Lovely Oblivion: Jade Read online

  “Flowers. It started with flowers. Someone delivered a mix of roses and sunflowers before every show, both backstage and at the front desk of every hotel on our first tour. All the bouquets were accompanied by anonymous notes that read something like, ‘To Jade — With Love and Adoration — Your BiggesT Fan.’ The T in ‘Biggest’ was always capitalized.”

  “Okay. So what changed?”

  “I felt flattered at first. It was our first tour and I loved the attention. I’m the drummer so you know how it is — most people just pay attention to the lead singer. The attention felt great. But it got creepy when the flowers continued to show up at Every. Single. Stop. on the tour, THEN they started showing up inside my hotel rooms. The last straw happened when a bouquet showed up inside the bus on my bunk while we were onstage. I filed a police report that night.”

  Ryker’s expression didn’t change. “What happened then?”

  “The flowers stopped for the rest of the tour,” she said.

  “Okay, so why does it sound like that’s not the end of the story?”

  “Because it’s not. Last year, on our second tour, the flowers appeared again, though only to venue dressing rooms and hotel front desks that time. About halfway through the tour, more extravagant gifts arrived. Like champagne and candy arrangements. I appreciated the gifts and I was okay with them, as long as this secret admirer continued to respect my privacy. The gifts were always sealed and delivered from companies, so I accepted them and shared them with the girls. The band jokingly dubbed my admirer ‘Rosé,’ like the wine.”

  “This is your third tour, right?” he asked.

  Jade nodded.

  “Is this the first time you’ve heard from Rosé this tour?”

  “Yes. Tonight’s show would have been our third on this tour. We haven’t had any hotel stays yet and nothing has turned up in the dressing rooms... Although, maybe Rosé was on the way to hand-deliver something himself last night when he heard me in there with Twisty-Tongue after the show. I don’t know.”

  Ryker nodded. “We’ll check the cameras at that venue for anyone suspicious. Do you have any idea who Rosé might be?”

  Jade shook her head. “I don’t. I’ve always wondered, but he never signed a name on the cards so I figured he wanted to remain anonymous, and well... I kind of liked the mystery. The secret admirer factor of it all. I should’ve paid more attention. I was just... lost in the newness and mystique of the rockstar lifestyle, I guess. I never felt like he was a real threat. I just wanted him to respect my privacy.”

  Ryker nodded again. “Okay. How do you know it’s a him?”

  “I don’t know for sure. We, and by ‘we’ I mean the band collectively...” She gestured toward the front of the bus. “We always just assumed Rosé would probably be a guy.”

  “Okay. Thank you for the info. Please let me know if you think of anything else.” Ryker stood and turned toward the door.

  Jade felt a sense of loss as that warm, comfortable feeling moved away as Ryker did.

  “Hey, Mr. Blue Eyes,” Jade said.

  Ryker stopped and turned to look at her.

  “You want to play video games with me?” She held up the second controller.

  A smile touched the corner of his mouth. “Sure. Give me five minutes.”

  “Sounds good.”

  While Ryker was gone, Jade loaded up A Way Out, a popular two player game where they would work together to break out of the game’s prison. She had a feeling Ryker would excel at that with his SEAL training. She couldn’t wait to find out.

  * * *

  Ryker

  Ryker walked through the curtain that separated the bus driver’s compartment from the band’s. Drake sat up front by the driver, talking and joking as the scenery whizzed by, his long hair pulled back in its usual ponytail. Drake always put people at ease and built a rapport with them. He excelled at it to the point that he might seem like he was goofing off when really he was paying full attention. He swore by the technique and said it gave the best results.

  “Drake, can I brief you for a minute?”

  “Sure.” Drake stood. He said to the driver, “I’ll be back in a few, buddy. Holler if you see any jackalopes while I’m gone.”

  “10-4,” the aging bus driver chuckled.

  They stepped back behind the curtain into the front lounge.

