Margo turned her head on the pillow, expecting to see Simon. He’d been a fixture at her side since the moment he’d laid eyes on her again. She didn’t know how long it had been since she’d talked to Ian, but she’d drifted in and out for hours.

Maybe longer. Time had no relevance now.

Every time, Simon had been with her, murmuring softly. Once or twice, she’d awakened to him singing.

God, she couldn’t wait until she heard happiness or amusement or anything other than worry and sorrow in his voice. Her heart broke a little with every crack and rasp.

They’d talked a little bit. He’d answered her questions—most of them anyway. And he’d tried to make her smile. To not hurt with every breath.

She was getting there physically. Emotionally would come too. It would just be a process.

All of this was.

But he wasn’t there this time. Instead, Lila sat on the stool beside her bed.

The moment their gazes locked, both started to sniffle.

But rather than Lila starting off the way Margo assumed, she pointed an accusing finger. “You’re pregnant.”

Margo swallowed. “Yes.”

She still was. Thank God. Her baby was a fierce little thing.

How could he or she be anything else with her and Simon for parents?

“The baby is okay?”

Margo nodded. “As far as they can tell, he or she is just fine.” She rubbed her belly and fought to keep the tears in her eyes from falling. She’d cried so much lately and she was tired of it. “My kid is a fighter.”

“Just like her mama. Or just like his mama. You don’t know which yet? Or is that a secret too?”

Margo bit her lip at the slight hint of censure in her best friend’s voice. “I didn’t tell you.”

“No. And that’s why I pointed at you, because I’ve never really had a best friend before as an adult, but I’d swear that’s in the fine print of the contract.”

Margo had to laugh. “I’ve never had a best friend before either. Probably not even as a kid. It seemed like a big commitment.”

“It is. A huge one.” Lila’s normally even voice cracked. “Because when your best friend gets kidnapped, you feel like your heart is breaking while simultaneously wanting to strangle anyone who could have hurt her.”

It was Margo’s turn to point at Lila, sniffling all the while. “Do not get me started again, all right? I’ve shed enough tears for a lifetime since that accident.”

“It wasn’t an accident.”

“No. Not even close.”

Lila reached over and took her hand. “I’m not going to ask you to relive any of it. No promises you won’t be asked by others though. That’s for the Roth team and their men to try to put the pieces together for the police regarding Simon’s mother.”

Margo couldn’t stop her shudder. “Li, she’s seriously unbalanced.”

“Since she helped organize this whole thing, yes, I have to agree.”

“No, even beyond the whole mastermind thing. People do crazy stuff for money, and that’s bad enough. And this was really nuts, I know. But I spoke to her and she’s completely batshit.” She gripped Li’s cold fingers to give herself something to focus on. “I’ve only told Simon bits and pieces so far.”

“Because he can’t handle it,” Lila said gently.

“It’s all so raw. For him. For me.” Margo released a long breath. “We’ve been through a lot, and we’ve always come through it stronger. I don’t know how, but we have. But this—”

“You’ve already started the process of coming through it. That his mother is one of the people who harmed you makes it harder, but not impossible.”

“That’s just it. She didn’t harm me.” Margo tipped back her head on the pillow. The lights were bothering her eyes, so she closed them.

She also didn’t want to see the empathy reflected in her best friend’s expression. It was hard enough remembering what she’d gone through without dealing with Lila’s sympathy.

Probably because she was drowning in so much emotion of her own.

“I woke up shackled to a bed.”

“Oh, Margo.”

“It was as awful as you think. Wrists, ankles. Not painfully, if I didn’t move much. But it was hard staying still and the room was pitch black. I didn’t feel good from the accident and I was hungry and scared shitless. But somehow it was almost worse when Simon’s mother came. She looks just like him.” Margo swallowed hard. “Just like Ian. All three of them are like creepy dolls manufactured in the same perfect image.”

Lila’s soft laughter surprised Margo into opening her eyes. And somehow she managed to laugh too.

“Don’t let your husband hear you say that. I think Mr. Narcissist Rockstar Model might get offended.”

Margo brushed her hair away from her face, the line from the IV a tactile reminder of exactly where she was. And why. “Simon is far from creepy. He’s the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen. And Ian’s right behind him. It’s just they’re spitting images of her. I’ve never seen such close reproductions from a parent to her children in all my life.”

“Wait until you see what your baby looks like. You may discover the line continues. Strong DNA.” Lila’s eyes were still wet, but mirth sparkled underneath the tears.

