Stone Cold Notes: A Rock Star Romance (The Seasons Change)

WINTER WAS BEGINNING TO THAW IN MANHATTAN. The air was still crisp, but it wasn’t as biting. I loved it, though. I’d be sad when it started to get warm. There was no way I would be spending my lunch hours in the park under the beating summer sun. This girl was not built for the heat.

As I approached Good Music at the end of my break, I was lost in the warm sun and the cool air, optimistic, and more than looking forward to tonight. A young boy and his pregnant mother were stopped on the sidewalk so I had to dodge around them. My eye caught on an RV double parked, and I shook my head. They were going to get a ticket. And who brought an RV to the city?

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman called from behind me. “We got in your way.”

I turned back to smile at them. “Don’t worry for a second. Have a good day.”

The little boy waved. His blue eyes were so big and round, I couldn’t help waving back. His mother’s head jerked to the side, then so did mine. But it was too late.

A man the size and shape of a wall wrapped his arms around me, plucked me from the sidewalk, and shoved me into the RV. I tripped over my own two feet onto a threadbare bench anchored to the floor.

“Wha—?” I rose to my feet, but the man shoved me down again. He was gentle about it, but I still slammed on my butt since he was nine feet tall with arms like tree trunks.

The pregnant woman and her son hurried through the door, then the wall-man slammed it shut, locked it, and threw himself into the driver’s seat. We were moving a moment later.

“What are you doing?” I cried. “Who are you? Wha—?”

The woman brought her finger to her lips and shushed me. It shocked me so much, I actually quieted. Then she squatted in front of the boy, ruffled his hair, and smiled. “Go up to the loft and put on your headphones. Watch your show, okay?”

He nodded, eyeing me for a split second, then climbed a ladder to a narrow loft above the driver’s seat. The woman spun to face me when the boy was safely tucked away.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she said.

“Just kill me?” Oh god, why would I even suggest that? I was terrible at being kidnapped.

“No, of course not.” She actually laughed, as if that was so silly. Then she sat down on the bench, a foot of distance between us. “My name is Chrysanthemum. The man drivin’ is my brother, Rascal. The boy is my son, Sparrow. He has a bird name like you.”

My eyes rounded. “You know who I am?”

She mimicked my expression. “I don’t look a little bit familiar? Even the eyes?”

Hers were icy blue, and her hair was a pale blonde. She was tall and lanky, even with the round belly. The man had been just as blond and icy, but not even close to lanky.

“Are you related to Callum?” I breathed.

She clapped once and grinned. “You got it. When we were little, they called us the trips. Rasc got big, I got girly, and…well, Callum got gone, so our triplet days ended. But we looked just alike for a while there.”

Any other day, I’d love to be hearing about Callum’s life from his sister. But not this day—not when I’d been shoved in an RV and driven god knows where.

“Where are you taking me?”

Her smile dimmed. “Oh, we’re not goin’ anywhere. Rasc is just makin’ circles so we can talk uninterrupted. I told you, we’re not gonna hurt you. This meetin’ is just to say hi and talk. Cal won’t take my calls, and I really need to talk to my brother. I’m hopin’ I can appeal to your heart and you’ll ask him for me.”

My skin prickled when I thought of what Callum’s reaction to this would be. I knew he wouldn’t take kindly to it, and I really didn’t want to be the messenger.

I’d play along with anything if it meant I’d get out of this RV. I hadn’t glanced around much, concentrating on my captors instead, but from what I saw, it was old, but spotlessly clean. Everything should have been replaced years ago, but the floor wasn’t sticky and the air smelled like lemons. So at least I didn’t have to worry about being infested with bugs when I left here. I just had to worry about actually getting the chance to leave.

“Why do you need to talk to Callum?”

She might have said she wasn’t going to hurt me and they weren’t taking me anywhere scary, but the windows all had cardboard over them and she had sent her kid away. I didn’t trust this woman, and I was terrified of the wall-man in the front. I’d play along, though, if it meant I’d escape with my body parts intact.

