He screams the last part so loud Quinn flinches.
Skylar said she left out that little tidbit when she informed him about the Quinn situation so he wouldn’t freak out.
I can see why.
Skylar bolts up from her chair. “Shit.”
Yup. Not only is this terrible for Phoenix and Quinn, this is a PR nightmare.
“Is she still outside the venue?” Skylar questions.
Chandler starts to answer, but some woman shoves past him and barrels into the greenroom. Like Quinn, she’s beautiful, lithe, and has a mass of curly blonde hair and green eyes. And like both Quinn and Phoenix—her bone structure is to die for.
She immediately zeros in on her daughter. “Come on, Quinn. We’re leaving.”
Quinn grips my hand like a lifeline. “Please don’t make me go back there. Please.”
My heart folds in on itself.
Skylar and I exchange an uneasy glance. I’m in no position to stop this woman from taking her daughter, but I might be able to buy us some time.
I stand up and so does Quinn. “She’s not going anywhere until we talk to Phoenix.”
Something flashes in her eyes when I say his name, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that Quinn has been telling the truth. I feel bad for ever doubting her.
“Come with me, Quinn. Now.”
Lunging forward, she tries to grab Quinn, who recoils and squeezes my hand so hard it hurts. “No!”
“Back up, lady,” Skylar growls, surprising all of us. “She doesn’t want to go with you.”
Indignation washes over her face as her furious stare bounces between all of us. “She’s my daughter. Keeping her captive is a crime.”
I play the only card in my deck.
“In that case, I’ll call the police.”
“Lennon,” Quinn hisses. “You promised.”
But my threat works because her mom’s mouth instantly clamps shut, and she takes a step back.
Disgust billows in my gut. “That’s what I thought.”
Making sure Quinn is on the safe side so her mother won’t try to grab her again, I march toward the door.
“I’m taking her to the bus.”
I expect Chandler to hem and haw, but to my surprise, he stays silent.
As much as I’d love to give Phoenix a heads-up about his mother being here, there’s no way that’s possible since he’s on stage.
The only thing I can do is exactly what he would do…and that’s keep his sister safe.
CHAPTER 51
PHOENIX
Screams and shouts pulsate my ears as I sing the final note of “Existentialism” and the last bars fade.
I soak up the energy like a fiend, unable to get enough. This is what I live and breathe for.
This is why I’m still alive.
However, when I look off stage, my good buzz evaporates.
I was hoping Lennon would at least be out here to catch the end because it’s my favorite part of the song and I know she’d love it just as much as I do…but she’s not.
I try to tell myself it’s no big deal, but it’s a lie.
Because it’s another reminder that once the tour is over…
So are we.
I raise my middle finger in the air. “Good night, Chicago. Get home safe.”
“That was fucking awesome,” Storm says as we trek off stage. “Did you see how crazy they went?”
Hell yeah I did. Just like I predicted.
“Mark my words, guys.” Memphis slings an arm around each of our shoulders, pulling us into a huddle. “We’re getting another Grammy.”
George doesn’t say shit as he walks off. The fucker knows better.
“Only if Vic agrees to let us put it on the record,” I remind them.
“Trust me, that fucknut will,” Storm says with a grin. “Especially after the way you handled shit today.” He looks around backstage, which is unusually quiet. “Where’s Chandler?”
Nowhere to be found…which is weird. I figured he’d be waiting in the wings, gearing up to either curse us or praise us.
Memphis surveys the backstage area. “He’s probably in the greenroom with Sky and Lennon.” Tongue in cheek, he rubs my head. “And my baby mama.”
That earns him a sucker punch to the shoulder. “If you want to keep that arm, don’t ever refer to my baby sister as your baby mama again.”
Memphis holds his hands up. “Relax, man. It was a fucking joke.”
Not a funny one.
Plus, I’m still fucking pissed that he never told me about Quinn sneaking into his hotel room.