Sinners On Tour 01 Backstage Pass (39 page)

“Who’s Brian?” he repeated.

Her only reply was a gasp. Paralyzed with fear, she couldn’t move. Or think.

“Is he the reason you’ve been away from your apartment for over three weeks?”

How did he know she’d been away? Was he watching her again?

“Are you fucking him?”

“How did you get this number?” she asked around the lump in her throat.

“Are you
fucking
him? I’l kil him. No one touches you but me. Do you understand? You’re my wife. You belong to me.”

“Jeremy, we’re divorced. And in case you forgot, I stil have that restraining order.”

“Are you going to cal the cops? Go ahead. They don’t know where I am, but I’l see you real soon, sugar.” He disconnected.

Myrna tossed the cel phone across the couch as if it had transformed into a snake. She jumped to her feet, lowered the blinds at al the windows and jerked the drapes closed. She checked to make sure the front door was locked. Bolted. Chained. She looked in the closets. Checked under the bed and behind doors. In the kitchen cabinets. The refrigerator. She was alone. Too alone for comfort. She picked up her cel phone and locked herself in the bathroom.

When she closed the door, the shower curtain bil owed. Myrna dialed 911 and held her thumb over Send as she approached the bathtub. Heart thudding, she grabbed the curtain and jerked it back.

Empty.

Her shoulders sagged with relief. She sat on the edge of the bathtub with her back against the cold, tile wal so she could see the entire room. Jeremy might have learned to teleport since she’d last seen him.

She cal ed Brian.

He answered on the second ring. “Oh, so now you want to talk to me.”

She could hear a lot of noise in the background. Loud music. Conversation. Laughter. Clinking glasses. She was scared out of her wits and he was partying like, wel , a rock star. The jerk.

“J-Jeremy cal ed,” she whispered.

“What? I can’t hear you,” he shouted.

The noises in the background changed rapidly. He must be on the move toward an exit, or some place a little more quiet.

“Say it again,” he said.

“J-Jeremy cal ed.” She wiped at an annoying tear with the back of her hand. What did tears get you? Nothing. They sure didn’t make a drunk stop accusing you of being a filthy whore.

“Your ex-husband? I thought you had no contact with him. Why did he cal you?”

“He wanted to know where I’ve been for the last three weeks,” she whispered. She couldn’t seem to talk any louder. As if Jeremy might overhear her.

“He’s stalking you again,” Brian said with a certainty. “Do you have someone who can stay with you until I get there?”

“No, I didn’t cal you to get you to come here. He said he was going to kil you.”

“He said that? How does he even know about me?”

“Don’t come here.”

“Then you come here. Immediately.”

There was a thump in the apartment next door and Myrna jumped.

It was bad enough that she had to live in fear, but she refused to put Brian at risk. If she went to him, or he came to her, she knew Jeremy would hurt him. She swal owed and took a deep breath, hoping she sounded confident when she said, “Don’t be ridiculous. I have a ton of work to do. He’s just being a jerk. I’l be fine. I know he won’t bother me again. I reminded him that I have a restraining order. If he comes near me, al I have to do is cal the police and they’l arrest him.”

“Yeah, okay. I’l just sit around here for a week and hope your psychotic stalker of an ex-husband leaves you alone.”

“Brian—”

“I’l be there as soon as I can. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?”

“That’s not real y necessar… For a little while.”

“Tel me about your day,” he said. She could hear the bar noises in the background again. “Hey, Phil,” he cal ed to someone, “cal me a cab, wil you?”

“You’re leaving already, Brian?” some annoyed-sounding woman said. “We just got this party started.”

“You’re not tel ing me about your day,” Brian said to Myrna.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything. Start from the moment you opened your eyes.”

“Shouldn’t I start from the moment I rol ed over in bed and tried to find you, but you weren’t there?”

“Yeah, start with that.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

She told him al about her day. Every moment, including what Jeremy had said to her on the phone. Brian kept her talking on his cab ride to the airport, while he booked a flight at the ticket counter, and the entire time he waited for his flight. She felt safer just having him on the other end of the line. She eventual y let herself out of the bathroom and crawled into bed with her phone. She left al the lights in the apartment on, however. She didn’t think she could handle darkness.