“Now I’m thinking about those nesting dolls and getting the heebie-jeebies.” She shuddered again. “Simon and Ian may not be creepy, but their mother? Jesus. I don’t have words enough to describe her. She’s obsessed with Simon.”

Lila nodded gravely. “From what I’ve heard, that is probably what saved your life.”

Margo bit her lip. Part of her wanted to demand answers. The rest had deduced enough on her own. Simon had answered a few of her questions. The most important ones, like was his mother still alive.

She was. Others were not, like the men who’d wanted to hurt her.

To hurt them.

But she didn’t want to think any more about her brush with death. Not now. Not today.

She wanted to think about living.

“Simon and I didn’t want children. You know that. It wasn’t in our plans. We have no clue how to raise a baby. I mean, Simon himself was pretty much a child until I came along. That he was fully grown doesn’t change facts.”

“Most adult males are still children. Adult male rockstars are even worse.”

“True enough. When I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t know what to think. I was scared he wouldn’t want it. Not because he wouldn’t try. But his past was so fucked up. As fucked up as mine was, his made it look like a parade every single day with ponies and balloons.”

“Yes. You know Nick was the same. Part of why they bonded so strongly. That horrible background they endured shaped them, but it didn’t define them. Somehow they still grew into the men we love.”

“Yes.” Margo smiled until the wetness in her eyes dissipated. “But he does want the baby. He wants it so much. Just as I do. And when I thought I might lose him or her—”

“Shh.” Lila stood and wrapped her arms around Margo. “You know you don’t have to explain anything to me. I had the same worries about Nick. And shock of all shocks, he ended up not even only wanting our girls, but wanting more. Ones I may not be able to have.” Lila eased back and smiled, but there was no missing the tightness around her eyes. “So, you never know. Simon may want a houseful.”

“No, on that score, we’re agreed. This is our one. We’re so happy about the baby, but just…one.” Margo squeezed Li’s hand. “What do you mean you may not be able to have them?”

“This isn’t about me.”

“Right, because I haven’t talked about myself for a lifetime and a half lately. God forbid I’m distracted for even a second.”

Lila sighed and sat back on the stool, her fingers still laced with Margo’s. “I’m probably just worrying for nothing. Actually, I wondered if you already knew. If that’s why you didn’t tell me you were pregnant.”

“Knew what? I didn’t know anything. We didn’t tell anyone about the baby yet because we had the tour and—”

“And that’s even worse. Seriously, do you think I put the band over a child?”

Margo couldn’t help laughing. “At times, I’ve been sure you’d put the band over your own life, never mind a child.”

Lila shook her head, but she laughed too. “Okay, yes, I’m rather militant when it comes to the band. I admit it. But I’d never put a tour schedule above your pregnancy. Things can always be renegotiated. Besides, it’s not like I don’t have plenty of practice juggling schedules around babies when it comes to this band. Hell, all of my bands. That’s just life, isn’t it?” Her laughter subsided. “I wish I had the same problem myself right now. Just not six months of twin-induced bedrest, please. But one lovely baby? That would be perfect.”

Margo shifted toward her best friend and winced as pain shot up her hip. Overall, she felt mostly okay, minus a few random aches and pains. Except every now and then that random one slashed through her like a blade.

Right now, that mattered not at all.

“I didn’t know anything, I swear. I didn’t not tell you to spare your feelings, though I have to admit it would have occurred to me if I had known. I’m so sorry, Li. I had no idea you were even trying.”

“Yes, and I can’t blame you for keeping secrets when I do the same.” Lila picked at a thread on Margo’s blanket. “It hasn’t even been all that long really.”

“How long?”

“Just since Christmas. It’s not as if it’s a daily practice either. Just every other daily usually.”

“Um, that much isn’t necessary for procreation. Also, I’m jealous.”

“It is still Nick we’re talking about. He likes his practice time too. And you have nothing to be jealous about, and we both know it.” Lila grinned. “Probably half of southern LA knows it too. That penthouse of yours isn’t soundproofed, is it?”

“Oh my God. The house.” Margo lifted her free hand to her mouth. “I was going to the house the day of the accident. We were—are going to buy it. But he hasn’t even mentioned it, and with everything going on, I didn’t even think about it since I’ve been here.”

“A house? You two?” Lila let out a low whistle. “Okay, you definitely win in the keeping secrets category. Spill.”

“It was Simon’s idea. Once he knew I was pregnant, he started going all out. Buying the books and the nursery furniture and the whole nine yards. I think he stole one of Nick’s books though first.”

