Chapter 23

 

 

Elle

 

I had been at Lou’s for nearly forty-five minutes when my people finally started showing up.  I loved Levi and his team, but that didn’t change the fact that I missed my family and friends.  Considering I hadn’t seen them in a couple of weeks, I was so excited when they arrived early.

I was standing next to the table I reserved for my friends as Charley and Wes walked across the saloon.  I felt the happiness and warmth at what being home meant.

My family.

Charley wasted no time in getting to me and pulling me into a hug.

“Oh, Elle.  Missed you so much, honey.”

Family.  I couldn’t have been more grateful that Wes found her and brought her into my life.  “I missed you, too, love.  How’s married life treating you now that the honeymoon is over and you’ve been back to reality for a few weeks?”

She pulled away and I realized I already knew the answer.  Of course, she answered me anyway.  “It’s fantastic.  I swear, I’m the luckiest woman in the world.  How are things going with you and Levi?”

I pretended to think on it a moment before I answered, “We’re going to have to call you the luckiest married woman in the world because I’m certain I’m the luckiest woman in the world, too.”

“That works for me; I don’t mind sharing the title with you,” she laughed.  “I am overjoyed that he’s making you happy, Elle.”

I didn’t get an opportunity to respond because Wes interrupted us.  He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me tight to his chest.  “Missed you, El.  More than that, I’ve been worried sick about you.”

I looked up at him.  “I know you have.  I’m sorry this has taken its toll on you.”

“He’s not the only one,” I heard someone shout from beside me.

I turned my head to my right and saw Leah standing there.  I gave her a sad face before giving her a hug.

“Ok, it’s safe to say that everyone missed me.  I missed you all, too, and I’m sorry that you were worried about me.  It’s been stressful all the way around.”

“You never called me back last night after what happened and we didn’t get to talk about it earlier today when we were texting,” Leah started.  “What ended up happening?  Did you ever find the person who was doing the live feed on your account?”

I took in a deep breath. 

“Unfortunately, they never caught her.  I think by the time they got through the crowds, she had enough time to get away.”

“She?” Leah repeated.

“I told you I had a lot to fill you in on,” I began.  “Yes, she.  We know who’s doing this, but we haven’t actually found her yet.”

Her head jerked back.  “Who is it?”

“I don’t know her, but her name is Becky Blunt.”

“I still think that’s the most ridiculous name ever for someone who is supposed to sound ominous,” Charley chimed in. 

I laughed and turned my attention to her.  “I know.  I had the same reaction when Levi told me.  After I burst out laughing, I asked him if he really thought it was possible that someone with that name was really a threat.”

“Ridiculous name or not, there’s nothing funny about this situation,” Wes pointed out.

I rolled my eyes at him and shared, “You sound just like Levi.”

“Speaking of Levi, where is he?  If he knows who this is, why isn’t he here making sure you’re safe?”

I scanned the saloon for Levi and found him standing in a huddle with Gunner, Tyson, Lorenzo, and Holden.  They were all members of his team that I met earlier that day. 

“Over there,” I answered, as I kept my eyes on him and allowed a smile to spread across my face.

“Why do I feel like I’m missing something?  I can’t understand why he’s over there and you’re standing here when all of this is going on,” Leah pressed.

I brought my gaze back to my best friend and my face softened even further.  She was so panicked and worried about me. 

“He’s over there speaking to members of his team.  They’re all here tonight.  They’ve been tracking Becky since the first half of my tour.   Let me tell you, LP, the bitch is crazy.  It’d take me hours to tell you everything that’s happened with her.  The bottom line is that they’re close to finding her.”

Leah’s eyes searched back and forth and she looked worried. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked, noticing the significant change in her.

Her eyes filled with tears as she cried, “I didn’t know about any of this.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s been so crazy with the tour, getting from one venue to the next, all the stuff that she has been doing, the planning we’ve been doing on our end to build a case against her, and I just didn’t want to tell you it all over the phone because I knew you’d worry.  I wanted to wait and tell you when I got back.”

“Well you’re back now,” she shot back.