“Well,” she laid her hand on her rounded belly, “I’m havin’ a baby in two months. The dad abandoned me, tellin’ me he didn’t believe the baby’s his.” Her eyes misted, and it jabbed at me. I knew all too well what it was like to have a baby with a man who shirked his duties. “He knows damn well he forced himself on me.”

Her voice caught, and tears slipped down her cheeks. And I…well, I was affected. This situation was terrifying, but I was human. Seeing her in pain, with her big belly, knowing what she had coming, it made me raw for her.

“I’m sorry,” I rasped.

Her eyes connected with mine. They shined like the sky on the sunniest day of the year. So blue, they were almost unreal. And they were so incredibly sad. Still, she forced out a half smile.

“His parents offered to help—I guess they know what kind of man their son is—but you see, they’re all the way out in California. Rasc and me have been workin’ odd jobs, but the RV broke down and it’s expensive to fix a vehicle this old. We spent all our money on makin’ the RV run. If we can just get to Cali, we’ll be golden, but funds are short. I’m hopin’ Callum will help us one last time so I can have my baby near her grandparents. They don’t have much, but they’ll watch her and Sparrow while I work and we can live with them. We won’t have to be stuck in the RV anymore.”

“That’d be nice.” I was thinking about Jenny and what a lifeline she’d been for me. How I wouldn’t have survived without her. And then I remembered what a lifeline Callum had been and I hadn’t even known it.

“Yeah.” She smiled through her tears. “Sparrow can have a real bed. He can get enrolled in school. It’d be real, real nice. We just gotta get out there. Lorraine and Mike can’t afford to loan us much, so we’re a little desperate. I know it isn’t right, grabbin’ you and scarin’ you, but Rasc and I didn’t know what else to do. So, I’m beggin’ you right now to ask Cal to help us. And I’m throwin’ myself at your mercy, askin’ for your forgiveness. Please, Wren. Ask him to call me.”

I nodded, seeing so much of myself in her. She was breaking my heart with her sad blue eyes that reminded me so much of Callum’s.

“I’ll ask him. I’ll try to make him understand.” Reaching out, I laid my hand on hers. “I know you grew up rough, but you’re making things better for your kids, and that’s so commendable. I think Callum will help you, but can I ask that when you call in the future, it’s just to check on him. Don’t call when you need something. Call because you love him.”

Her head jerked back as if I’d surprised her. “Um…okay. Yeah, you’re right. I should definitely do that.” She stood up and cupped her mouth. “Rasc, we’re good.”

The vehicle slowed a minute later, then pulled to a stop. Chrys tipped her chin to the door. “You can go now.”

“Oh, okay.”

Flustered, I smoothed my hands over my coat and climbed to my feet. My knees were wobbly, and it felt like all the blood had rushed out of my head.

Chrys followed me to the door, crowding me like she was in a hurry. “You’d better shake a tail feather,” she said from behind me. “Cops catch us double parked, we’ll have even bigger worries.”

She swung the door open and gave my shoulder a sharp nudge. Lightheaded, knees knocking, I stepped out, and it was clear right away I’d misjudged the drop. Time slowed, and even though it was a few feet, it took forever for me to hit the ground.

When I did, I wished I was still floating.

The snap was audible. Nausea rose in my throat immediately. Horns honked, someone cursed a few times, then the rumble of the engine vibrated the pavement where I was curling into a ball.

Someone rushed toward me. Then another someone. I saw feet, men’s dress shoes and women’s spiked boots.

“Wren? Oh my god, Wren! Ronan, lift her up.” Iris was here. Why was Iris here?

A strong hand curled around my arm, and my vision went black. Someone screamed so loud and high, windows must have shattered. That was me. I screamed. Oh god. The hand retreated right away. Another hand drove through my hair, stroking me gently, shushing me.

“Wren, honey, Ronan needs to help you up. Is anything else injured?” Iris asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” I cradled my wrist to my chest. I’d never broken a bone, but I had no doubt I’d broken this one. The snap would forever be ingrained in my mind.

“Come on, love,” Ronan cooed softly as he took me under the elbows. “Let’s get you up and take care of you.”

