Music of the Soul (12 page)

“I love it. It’s amazing.”

He gave me a genuine smile. “I’m glad you like it. It’s always an honor taking one’s tattoo

virginity.” While I laughed, Jake gave a contemptuous grunt. “Your turn,” Steve said pleasantly to

Jake. As Becs put on a thin layer of ointment and got ready to wrap my foot, Jake sat down in the

chair opposite me to get inked.

As the needle entered Jake’s skin, he met my gaze. His dark blue eyes burned with desire, and I

felt my cheeks flushing. “Remember everything I said earlier?” My breath hitched as I bobbed my

head furiously. “Just as soon as we get home. Every. Single. Thing.”

A shiver of anticipation and need went over me. “What about your chest and my foot?” I dared to

ask.

With a sexy grin, he replied, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

I had never wanted a tattoo to be finished more than I did his because I knew I had an amazing

night waiting for me.

After a multi-orgasmic, all-night sexathon, Jake and I barely made it to the bus at seven am when

the caravan was pulling out for the next tour stop. We immediately headed straight for the bedroom

and crashed. The following day we pulled into Louisiana. Between my foot and ankle aching from the

tattoo and my side continuing to hurt, I felt like ass through most of the morning’s rehearsal. The

instant we were through, I streaked off the stage, desperate for some Advil. I barely gave Jake a

fleeting kiss before heading for the bus. Once I had stripped down to my sweatpants and a T-shirt and

thrown back some pills, I headed over to AJ and Mia’s bus for some downtime with Bella.

Coloring pictures and watching movies helped to take my mind off the pain. But when dinner

rolled around, I was hurting so badly I couldn’t eat. As I swept my full plate into the trash, Mia eyed

me. “Are you okay?” I could tell her spidey-nurse senses were tingling.

“Just a little achy from the tat and then there’s this stupid pain in my side.”

“Which side?”

“Right.”

“You still have your appendix?”

“Yeah. This is an intense, dull ache. Not like the typical stabbing, shooting pain of an appendix.”

Mia crossed her arms over her chest. “Intense and dull sounds like an oxymoron, but I get what

you’re saying.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“You sure about that?”

I sighed. “Look, if it gets too much, I’ll go to the emergency room after the show, okay?”

“You better.”

I couldn’t help smiling at her expression. “You’re so bossy.”

“I’m a board certified nurse. I don’t have the option not to be bossy.” Her lips quirked up in a

smile. “Plus, I’m married to AJ. We both know he needs a firm hand.”

I giggled. “Yep, you got that one right.”

Jody, one of our bodyguards, poked his head in the bus. “Abby, it’s time for you to go to the

arena to get ready.”

“Hope you feel better.”

“Thanks,” I replied, before heading down the stairs to follow Jody. The Advil I’d taken before I

tried to eat dinner kicked-in, and I felt a little better while Marion was doing my hair and makeup. But

by the time the show started, the pain was back with a vengeance. As I sang and danced and

interacted with the audience, I wanted nothing more than to just lie down.

The show went by in a blur, including when Jake came out for us to do our duets together. When

we finished our last song, Jake took the microphone and smiled into the audience. “You guys ready to

get rid of us yet?”

The roar of the fans grew even louder to the point where my ears rang with the noise. He turned

to me and grinned before leaning back into the microphone. “Maybe the lovely Mrs. Slater and myself

could be persuaded to sing just one more song.”

Usually, the first act left the stage during set changes and house music played. Jake and I had

talked about doing something to keep the fans engaged between the shows. It was also a way to bridge

the musical gap between Jacob’s Ladder, which was country rock, and then Runaway Train, which

was pop/rock. Since Jake had learned guitar at his grandfather’s knee to all the classic Johnny Cash

songs, he suggested we do a little bit of Johnny and June. I had just enough sassy in me to capture

June’s show style, so I was all for it.

After we finished our set of duets, we then sang Jackson together. I usually really got in to the

performance, wagging my finger at Jake, playfully shoving him, giving him lip that went along with

the lyrics, but tonight, as I handed off my guitar to a roadie, the pain in my side raged so hard I didn’t

know if I would be able to perform. During my set with Jacob’s Ladder, it had grown even more

intense. I’d even popped four more Advil during our costume change. The last thing I wanted to do

was have to go the emergency room in some random city, but at the same time, I knew if it wasn’t

better by morning, then I had to go.

When the last chord echoed through the stadium, Jake leaned over and kissed me. “Give it up for

my own little spitfire!” I forced a smile to myself as the audience roared and clapped.

“And to my very own Johnny sans all the black clothes,” I said.

The roadies took Eli’s guitar while Gabe came out from behind the drum set. “Show some big

love for Jacob’s Ladder!” Jake shouted into the mic.

Sandwiched by my brothers, I clasped both their hands before bowing. I had to grit my teeth

when it came time to pick myself up. It took everything within me to smile into the microphone and

say, “Goodnight everybody and God Bless!”

Jake gave me a brief kiss before heading off the opposite side of the stage for his entrance with

Runaway Train. When I started off stage, the pain in my side grew so intense it caused me to stagger

momentarily. Once I had regained my footing, I drew in a few deep breaths before continuing into the

wings. Gritting my teeth, I wove in and out of the roadies and stage crew. As I bypassed the backstage

waiting room, Eli called to me. “Where are you going?”

I glanced over my shoulder. “Back to the bus. I want to lie down.”

Eli’s brows furrowed. “You okay, sis? You look kinda pale.”

