Chapter 20

 

Levi

 

There was a knock on Elle’s dressing room door.

We were at the venue for the final show of the road portion of the tour.  We were scheduled to head out early tomorrow morning to go back to Rising Sun, where she’d close out the tour with a performance at Lou’s. 

Thank fuck.

I loved watching Elle perform.  Her voice, the emotion she put into each song, and the happiness I knew she felt in doing what she loved made viewing her performances magnificent.  All that said, I was more than ready to get back home, where I would be able to be far more productive on her case.  I wanted to bring this whole situation to an end.  A big part of my reason was obviously because I wanted Elle safe; however, the bigger part of my reasoning was about something she said to me. 

The first night we arrived in Las Vegas she told me she felt like she was suffocating.  This whole ordeal was taking its toll on her and I didn’t like seeing her distressed.  She wanted to be home where her family and friends were and I couldn’t say I blamed her.  I made a promise to her that I’d be whatever she needed me to be for her over the next two days until we returned home to Wyoming.  Telling her that seemed to help only marginally, but at least it was something.

I was determined now.  The minute she finished with her final performance, I planned to personally find who was doing this to her.  I knew my team was already busting their asses to locate this bitch, Becky, but my patience was wearing thin.  I wanted my girl breathing easy again.  I wanted her biggest worry to be about what flavor lip balm she was going to wear that day.

Now, I turned to move to the door while Elle ate a handful of potato chips.

I loved her. 

Never in my life did I think I’d ever grow to love someone who could plow through nearly a half a bag of potato chips in no time flat, but here I was.  Not only was I in deep with her, but I found myself checking to make sure she had those chips at the ready.

I opened the dressing room door and saw one of the employees from the venue standing there with a bouquet of flowers.

Not again.

Fuck.

“These were just delivered for Elle,” the girl informed me.

“Was it an individual or a floral company that brought them?” I asked.

“A woman brought them.  She wasn’t with a floral company.”

A woman brought them.  Perhaps Becky was here. Fuck.

“Any idea what she looked like?”

“Yeah, she was a little taller than me by maybe two to three inches.  She had long, platinum blonde hair and a beautiful set of hazel-colored eyes.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Do you recall what she was wearing?”

The girl shook her head and lamented, “Not all of it.  I just know she had on a pair of cowgirl boots and cutoff jean shorts.  I remember this because she had such beautiful tanned legs and I really loved her boots.”

“Thank you,” I offered as I took the flowers from her hand.

I turned around and saw Elle staring at the flowers.  She was frightened.

I set the flowers down on the table and pulled the envelope from them.  After tearing open the sealed envelope, I pulled out the card, flipped it over, and read the note.

It’s almost over.  This will end soon for you. -B.B.

I immediately pulled my phone from my pocket, found the number I was looking for, and tapped on it.  I kept my eyes on Elle, who was growing more and more concerned by the second.  

“Boss,” Pierce called.

“Need you and Dom in Elle’s dressing room now,” I demanded.

“On it.”

I disconnected the call, slid my phone back in my pocket, and walked to her.

Elle stood and wasted no time in asking about the card.

“What does it say?”

I hesitated.  I knew I wasn’t going to keep this from her, but that didn’t mean that I’d prefer to not tell her. 

Elle knew I was struggling to say it to her.  She placed her hand over mine, the one clutching the card.  She turned my hand over and peeled back my fingers to show the card.

The door to the dressing room opened as Elle pulled the card out of my hand. I shifted my body to the side so that I could confirm it was Pierce and Dom, but immediately brought my gaze back to my woman. 

She was set to go on stage in roughly fifteen minutes and she was about to break down.  Her eyes filled with tears before she slowly closed them and tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Why won’t she stop?” Elle rasped quietly.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, took the card out of her hand, and pulled her into my chest.  That only served to intensify her reaction.  She completely lost it and her body was wracked by sobs.

Dom walked over and took the card from me.  His face grew hard as he passed it off to Pierce, who had nearly the identical reaction.

“Got anything on the delivery?” Dom asked a few minutes later, after Elle began to settle a bit.