“My battery is going dead,” he said. “I’l keep talking as long as I can. My plane is boarding soon.”

“I’m sorry to be a pest, Brian.”

“You’re not a pest.”

She didn’t realize she was on the verge of tears until they started to fal . “I shouldn’t have cal ed you. And I shouldn’t let you come here,” she whispered, and sniffed her nose. “Jeremy might hurt you.”

“I can take care of that stupid prick. Don’t worry about me. Keep yourself safe until I get there. You know, if you go to sleep now, I’l be there when you wake up.”

She nodded as if he could see her. She was exhausted. Mental y drained. “Thank you for being there for me.”

“Think nothing of it. You know I lo—”

The phone disconnected. His battery must’ve died. Not wanting Jeremy to have the opportunity to cal her again, she shut off her phone. Tomorrow she’d get the number changed.

But
how?
How had Jeremy found her? She’d been so careful.

The sound of the door buzzer pul ed Myrna from a listless sleep. It took her a moment to remember she was home, not on the tour bus.

The buzzer sounded again. A few stray rays of sunshine filtered around the edges of her bedroom curtains. Morning already?

Myrna stumbled from bed, stil in the clothes she’d worn the day before.

The buzzer sounded again. Several times in a row. Loud knocking fol owed.

Brian!
He’d made it.

“I’m coming,” she cal ed as she hurried toward the door.

She unlocked it and pul ed it open, a bright smile on her face. It faded instantly.

“Good morning, darling,” Jeremy greeted. His bright blue eyes raked over her body from head to toe. “Did you sleep in your clothes last night, sweetheart? You’re a mess.”

He wasn’t. Deeply tanned, blond, tal , athletic, and handsome, he looked like a walking advertisement for a country club. Her mouth worked at producing words but nothing came out. Her entire body had gone numb. She couldn’t move.

“Here, I brought you flowers. I know how you like the frivolous things.” He shoved a huge bouquet of mixed flowers into her chest.

She caught them automatical y. He edged his tal , lithe body into her apartment and closed the door. “I told you I’d see you soon. Why do you look so stunned?”

“Leave!” she managed to bel ow.

“You’re not happy to see me?”

“Of course I’m not happy to see you. Get out of my apartment!”

He lifted his hand to touch her check and she whimpered in fear.

He dropped his hand, his blond brows drawn together with concern. “I’m not going to hurt you, darling. I don’t drink anymore. See?

Smel my breath.”

The minty scent of his mouthwash bathed her face. She flinched. She couldn’t help it. She was terrified of him. “That’s not the point, Jeremy. You aren’t supposed to come within three hundred yards of me. If you don’t leave by the count of three, I’m cal ing the cops.”

“Myrna, just hear me out.”

“One.”

“I realize what a jerk I was and I’ve come to ask for your forgiveness.”

“Two.”

“I’ve been through treatment, Myrna. The thought that we can be together again is al the reason I need to stay sober for the rest of my life.”

“Three.” Myrna tossed the flowers on the floor and turned to search for her phone. She remembered that she’d fal en asleep with it against her chest the night before. She hurried toward her bedroom to retrieve it.

“Wait.” Jeremy fol owed her into the living room. The sound of his footsteps behind her made her heart race. She covered the back of her head with one hand and walked sideways so she could keep an eye on him. She wouldn’t put it past him to clobber her over the head the second she turned her back.

“Just give me a chance. Please, Myrna. Listen to me.” His strong fingers gripped her arm.

She froze, trembling uncontrol ably. She couldn’t catch her breath. “How did you find me, Jeremy?” she said, gasping. “How? I did everything right.”

He chuckled. “That part was easy. There aren’t many ’57 Thunderbirds registered in this state.”

Of course. Her car. How could she have been so stupid?

“Why are you shaking? I said I wouldn’t hurt you. Don’t be afraid.”

“Don’t be afraid? Don’t be
afraid!
” She turned and shoved him with both hands. “You put me in the hospital, you crazy son-of-a-bitch. You almost kil ed me.”

“That wasn’t me, baby. It wasn’t. I was drunk and you were cheating on me with that gas station attendant. I lost control. But I won’t slip again. I promise. I’l never hurt you again. Never.”

Gas station attendant?
What the fuck was he talking about? She’d never dated a gas station attendant. She didn’t even
know
a gas station attendant.

