I know next to nothing about him, and I rarely see him around, but when I do, he’s always been kind and helpful.
Something passes over his face that I can’t quite identify, but it turns to sympathy as he nods. “Can I do anything? Why don’t I make you a cup of tea?” He gestures towards the backstage area where I know there’s a small break room. Stepping close, he places his on my shoulder again, and a friendly smile appears on his face. “You’re safe with me, Gabby.”
Although I want to see the guys, something about Oliver makes me want to agree. “Well, a cup of tea does sound—”
“Baby Girl?”
The voice snaps me out of my trance, and I spin around to see Blake striding towards me. “Blake.” The word is uttered like a prayer as I throw myself into his arms. He catches me with a grunt but doesn’t complain, his arms instantly wrapping under my bum and lifting me as I circle my legs around him. Walking with me draped around him, he moves farther into the backstage area, and I realise the music is still going.
My face is pressed against his chest as I breathe in his scent, but the organised manager Gabby is pushing her way back to the surface. If the music is still going and Blake’s here with me, then the show is one stripper down. “Wait, the show’s still going?” I murmur, wishing my voice sounded stronger. We shouldn’t be doing this here, the stalker is probably watching. Oh, and Oliver is probably still… Lifting my head, I look around and see his retreating form. Shit, we probably made him feel uncomfortable, and I never got the chance to say thank you.
“I saw you were upset,” Blake explains with a shrug as I turn back to him, his arms holding me steady. We’ve stopped moving now, but he won’t put me down, keeping me locked against his body, almost as if he knows I need it. “So I left,” he finishes, as if it’s as simple as that. Perhaps for him it is.
Although from a business point of view… “Blake—”
Ignoring my attempt at stern boss woman Gabby, he nods towards where Oliver walked away with a deep frown set into his brow. “Who was that with you?”
“Gabby!”
A shout saves me from answering as the guys come tumbling from the stage, having finished the rest of the show without Blake. Their frowns and expressions of concern grow when they see my tear-stained face.
“Angel, what’s going on, are you okay?” Liam exclaims, reaching my side and brushing back a stray lock of hair from my face.
Now that we are surrounded by the guys, Blake releases me, slowly lowering me down until my feet hit the floor. Turning to face them, I open my shaky hand that miraculously managed to keep hold of my phone. Holding it out to the others, I watch as they stare down at it like it might bite them. Their expressions would be comical if not for the situation.
“I got another text.” My voice breaks, my stomach sinking as the realisation hits me again.
“Shit,” Emmett curses, wiping a hand across his face.
Damon grimaces as he reaches for the phone. “Here we go again.”
Kathy took care of the after show routines for me so I could retreat to the bus with my strippers. I missed a call from the board, so I make a mental note to ring them back either later tonight or tomorrow. Right now, I need my men. Luckily, there was no signing tonight, and I sit curled up in Liam’s lap as he comforts me with Leo’s head on my thigh to anchor me. Damon and Kingston are on the chairs opposite us, and Emmett is on the floor, his hand wrapped around my ankle to let me know everything is okay.
Blake?
Blake is pacing and cursing up a storm. Each time he turns, his face is even redder from anger. At this rate, he’s going to explode. “Blake.” I sigh, and he turns at my voice, his expression instantly changing to one of concern, and he falls to his knees before me. “I’m okay, it shook me up is all. We’ve contacted the police, security is sweeping the venue, and Kathy is sorting everything else. It’s okay, we’re okay…I’m okay.”
“But are you really? Stop trying to be okay for us and just be whatever you need to be. Scream, cry, rant, whatever, Baby Girl, but stop hiding. It should hurt, you should be scared.” He clasps my hands. “But no one, I mean no one will ever get to you again. We will not lose another member of this family.” His eyes sweep around, including every one of them in his vow. “We will stop this bastard, and when we do, I’m going to smash in their fucking face for putting you through this,” he promises before leaning forward and kissing me. There is violence in his eyes, and I know he means every word of it. I should be afraid, and I am, but not of Blake, never of him. He makes me feel safe, protected.
“I’m scared,” I admit out loud. He’s right, I’ve been people pleasing again, pushing back my feelings to make sure they’re okay. It’s a bad habit of mine, putting myself last. “I am, but I’m so tired of being afraid. Eventually, when you’re scared all the time…not much can top that.”