“One of the employees brought them up.  Gave me a thorough description of the individual who delivered them.  It wasn’t the floral company.”

“Well, at least we can work with that,” Pierce chimed in.  “What are we looking for?”

I clenched my jaw and delayed responding knowing it would send Elle over the edge again.  She must have realized, based on the silence in the room, that there was more than just this card to be upset about it because she pulled her tear-stained cheeks back from my chest and looked up at me.

As I looked down at her, I said, “Elle.”

“What?” she responded.

I shook my head and explained, “No.  Elle is what we’re looking for.  The employee described the woman who delivered the flowers to be about Elle’s height with long, platinum-blonde hair and hazel-colored eyes.  She also said the woman was wearing cutoff jean shorts and a pair of cowgirl boots.”

Elle sucked in a sharp breath. 

“Do we think that Becky is here?  Is she impersonating Elle?”

“It sure fuckin’ seems like it,” I told Pierce.  “What the fuck?!”

I took a second to sort the shit out in my head.  Fuck.  I was normally very level-headed and systematic.  I didn’t usually lose my cool and could sort through any situations relatively easily just by clearing my mind and taking it a step at a time.  Unfortunately, with Elle involved, I found this wasn’t so easy.

I looked down at my girl.  Instantly, my nerves calmed. 

“If you don’t want to perform tonight, you don’t have to,” I assured her.  “If you do, we have you covered.”

She took a moment to think. 

“I don’t want to risk anyone’s safety here, but I really don’t want to disappoint my fans, either.  I’m not sure what to do.”

“Dom, Pierce, and I will be fine.  We can handle whatever comes at us tonight, if anything.  I’m a few feet away from you the entire time you’re on stage.  Dom and Pierce have eyes on the crowd and will be constantly scanning.  We’ll be fine.”

“Don’t let her take this away from you, rock star,” Pierce added.  “If you don’t perform, she wins.  And while your safety may not be something we want to talk about winning or losing, you don’t let anyone steal what brings you happiness.  Like Levi said, we’ve got you covered.”

We watched as Elle took in our words and thought on it a moment.  It wasn’t long before she decided.

“She’s not going to take me away from doing what I love.  She might try, but she’s going to fail.  I love what I do and I have a lot of people who love and support me in what I’m doing.  I won’t let her ruin that.”

That was my girl.  She might feel herself starting to crumble, but somehow, she always manages to pick herself back up and push through. 

“Alright,” I started turning my attention to the guys.  “It’s almost time for her to get on stage, so I need you guys to go out and begin scanning the crowd.  Let their security team here know our threat has increased and we’re going to need them to be checking in with you both throughout the night.  Anything that doesn’t seem right, don’t take any chances.  You see anyone who looks like Elle, don’t waste time.”

They both gave me chin lifts in acknowledgement and turned to leave.  Once they disappeared through the door and it closed behind them, I turned my attention to Elle.

“Are you ok?” I asked her.

“I’m not going to lie, Levi, I’m so over this.  The same question keeps running through my mind.  I want to know why she’s doing this.  The fact that we’ve identified that she looks like me takes this to a whole other level.  That, coupled with her inability to think for herself in all of the online posts she makes, is a clear indication of just how crazy this woman is.  It’s scary to think someone could be this obsessed.  I just want to know why.  I get that it’s jealousy, but I don’t understand what the jealousy stems from.  It’s extraordinarily frustrating and very upsetting.”

I hated this for her.  I couldn’t say I disagreed with any of her sentiments, either.  When this was all said and done, I just hoped that not only would Elle be safe, but also that she’d get the answers she was looking for.  I wanted her to know why.  As much as I believed she deserved to know the truth, I also knew that there was a very real possibility she’d never get that truth.

“I understand what you’re feeling, sunshine.  We’re going to do whatever we can to get this sorted as quickly as possible and get your life back to normal.  In the process, I’m hoping I can get you some answers.”

The corners of her mouth tipped up as she let the genuine concern I felt for her seep in.

“Thank you for being my hero, Levi.”

