Redemption: A Rockstar Romance (The Rock Legend Series Book 2) Read online

  Back stage, Sky gets Alyssa to perform the final encore song with her, which I think is a genius move. The crowd loves them both. Their booing calms down and turns back into cheers.

  A stagehand helps me remove my guitar and microphone, so I can enjoy the last song as a viewer rather than the entertainment. It awes me how Sky can change the mood of her fans so easily.

  I am so enthralled by her ability that I almost miss the swinging light overhead. It swings back and forth, and on reflex I run forward before I can think things through. I knock Sky and Alyssa out of the way just in time for the light to crash down onto an empty stage.

  I cover them both with my body in case something else falls. Malik is there a split second later to use his bigger frame as a shield.

  Gasps and screeches come from the audience. It’s silent enough for a pin to drop and echo through the place.

  Sky, Alyssa, and I find our breath, and I realize nothing else has fallen on top of us, so I slowly release my hold on them as Malik backs up.

  Then the entire stadium scares the shit out of me by cheering. What the hell? It takes a moment until I realize they think it’s all part of the show.

  I rush both of the ladies off the stage to where Malik takes control of ordering the other guards to secure the place and dismiss the crowd.

  When I help Sky back to her room, I take Alyssa with us. No one is getting separated until we figure out what the fuck is going on.

  Things only get worse when we’re greeted with another mirror message in Skye’s dressing room written in Kim’s favorite lipstick shade: Hope you liked the show tonight. But this is a better performance. Kim.

  Her signature heart and lip message is in this one, too, but this time the lipstick has an arrow that points to a box below the mirror.

  I get the girls out of the room in case it’s dangerous and some kind of explosive device, even though it looks too small to be one.

  Malik finally checks it out and gives the all clear for us to come back in the room.

  “What is it?” Sky asks.

  I hold her and feel her trembling body against me. Whoever is doing this in the name of Kim is destroying her reputation and making my Sky fear for her life.

  “It’s some kind of flash drive,” Malik says.

  Alyssa moves to the corner and pulls out Sky’s laptop. “Here. Play it on this.”

  One video file is on the drive, and Malik hits play. A black screen shows with white words over it. You may have gotten away with it, but I know what you really did to her.

  Shaky video comes on next, and I immediately see Kim fumbling in our old condo. She’s clearly drunk, and hides something behind her back.

  I know from the image I’m the one holding the camera. It shakes in my hand because I was drunk and high out of my mind, too.

  “Brody!” Kim sings on the camera. “Come here, Brody.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do, babe,” I say from behind the camera.

  Kim pouts. “But I’ve got something you really want.” Her singsong voice slurs.

  I stop the video and yank the drive out before we can see more. I know how this plays out. It was one of my lowest moments, and I refuse to let Sky see that fucked-up side of me. It’ll only make her hate me and look at me like a monster. I’m left wondering who could have gotten their hands on this video.

  “What’s on that tape, Brody?” Sky asks me. Her voice is eerily calm. She doesn’t look up at me, and for a minute I think it’s worse than the look of her thinking she doesn’t know who I really am.

  “Can you give us a minute?” I ask Alyssa and Malik.

  Malik hesitates.

  “It’s okay, Malik,” Sky says. “Help Alyssa get her stuff from her dressing room, so we can all get out of here together.”

  “Come on, big guy,” Alyssa says, tugging on Malik’s arm. “Let the kids talk. They’ll be fine.”

  I’m left alone with Sky, and I’ve never been more worried about losing the most important thing in my life.

  SKY

  I know who that is on the video. I’ve seen enough pictures of her to know it was Kim. I heard his voice, too. It sounds like Brody, but not my Brody. He was obviously drunk.

  I’m not naïve. He told me his last couple of years with Kim was some of his darkest times. He’s been honest that he even felt responsible for introducing Kim to part of that darkness.

