People often say memories make things sweeter than they actually are, but when Autumn comes out of her dressing room wearing skin-tight jeans, knee-high boots, and a silver sleeveless top that dips low in the neck, I know that a fucking lie.

Her hair is swept to the side, letting her rich brown curls cascade over her right shoulder. Her skin glows under the shimmery top, her shoulders, tanned and toned as her arms, sway in unison with her hips.

It’s then that I know I haven’t embellished how beautiful Autumn Hartman was over the years that we’d been apart. If anything, my memory had sorely underplayed just how gorgeous she truly is.

“Hi,” Autumn says, her voice little more than a whisper. I don’t say a word. I don’t even move. All I do is stare, but it’s okay because she’s staring too.

“You have no business looking that good, Autumn.” Being alone in the hallway with a girl with big dark eyes has my heart thumping hard and fast.

Her bronze skin flushes despite the overly air conditioned hallway backstage. “Is that so?” she asks in a voice that ripples over me. “What are you going to do about it?”

I had spent too long worrying about Autumn. Worrying about her choices in men, who she was seeing, what would happen to us if she found out the depths of my attraction to her. But seeing the wild glint in her eye, the challenging tilt of her chin, I know I can put my fears to bed. The bad-ass, sexy, confident girl I remember is back.

I reach out and run my fingers over her bare arm, enjoying the heat of her skin against mine. “I could throw you over my shoulder and lock you in a room.”

A shy smile curves up her perfect Cupid’s bow. “I’d be okay with that…as long as you were in there with me.”

“Autumn.”

“Bryce.” She gives me a wicked smile that has my body heating up. “I know we said we’d take it slow, but maybe we could bend the rules.”

“You have a concert to put on. I’m not about to suffer the wrath of Zoe.”

She reaches out for my hand. Her fingers are small and delicate as they wrap around mine. “But I want you, Bry. So much it hurts. I can’t even describe how I feel around you. And when we’re apart…” She nibbles her bottom lip. “I’ve never been able to get you out of my head.”

It’s going to kill me not to take her bed right now. She’s begging me to.

“Me neither,” I say, my words hard-edged with need. My hand flexes to reach for her hips, but I hold back. Holding her hand is close enough in my current state. “So you’re saying you don't need time?”

“Why would I? I’m dying to have you.” Her eyes shine as she gazes up at me with impatient desire. The soft murmur of the crowd behind the thick wall suddenly seems too loud as the silence draws out between us. I know I have to voice what’s holding me back, as uncomfortable and troubling for Autumn as it will be.

My breath is coming faster now as I meet her pleading eyes. “Because you just broke up with—” I look around at the sound of a door opening. Voices echo up and down the hall. “Let’s talk after. This isn’t the place.”

“Then where?”

Wild, dangerous heat breaks over me as she pins me with her eyes. “Later. After the show.”

“You promise?”

I place my hand flat over her heart and look at her. “I promise. Now let’s get you on stage.”

We walk the busy corridors in silence. My eyes never stop moving as I usher her safely past stage hands and electrical crews. Her opener is starting her last song as we join everyone backstage. Autumn takes a step forward when she spots the rest of her band by the curtain, but I hold her back with my arm.

“We’ll talk after, I swear. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here, watching you, the whole time.”

Her worry lines smooth as she turns her face up to mine. “I know.”

“Now, go knock ’em dead.”

At last, the grin I’ve been dying to see comes out. “Every time.”

With a wink, Autumn ducks under my arm and joins her band by the edge of the curtain. Bella Cruz gives her final note, and then heads offstage as the set’s changed over. Minutes later, Autumn and her bandmates walk out amidst a torrent of cheers and whistles. Lights flash, the floor shakes, and walls rumble under the deafening cacophony.

“Hello D.C.!” Autumn sings out, stepping up to the mic. “This is my last night in this great city before moving on, so let’s make this one for the books!”

The packed house sends up a cheer that Baltimore could hear.

“Usually I start my night with one of my hits, but tonight, I’m itching for a change. Y’all up for a change?”

A roar answers her question.

“That’s what I like to hear. Now I don’t know if y’all remember this one, but it’s a little number called ‘Bringing You Back’—”

She stops as the crowd goes wild. As the Queen of Heartbreak, Autumn doesn’t have too many happy-in-love songs. ‘Bringing You Back’ is a rarity, and as she catches my eyes, I know it’s meant for me.

She laughs and strums a few chords on her guitar. “I see you know it. Then feel free to sing along as I walk us down memory lane.”

A huge smile draws back her lips as the band jumps into the song. She leans into the mic and starts to sing.

“You brought me back to life when I was on dancing on the brink. You cut my bonds with your knife and said ‘it doesn’t matter what you think. I always said I’d keep you safe.’ And here I thought I was too late…”

A thousand voices rise up around hers as she hits the chorus.

“You keep me safe, you bring me back. You keep me safe when it gets black. I’m not whole without you here, I’m not me without you near. You are mine and I am yours…”

A couple hours later, Autumn takes the stage for her encore. However, instead of playing, Autumn sets down her guitar and walks across the stage, boots thudding against the hard wood as the crowd falls silent in anticipation.