I pulled her against me again and kissed the top of her head.  “I’ll feel like more of a hero when I put this situation to bed for you.”

“I know,” she sighed.  “But in the meantime, at least you’re doing a good job of taking me to bed.”

I tried hard to suppress a laugh, but it was useless.  I squeezed her neck gently and blurted, “Love you, Elle.”

As her arms wrapped around my waist and she pressed her cheek to my chest, she breathed, “I love you, too.”

Ten minutes later, which happened to be five minutes past the time Elle was set to take the stage, she was finally ready to step out there.  My nerves were on edge.  Dom and Pierce, I knew, were doing their job thoroughly and would catch anyone that stood out in the crowd.  I just hoped they’d find this woman and we’d be able to put an end to this nightmare.

Elle was introduced and walked out onto the stage.  The crowd was roaring. 

Damn. 

My girl was sensational. 

People loved her and she deserved every bit of that love.

I stood offstage, but Elle was never out of my sight and was not ever more than a few running strides away from me.  If something went down, she was my only priority.  Get her.  Get out.

Nearly an hour and a half later, I knew Elle’s show was coming to a close.  To say that I was starting to feel a bit relieved was an understatement.  I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet, but we were close.  Of course, Dom and Pierce hadn’t found anything yet, so I knew there was still the potential for anything to happen.  Just another two songs and then I could get her back to the hotel, where her safety wasn’t at such high risk.

Just then, my phone rang.  Without taking my eyes off Elle, I pulled it out of my pocket. 

“Yeah?” I shouted into the phone hoping I could hear over the noise.

“You’ve got to get her off the stage and back to the dressing room for cover,” Dom yelled back. 

I looked to where Dom had been standing and saw he was no longer there. 

Fuck.

“What’s happening?”

“Don’t have time, Levi.  Get her now!”

He disconnected the call.

Fuck.

I did what I had to do.  It took me about ten strides to get to her.  Halfway through those strides, Elle turned her head toward me.  She did this because the crowd began cheering when they noticed I had stepped out onto the stage with her.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t there for any good reason.  It happened quickly.  I made it to Elle and scooped her up in my arms.  The microphone fell from her hands and on to the floor.  I hauled her offstage, keeping my body toward the audience to shield her from whatever was happening out there.

“What’s going on, Levi?” she asked, scared out of her mind.

I ignored her question, mostly because my focus was getting her to a safe place.  I weaved through the halls and made it to her dressing room.  The door was open, so I quickly carried her in, scanned the room, and then locked it behind us.

It wasn’t until we were safe inside the dressing room that I set her down on her feet.  I took in her face and noted the fear in her features, silently begging me to tell her what was happening.

“I don’t know, Elle,” I started.  “I don’t know what’s happening yet.  Dom called me and said I needed to get you off the stage immediately.  I asked what was going on and he said there was no time and that I just needed to get you back here where you’d be safe.  They know we are here; we wait until they return.”

“Do you think she was here?” Elle asked, her eyes rounding.

I shrugged my shoulders.  “Can’t say.  I know they wouldn’t have had me walk out on that stage in the middle of your performance if they didn’t think there was a valid reason for it.”

Elle didn’t get a chance to respond because her phone started ringing.  She walked over to her purse and pulled her phone out.

“It’s Leah,” she informed me before she answered. “Hey, Leah.”

Calm. 

Elle was calm.

She pulled her shit together so she wouldn’t frighten her friend.

My girl was definitely not crumbling.

That is, she was not crumbling until she listened to whatever Leah was saying to her on the phone.  Elle’s face went neutral to horrified in a matter of seconds. 

“Oh my God.  Are you serious?” she shrieked. 

There was a knock at the door.  Elle went rigid.

“Levi,” Dom’s voice called. “It’s us.”

I opened the door and they stepped inside.

Frustration on their faces. 

“I’m ok, LP.  I’m back in my dressing room now.  Dom and Pierce just walked in.  Let me go and see what they’ve found.  I’ll try to call you back in a little, but if not, I’ll see you tomorrow when I get home.”

She paused a moment.