  It’s so different seeing them though, like it’s more real and heartbreaking than I ever could imagine on my own. He rushed to end it before it played out. I have to know what he doesn’t want me to see, or I will probably let my imagination think the worst.

  “Why did you yank it out like that?” I ask him.

  “I had to put a stop to it,” Brody tells me.

  “Brody, whoever is doing this is trying to make a point. I have a right to see that video. It involves me now, too.”

  “I don’t think I’m strong enough,” he says.

  “Strong enough for what?”

  His eyes are so sad it breaks my heart to see how this episode from his past is hurting him.

  “I can’t have you look at me like a villain. I don’t think I’m strong enough for that.”

  I’m quiet for a while. I have to take my time to gather my thoughts, because I know one wrong word will send him backsliding into guilt and depression. I can see it on his face. These are the demons he never wanted me to see. Never wanted me to know. But before we can find any semblance of a life together, don’t we need to face those demons together?

  I take his hand in mine. It’s cold and far from the warmth he always provides me. Now, it’s my turn to be his rock.

  “Remember what I was saying about trust?” I asked him.

  He simply nods his head.

  “I didn’t just mean you trusting me. It goes both ways. I have to trust you too.”

  He shakes his head. “That trust will shatter as soon as you see this video.”

  “How do you know that, Brody?”

  “I was weak and a complete coward back then. If you see it, I don’t think you’ll be able to see me in the same way. Not like who I am now. That’s what always happens. Anyone who knows about my past, or has seen me at my worst, can’t even look me in the eye now. Hell, even my band couldn’t look at me for too long without getting nervous. I get it. I do. I was an asshole and a bully.”

  I think about his fight and a dark thought enters in my head. I hate asking, but I have to. “Did you ever…?” It’s hard to say, so I force it out. “Did you ever hit her?”

  He shakes his head hard. “No,” he says, the sadness deepening. “I could never hit a woman. It wasn’t like that.”

  “You were an addict,” I say. “There’s a difference. You have a disease, and I know that you have more control over it now, but it’s still there, hiding underneath the surface.”

  He looks at me curiously.

  “I did some research on addiction,” I tell him.

  “You did?” he asks.

  “I wanted to understand what you go through. As much as this part of you scares you, it’s not going away because you want it to. I know you have to struggle every day, and I can’t even begin to understand even a small part of what it’s like. I can tell you that whenever we face who you were together, it’s only going to make me appreciate who you are now.”

  “You say that now—”

  “No. I’m telling you this because it’s the truth. It’ll always be the truth.” I see him hesitate and know words aren’t enough. But how do I prove to him I mean what I say?

  A knock on the door interrupts us.

  “Not now,” Brody says.

  Malik pokes his head in the room. “Yes, now. We have to go. News crews are already covering all the exits. If we’re going to get out of here with minimal damage, we have to leave soon. You guys can talk at the hotel, but we have to go before it turns into a circus out there, or we’re not going anywhere.”

  “I got to grab my stuff from my
dressing room,” Brody says.

  “Already done,” Malik says, holding up a duffle bag. “Help Sky with her things, and I’ll get the car.” Malik takes a quick picture of the mirror with his cell phone and places the box in a plastic bag. “I got this. Now hurry up. I’m not asking.”

  There’s no time for us to do anything but pack. I don’t do anything but stuff things in bags and cases.

  Then Brody’s phone beeps and makes me jump.

  “We don’t need to look at it. It’s probably why the news outlets are here,” Brody says without checking it. “Fans have certainly uploaded video of the light almost falling on you.”

  He grabs one of my shirts tight in his hand as if he can’t let it go.

  “I’m fine, Brody. Alyssa and I both are because of you.”

  “Maybe if I’d told you sooner, Malik and I would have caught the idiot by now.”

  “Hey,” I say, turning him to me and holding him close. “I’m here. Just remember that. I’m still breathing. We both are.”

  We walk out with Malik and Alyssa and get into an SUV with tinted windows. Cameras flash through the vehicle as we pull out of the secured garage, but it’s doubtful they’ll get any clear pictures.

