Ransom Page 21

  He waves a hand. “I know that. I mean, what happened when you went running away from him in the parking garage?”

  My eyes widen with surprise. Daltrey told him that?

  “I talked to Benny this morning,” he says, and I feel slightly better. “He told me the two of you appeared to have some kind of fight, and you took off running. Is that true?”

  In spite of my growing anxiousness, I feel a slight flare of annoyance. “I don’t really see how that’s your business.”

  His face hardens further. “Really? I think the reasons behind my son’s disappearance are very much my business.”

  “He didn’t leave because of that,” I say, though I’m not entirely sure myself. “We talked. We’re fine. I saw him this morning before the meeting, and he wasn’t upset at all.”

  “Did you sleep with him last night?”

  I take a step back, shocked by his rudeness. “That is definitely none of your business.”

  “Listen to me, Daisy. I always had my concerns where you and Daltrey were concerned. I never thought it was a good idea that he spent so much time with you. When you completely cut him off last year, I knew I was right.”

  My cheeks flame. I can’t believe he’s actually talking to me like this.

  But he goes on. “He was a mess after that. It really affected his playing. You nearly ruined all of this for him, Daisy. Do you realize that?”

  I swallow, tears coming to my eyes. I’m determined not to let him see me cry, so I dip my head and focus on the sleeves of my shirt. I pull them down a little out of habit, before I look up at him again. His eyes, too, are on my sleeves. When he meets my gaze again, I have the strangest thought: he knows.

  “I’m sorry for upsetting Daltrey,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “It was a hard time for me, too. But he and I have worked through it, so I really don’t think it’s right for you to throw it back at me right now. It’s between me and him.”

  He’s quiet for a moment, and it takes all of my strength to hold his gaze. “Let me just say this, then. If you have any idea, any idea at all, of where he might be, I highly suggest you tell me right now.”

  “If I had any idea of where he might be, I would go out and find him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” I stumble from the bus and out into the sunshine. It’s another gorgeous summer day, but that does nothing to ease the chill in my veins.

  “Are you okay?” Levi asks as I approach the trailer.

  I wonder if I look as freaked out as I feel. I nod and immediately set to work, not wanting to talk about my conversation with Daltrey’s dad.

  It’s hard not to think about it, though. It’s clear to me that Mr. Ransome no longer just tolerates me; he actively dislikes me. He thinks I’m bad for his son and bad for the band.

  You nearly ruined all of this for him. I suck in a deep breath as my eyes begin to sting. The problem is, he’s right. I know what I put Daltrey through when I stopped talking to him. And I know what I put him through last night. I can’t even be sure that I’m not the reason he took off today.

  He promised me he’d be back. For the rest of the afternoon I repeat his words over and over in my head, holding onto the memory like a lifeline as I work. He promised me he’d be back.

  ***

  Daltrey does come back, but not for many hours. Shortly after my conversation with Mr. Ransome, word starts to get around to the rest of the crew and the venue staff about what’s going on. There are rumors that the show will need to be cancelled. In fact, about an hour before the doors are supposed to be open, everyone is kicked out of the dressing room so the band can decide what to do.

  As I follow the rest of the crew into the hallway, Reed takes my arm. “You really don’t know where he is?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.

  “You think I wouldn’t tell you if I did?” I ask, stung. It’s one thing for his dad to doubt me, but Reed is my friend, practically family.

  His face softens. “If he asked you not to, you wouldn’t. The two of you would have each other’s back until the end of the world.”

  I smile a little. “I’m scared, Reed. I don’t know where he is, I promise you. I’m going out of my head here.”

  “He’s probably just rebelling, Daisy. You gave him a taste of the free life yesterday, and he decided he’d like a bit more.”

  Before I can respond, his dad barks, “Reed, let’s go!”

  I slip into the hallway, closing the door behind me. I hear a phone ring down the hall and turn to see Levi putting his cell to his ear.

  “Where the hell are you?” he snaps.

