Click (A Night Fire Novel Book 2) Read online

  Home was Boston, Massachusetts. No, our temporary home was Boston. I had a few more years of hiding here, then I would have to face my parents disappointed faces.

  Night was slowly slipping across the land. I wanted to find my bed and sleep away the hours. But it was unlikely. The truth would be that I would cry until I looked like some bloated puffer fish and slowly slip into an uneasy sleep.

  Monique and I made our way through the crowd, seeing our ride home waiting for us. Benny looked panicked, it was a little concerning because crowds didn't bother him. The last time he looked this nervous was when the health department did their inspection. Not that the clean freak had anything to worry about. Benny had a thing against dirt, pests, almost anything remotely gross. Every time we walked in for our shift he would check us over, no dirt under the nails, hair neat and tidy and clothes the cleanest they could be. Otherwise we were made to fix it or go home. Benny really was a freak.

  As we drew closer he scraped his fingers through his blonde fringe, pulling it back over his head. His head turned to the side, pointing a finger with excitement.

  “Oh my god, is that Erin Dunlop?”

  Suddenly the crowd shifted en masse, turning to the direction he pointed to. Cameras started clicking up a frenzy as the crowd started to go wild with excitement.

  “Come on.” he hissed his panic. “I've got a cab double parked.”

  We were running through the airport, the doors were just a short distance before Benny stopped.

  “What the hell is going on Ben?” Monique puffed as she clutched her side.

  “You two don't know?” he frowned.

  “Abigail!” a man screeched my name at the top of his voice and I turned to it.

  Suddenly I was hit with a wall of flashing light, the sounds of a thousand cameras clicking at us.

  “Damn it.” Benny snarled. “Come on.”

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the doors, getting into the first cab available.

  “Hey!” a woman hissed at him.

  “Not now.”

  Benny pushed us into the back seats, throwing our bags in as he shut the door, climbing in the front with the driver.

  “Go, now!”

  “What happened to the double parked cab?” Monique yelled as the cab lurched forward, throwing us back against the seat.

  “Oh, he was moved on.” the driver informed us. “Cannot double park, blocks the road.”

  “Benny?”

  He turned in his seat and a frown deepened over his pretty watery blue eyes.

  “Was wondering if you knew, you kind of looked a little oblivious. Lucky for you, I brought the tabloids that have been circulating the past couple of days. You my darling are an internet hit.”

  In his hand was three tabloid magazines, Monique snatched them out of his hands. She took one and dumped the other two onto my lap.

  On the front cover was Austin and I in Oz's diner, two words across the banner. Island Love.

  Frantically I turned to the article, pages of images of the two of us, Monique and I, even a few photos with Brody. I'd been labeled a heart breaker, that I had courted many men over the few days that I had been there and that Austin was devastated. I turned the page to images of the real Austin, a singer for a band called Night Fire.

  “Damn it.” Monique groaned. “Do you like that band Ben?”

  “Nuh, not into anything other than techno.”

  “I've been labeled as a slut. I didn't even have sex with anyone.”

  Monique snorted as she tossed the magazine onto my lap, taking the other one.

  “A woman has sex with a few men and she's a slut. A man has sex with a few women and he's a stud. This world is so bloody sexist it's not funny.”

  “Mon, I didn't even do it with him. This is saying that we're almost married.”

  Benny huffed with a laugh, turning to the driver who was nodding with a grin.

  “Honey, that isn't half of what they are saying. I'm looking forward to becoming an honorary uncle, if it's a boy are you going to name him after me?”

  “Not pregnant Benny. Kind of need to have sex for that one.”

  “Apparently you went to the island to meet his parents.”

  “I didn't even know they were there until today. He said they were always around and came and went as they pleased.”

  He shrugged, looking as Monique held up a picture of the fight in the bar. The one sided fight. His whole quiet life on that island had just been shot to pieces.

  “You can't go back to the apartment, ever since the news broke it's been chaos. Can't go to the ol' Benster's house either. Lucky for you I've got a nice hidey hole that you can stay at while until they lose interest. On a positive note, you don't need to hide your dropping out of the degree from your parents anymore.”

  Benny flashed his pearly white teeth at me with his award winning, panty dropping smile.

  “Shit.” I groaned.

  “Don't stress Ab, I smoothed it over for you. As payment you're doing your next shift for free.”

  “How generous of you.” Monique snipped.

  “It is.” he retorted, almost offended. “Her father was on the phone, yelling at me that I was to blame for making her work too many hours. So I told him exactly what I knew. She wasn't right for it, she didn't want to do it. I might have mentioned that you passed out when they showed pictures. I didn't tell him about the throwing up.”

  I groaned again, flopping my head onto the seat.

  “As a bonus, the shop has never been busier. I gotta say Ab, you need to go on more holidays, this is awesome.”

  Thanks to the media, I now knew the true Austin. He was a god in the world of hard rock music. The band was legendary. His band released an album and the world sat up and took notice. They went on tour and they were sold out within a few hours of the sale starting. Nothing could stop their rise to world domination. Except one little thing of course. Me.