“Nicholas has plenty. He’s had on the job training for years now, so he can share. Aww, that’s so sweet. So much for him not wanting the baby, huh?”

“I know. He surprised me in all the best ways. Then he mentioned wanting a house. A real house for her to grow up in and—” Margo stopped and shook her head. “We both keep slipping and calling the baby her. I don’t know if it’s wishful thinking or a Freudian slip or what.”

“Sure there aren’t two hers in there? Absolutely positive?”

“You sound as if you’re channeling Nick now. That’s his kind of statement.”

“He does rub off.”

“Uh huh. No. There’s just one. I’m quite certain. Anyway, we did some looking around and this one place in Santa Monica stood out. It’s so perfect, Li. Not some cold and sterile place like my parents would pick out. It feels like a home. Like it could be our home.”

Saying nothing, Lila gripped her hand that much harder.

“It has a tree swing in back. Somehow I think that was one of the biggest selling points for both of us. Good school district, nice amenities, seems like decent neighbors, yadda, yadda. But that swing represented everything we didn’t have in our childhoods and want to give our kid.” Margo let out a long breath. “Sounds hokey, doesn’t it?”

“No, it sounds wonderful. It sounds as if your baby is so very loved, as he or she should be. And it sounds as if you both willed that baby to survive, no matter what was thrown at the two of you. You and the baby in this case, though it applies to you and Simon as well.”

Margo swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being there. For calling me right before the accident—when I was on the way to look at our house one more time. As if I thought it’d disappear like a mirage. Along with thinking of Simon, I thought of you too. Imagined you being so utterly annoyed at this whole situation for getting everything off track, but ultimately, so cool and collected that you’d keep everything running smoothly. You’d always be level-headed, no matter what.”

“Oh, really? So, that’s why I hugged Simon and cried with him?”

“You didn’t.”

“I did. I think he was as shocked as you are right now. Probably more so. Hey, I only have one best friend. I’m also pretty sure she’s my only best friend ever, at least since I was making note of it.” Lila smiled and rubbed underneath her suddenly shiny eyes. “So, I get to cry when I’m scared for her.”

Margo sniffled. “Hell yes, you do. And you also get to hug me again.”

Lila rose and they clung to each other, laughing and crying and then laughing some more. They hung on even when the door opened.

“Margo? What’s wrong?” Simon rushed around the bed to her other side and forcibly pried her from Lila, who watched him with a mix of amusement and affection. “She’s crying,” he said to Lila, as if it was all her fault.

“Looks like they’re both crying.” Nicky came up behind Li and circled his arms around her waist. “I’m guessing they were just discussing how wonderful their husbands are and ways they can bring us untold pleasure. Serve your king, baby.”

Lila elbowed him so hard he coughed and laughed as he rubbed his ribs.

Margo had to laugh. Even Simon’s concerned expression tickled her funny bone, and that didn’t make sense. The poor guy had been through the wringer.

Crying with Lila. She still couldn’t wrap her head around that one.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Well, she couldn’t say that exactly, could she? But things right now were better than they’d been recently, that was for damn sure. “Just girl talk. Which, no, you are not privy to, either of you. Don’t you have someone else to hover around for a few minutes?”

Simon’s injured expression instantly made her feel about ten inches tall.

“I didn’t mean—”

“Actually, it’s my turn to hover. I barely got to see you.” Nicky stepped around Lila, giving her a sidelong look as if he expected her to strike out at him like a hissing cat.

Margo figured he was wise to be on guard. Lila did not look amused.

Nicky grabbed the stool and wheeled it closer to the head of the bed. “Be gone, people. Give us five.”

Simon frowned. “If Margo’s tired—”

“Margo can say so.” Margo reached up to tug Simon down to her by a handful of his hair. She rubbed at the tension lines between his brows. “I’m fine. I promise. Stop worrying.”

He nodded and gave her a quick kiss. “Okay. I’ll be right outside.”

Lila arched a brow. “Am I being dismissed too?”

“Yes. But with love.” Nicky grabbed her hand and kissed it, and though she tugged it away, she couldn’t hide her smile.

“Fine. You deal with him for five minutes and see what I put up with.” But she wrapped her arms around Nicky’s shoulders and kissed the side of his head. “Jerk.”

“See how she fawns over me? It’s amazing I can still function with my…ego so large.”

Simon slugged Nicky in the arm on his way out the door and held it open for Lila. “I should’ve warned you about him. Sorry.”

“Yes, a little late there. But I have my ways of evening the score.” Lila turned and smiled at Margo. “See you soon. We have to talk about the tour.”

