Page 71 of Until The Stars Don't Shine

So that the cameras won’t capture your face, he all but said.

She followed his instructions all while her mind searched frantically for a way to escape, but that knife was too close to her ribs and she was too scared to think coherently.

Kane, where are you?

They reached Lexi’s workout room, where she kept her body in shape with Pilates and the hot yoga her mom swore by. Instead of heading to the French doors that led outside — and where she knew a camera would be — he steered her to a window.

Opening it, he leaned in close to her ear. “Don’t try to do anything or I’ll come back and hurt your parents.”

The threat didn’t make much sense. Then again, this whole time he seemed to swing from rational to disorderly. Climbing out of the window, she prayed that someone outside would see them.

But the grounds on this side of the property were empty — as he knew they would be.

She took a step away from him, ready to bolt when she was yanked backward by her hair. The nerves on her head screamed a protest. She gasped from the shock of it. Before she could recover, that knife was pushed against her ribs again, and they were walking.

He took her to the area that had been set up for staff cars, to a white van parked at the end. She knew there were cameras set up out here which gave her a sense of hope. Surely, they would be captured in at least one of them?

It wasn’t until he opened the van’s rear door that she suddenly realized that no help was coming… and if she allowed him to take her away from here, her chances of survival were exponentially less.

She had to fight.

If he was going to kill her, she’d rather it be here.

“Get in,” he hissed, tossing a nervous look over his shoulder.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she shoved at him with all of her might. Since he was already looking backward, he lost some of his balance, stumbling backward.

Then she ran back toward the house, toward the safety that she knew waited there.

“HELP!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, though it barely made a dent over Stella, apparently giving an encore to her rapturous audience. “SOMEONE! I’M BEING KID—“

She never got to finish her sentence.

He tackled her with a flying leap that knocked her to the ground. The breath hissed out of her. She bucked, twisting until she was on her back, but then he swung the handle of his whittling knife at her head.

And all became black.

23

Kane had left Coco with his team and was now making his way back to Lexi.

The concert erupted in an explosion of fireworks and neon lights as Stella took her bow.

She waved at the jubilant crowd, knowing that she had them in the palm of her hand. After thanking them for their time, she followed up the announcement of her new tour dates with a donation of fifty thousand dollars to Lexi’s foundation.

Several of the guests who walked past reached out automatically to pet Bud. He recognized their faces, but couldn’t place how he knew them. When he politely asked if they could refrain from petting him — he was on duty and working — instead of the usual apology that came from typical people whenever this happened, he received curt remarks and dirty looks.

He noticed they had failed toaskif they could touch his dog too, something he would never understand. It was not only respectful but sensible — some dogs hated or were frightened of strangers, and the very notion could cause them to bolt… at times straight into heavy traffic.

It was just another reason to add to his growing list why he didn’t belong.

He studied the faces in the crowd, unsure why that tingle in the back of his neck hadn’t gone away, but chalked it up to his own discomfort at being here. He reached up a hand to massage the tense muscle, tugged at the collar of his monkey suit, mentally counting the hours until he could get out of it.

On the stage, Stella had finished her routine but was looking a little perplexed at what she should do next. Holding the mic away from her face, she conversed with someone offstage, but whatever their reply had been, it apparently hadn’t been very helpful.

She raised the mic back to her mouth, shrugging apologetically. “Apparently, the auction is due to start, but we’re waiting for our host to get here. I don’t suppose any of you have seen Lexi and can give her a gentle nudge? I mean, I’m happy to help but I’m likely to make too many demands… if the press are to be believed.”

The crowd roared with laughter, though that tingle had turned into a full-blown jolt. Kane spoke into his cuff.

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