  Speculation was rife, estimating that the end of Night Fire was going to happen at any moment. Some media outlets said that I was causing a rift between the members, that Austin had gone to his parents to escape the doom and gloom of his world.

  Austin was right when he said that I didn't know what I was getting myself in for. Maybe if he had actually bothered to tell me I wouldn't be so clueless. Part of me could understand why he wouldn't want to tell me, he probably wanted a quiet holiday.

  “Oh my god, you are a tart Ab.” Monique giggled.

  I lifted my head from the window pane, sick of the view of the night sky anyway. The hotel room Benny had rented for us under his name was doing well to hide me. Monique was searching out everything related to Night Fire. For an hour now I had been drowned in their music, listening to Austin sing up a storm. His voice was incredible and I could understand why they were famous.

  Monique turned Benny's laptop, the image was of Austin and I at the lagoon. I had no god damned top on.

  “Shit.”

  Aside from my oversized breasts out there for the world to see, it was a pretty nice photo. I had to give the photographer some merit for it.

  She chuckled and turned it back to continue her internet stalking. Her mouth opened with a wicked smirk, about to tell me something.

  “I don't want to hear it Monique. I'm going to bed.”

  I grabbed my bag, pulling it into my bedroom. As I rummaged through the hastily packed clothes I found my camera. It was torturous but I looked through the photos. The last few photos weren't taken by me, Austin must have gotten hold of the camera again.

  I was on my stomach, my bare back with a slick of the cream glistening from the light above. Envy washed through me, the bastard took a pretty good photo. I paused at a photo that was my back, completely covered in white cream, written onto my back was three words, You said that. I flicked to the next image, the cream had been wiped over and new words were written, you love me.

  “Oh crap.” I whispered.

  Next image had another
message, well Abigail...

  My heart sunk hard, my hand was shaking as I pressed the button to change to the next image.

  I love you too.

  I choked back a sob, Monique was at the door in an instant. She took the camera, flicking through the images as she hugged me with her free arm.

  “Shit.” she groaned, flicking through the images that I hadn't seen.

  Outside I am...

  Famous.

  Wealthy.

  Loved by too many.

  Inside I am...

  Quiet.

  Lost.

  Until I met you.

  You make me...

  Happy.

  Relaxed.

  Grateful to be alive.

  Monique's phone started ringing, frightening the life out me. She rushed out of the room, leaving me a mess of tears. I flicked the button again and laughed, in spite of the tears. The bastard had drawn a cream mustache on my face. After that the images were of the rock face that morning I had met him. I turned the camera off and put it on the bedside, frowning at the hotel phone that was ringing loudly.

  Not sure who Monique was talking to but it was all in hushed tones at the entrance of her bedroom. I picked up the phone with a wary greeting.

  “A package has arrived for a Miss Marshall, a staff member will be delivering it to your room within the minute.”

  “Uh okay, thanks.”

  “No problem. Have a good evening.”

  “You too.” I whispered and hung up the phone.

  What was Benny having sent here and why the hell couldn't he just bring it here himself?

  Barely a few seconds had passed before there was a knock at the door. Monique turned to it with a frown, still talking on the phone. I shrugged at her and opened the door a sliver.

  The impeccably dressed man held out the white box. If he was a staff member I wouldn't know, he was in a plain suit with no name tag or anything to identify him with.

  Even though I shouldn't, I gave him a good once over. He offered a cheeky smirk, dirty blonde hair pulled to one side in an attempt to look professional. It hadn't fooled me, it was a finger scraping not a brushed effort. A tattoo was peeking over the edge of his shirt collar and instantly I was suspicious.

  “Package for Miss Marshall.”

  It was wrapped in a black silk ribbon, the bow looked like it had been tied with precision.

  “Who is it from?”

  “I am not sure miss, do you want to refuse delivery?”

  “No.” I sighed, pushing the door open to take it.

  I rummaged through my pocket, finding a ten dollar note.

  “Sorry, it's all I've got left.”

  “It's alright miss, my tip has been paid for.”

  With a nod he turned on his heels and walked back to the elevator. He wasn't a staff member, I couldn't imagine this hotel allowing their staff to wear dirty red converse boots.

  I closed the door and pulled on the ribbon, sitting on the lounge as I lifted the lid. Monique was still talking to someone, by the angst in her voice it sounded like her mother.

  The box was a glossy white rectangle thing that looked like it cost too much money. Inside the box was a black leather bound book. Not just any black leather book, the black leather book.

  He knew where I was and not just that, he had sent the book that I didn't think he would ever show me. I pulled the book out of the box, a note fell out onto my lap.

  I gulped hard as I picked up the piece of paper, it had been torn from the book and folded over once.

  Abigail,

  Last night you offered so much of what you hide in that mind of yours, the barriers came down even if you were off in pixie land because of the medication. You might have been talking to a cat that did not exist but I still believed you when you said that you loved me.