  Bex and Polly sat on the couch playing Mario Kart. Lyra was taking a shower, and Maggie was resting in her bunk.

  Two of Ryker’s team members rode on the crew’s bus conducting interviews, and one drove behind in a private vehicle.

  “You know jackalopes aren’t real, right?” Ryker asked.

  “I know nothing of the sort,” Drake deadpanned.

  “Do you have a bet riding on that?”

  “Maybe.”

  Ryker smiled. “I hope it’s not much, because you’re about to lose.”

  Drake winked and lowered his voice. “Hey, the guy’s a gambler. A nonsense bet got him to loosen up and talk to me. Worth the $50.”

  “If that’s what it takes.”

  Drake nodded.

  Ryker also lowered his voice and briefed Drake about his conversation with Jade.

  “We need the venue cameras from this morning and yesterday’s from after the show,” Ryker said.

  “Sure, I’ll request the footage.”

  Ryker nodded. “Thanks. We’ve got about seven hours until the next venue, then we’ll be parked there until after tomorrow’s show. I’m going to work on my ‘rapport’ with Jade. See what else I can find out.”

  “All right, man. It’s gonna be a long ride. Make some time to relax.”

  Ryker clapped Drake on the shoulder and walked toward the back of the bus.

  He heard Lyra singing badly as he walked past the bathroom. He shook his head and laughed to himself. Lyra must have other talents to be in a band because singing was not one of them.

  He knocked on the door to the back lounge then pushed his way through.

  “I’ve got the perfect game!” Jade practically shouted as he walked into the room.

  Damn, she’s cute, Ryker thought.

  “All right, tell me about it.”

  He sat on the couch beside her and listened as she explained the basics of this game. Ryker hadn’t played a video game for a while, but he caught on fast. Soon, Jade played the impetuous Leo and he played the more-reserved Vincent.

  By the time they pulled into the next venue, the middle of the night had arrived and they just beat the game.

  “Yes!” Jade exclaimed when the credits rolled, pumping her fist in the air in victory.

  Ryker chuckled. “Good job.”

  Six hours of video gaming with Jade let Ryker see every side of her — anger, frustration, sadness, happiness, and everything in-between.

  “Has it really been six hours?” Jade asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, it has.”

  She turned her eyes toward him. “Come on, I think we’re past ma’am now.”

  “Ma’am,” he deadpanned.

  She smacked him lightly and he barely let a smile through.

  "You'd better get some sleep," he said, getting ready to stand.

  She pouted and gave him a pitiful stare. “We’ve spent six hours together, yet I feel like I barely know you.”

  Ryker turned to her. “You already know the important stuff.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’d do anything to protect you. This stalker has no idea what he’s up against.”

  Her face fell. “No, I get that. But that’s not the important stuff.”

  “Okay then, what do you consider important?” Genuine curiosity overcame him.

  She shook her head. “Nevermind. Good night, Mr. Vittroli.”

  “Good night.”

  It took everything Ryker had to stay put as she went off to her bunk with that attitude. But maybe it was for the best if she disliked him. He needed to stay as far away from her as possible to do this job right. If o
nly she didn’t make that so tempting.

  Chapter 3

  Jade

  For the past two weeks, Jade did nothing but play gigs and stay on Ryker’s strict schedule. No parties; no after-parties; nothing.

  She put her feelings into her music. From the cheers, at least she knew she was doing something right.

  They’d finally reached a day on the tour where they had the entire day off to do whatever they wanted — and they were in a hotel to top it off.

  Jade approached Ryker and Drake as they spoke quietly in the band’s Florida hotel suite. She wore a modest one-piece swimsuit and running shorts, with a towel slung over her shoulder. The guys turned when she approached. Ryker’s hair shined from his morning shower, and Drake’s was up in a ponytail.

  She rarely got to see the ocean, so she wanted to go swimming at the beach. She wasn’t sure her new security would agree to that easily, so she decided to try “overly polite and cute” to get her way. She’d taken theater in college and knew she could do a cute Victorian damsel.