Margo flipped her off. Lila laughed and shut the door behind them.

“She’s so Zen now compared to the old days.” Margo shook her head. “Love mellows us all, doesn’t it?” She tilted her head at Nicky. “You’re still a dick though.”

“I wear that compliment as a badge of pride.”

“You would. And you’re such a dick you came in here to make sure I’m okay with your own eyes. Because you know better than anyone, if something happened to me, Simon would be at your doorstep.” She tried to make her voice light, but that possibility felt realer now than it ever had before.

Talk about a mortality check.

“He’s my brother. That he has a real one now doesn’t change that.”

“Ian is no more his brother than you are,” she said gently. “You know just as I do that love is stronger than anything, even blood.”

“Yeah.” Nicky swiveled the stool and kicked out his legs. “I don’t have something pithy and meaningful to say.”

“Good. Me either. I kind of just want everything to go back to normal.”

“Jesus, me too. But I feel like I need to say something. Because nothing is normal. Nothing has been since the day that kid showed his face on TV.”

“Their mother is twisted. Did you know her at all?”

Nicky shook his head. “Nah. She was gone before I knew Simon that well. I mean, I knew of him, since we lived on the same block. But not like I knew him later.” Nicky rubbed the five o’clock shadow growing in on his jaw. “This whole thing is fucking crazy pants.”

Margo laughed and shimmied back down in the bed—carefully—so she could lay her head on the pillow. Turned out Simon was right to be concerned if she was tired. Her energy level was nonexistent. “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

“My dad was a waste of space after my mom split. Completely zoned out and on drugs most of the time. Useless. When he wasn’t zoned out, he was fucking with our heads or getting my sister to smoke weed with him. A real piece of work. But this is next level shit.”

“Accurate.” She couldn’t have put it any better herself. “She asked me not to keep her from the baby.”

Nick shifted to stare at her. “You’re fucking joking. She kidnaps you, binds you, and asks for grandchild visitation?”

It sounded so ridiculous she wanted to laugh. Or cry. “Yes.”

“Did you tell her to go fuck herself with a spoon?”

His outraged response made her laugh despite the tears lurking yet again. “Since she had me in chains at the time, I didn’t think that would be prudent.”

“Jesus Christ. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But if anyone had to, I’m glad it was you.”

She wasn’t drifting off, not exactly. But that remark certainly woke her all the way back up. “Excuse me?”

“You’re so strong. You can handle it.”

“No, I’m not that strong.” Her voice wavered. “Completely the opposite.”

“No? Look at you. You’re just as tough as I’ve ever seen you. Crying doesn’t have a damn bit to do with it. There’s nothing fucking wrong with crying. But this woman didn’t break you. She couldn’t. You’ve lived with Simon for years. She is not that skilled.”

She laughed weakly through her tears. “Are you saying this stuff to try to get me angry at you, so I don’t think about the rest?”

“Maybe. Is it working?” His smile came and went. “You’re going to think about it, and that fucking sucks. There’s nothing I can do, or Li can do, or Simon can do to take away those awful memories. But we can help you build new ones that make those fade. And we can love you and support you and throw you one hell of a baby shower. Not me,” he added quickly when Margo smiled and reached for his hand. “Because I surely don’t do that shit. But I’m sure Li will be all over it.”

“Going to be a bit for that. It’s early days yet. Can I have a hug?”

She’d never seen his face soften that way. At least not toward her. He nodded and stood to lean over the bed, doing the heavy lifting of the hug so she could just lie there and absorb. She needed every ounce of love she could get right now, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

“Thanks. You give good hug.”

“I give good other things too, but I’m sure you’ve already heard.” He eased back with a grin. Again, it was fleeting, so she knew he was struggling with this conversation just as much as she was.

They’d been in a band together for years, and the fact that Li was her best friend and Simon was his had given them lots of opportunities to spend time together. But they’d never been buddies. Not exactly. This was probably the longest conversation they’d had in years, if not ever. Definitely the most personal.

And it was about to get way worse.

“Sit for another second. Please.”

“What, I can’t run out of here before things get too emotional?”

She smiled and didn’t say anything as he took a seat.

“I know you and Simon have had your rough patches over the years. I also know how hard they were on you. But I want you to know they were hard on him too. He just shows things differently than you do. Or doesn’t show them at all, sometimes not even to me.”

Nicky waved a hand. “Water under the bridge. All good now.”

“Yeah, I know that. You guys came through it and the band came through it and we’re all so much stronger. But something may happen again.”