“Why don’t I invite one of you on stage to help me through this next song? I don’t normally do this, but I’m just so damn happy tonight!”

Autumn throws back her head and laughs as the audience hollers their appreciation. “But you don't even know the song! What’s that?” she asks, holding her hand up to her ear. “You don’t care?”

She shakes her head, wearing the biggest grin as they yell their response. “Y’all are great, really. Well, it’s another fun one. Anyone in this town know ‘Hearts of Glass’?”

A thousand “Yes!” responses pour out from the crowd to answer my girl’s question.

I love the sound of those two words; two words I’ve ached to say for a long fucking time.

“Now that you know what you’re getting into,” Autumn yells over the noise, “let’s see those hands.” She staggers back as every hand jumps into the air. “This is too hard to choose!”

Autumn starts strolling across the stage, peering into the sea of hands and cheering faces. Everyone screams for her attention as she tries to pick one lucky fan to bring on stage. Finally she stops, seemingly settling on one.

“You,” she says, pointing to a mass of people close to the stage. “The one with the rhinestone-studded cowgirl hat. I’m green with envy at that gorgeous sight.”

There’s a rustle in the crowd and a figure moves forward. The security guards manning the metal barricades pull one back to admit the person through, but instead of the woman I had expected to see, a college-aged guy mounts the stairs. Autumn grows still as he steps on stage. Flannel shirt, jeans, work boots. The man looked like every other guy in the place. But something set Autumn on edge, and for that reason, I’m on edge.

Autumn turns to the crowd and shrugs. “Well, alright! Let’s give…” She leans toward him to ask his name, and I notice his hand dart out and grab her arm. She flinches and steps back, but he doesn’t let go. My body tenses as her eyes flick between the man’s face and his hand. Something’s wrong.

Autumn turns back to the crowd with a smile. “Uh, give Kenny Wright a warm welcome!” The smile stays in place as she nods over her shoulder, and Barry immediately clicks off the beat to “Heart of Glass.”

The crowd whistles and cheers as the familiar rhythm fills the venue, quickly clapping along to the beat that rocked the charts for months this summer. Autumn says something to Kenny and motions to the microphone. His eyes never leave her as he takes a step forward. I follow Autumn’s gaze down to her arm. His hand is still attached.

I begin to move. Everything about this screams danger. The forced smile on Autumn’s lips. Her tense shoulders. Her stiff movements as she leads Kenny into the first line.

“People say sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you. Well I say stones hurt and sticks sting, but words are knives only anger can fling.”

I ease around the electricians and stagehands and walk to the curtain. My senses are alert and tingling while I watch the unlikely duet belt out the chorus to Autumn’s well-known hit.

“The mess you made with your rough hands. It’s had all that it can withstand. My heart of glass, my heart of glass, it just won’t last.”

Autumn takes the lead again.

“I saw—” Her voice falters as Kenny tightens his grip. She tries to step up to the mic, but Kenny holds her back.

“Let go,” she orders, her voice distorted in the microphone. Kenny does the opposite. He takes a step forward, yanks her to him, and begins to speak. I can’t hear his words, but whatever he’s saying makes Autumn take a hurried step back.

Everything fades as I lock him in my crosshairs. Then I tap into my specialized skill set and let my training take over.

I’m already sprinting toward her by the time Autumn shouts, “I said, let me go!” By now people have realized that something’s wrong. Tense murmurs spread throughout the crowd like wildfire as the band slows to a stop.

I’m only halfway across the stage when Autumn ducks her face away from Kenny’s. My hand goes to my gun in the holster at my side as I see him try to plant his lips on hers. Kenny’s lips move again. Autumn shakes her head and looks around for me. Relief sweeps through her as she spots me streaking toward her.

“Come on, honey…” I’m now close enough to hear Kenny’s voice. His words slur together like only the drunk’s do. “I only wanna a kiss—”

Autumn’s hand flies out. His head snaps back as her palm catches him full across the face. He reels back in shock and then redoubles, angrier than before.

“Bitch!” he hollers, shoving his face into hers.

Kenny Wright will regret that mistake for the rest of his life.

My yell catches the drunk prick off guard. His hand loosens on Autumn’s arm as his head whips around toward the sound. Autumn takes advantage of the distraction to wrench her arm free, but the movement unsteadies her.

In a final malicious act, Kenny turns back around and slams his palms into her shoulders. It’s a vicious, hard shove that sends her stumbling back. She tries to catch herself, but she’s falling too fast to regain her balance in time. I hold out a hand as a scream leaves her lips. It fades after her she hurtles off the stage and out of sight.

“Autumn!” I slam to a stop, my chest heaving as my eyes stare at the spot where she vanished. Rage roars in my ears. My muscles cord against my skin. My senses go into overdrive as information, scenarios, and possible outcomes pour into me. It all leads to one thing.

Or person.

I turn my full attention on Kenny Wright, take a deep breath, and then everything goes dark.