  I can still hear the questions they toss at us.

  “Are you okay, Skylar?”

  “Does someone want you dead?”

  “Is this some new part of your show?”

  “Do you think someone is after your boyfriend and trying to get to you?”

  The last one makes me grit my teeth, but I still take Brody’s hand until we get to the hotel. We aren’t done talking, but when we get to our room, we eat a meal from room service, and I fall asleep from exhaustion. Maybe my body is protecting me from the fallout, as if it knew that conversation wasn’t going to go well.

  Nine

  Flushing, New York

  SKY

  There’s been no time for Brody and me to finish our conversation. My schedule is too chaotic to deal with personal issues, since I’ve decided to keep the tour going. The police are involved now, whether we want them to be or not since the incident was recorded on video and uploaded to video sites all over the world. My fans are conflicted, with either fear that the light was a real threat or that it was a part of the show. Both scenarios scare them.

  During dance rehearsal, I miss simple steps in the routines I know by heart, and my choreographer eyes me with concern. I’m always one to try to out-dance the professional dancers, but this time I don’t have the drive to do it. It’s a miracle if what I am doing even classifies as dancing.

  “Are you sure you want to keep touring, Sky?” Cyndi asks me. “It seems like a risk to keep going. You’re even having a harder time with the routines than you ever did before. It could be time to take a break.”

  In all the years that she used to help me with my dance numbers and corralled the backup dancers, never once had she asked me a personal question about my life. I must really look like I need rest. Cyndi is a hard worker and doesn’t take slackers in her dance routines.

  “I’m not giving this stalker the satisfaction of seeing me quit. I’m not letting my fans down, Cyndi. I’m not stopping because of them.”

  She smirks. “I figured you’d say that. Your mother may not be your manager anymore, but you’re both strong-minded women.”

  I arch my brow. “Why do I sense you mean stubborn instead?”

  “Because you, my dear, are intuitive and savvy. Now, let’s work on that lift. It needs to work.”

  That woman is honest to a fault. I can’t help but push myself to do the steps right. My fans paid for a show, and I don’t want to disappoint them.

  Malik is extra cautious now, and that’s taking its toll on him. Although I should be grateful for his overprotective nature, the guy hasn’t rested since the light almost squashed Alyssa and me.

  Alyssa is the only one who’s staying mostly positive. She thinks it’s better than a thriller movie and just needs popcorn and theater candy. I am grateful for her sense of humor, because it does keep me from throwing a pity party.

  We’re halfway through the tour, but with the threats at every turn, it feels longer. Alyssa has taken over Brody’s duets with me, and we still both quickly glance up above us on instinct, although it’s unlikely whoever loosened that light would pull the same stunt twice.

  After Brody and Malik’s insistence, we hire extra bodyguards and security detail. Malik is still the main one who looks out for me, but he has the men he trusts most take over when he has to see to managing things.

  It’s my free day, and usually Brody and I try to do something together, but all I want to do is to stay in bed. Since I saw part of that video from Brody’s past, and the more I try to forget it, the more curiosity gets the better of me, and I want a direct view into Brody’s darkness. I can’t push him. I won’t. He needs to volunteer to share it, or it won’t be the same.

  Each day feels like we’re getting further apart. Although we’ve had opportunities to talk, I think neither of us wants to do it yet for fear we may not like the outcome.

  “Get dressed,” Brody says, coming into our room with the first smile I’ve seen in days.

  “No,” I cry. “I’m off.” I cover my head with a pillow.

  “Exactly, beautiful. That’s why we’re going out. We’re in New York, and I’ll be damned if I let drama keep us from experiencing it together.”

  “I’m not in the mood for touristy stuff. Besides, I promised I’d see Alyssa later. I don’t want her to be alone.”

  “Good because I already thought of that. She’s coming with us, and she won’t be alone. I invited someone else, too.”