“I’m not that man anymore. Remember that charming man you fel in love with?” He smiled and she could almost remember the man she’d married, but she remembered a face twisted in rage and a pair of hard fists much more vividly.

“He’s back. I,” he continued, pressing a hand to his chest, “I’m back and we can go back, Myrna. Back to the way things were at the beginning. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? I never meant to hurt you, sweetheart. You have to believe me. I’m better now. I’ve changed. I love you. So much. I do. I love you. You believe that, don’t you?”

Her stomach churned at the sound of those three little words slithering from between his lying lips. Nothing had changed. This was exactly like every other time he’d talked her into taking him back. Wel , one thing had changed. She had. She knew real love with a good man. Brian had showed her the difference. She shook her head at Jeremy. “Even if I did believe you, and I don’t, it wouldn’t matter. I don’t love you. I have a new boyfriend. One who respects me and treats me wel . He doesn’t think I’m a whore or falsely accuse me of cheating on him.”

Jeremy’s eyes hardened and his upper lip curled. A thril of fear raced down her spine. As she suspected, the darkness in him was careful y veiled behind his lies and attempted manipulations.

After several seconds, Jeremy relaxed and smiled. “Oh, yes. Brian.”

“Do I know you?” Brian asked from the open front door.

Brian was stil groggy from the long flight, but he didn’t think he was hal ucinating. There was something intimate between Myrna and this guy who had his hand wrapped around her arm.

The tal man turned and his eyes widened. “This has to be a joke, Myrna. Your new boyfriend is a thug?”

“He’s not a thug,” she whispered. “He’s perfect.”

“Am I interrupting something?” Brian asked, his brows raised in question.

Myrna’s hands clenched into fists. Her entire body was shaking. He could see it from halfway across the room. Something wasn’t right here. Who was this guy? And why was he touching Myrna with such familiarity? Had she actual y been in such a hurry to return to Kansas City so she could rendezvous with some secret lover of hers? She’d known he was on his way. Surely she wasn’t stupid enough to get caught this easily.

“You can leave, thug. My wife and I are getting back together.” The man wrapped an arm around Myrna’s shoulders and tucked her against his side. His lips brushed her temple.

Brian’s heart slammed into his chest. “Wife?” Brian sputtered.

This
was Jeremy? This handsome, clean-cut man was the evil son-of-a-bitch who had damaged Myrna so severely she couldn’t stand the sound of the word love? It couldn’t be. Brian was certain Jeremy had curved horns, thick red skin, glowing eyes, and cloven hooves. This guy, who belonged on a Christmas card dressed in a reindeer sweater surrounded by his doting wife, 2.5 kids, and his faithful golden retriever, could
not
be Jeremy. Not possible. Besides, weren’t they divorced?

Myrna shook her head and opened her mouth, but didn’t produce a sound. Brian had never seen her look so pale. He decided she wasn’t freaked out because he’d caught her in the act with some good-looking man. She was terrified. But Brian was here now.

He wouldn’t let this asshole hurt her again. Not physical y. Not emotional y. Not psychological y. Brian wouldn’t give him the chance.

“So you’re Jeremy,” Brian said, easing further into the apartment. No sudden movements. There was no tel ing what this crazy bastard was capable of.

Jeremy smiled and tossed his blond head with a self-satisfied grin on his perfect face. “She told you about me, did she?”

“Oh yeah, she told me al about you.” Brian’s rage simmered beneath the surface, but he knew he had to keep it restrained. His first instinct was to pound the shit out of this guy, but he didn’t want to scare Myrna. Brian didn’t want her to think he was anything like this prick.

Jeremy trailed his fingers up and down Myrna’s upper arm as he waited for Brian to make his move. Myrna stood frozen at his side, looking nauseous with anxiety. When Jeremy eased her closer, she whimpered.

Brian’s rage erupted. “Get your fucking hands off her.” He crossed the room in three strides, his fisted hands raised in threat.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa
!” Jeremy said, bike-pedaling backwards and shifting Myrna in front of his body for protection. “I know you thugs settle your differences with violence, but civilized men—”

“You’re about to find out how violent this
thug
can get, you piece-of-shit pansy. I told you to get your fucking hands off Myrna. I mean
now
.”