Since I didn’t want to worry them unnecessarily, I nodded. “I’m fine. I just need some more

Advil that’s all and to lie down for a little while.”

“Jody, make sure Abby gets to the bus okay,” Gabe instructed.

I rolled my eyes at their being so overprotective. “Guys, I’m fine.”

“Just shut up and let Jody do his job,” Eli replied.

Since the pain had grown even more intense, I merely nodded. In silence, Jody followed me to

Jake’s and my bus. Without the driver, Jody had to unlock the door. “Perry is inside with the rest of

the crew. Will you be okay by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, I’ll lock the door behind you.”

“Thanks,” I murmured.

When I started up the stairs, I felt something trickling between my legs. Pain seized me so hard I

bent double and screamed in agony. My knees gave way, and I collapsed onto the floor. With

trembling hands, I felt of the stickiness that ran down my thighs. Bringing it up to the light I saw it was

dark red blood. “Oh God,” I muttered.

Reaching out, I grasped hold of the side of the couch and tried to pull myself up. I knew my cell

phone was somewhere in the bedroom, and I desperately needed to get to it. When I flung myself onto

the couch, the stabbing pain caused me to shriek again. On trembling legs, I took two steps. A roar

came through my head as everything grew black. I pitched forward and fell to the ground before

everything faded around me, and I was enveloped in the darkness.

When I came off stage after our set, I was a sweaty, exhausted mess. Peering around the back stage

room, I searched for Abby, but I couldn’t find her anywhere. During our duets, something had been off

with her, and I was worried. “She went on to the bus after our show. She wasn’t feeling well,” Gabe

informed me.

Icy apprehension ricocheted through me. Abby wasn’t one to ever complain, so the very fact she

had gone to lie down meant there was something wrong. “Oh okay,” I mumbled, raking a shaky hand

through my hair.

When a roadie thrust a clean shirt and bottle of water at me, I shook my head. “Thanks man, but

I’ll grab something on the bus. I wanna check on Abby.”

The roadie nodded as I brushed past him out the door. “Wait up, Jake,” Perry, our bus driver

said. I slowed my fast pace as he jogged up to catch me. “Figured I better come with ya since Jody

locked her in.”

I was glad Perry didn’t give me any shit about starting out without a body guard. As I eyed the

bus in the distance, I was surprised to see there weren’t any lights on. A feeling of dread entered the

pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t help breaking into a run. When I reached the bus, Perry was right at

my side. Once he unlocked the door, I pounded up the stairs. As I gazed wildly around the living area,

my instincts had been spot-on because something didn’t feel right. “Abby?” I called.

When she didn’t answer, I started down the aisle. My shoe hit something firm in the middle of

the aisle floor. I jerked my gaze down, and my world to shudder to a stop. Abby lay crumpled in a

heap. I dropped to my knees at her side. “Abby?” After I pulled her into my arms, I patted her face

several times, but she didn’t open her eyes.

“Call 911!” I shouted at Perry.

He ripped his phone out his pocket and was dialing within an instant. My wild gaze took in

Abby’s unconscious form. At the sight of the blood on her thighs, my heart shuddered to a stop. “Oh,

God. No.” I rubbed Abby’s arms and gently shook her shoulders. “Angel, please wake up. Please…

don’t leave me.”

The piercing wail of the on-site ambulance filled my ears as did the glaring red and white lights.

The next few seconds seemed to crawl by in a painful haze. As I cradled Abby in my arms, loud

voices came from the front of the bus. The paramedics shoved me to the side as they started working

on Abby. I barely felt Perry lifting me up and pulling me out of the bus. He dragged me down the

stairs to where my bandmates stood.

“What’s happened?” Brayden demanded.

“I dunno,” I murmured absently, staring at the pavement.

Perry, whose arm around me was probably the only reason why I was still standing, spoke up.

“She was unconscious on the floor when we got there. There was…blood.”

A feminine gasp caused met to raise my head. Mia stood beside AJ with Bella on her hip. “You

need to tell them that she’s been experiencing lower abdominal pain, right flank, the last few days.”

“Could it be her appendix?” Rhys questioned.

Mia shook her head. “Not if she’s hemorrhaging. It sounds like something reproductive like a…”

Her eyes widened, and she pinched her lips shut.

“Like a what?” I demanded.

“A miscarriage,” she replied in a whisper.

I sagged against Perry. How could Abby be pregnant? She was on the pill, and most mornings, I

saw her take it. “No method is one hundred percent,” Mia said softly, as if she were reading my mind.

It was then the paramedics brought the stretcher down the bus steps, which was no easy feat.

Even in the dim lights from the arena, Abby’s face appeared ghostly pale. Without a thought, I raced

to her side. “Is she…” My voice choked off. I couldn’t even form the words I feared so much.

“No sir. She’s stable. Her vitals are strong, but we need to get her to the hospital for some scans

to see what’s causing the bleeding.”

“Can I ride along with you?”

“Sure,” the paramedic replied.

His partner hurried to the cab of the ambulance and cranked up. I glanced back at the others. “Go

on. We’ll be right behind you,” AJ said, and Brayden and Rhys nodded.

“Thanks,” I murmured, before trailing behind Abby’s stretcher. Once she was loaded inside, I

hopped in and slid across the bench to sit beside her. I grabbed her hand, the one with her glittering

diamond engagement ring and platinum wedding band, and squeezed it in mine. “I’m right here,

Angel. I’m not going anywhere.”

For the first time, I noticed she had a reaction, even though it was just her forehead crinkling.