Hot Ticket

Aggie paused in her angry retaliation against a helpless corset. “Wait. What? You made up that story about borrowing money from the Mafia?”

Mom probably should not have revealed that while Aggie had a sharp object in her hand.

“Are-are-are-are you mad at meeeeee?”

The woman should go into acting. She was a natural.

“Un-fucking-believable. Well, at least I can stop working overtime, since I no longer have to save money to pay off your stupid loan.”

“So you’re not mad at me?” Mom turned off the waterworks like a plumber with a pipe wrench.

“No. Just go away. You’ve done enough.”

“Now you’re just being bitchy.”

Aggie stiffened. Bitchy? “I need a freakin’ vacation,” Aggie said under her breath, shredding the ruined half of the corset with her seam ripper so she didn’t attack her mother with its deadly point.

Chapter 18

Sitting in the studio on their first day off-tour in three weeks, Jace smiled when he saw who the text message was from. Aggie. He couldn’t wait to see her again. He had plans to see her in Vegas that weekend, though he hadn’t shared those plans with her. As he read her words on the screen, his smile faded.

I’m in LA. Text me your address. I thought I’d stay with you for a few days. Mom is driving me insane. I had to get out of Vegas.

His place? He’d never invited her to his place for a reason. He lived in a dump in a bad neighborhood. That was sure to cause a barrage of uncomfortable questions. Jace needed to intercept her and convince her that they should spend a romantic weekend in some expensive hotel. He turned to the producer, Chris. They were sitting outside the booth where Eric was recording drum tracks for their upcoming album.

“Do you know any five-star hotels in Los Angeles?” Jace asked.

Chris lifted an eyebrow. “I dunno. That big pink one where all the celebs go. What’s it called?” He snapped his fingers. “The Beverly Hills Hotel.”

“Where’s that?”

“Sunset Boulevard. Where else?”

Jace didn’t hang around Beverly Hills. He did know Sunset Boulevard though. “Do you think I can get a reservation there?”

Chris chuckled. “If you can’t, I’m sure Trey can.”

Unlike Jace, Trey hung around Beverly Hills regularly. He’d been raised there and had social connections with the rich and famous. Jace texted a message back to Aggie.

Why don’t you meet me at The Beverly Hills Hotel? It’s on Sunset Boulevard. We’ll spend the weekend there together.

He decided to sweeten the deal.

I’ll bring my suitcase and spoil you.

Waiting for her response, Jace gave Eric a thumbs-up in the booth when he came to the end of his track.

“Perfect,” Chris said to Eric through the mic.

Eric shook his head. “I stumbled over a beat at around three minutes. Is Jace breaking your concentration?”

Jace’s cell phone beeped with the arrival of another text.

I’d rather just stay at your place.

I’m not prepared for company, he returned.

I’m not company. I’m your girlfriend.

If you see where I live, you might change your mind.

I’m not that shallow, Jace.

Jace supposed there was one way to find out if she could handle the real him. He texted his street address.

I’ll meet you there.

“I’ve got to go,” he said to Chris.

“You’ll be back later, won’t you?” the producer said. “You’re up next.”

“I don’t know. I might be back later today. Tell the guys I’m sorry, but I have unexpected company.”

In the parking garage, Jace climbed onto his bike and started the engine. He headed toward home with demons on his heels. He had to beat Aggie to his place and hide his dirty laundry in his closet. Put clean sheets on his bed. Scrub the toilet. Then he’d have to take her grocery shopping. He’d just returned from touring for three weeks, and his refrigerator was empty. Maybe if he made her a nice dinner, it would make up for the fact that she had to eat it off a paper plate.

He parked his motorcycle on the street and headed up the stairs to his apartment. He was stripping the sheets off his bed when his cell phone rang.

“I’m here. Will my car be safe parked on the street?” Aggie asked. “This neighborhood looks a little shady.”

Little shady? Maybe. If she considered a dense forest a little shady. He glanced around his bare-walled apartment. She would not be happy here. He was embarrassed that he even lived here. “Let’s go to a hotel.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m already parked. Come help me with my luggage.”

“I’ll be right down.” He kicked the dirty sheets under his bed and headed down to help her with her bags.

By the time he reached the sidewalk, a couple of men were already helping her with her bags. Or rather, trying to help themselves to her bags.

One tossed her suitcase into the back of a pickup. Another tugged on her purse, which she was clinging to with both hands. “Give me your purse, bitch.”

“Let go, you f**king jerk.” She kicked him in the shin and gave her purse a hard yank. Contents spilled across the cement, but she was unwilling to give an inch in their tug of war. Not even when the man pulled a gun.

“I’m going to shoot you if you don’t let go.”

“Get a job, you f**king loser,” she bellowed. “This is mine. I worked hard for it.”

Apparently, Jace’s woman was lacking a fear gene. He knew fear though. It hadn’t gotten its claws into him in years, but it did now. His blood turned cold in his veins, and all he could think was to get her away from danger.

Jace charged forward and shoved Aggie aside, sending her scrambling to maintain her balance and still keep a grip on her stupid purse. Before he could turn to confront the mugger, two successive gunshots sliced through his body. The back of his right shoulder. Through his right arm. Tires squealed. The ground tilted beneath him and rose up to meet his face. Someone screamed his name. Everything went black.

Chapter 19

Aggie turned at the sound of gunshots. Saw the blood splatter out of Jace’s arm. Watched him fall. Felt her world crumble. “Jace!”

Someone grabbed her arm and shoved a gun under her chin. “I said, give me your f**king purse. Don’t make me kill you too, you stupid bitch.”

She couldn’t comprehend the danger she was in, could only watch the blood spread in a widening puddle from beneath the only man she’d ever loved. “Jace…”