Wow, she was really taking this hard.  “Tonight.  After the show, I’ll fill you in on everything.”

“Promise?” she asked, her voice small as the tears slid down her cheeks.

I nodded and attempted to comfort her, “I promise.”

“I’m going to run to the ladies’ room and get myself cleaned up.  I’ll be right back,” she murmured.

As Leah walked away, I looked back to Charley and Wes.  They took in my face and immediately noticed my melancholy and worried mood.

“I feel horrible,” I admitted.

“She’s hurt, but she’ll be alright,” Charley offered.

Wes added, “I understand your logic, Elle, but think about it from our perspective for a minute.  If I just now found out that you knew everything that was going on and you never filled me in on it for weeks, I’d be upset, too.”

“Now I feel even worse,” I confessed.

“What’s wrong, sunshine?” I heard Levi ask from beside me.

I didn’t get to answer because Wes continued talking.

“Charley’s right, though.  Leah will be fine because she’s your best friend.  She’s hurt, but once you explain it all and give her some time, she’ll move past it.”

“I hope you’re right.  I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“You give her the time, she’ll know you didn’t,” he reassured me.

“Elle?” Levi called.

I looked up at him and asked, “Are you finished with the team?”

He nodded.

I took him by the hand and directed him toward my dressing room.  His face was littered with concern.  A tear fell from my eye before I simply blurted, “I hurt my best friend.”

“What?”

I went on to explain to him what had just happened out in the saloon with Leah.  He listened to me, never interrupting once.  When I finished, he decided, “It’ll be fine, Elle.”

“How do you know?  She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and she’s been there for me since we were back in college, supporting me every step of the way in my pursuit to becoming a singer.  Something bad started happening to me and I kept the good news we got about it from her.  I didn’t see it that way at the time; I merely wanted to tell her in person, where I knew she’d at least be a little less worried seeing that I was physically ok.”

“You said she’s your best friend and she’s a sweet person.  She’s not going to hate you, sweetness.  She is probably a little hurt, which is understandable.  She’ll forgive you.”

“I promised her I’d tell her everything tonight after the show.”

“Ok.  You want to do that at my place?”

I dipped my head and confirmed, “As long as that’s ok with you.”

He brought his hand up to cup my cheek.  “Of course.  Anything you need, sunshine.  If it’s in my power to give it to you, I will.”

My eyes closed at the gesture and the sentiment.  He was so good to me.  “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Looks like you’ve got a few minutes left before you head out on stage.  You need some time to warm up your voice?”

“That’d probably be a wise idea.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.  Listening to you back here, I can enjoy your voice completely.  Once we’re out there, I can’t.  My focus is on keeping you safe.  Besides, I like having a bit of this all to myself.”

“Well then, love, you should have a seat and enjoy the next ten minutes while I warm up my pipes.”

At that, Levi sat and listened while I did some vocal exercises. Throughout it all, the look of adoration never left his face.

After I finished, Levi walked me back out to the saloon.  We stood off the side of the stage until Lou introduced me.  While we waited, Cruz walked over, looked to Levi, and confirmed, “Everyone is in position, blending in.  If Becky tries anything tonight, we’ve got men everywhere.”

That made me feel better. 

Cruz brought his attention to me and maintained, “We’ve got you covered tonight, rock star.”

“Thanks, Cruz.  I appreciate what you all are doing for me.  I need to figure out a way to pay you back.”

My gaze went to Levi, who was clearly not ok with me bringing up paying anyone for anything.  To avoid a total meltdown, I quickly added, “Not with money, Levi.  I’m just saying that what you all are doing for me means a lot and I want everyone to know how much I appreciate it.  That’s all.”

“Elle?” Cruz cut in.

I looked to him.

“You’ve already paid us.”

My head dropped to the side as I tried to understand what he meant.  “How so?”

Cruz jerked his head to Levi and explained, “First, you got this guy out of the offices for an extended period when you went on tour.  It was a welcome reprieve for all the guys.  Levi’s not an asshole, but he’s serious about work.  Trust me, we should be thanking you.  And for me, knowing you’ve made my brother happier than I’ve ever seen him is more than enough for me.”

