Page 117 of 4-Ever

Fuck, hold it together.

Then I spotted my sister standing by the window, Regan beside her, talking in whispered tones.

“Ci,” I called out.

“Ro.” She turned her head and blinked away tears. “Oh my God, I’m?—”

“Don’t even say it. This is not your fault. It’s that fucking prick. He’s going to jail and staying there this time.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she walked over to me, Regan by her side.

“Is everyone all right?”

Regan nodded. “Everyone is fine. Shaken up, bruised, but good.”

The relief was overwhelming.

“Dallas confessed to the call-in threat at the Nashville concert,” Regan confirmed. “And then he followed us, here, across the country.”

“But how did he find out where we were tonight?” I asked.

“He’s a cop so he’s not without resources. According to his phone, he’d been tailing us since we landed in LA. He’s smart, and more resourceful than I anticipated. The how and why is still being worked out, but he’s going to be charged with serious offenses and I highly doubt he’ll be making bail this time. I’m just annoyed that I didn’t spot him until it was almost too late. Thankfully, our team was on guard, and we got to him in time.”

“You got to him in time,” Faise announced.

“Baby,” I whispered as he stood up and leaned over. This time, he was the one giving me the bear hug.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, Ro,” he whispered in my ear.

“Same.”

My head ached and my hands, shit, when I looked down, my hands were red, scrapes covering my palms. But nothing was bleeding or broken, thank fuck.

“Is our concert in San Fran still a go?” I asked.

All I wanted was a return to normal.

Regan cleared her throat. “With Dallas arrested, and given his confession, our major concerns are gone. It’s still a go. But only if you guys are okay and if you want to perform. That’s up to you, Jesse, and the label.”

“Ro, what about your hands?” Faise asked.

“They’re just scrapes. I’ve played with worse.”

Holls and Brodie entered the room, along with Dawson and Van.

“I’m fine. I want to get out of here. What time is it anyway?”

“Almost noon,” Regan replied. “The police will want to take your statement, then we can go.”

Once a doctor gave me the final okay, the police arrived. And Elias. There were tons of questions asked and answered and by the time I was released, I had a massive headache.

We headed for our bus, and once all our security team was back on board, we left LA for San Francisco. No delay. And with good reason. The press had gotten hold of the story and none of us felt like talking just yet. Zoe could deal with any pressing issues until we had a few days to recover.

I worried about what this setback would do to my sister. If Dallas would try to come after her, or us, again. All the questions the police asked were rattling through my brain. My body wouldn’t settle.

Faise and I headed for our bunk but neither one of us said a word. I just held onto him, knowing how dangerously close I’d come to losing him again.

But he was here, in my arms. Where he was meant to be. Where he would stay.

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