He got me standing, holding me against his broad frame. Iris was there too, stroking my hair and looking me over. That was when I saw we were right in front of Good Music. Natalie had run out of the building. She was watching from the entry, worry crinkling her brow.

Then I was ushered away. Iris sat beside me in the back of a plush SUV while Ronan sat beside their driver, Bill. He drove like I had a life-threatening emergency instead of a broken wrist.

“Want to tell me who shoved you out of that RV?” Iris asked.

“I don’t know if I was shoved—”

“You were shoved, girl,” Ronan barked. “And they drove off, seeing you lying there. I hope that wasn’t someone you consider a friend.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “That was Callum’s sister,” I whispered, and Iris gasped. Bill’s eyes shot to the rearview mirror. Ronan twisted in his seat, scowling ferociously.

“I’ll call him, tell him what happened.” Ronan picked up his phone, but I slapped his seat.

“Please don’t. He’ll be so angry, especially if he doesn’t hear it from me. I have to make him understand what happened.”

Ronan’s eyes narrowed. “If you don’t tell him you were shoved, I will. Iris will too. We both saw as we were leaving Good Music. There’s no denying that. He needs to know.”

“He’ll be so angry,” I whimpered.

“Good.” Ronan’s nostrils flared. “If he wasn’t angry his sister injured his woman, I’d be worried.”

I couldn’t fight with him. I already had one domineering man in my life, I didn’t need to take on another. Plus, the adrenaline in my system that had been dulling some of the pain was ebbing, and the sharp ache took all my concentration to breathe through.

Ronan charged into the emergency room, securing me a bed faster than he should have been able to. Iris stayed with me as I spoke to the doctor and was waiting for me when I got back from my X-ray. It all went so fast, action blurring around me. I’d been to the emergency room before, and it was never like this. I didn’t mind the special treatment, though. Not in the least.

Fortunately, I didn’t need surgery even though my break was fairly serious. I was wrapped up in a hot-pink cast, given instructions and a prescription for pain meds, and sent on my way. All of this took several hours, getting dangerously close to the time Callum would pick me up from work.

Ronan loomed at our backs as we walked out of the hospital to Bill’s waiting SUV.

“Can you text Callum for me?” Iris nodded, poised with her phone. “Tell him I’m with you but I’m coming to his place.”

“Got it, honey bunny.”

I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. “He’s going to lose his shit.”

“Yeah.” Her eyes, which were a rich blue, found mine. “Do you want me to stay with you when we get to his place?”

“No, thank you. I’m not afraid of him. I’m just scared about what he’ll do.”

She canted her head. “You think he’ll go after them?”

My chin dropped to my chest. Dread rose within me. “Pretty sure he will. They’re his brother and sister, so I don’t know what he’ll do, but I don’t think he’ll see reason.”

Iris climbed into the SUV, and I followed. Ronan stood at the door, looking us both over.

“I’ll stay with you.” His nostrils flared. His mouth had gotten tight. “If he needs to go after them, I’ll go and make sure nothing gets out of hand.”

I nodded, and he closed the door.

As we drove, Iris leaned closer to me. “A few months ago, I was in that same hospital.”

I turned to her. “I remember reading you were attacked.”

“Yeah.” Her hand went to her stomach. “I still have the scars.”

“I’m sorry.”

Her smile was sweet and sympathetic. “I thought I was okay after. I’m a tough girl, you know? But sometimes it still haunts me. I picture the knife, my attacker’s crazed eyes, and I feel like I’m back there. I know your experience wasn’t the same as mine, but I’m here if you need to talk to someone who understands, honey bunny.”

My chin quivered. Iris was a beautiful, famous rock star. She was a tough girl, and she looked it. Her boyfriend was a massively suited bodyguard, walking intimidation. Both had been kinder to me in the last few hours than people I’d known my whole life.

“Thank you,” I squeezed out.

She rested her hand over mine, even as her chin quivered a little too. “Of course. You’re Callie’s girl, that means you’re my girl too.”

I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to stop my tears. I would cry later, and it would be a flood, but it wasn’t time yet.

Now, I had to get to Callum and make him believe I was going to be fine.