My eyes got wet and my throat got tight at Cruz’s words.  He essentially made all the vocal exercises I did a waste of time.  I was certain I would completely lose it if I tried to speak, so I stayed silent.

Cruz decided that he hadn’t gotten me worked up enough because he continued laying it on thick, “Emme’s going to officially be my sister-in-law in a couple more months.  If you follow behind her not too long after, I’ll be good with that.”

My eyes rounded, but before I could even react Lou had introduced me to the crowd.  Somehow, I shook Cruz’s words from my mind and turned to walk out on stage.  Before I could walk away, Levi grabbed my hand.  When I looked back at him, he didn’t say anything.  He merely held my eyes, silently reassuring me with his own.  I took in a deep breath, gave him a warm smile, and walked away.

I made it to center stage and scanned the crowd as they cheered for me.  Front and center, I noticed more of my people had arrived.  Joining Wes, Charley, Leah, Zane, and Emme were Monroe, Stone, Nikki, and Luke.  My parents were also in attendance.  They hadn’t seen me since before the whole stalker situation began.  Of course, I talked to my mom very soon after Levi moved me into his house, but I hadn’t had an opportunity to visit with them. 

Aside from them, I managed to spot most of Levi’s team scattered throughout the saloon.  As Cruz said, they were all blending in.  That is to say, they were blending in as much as guys who looked the way they did could blend in.  I tried to push aside the reality behind why they were there and put my effort into focusing on all the incredible people who were there because they loved me. 

Then, I started singing.

Once I started, I no longer had to try to push away those horrible thoughts about what was really happening in my life because I was lost doing what I loved.

Many songs and quite some time later, I was thankful to have finished my set without incident.  Despite the amount of times where I said I hoped Becky would try something tonight, there was a small part of me that wanted my final show of the tour to go off without a hitch.  At least, I had gotten that.

I walked off stage, right into Levi’s arms.  He held me tight and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

“Are we hanging tonight or heading home?”

I tilted my head back and reasoned, “I think we should head out so I can talk with Leah.”

“Sounds good.”

“But I have one favor I need to ask of you first,” I went on.

“Sure.  What do you need?”

I took a deep swallow and bit my lip before I explained, “My parents are here.  I haven’t see them in a couple weeks now and I’d like to introduce them to the person that’s not only been keeping me safe, but also has made me the happiest woman alive.”

Levi’s expression changed.  The change was good.  “Of course, sunshine.  I’d love to meet them.”

With that, Levi walked me out to where my parents were sitting with the rest of the gang.  James and Linda Blackman were not the type to spend their evenings at a saloon, but they would occasionally come out to my shows.  Having not seen me in a while, I’m certain, was the reason for tonight’s appearance.  On those occasions where they would show up, they’d typically hang around long enough after my shows to chat a few minutes with me before they took off.

Don’t get me wrong.  My parents absolutely loved and adored me.  They supported me one hundred percent in my chosen career path.  It was the same for Wes.  Lou’s just wasn’t their scene; so, when I finished performing they usually called it a night.

I walked up to the table, holding Levi’s hand, and stopped just behind my parents.  I put my free hand on my mom’s shoulder.  She turned and looked up at me.  The second her eyes were on me, she practically jumped out of her seat and pulled me into her arms.

“Oh, Elle,” she cried.  “I’ve been so worried about you.”

I had to drop Levi’s hand to fully embrace my mother.  I tried my best to soothe her.  “I know, mom.  I’m sorry to have put you through all of this.  We are close to getting this all figured out.”

She pulled back and put both hands on the sides of my upper arms, where she gently squeezed.  “When?” she asked.

I didn’t have an answer for that, so I stayed silent.

Thankfully, my dad chimed in.  “Are you ok, Elle?”

A huge smile spread across my face before I answered, “I’m amazing.  This stalker situation is just a minor inconvenience.”

It was more than a minor inconvenience, but I didn’t want to alarm them any further. 