“You have insider information that I don’t?”

“No. I’m just saying. That’s life,” she said, echoing Lila. “People fight over dumb stuff and egos and pride get involved and relationships get messed up. We all lose so much time.”

Which reminded her—she needed to talk to her sister. Soon. Just not quite yet.

When she’d been more lucid, she realized that Jules had been through so much in the past year, and with the baby, the last thing her sister needed was more to worry about. Margo was back, and she and her baby were safe. Though she’d gone through a horrific event, thankfully it had been brief.

Someday she’d tell Jules what had happened. But now now. There was too much living for her little sister to do to burden her with one more thing to make her scared and uncertain. She’d only just begun to get her footing back after last fall’s tragedy. She had a baby to think about now.

Margo cupped her belly. As did she.

“We do. I lost years with my sister I’ll never get back. But if I think about all that shit, I’ll go crazy.” Nicky leaned forward and loosely linked his hands. “If this is about Simon and Ian—”

“No. Not directly anyway. Simon’s figuring out his way there. It’s going to take time for him, but he’s his brother and he’s going to have to live with that one way or another.” As Nicky started to speak, she held up a hand. “I know you hate the guy. I wasn’t a fan of him myself.”

“But now that he helped to have you kidnapped, you’re embracing him?”

“Hardly. I just have a different perspective after meeting his—their—mother. And after talking to Ian himself. If he’s lying about being filled with remorse, then I must have no bullshit-detecting skills at all. And I know that isn’t true.”

“He’s a con artist. Con artists are skilled at what they do. He may be running a com still.”

“If he is a con artist, he had little choice. He was dealt a rough hand. His mother compared him and Simon for years, and he never came out on the winning side. Then he was dragged into going after Simon. Not saying he wasn’t an idiot and didn’t make a ton of mistakes. But he was a boy. He’s barely more than that now.”

“I think impending motherhood has made you go soft.”

“Maybe. If I’m wrong, it’ll become apparent, won’t it? How many people are watching Ian like a hawk now? He won’t get to jaywalk without being caught. Besides, do you really think anyone is going to get through Simon’s wall of guards? Our house is going to be rigged like freaking Buckingham Palace.”

It made her sad to think of the place she already loved with that sweet swing turning into a fortress, but for now—until she and Simon made it all the way through to the other side of this—it was necessary. She couldn’t deny liking the idea of a few extra layers of protection between her and Mrs. Kagan, just in case. Even if she was locked away.

“True. I’m thinking Simon is going to add some guards disguised as session musicians when we go back on stage.”

“He’ll probably try.” She shifted toward Nicky and tried to hide her grimace. Yes, judging from her achy body, she needed another nap. Soon. “I haven’t discussed this with Simon yet, so I’m taking a leap. He’ll want this though, I’m almost sure. I should probably wait until we can do it together, but I don’t like waiting for anything anymore. For obvious reasons.”

“Spit it out, Kagan.”

Hearing him call her that made her smile. “Will you and Li be our baby’s godparents?”

Nicky blinked. Blinked again. “Well, duh.”

Her smile widened before she took a breath and pressed on. “This is the harder part. And might seem weird, but I have to ask. Just in case. I know you’d do it anyway—”

“Margo.”

“If anything ever happens to me, you’ll take care of Simon, right?” She didn’t expect her voice to give way. Not just break, but completely falter so that she had to clutch her blanket and haul in air to get it back. “I know you would, I know it, but please. Just promise me. You won’t let him be alone.”

Nicky didn’t answer so she finally gave in and looked at him. His eyes were red and he cleared his throat before he reached out to grip her hand. “Not while there’s breath in my body.”

She shut her eyes to hold in her tears as she squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

“And same goes. If something happens to me, you’ll take care of Li. You promise.”

“I promise.” She made herself open her eyes and focus on his. “While there’s breath in my body.”

“So, it’s a deal.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a rough laugh. “Okay, I’m going to go now, before your husband comes in here and drags me out for upsetting his wife.” He rose and cupped her shoulders, pressing a kiss on top of her head. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to him. Even better than me, and that’s saying a lot.”

Margo laughed and pushed him away. A moment later, the door closed behind him.

The door opened again immediately and Simon poked his head inside. “Can I come in?”

She laughed again. He must’ve paid off everyone to get such open-ended visitation times. “Yes. I missed you.” She wiggled over in bed and whisked back the blanket and sheet. “Lower that guard and make room for yourself in here.”

He grinned for the first time since she’d been back. “Consider it done, Violin Girl.”