  A balloon of relief swells up in my chest. It must be Daltrey.

  Levi strides toward the dressing room, shaking his head at me as he passes. “You can tell him yourself, ass. Don’t put me in the line of fire.” He throws open the dressing room door and marches in, slamming it behind him.

  I know it’s completely juvenile, but I press my ear to the door, desperate to know what’s going on.

  “What in the hell is wrong with you?” Mr. Ransome yells. There’s a long pause then he says, “Just get back here. Now!”

  There’s a loud outbreak of grumbling, and I imagine that he must have hung up.

  “Did he say what was going on?” Lennon asks above the tumult.

  I don’t hear the response, just more indistinguishable arguing punctuated by the occasional shout or curse from one of them.

  A moment later, the door opens again and Levi slips out, shutting it behind him. “That kid, I swear to God.”

  “What’s going on? Where is he?”

  He takes my hand and tugs me down the hall to a small, unoccupied office space. “I have no idea. All he would say is that he’s on his way, he’ll be here before the show starts, and don’t call it off.”

  “That’s it?”

  Levi nods, running his hands through his hair. “I thought his dad was going to put his fist through a wall.” He gives me rueful grin. “Mr. Ransome is not the type of person to be appeased easily.”

  “He wasn’t fond of the lack of information, I take it.”

  Levi snorts. “Not much.” He looks down at his watch. “Well, if the show’s going on as planned, I guess I have work to do.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  He shakes his head. “Nope. Better get out to the table, though. They’ll be opening the doors in a few.”

  On my way back to the table, my phone buzzes with a text. So sorry, babe. I’m on my way back. I hope you didn’t worry all day. I’m fine. We’re fine. I love you.

  I breathe a sigh of relief as I shove my cell back into my pocket. I desperately want to know where he’s been, but at the same time, I no longer feel anxious or scared, certainly not mistrusting. If he says he had something to do, I believe him.

  “What’s up?” Karen asks as I approach the table.

  “Game on,” I say, joining them. “He just called.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Paige looks toward the door. “I would not want to be the person who has to go out and tell that crowd the show’s off.”

  “Yeah,” Karen says. “You’d be mauled. So where was he?”

  I shrug. “Levi says he just told his dad that he was on his way and not to cancel. He sent me a text apologizing but not giving me any details.”

  “Hmm,” Karen says thoughtfully. “So he’s just been gone for what, seven hours? And no one knows where? That’s a long time to just be taking a break.”

  “I know.” I lean against the table. “Last night was really intense, you know? I told him everything. I even showed him my scars. That’s a lot to take in. Maybe he just needed to think it all over.”

  “I guess so,” Paige says, but she doesn’t sound convinced. I don’t blame her. It doesn’t sound anything like Daltrey.

  The doors open a few minutes later, and we’re inundated with a steady crowd in no time, the throngs of Ransom fans having no idea how close they came to missing seeing their favorite band play. Af
ter a while, the opener starts inside the theater.

  “I wonder if they get tired of playing the same shit over and over again,” Karen asks, as the familiar strains of their first song drift out to us. The Pat Johnson Band hasn’t changed their set list much in the weeks we’ve been working on the tour.

  I don’t fully relax until we’re finally able to close up and go backstage. I pray I get the chance to see Daltrey before they go on. It’s been hours since he left me in his bed, hours of doubt and worry and fear. The only thing that will relax me is his lips on mine.

  We reach the back hallway and walk right into a madhouse. All three members of the band are being held back by various roadies, each one screaming and yelling. And there, in the middle of the hall, is Daltrey.

  He sees me, and his face lights up. He pushes past the roadies and his father, who is also yelling, and strides toward me.

  “Where are you going?” Cash yells. “Get back here so I can punch that smug little face of yours!”

  “Rain check, Cash,” he calls over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off me, seemingly oblivious to the drama he’s caused. “Hey, girls,” he says to Paige and Karen, before grabbing my arm and pulling me into the same abandoned office Levi and I had talked in earlier.