I continued with what I really wanted them to hear.  I reached back to grab Levi’s hand and made introductions.  “Mom and Dad, I want you both to meet Levi.  Levi, these are my parents, James and Linda.”

Levi used his free hand and offered it to each of my parents as they all exchanged pleasantries.

My mom was first to speak afterward. “Thank you for looking out for her.”

“She’s my precious little girl,” my father chimed in.  “Kills me to know what someone is doing to her.”

“I completely understand your concerns, Mr. and Mrs. Blackman, but I want you to know she’s in good hands.  Elle’s case is my top priority right now.”

My father’s eyes dropped to where my hand connected with Levi’s.  “Seems to me that it’s more than just her case that’s going on here.”

Before I had the chance to respond, Levi spoke firmly.  “Yes, sir.  I’m in love with your daughter.  And I want you to understand that the way I feel about her does not distract me from doing my job properly.  It only makes my need to protect her run that much deeper.”

“Always liked your brother,” my dad started, referring to Wes’ best friend and Levi’s brother, Zane.  “I’m thinking I might be able to like you just as much.”

I blew out a sigh of relief.  They liked him.  My parents seemed more than confident in the unspoken promise Levi just delivered; he’d do whatever he had to do just to keep me safe.  I loved them so much for taking him at his word and I loved him so much for giving them that peace.

My mom caught my attention when she spoke again.  “We’re going to head out of here now because we have our flight leaving in the morning, but please, Elle, check in more frequently.  At least until this situation has been resolved.”

“I will, mom.  Thanks for coming out to support me tonight.”

“We love you!  Of course, we’d be here.”

My father added, “Stay safe, Elle.  We’ll see you when we are back from vacation in a week.”

I gave him a warm smile before giving them both good-bye hugs. 

After my parents left, I turned toward the rest of the group, all of whom gave me praise for my performance.  I told them all that I was calling it a night, partly because I was exhausted from the tour, but mostly because I needed to set things right with my best friend. 

“Do you want to just follow us back to Levi’s place?” I asked Leah.

“It’s getting late.  If you want, we can just meet up tomorrow.  I know you’ve got to be worn out from the tour.  I can wait another day, E.”

To say that she no longer seemed angry with me was an understatement.  More than anything, she seemed to be very hurt.  I didn’t want to allow that to go on for another minute. 

“I’m good to do this tonight,” I declared.  “It’s important and, as it is, I shouldn’t have waited this long.”

“Leah’s right, Elle,” Levi cut in.  “It’s late.” 

He turned his attention to Leah.  “I’ve got a couple of spare bedrooms.  Why don’t you stay at my place?  You and Elle can talk for as long as you both need, but then you won’t need to worry about driving home even later.”

My heart swelled and my feelings for this man grew at that very moment.  He was not only looking out for me and what I needed, but he’d do it while keeping my friend’s safety in mind.

“Well, I mean, if you don’t mind,” Leah stammered.

“Not at all.”

Leah’s eyes cut to mine and shedivulged, “I’d prefer to run home quick and grab a few things.  Can you text me the address and I’ll meet you there?”

“Sure.”

At that, she took off while Levi let Cruz and the rest of the team know we were heading out.  I thanked them for coming and they all gave me praise on my performance. 

Once Levi and I were in his truck, I knew I had to tell him how I was feeling.

“I love you, Levi,” I started as I looked over at him.

He took his eyes off the road only briefly to glance over at me.  “I love you, too.”

“Thank you so much for doing this for me and Leah tonight.  It means a lot to me.”

He shrugged his shoulders and kept his eyes on the road.  “She means a lot to you and she is upset.  It doesn’t take much for me to see that when your friend is hurting, it affects you.  I don’t like seeing you upset, so I’m going to do what I can to make it better for you.”

“You’re so good to me.”

A grin spread across his face and he responded, “Well, your lips tasted like pancake syrup tonight.  I love all of your different flavors, so I figure I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to keep you around.”

Warmth spread through my body. 

“I’m right where I want to be, love.  

Levi didn’t say anything.  He reached over and wrapped his hand around mine.  Then, he held it the rest of the way back to his place.