  Which leaves me wondering why you ran away without allowing me to explain what you saw. I had planned on telling you everything at dinner tonight, that's why I was at the store. After I told you every little detail about my world, I was going to introduce you to my family. Not just my parents but my extended family. They are my world, they are my life. When I said that you didn't know what you were getting yourself into, I was right but I didn't know how to tell you and for that I'm sorry. What we had right then was so perfect and not marred by the reality of my life. But you've probably seen my reality by now.

  Those girls at the store were fans, by bringing the rest of the band to the island I had inadvertently alerted the world to where I was hiding. So I did my duty and gave my fans what they wanted, photos with their idol. I'm sorry if you misinterpreted the situation, again if I had told you then you would have understood. I can't change the past but I can change the future. Instead of meeting my family at dinner tonight you can meet them through my work.

  The first few pictures are the images I was drawing at the shack and yesterday, the rest I did tonight. Don't flick ahead to the end, okay?

  xA.

  I sat the book on my lap and opened the cover, looking at the first drawing. It was me sitting on the little platform at the shack, surrounded by the plants. The next was still at the shack, I was asleep on the bed. Had he committed the image to memory or had he stayed awake to draw it? Next along was me wading into the water in my bikini bottoms. It wasn't a crass drawing, it was from behind and showed off the curves of my hips and the long line of my spine. This one had to be from memory, he didn't have the pencils out at the lagoon.

  “Oh my god Ab.” Monique sat beside me in awe.

  I turned the page over to a familiar face.

  The delivery boy, aka Jaxon. He mostly plays rhythm but sometimes does lead.

  “God damn, he is a hottie. Make sure I get introduced to him.”

  “He was at the door, delivered the box.”

  “What?” she snapped. “Damn my mother and her poorly timed calls.”

  I chuckled and turned the page to another drawing of a man.

  Evan who likes to think he's a better artist than me. Plays lead guitar.

  Monique lifted the corner, cooing at the images.

  “I think I like his friends. The internet pictures were pretty damned good but these are way better.”

  “Images on the internet?” I frowned.

  She nodded at me, edging her way to the laptop. With a lifting of the top cover and a few clicks of the keys, I was looking at dozens of images of the band.

  “Ugh, put it away Mon, I can't deal with that right now.”

  With a shrug she closed the lid and dumped the laptop onto the coffee table. I turned the page over to another image.

  Curtis, the drummer. Also sometimes referred to as a cousin.

  “Oh baby.” Monique purred.

  I turned another page and looked upon the fifth member of their band.

  Fraser, bass guitar. Any rumors about a chick who wasn't really a chick are completely untrue... apparently.

  I giggled turning over the page to a picture of a woman.

  Mom, she will hug you as her hello while telling you that you are too thin. Just nod and say thanks for the variety of baked goods put in front of you because it's a battle you won't win, trust me.

  “Aww, somebody loves their mommy.” Monique giggled.

  “Yeah.”

  And it was likely that I would be enemy number one for hurting their son. Because I had. I should have stayed and let him speak to me. Instead I ran away like an idiot. I turned over the page to the picture of his father. Austin looked a lot like him, his father was obviously older but in a more distinguished way. Age certainly worked well on this man.

  Dad, he will probably give you an awkward hug type handshake that will result in embarrassment for everyone. Once you get to know each other things will be cool.

  Monique lifted the edge again, gasping at it. She flicked it over to a picture of me.

  “God, it's so detailed. He even got the scar at the hair line.”

  Instinctively I rubbed the mark, a re
minder that not all sibling rivalry is a war of words.

  Abigail, beautiful inside and out.

  I wiped away the tears, turning the page again.

  This is the issue I have.

  The reason I was at the island was to see my parents and have a holiday before I went on tour. I will be gone for a year at least, there is talk of doing more shows due to the ticket sales being so phenomenal. It means a year away from you unless you come with me. You've got your education to continue with and I can't be the one that stops you from doing what you love. It would be wrong and I could never live with myself and I would hate it if you looked at me with regret. Having said that, I don't think I could wake up a happy man tomorrow knowing that you weren't by my side. I dread the thought of a year away from you and it's left me with some seriously mixed up emotions.

  There is a solution, if you are willing to have a little faith in me.

  Come to the balcony.

  My head darted to the French doors that lead to a little balcony. Beyond the glass was a darkening blue sky, night was easing into the world around us. A flood of light destroyed the picturesque view and the strain of a guitar sent my heart into a flutter.

  Chapter Twelve

  Monique lifted the book from my lap, gently placing it onto the table in front of us.

  “Come on hun, you need to stand up.”

  My legs wobbled as she helped me up, I feared what was going on out there. She opened the doors and it was like a wave of sound it us. Gently she pushed me out the doors first, the view below was crazy. The entire street had been blocked off, the barricades at either side had hundreds of people at each side. Mostly female and screaming for their attention but I guess that's normal.

  A stage had been set up in the center of the street, covered with their equipment and of course, them. The lights had been lighting up the night sky like a wall of white shooting into the darkness. A light roll of the drums alerted everyone to the fact that we were watching, the crowd went a little wilder in that second.