  “Good morning, gentlemen. I desire to run on the beach and swim with the dolphins on this fine day. Willst one of you fine gentlemen please accompany me?”

  Ryker frowned but surprisingly responded in kind, “Sorry, but no, milady. ‘Tis not a good idea. Mayhap you might fancy the pool instead?”

  Jade appreciated the playful response but her frustration still flared. “Why not? It’s like 7 a.m. No one’s out there yet, and no one expects me to be on the beach today. I only decided to go this morning.”

  Ryker said, “It’s still too dangerous. You always workout first thing in the morning. Your stalker watched you for years. He knows your routine. And I would bet that he knows you want to visit the beach on this stop. He’ll put two and two together. Plus, he’s pissed off right now. The beach is too open and unsecured for us to protect you.”

  “You mean the one time the weather is nice, and I’m in a hotel close enough to smell the ocean, Rosé fucked up my only chance to visit the beach?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, that’s what I’m telling you. Your safety is more important. You can visit the beach another time.”

  She sighed and ran a hand over her face. “Can I please get an escort to the hotel’s perfectly secure indoor pool, Mr. Head of Security? Pretty please, with a cherry on top?”

  An expression crossed Ryker’s face like it took everything he had not to make a snarky comment about cherries, but he reined it in and nodded. “Sure. Give us 15 minutes to secure the pool.”

  “Spank you, sir.”

  The hint of a smile touched the corner of Ryker’s mouth at her Ace Ventura reference. “At your service, milady.”

  Jade felt a surge of pride at finally cracking that serious exterior. She couldn’t wait to break him out of that professional shell and see the real Ryker.

  * * *

  Jade leisurely lapped the pool for a third round, enjoying the water on her skin. It wasn’t the ocean, but it would do.

  She had the entire pool to herself. Ryker sat at one of the nearby tables, and Drake stood outside the door turning away early morning hotel patrons.

  Jade swam to the edge of the pool near Ryker and surfaced. She wiped her palm down her face and leaned her arms on the cold concrete pool edge. She leisurely kicked her legs in the water as she waited there, looking at him. He looked like a man in his early 30’s — entirely too young to be permanently serious.

  He glanced at her. “Need somethin’?”

  “What do you do for fun?” she asked.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m on an assignment. Fun isn’t a factor.”

  “You aren’t working all the time. What do you do when you’re off?”

  “Sleep.”

  “So you work and sleep all the time — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?”

  “Sure seems like it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “No vacations? No days off? Ever?”

  “I run my own company. My team depends on me. I make sure I’m available to them at all times.”

  “You can be available to them by phone from almost anywhere in the world. You know that, right?”

  “Some people can do that, sure. On an assignment, I prefer to be present. I’m very hands-on.”

  She couldn’t resist. “I’m your assignment right now. Does that mean I get your hands on me?” She rested her chin on her arms and batted her eyelashes at him playfully.

  Ryker’s eyes darkened with desire, but otherwise his expression didn’t change.

  “I can’t put my hands on you because you’re my assignment. Firm policy.”

  “You made the policy. You can un-make the policy.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. It’s a safety thing. I can’t focus on keeping you safe if I’m focused on when I’ll get to touch you next. No matter how much fun that might be.”

  “Oh, it’d be lots of fun. Never doubt that.” Jade winked at him.

  “That doubt never crossed my mind.” His serious expression never changed.

  She pushed herself off the pool edge and let her body relax so that she floated on her back.

  “Care to join me, Mr. Blue Eyes?”

  “Can’t. I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

  “Are you sure that’s the real reason? Because you could always wear your boxers. Or skinny dip. I am not opposed to skinny dipping with you. Your ‘no swimsuit’ excuse makes me think maybe you’re scared of water.”

  Ryker barked out a loud laugh.

  Jade’s body jerked with surprise at the unexpected sound and she almost sank herself. She floundered in panic for a few seconds before she remembered to relax. When her feet finally touched the solid bottom, she kicked up, coughing when she broke the surface in the middle of the pool.