How did Leah know something was wrong?  There was no way news traveled that fast.

“I promise.  I am ok.  Let me see what’s going on.”

Silence.

“Ok.  Thanks for checking in.  Love you, too.”

Elle hung up the phone and wasted no time.

“I knew it,” she exploded.  “She was in my account.  I knew she was.  Now, we have proof.”

What?

“Somebody better fill me in,” I ordered, no patience left.

Pierce piped up.  “Dom got a text from Michaels saying that he should be paying attention to the potential threats in the crowd, not live streaming.  Dom shot back a text telling him he wasn’t live streaming and had no idea what he was talking about.  That’s when Trent called and explained that Elle was live streaming her own show.  He just assumed since Elle was performing that it must have been one of us that was doing it for her.  As he was on the phone with Dom, trying to give a location of where in the venue the stream was being shot from, the feed took a turn.  Thousands of people who aren’t here were watching, thinking this was innocent and that someone from Elle’s team was streaming the show live for her fans.  Minutes before I called you, Becky or, we’re assuming it was Becky, started interacting with the audience.  She never spoke; she used the message feature.  I don’t know everything that she typed, but Trent said she was making threatening statements about Elle no longer being able to sing, that Elle needed to be stopped before she stole even more of the spotlight.  It was bad enough that Michaels insisted we get Elle out of there.  I didn’t know it was happening until I saw Dom signal to me to follow him.  We took off in the direction of the where Trent said the stream was coming from and that’s when he said the session ended.  Dom disconnected with Michaels, called you, and we tried to find Becky.  Nobody came close to matching the description you gave us earlier.”

“Motherfucker,” I swore. “This bitch is right under our noses.”

“Leah said she watched the whole stream.  She said people were enjoying being able to watch it until it turned scary.  Nobody understood what was going on because obviously, it made no sense that we’d be saying things like that from my own personal live stream session.”

Elle’s phone rang again.

She looked down at it, saw who was calling, and answered quickly.  “I’m ok, Wes.”

Jesus Christ.  He was probably going out of his mind.

“Clearly, it wasn’t us streaming.  It was her or, at least, we believe it was her.  Flowers were delivered to me right before the show and I probably shouldn’t have gone on to perform tonight, but I didn’t want to disappoint my fans.  You know how important they are to me.”

Silence while he spoke. 

“Yes, there was a card and it was signed by her again.  The only difference is that we believe she was the one who delivered the flowers to the venue today.  The employee brought them to my dressing room and gave Levi a description of the woman who brought them…she pretty much described me.  This woman is psychotic, Wes.  I’m so glad I’m coming home tomorrow.  I just want to be around my family and friends again.”

Elle waited while Wes talked to her.

A minute later she responded, “She’s right.  Tell Charley I said thanks and that I’ll give an update when we get back to the hotel.”

Wes spoke again.  Elle’s face softened.

“I know, Wes.  I’m sorry to have worried you.  I’ll see you both tomorrow.  Love you, too.”

She disconnected with her brother and began to fret, “Wes and Charley were panicked.  Leah was panicked.  They all can call and check on me.  None of my fans have that option.  Charley thinks it might be a good idea to let everyone know that I’m alright.  If you think it’s ok to do, I’d like to do that for my fans we get back to the hotel tonight.  I’m guessing you aren’t going to allow me to go back out there and finish my set, even though I’ve only got two songs left.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong to make that assumption.  I’m sorry, El, I know what your fans mean to you, but I can’t let you go back out there.  If you want to give an update online tonight when I have you back at the hotel, I’m good with that.”

Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. 

I was grateful she wasn’t going to try to fight me on this. 

“I’ll give the owner of the venue an update,” Pierce offered.

“Thanks, Pierce.  We’ll head out to the car.  Meet you outside?”

He gave a chin lift and walked out of the room.

At that, Elle got her things together before Dom and I covered her and got her safely to the car.  A few minutes later, Pierce met us at the car and we took off.  Then, I made sure we got my beautiful girl back to the hotel safely.  It wasn’t until we walked through the doors of the suite that I was finally able to relax.