  He shuts the door behind us, and before I can say a word, he has me pressed against the wall, his body flush against mine. His lips attack me with a passionate fervor. I moan, the fire of his mouth making me forget all about the mess he’s created.

  “Sorry,” he whispers against my mouth. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

  “Where were you? You scared me.”

  His face falls. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just needed to take care of something, and it took longer than I planned. Can I tell you about it later?”

  I look up into his gorgeous blue eyes, so serious and pleading. I think of how long it took me to get up the courage to tell him my secret. “Of course. I’m just glad you’re back.”

  He smiles, looking over my shoulder at the door. “I don’t think everyone out there would say the same.”

  I laugh. “Your brothers are going to murder you.”

  “You joke, but I think they actually might.”

  “Tell them to suck it. They can’t go out there without the great Daltrey Ransome to sing his pretty songs.”

  He laughs, and as his head tilts back the light hits his face differently. I spot a reddish shadow around his eye. I reach up and brush my finger across the skin then jerk back when he winces. “What happened?”

  “It’s nothing.” He releases me and moves back a step. He reaches up to pull off his beanie and runs his fingers through his tousled hair. There’s blood on his knuckles.

  I gasp. “Daltrey?”

  “Later, right?” he says softly. “You said we could talk about it later.”

  I can’t force him to tell me, and I need him to know that he can trust me, the way he proved I could trust him. “Okay.” I say, though a sick feeling of worry has lodged in my stomach. “Okay.”

  Someone pounds on the door, and Daltrey seems to relax, which is kind of funny since it’s probably his dad or one of his brothers coming to kick his ass.

  “You really ought to be more afraid of them than you are,” I tell him. “They were pretty pissed.”

  He shrugs. “Whatever. I can handle those ass clowns.”

  I think about what his dad said to me and suppress a shudder. As long as we’re keeping secrets, there’s no reason for Daltrey to find out about that conversation. I have a feeling he wouldn’t be pleased.

  “Daltrey!” Levi yells. “You need to get on stage.”

  Daltrey leans in for one last kiss, his tongue trailing softly along the outside of my lips, making me shudder for entirely different reasons. “See you after?”

  I nod, breathless, and he grins that cocky rock-star grin of his. It makes my heart constrict. I love him so much. Levi pounds on the door again.

  Daltrey opens it, smiling at his friend. “Hey, dude, what’s up?”

  “What’s up is that it took everything I have to get your asshole brothers out of this hallway. So move your ass.”

  I smile as I follow Daltrey into the hall.

  Levi frowns when he sees me behind Daltrey. “Sorry, Daisy. I need to get him out there.”

  “Go.” I make a shooing motion with my hands. “Be gone.”

  Levi frog marches Daltrey down the hall. I watch until they turn out of sight. There’s a weight in my chest that I can’t seem to shake. Something bad happened today; I’m certain of it. A bruise on his face and blood on his knuckles? Who was he fighting? And why doesn’t he want me to know about it?

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Daisy

  The family-and-friends area in this venue is down on the main floor with the rest of the fans. There are heavy barriers around it to keep people away, but I’m still not crazy about the idea of being out there in the throng. Plus, I would have to find a bouncer to take me over, and I’m not really in the mood to talk to anyone. At the same time, I really want to watch Daltrey perform tonight. I’m worried that he’s not as okay as he says he is. And after an entire day of being scared for him, I know I won’t feel better unless I keep him in sight.

  In the end, I make my way up to the left of the stage. Most of the roadies are on the other side, so I pull up a stool to watch the show from the wings. Daltrey’s piano is closer to this wing, so I can see him clearly. He appears no worse for the wear. In fact, it’s one of his better performances. I’m mesmerized by his hands as he plays, memories of last night flashing through my mind. It’s strange, how different it feels to watch him now that I know what those hands feel like on my body.