  “You okay?” Ryker asked her with a small smile. He stood from his seat and approached the edge to offer her a towel.

  “I’m fine,” she coughed. She crossed the pool and took the towel from him. She dried her face and ran the towel over her hair then handed it back to him. “Thanks,” she said.

  She tilted her head back to look at him as he towered over her. “I can’t believe you laughed.”

  His eyes sparkled and the smile morphed into a grin. “Of course I laughed. I’m a former Navy SEAL. Not only am I fluent in long-distance swimming and endurance, I’m also trained in deep-diving and underwater demolitions. Water is my second home. I practically have gills. There’s no way in hell I’m scared of water. That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard.”

  She loved getting those glimpses of this Ryker — the true Ryker, not the stoic professional one. She’d be his own personal comedian if it made him laugh like that more often.

  “A good comedian brings out the laughs in people. Happy to offer my rockstar-comedian services. I’m here all day. Don’t forget to tip your server,” she teased.

  He chuckled. “I’ll be sure to do that. You ready to go back to your room?”

  “You still not takin’ off your pants for me?”

  He shook his head. “Pants stay on.”

  “Damn. I was looking forward to seeing you in your boxers, too. Then, yes, if that’s off the table, I guess I’m ready to go to the room.”

  He extended his hand to her. They grasped palms, his rough hand enveloping her soft one, and he easily helped her out of the pool.

  Ryker stood and held the towel out in front of him. He motioned for her to step forward and wrapped it around her when she stepped into it. While he tucked the loose ends in for her, securing the towel in place around her torso, he remained professional.

  Jade sighed to herself as she walked to the table. She slipped her flip-flops onto her feet, then picked up her shorts and phone.

  She heard Ryker’s low voice rumble, “We’re about to head back to the room. Everything clear out there?”

  She didn’t hear the response, but Ryker nodded and turned to Jade. He indicated for her to approach. Her flip-flops slapped the concr
ete as she walked toward him.

  Ryker walked ahead and held the door open for her, then he closed in beside her as they walked. Drake led the way, keeping a few steps ahead.

  They approached the end of the hallway, which turned a corner toward the lobby elevators. Drake motioned for them to stop, then he poked his head around the corner. He pulled back, turned to them, and said, “Wait here for my signal.”

  Ryker nodded and stepped to the corner after Drake disappeared around it.

  “What are we waiting on?” she asked.

  “You have fans in the lobby. Drake will secure the elevator and have it ready so we can board without delay.”

  “But my stalker is someone on tour, not a random fan.”

  He glanced at her. “That could be true, but we don’t know for sure yet. He could also work with anyone. And fans do crazy shit, anyway. Remember the ‘90s singer Selena?”

  “No. Who’s that?”

  “She was one of the most-influential Latina artists of all time. She really popularized Latin music in the U.S. Everyone loved her. Sounds great, right? She was on top of the world. Until the founder of her fan club murdered her.”

  “Oh wow. Really?” Jade’s stomach sank. She hadn’t thought about things escalating that far. She knew fans could get a little crazy, but murder never crossed her mind.

  “Yeah. Other notable names are John Lennon, Dimebag Darrell, and, more recently, Christina Grimmie — all murdered by fans. We’re here to protect you from crazy fans, whether or not they’re Rosé, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

  Drake must have signaled them because Ryker motioned for her to come forward. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tucked her close to his side.

  “Stay next to me,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  Ryker kept himself between her and the people in the lobby as they walked to the elevator. She tucked her face into his side, not that it did much to disguise her rainbow hair.

  They stepped into the elevator and turned to face the entrance. Ryker’s arm slipped off her shoulder, though he continued to stand beside her.

  Drake already had their floor selected and hit the door-close button.

  “Jade!” she heard a fan shout, and she saw two or three people turn to look at the elevator. She gave them a small smile and wave, right as the door slid shut.