  I remove the pillow and look at him.

  “Don’t worry. Malik has checked this one out. He may not like him yet, but he’s for us getting out of here, so we don’t go stir crazy. Get a quick shower or we’ll lose time.”

  It takes me getting a text from Alyssa to actually do it.

  Get up or I’ll throttle you, woman. I need to get out of this hotel NOW!

  I sigh and go to wash up. The shower feels good on my skin. It would help if I knew where I was going. It’s chilly out since it is fall but not freezing yet. I hope jeans and a sweater are good choices for whatever Brody has up his sleeve.

  Malik rides with Alyssa, Brody, and me like always. Only thing different is the car tailing us to help if needed.

  We drive for a good thirty minutes before arriving at the place I assume is our end destination. I get out, see the sign, and I can’t help but smile.

  “A zoo?” I ask.

  “What’s wrong with the zoo?” Brody asks. “I have it on good authority that you both like animals.”

  “Hey, guys,” someone waves from the entrance at us. I recognize him as the drummer from The Savages.

  “Here’s another animal now,” Brody jokes.

  I don’t miss the joy that fills Alyssa’s face. If she’s happy to see him, then I won’t interfere, but that girl owes me a talk about this new infatuation, too.

  “I told you she wouldn’t be lonely,” Brody tells me.

  “Didn’t you fight with all of them?” I ask.

  “Just Stephen. He’s Kim’s brother, so we’ve been at each other’s throats for a while.”

  “That’s right. I forgot about that,” I say. I remember reading that in his bio online. I can’t imagine the tension that must still exist between him and Brody.

  “Dylan is cool. We were friends long before The Savages, and I’ve known him longer than everyone else. He can be a little forward sometimes, but he’s a good guy.”

  “Better be,” Malik says, “or he’ll be missing a limb that I’ll throw to one of the lions inside.”

  I can’t stop laughing at Malik’s threat. I know he’s somewhat serious, so I shouldn’t find it funny, but it’s as if my body needs release. I continue to chuckle as Malik pats a disbelieving Dylan down.

  “Having fun so far?” Brody asks, hopeful.<
br />
  “Yeah,” I say. “I think I am.” I look around and realize we’re the only ones in the parking lot. “Where is everyone?”

  Brody grins down at me, and I realize I miss those smiles of his.

  “I paid for part of the day, so it’s just the four of us, five if you include Malik and six if you group the other security detail into one. The whole place is ours for the next four hours.”

  “So you rented us a zoo?” I ask with a mischievous smile of my own.

  His laugh fills my ears. “I guess I did. Do you like it?”

  “Hmm.” I absolutely love it, but I let him wonder a little. “I’ll love it more if you give me a piggyback ride inside.”

  Hearing him laugh only makes me join him. He leans over. “Hop on, my beautiful Sky.”

  I obey and jump up on his back. My arms wrap around his neck as he holds my legs around his waist. Just as I thought. Alyssa gets jealous and convinces the poor drummer to do the same for her. The smile on his face says he doesn’t mind one bit. I stick my tongue out at her for copying me.

  I know it’s silly, and we probably look like crazy kids, but that’s what makes it so special. I told Brody of how I missed out on so many things children take for granted because I started working in the industry at such a young age. I know this is one of his ways of making it up to me. Alyssa missed hers, too, so we both enjoy it all.

  Thankfully, Malik doesn’t toss any limbs to the animals, and Dylan is starting to grow on me a bit. As long as he’s good to my best friend, I’ll keep Malik at bay.

  I know there’s a lot of shit to deal with, but for now, I just want to enjoy having fun with the people I love. Everything else can wait for one more day.

  Ten

  Baltimore, Maryland

  M&T Bank Stadium

  BRODY

  It’s been days since I’ve seen Sky this happy. I miss seeing her smile. With everything happening, we seem to have lost part of ourselves. Work has taken all of our time, and fear has occupied the rest of it. Free time is few and far in between.