  After the first set, the guys exit stage right to grab water and towel down. No one talks to Daltrey except the roadies, and I wonder how long his family will stay mad at him. As they take the stage for the second set, Daltrey spots me. His face lights up with a huge smile, and I can practically hear the girls in the crowd swooning from the pure beauty of it.

  He takes his seat at the piano and shifts the bench slightly so he can keep me in his sights. He then spends most of the set staring straight at me while he sings and plays. His gaze changes from playful and amused to downright smolderingly intense and back again. I’m squirming within the first few songs. I finally understand why girls have been throwing themselves at rock stars for decades. Nothing is more sexy than this man on stage, controlling the sound and the crowd, playing one off the other, ratcheting up the tension then releasing it over and over again. My heart races, and my cheeks are aflame. I want nothing more than to leap onto stage and jump him.

  And he knows it. His eyes hold a glint of wicked amusement as he leans closer to the mic, so close his lips graze its edges.

  I think maybe Daltrey will take his break on this side, but when the set ends, he heads back to the right wing with his brothers. He’s doing it on purpose. He knows I want a kiss. He’s torturing me.

  Sure enough, when he comes out for the last set, there’s laughter in his face. I cross my arms and give him my best glare, making him laugh out loud. Communicating with him like this is thrilling. All these people surround us yet remain outside of our little bubble.

  Just before the end of the set, I notice a commotion in the opposite wing. Lots of shadows are moving around over there, shapes of people I can’t make out. One of them seems to be holding the others back. Confused, I shift to try to see better, but it’s dark, and the band blocks my view. I do manage to make out Mr. Ransome, who is gesturing wildly with Levi at his side. I feel a trickle of unease.

  The guys finish the last song and head to the front of the stage to take their bows. With them out of the way and the stage lights fully up, I finally have a clear line of sight to the other side.

  I gasp. Two police officers appear to be arguing with Daltrey’s dad.

  The bows are fast and perfunctory; everyone knows Ransom always comes back out for an encore. But I ha
ve a feeling things might be different tonight. I watch in horror as the boys move to the wings, and the police officers push past Mr. Ransome, heading straight for Daltrey.

  Then the lights go out, and I can’t see Daltrey anymore. The encore chant begins, and I break Levi’s biggest rule. I jump off my stool and run across the stage. I’m sure no one can see me, and if they can, they’ll probably mistake me for a roadie.

  The band members are all shouting at once. The officers are clearly getting more and more agitated. Only Daltrey seems calm, standing in the middle of all of it.

  “Dude, just let us finish the show,” Reed pleads. “We’ll have a riot on our hands if we don’t go back out there.”

  “We’ve already waited,” one officer snaps. “Your brother is under arrest.”

  I gasp, and Daltrey turns to see me standing behind Lennon. Only now does he look upset. “I’m sorry,” he says to me, his words barely audible over the crowd.

  “What are you apologizing to her for?” Cash yells, smacking Daltrey’s shoulder. “We’re the ones you’re screwing over!”

  Daltrey hangs his head, and the second officer pulls out a pair of handcuffs.

  “What’s going on?” I yell, pushing through the guys. “What is this?”

  “Apparently, Daltrey took the day off to go beat the hell out of some guy today,” Reed says, looking angrier than I’ve ever seen him. “I can’t fucking believe you, man.”

  I look at Daltrey. “Daltrey?”

  But he doesn’t raise his head. I can’t believe this is happening, can’t believe he’s actually being arrested. And his dad is just standing there.

  “Do something!” I yell at Mr. Ransome.

  He shoots me a steely, unconcerned look then turns away. “Boys, you need to get back out there. Cash, you make an announcement that Daltrey’s sick. Add an extra song to make up for it.”

  “Who the fuck is supposed to sing?” Cash asks.

  “You. Just do it. We don’t have a choice.” He looks straight at Daltrey. “Your fans deserve better than this.”

  The boys turn as one and trudge back onto the stage, only Lennon sparing a glance at his soon-to-be-incarcerated brother. The lights come on, and the crowd starts screaming, but all I’m aware of is the officer handcuffing Daltrey.