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“Can I speak with you and your switch operators for second,Gabe,” Liam interjects, his tone condescending.
Gabe’s face turns sour. “Uh yeah, sure.”
“Are you good here, Ms. Wilder?” Liam checks in with me. I fight my lips turning up at his,Ms. Wilder.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“We got her covered,” Eric chimes in before putting his palm on my shoulder. I can tell by his jittery hand that this event has him shaken up again.
Once Liam and Gabe are out of sight, Eric leads us to a private lounge area for talent. Gia, Eric, and Shea all sit around me, much like they did last night. Their eyes turn to me and wait for me to say something about what just happened back there.
“I just needed a moment,” I finally say.
“You ran like a bat out of hell, Birdie. You’ve never done that before,” Gia worries.
“I’ll make a therapy appointment if that will make you guys happy. But I’m really fine.”
“I think therapy is a good idea,” Eric nods. “I don’t like this, Birdie. I don’t like any of it.”
“And you think I do?” I raise my voice. “Let’s just go to soundcheck.”
“We can cancel the show tonight, Birdie.”
I stand up. “No! We will absolutely not cancel the show tonight. It’s sold out.”
Eric stands with me and puts up his hands in a calming motion. “Okay, okay! Calm down. You aren’t going to go spiriting out of here again, are you?”
I huff. “No, I won’t. But I can’t make any promises against hitting you.”
He shakes his head. “You’re crazy, Birdie. Dedicated, smart, wonderful, talented, insane.”
“I never claimed to be sane,” I wink.
Shea looks up from her phone. “We should get going. Sound check is in thirty.”
I take a few deep breaths. “Let’s hit the road.”
twenty-four
Liam
Gabefromtheradiostation is here. He’s watching Birdie on stage like she’s a piece of meat. He was doing that all afternoon, too. Then, when he grabbed her, I almost kneed him in the balls.
I do have to admit he was helpful in getting me a recording of the stalker. It irked me to no end this guy was able to get on air and the fact he called himself Damien. Really original… not. No way that’s his real name.
I grind my teeth. Today’s display confirmed what I had already been starting to think—someone on tour is involved. There’s no other wayDamienwould be able to get close to Birdie and know her schedule in this way. That led me back to Shea.
Her comments this morning, her taking a liking to me… But most of all, the fact that she has access to Birdie’s schedule and all her personal and private information. No, I didn’t like that at all.
Unfortunately, my morning search had come up squeaky clean, yet again. Shea Crane, age 22, from Los Angeles, California. Went to Pepperdine University and studied communications. She has nothing on her record, not even a parking or speeding ticket. Her family is average and has nothing to note either. All I’m going off is a hunch and intuition from my years of being a cop. Nothing more.
“She’s amazing!” Gabe yells over Birdie’s voice rocking out. I turn my head to him, my mouth in a hard line.
“She is.”
“You know,” he smirks, “We were together once!”
My muscles tense. Birdie and this guy? No fucking way. My girl had to have more taste than that.My girl. Is she though?Shit.
