Page 64 of Fallen Princess: Shadow Stalker

With my eyes closed, I retell everything that happened to me that night. The knife, the threat to kill me if I talked.

“I didn’t hesitate after he was gone. I drove straight to LAX, got on a plane, and ended up in Mexico. I had fled with just the clothes on my back. I called Catalina and Brittney, and they arranged for my stuff to be stored and gave the house to a broker. Catalina and I movedaround in Mexico for around eight months as backpackers. She urged me to return to the US, but I was done with music by then.

“As soon as I disappeared from the limelight, so did my stalker. I went back to LA to sort out some legal stuff, and on my way out, I stopped by my storage unit, looked at everything, and just took my old guitar with me. Then, I made a quick stop at the animal shelter and picked up Storm. I rented a house on the outskirts of Palm Springs; Catalina insisted on coming with me, and a year later, our neighbor told us about non-commercial land the state was auctioning in the desert. I used the sale money from the LA property and bought just over eight hundred acres of dirt and sand. I had no idea what I planned to do with it. Initially, I thought I would buy land and live in a large caravan. So that’s what I did for a year until the house you saw was finished.”

“Eight hundred fucking acres? That’s like the entire Mojave Desert!”

“Actually, it’s thirty million acres. But I bought enough to keep nosy neighbors out of my business.”

“Must have been lonely.”

“Maybe, but after what I went through, loneliness was my only solace.”

“And you never heard from this stalker again?”

“Until I arrived here two weeks ago. I got an unknown text message on my first night, then strange things started appearing.”

“Like what?”

I shrug my shoulders. They’re probably just intrigued.

“Symbols appearing.”

“Symbols?”

“Ones I have on my body that no one’s seen.” Then I think about that again. “Unless they’ve been intimate with me.”

“And how many people have you been intimate with?”

I purse my lips together, refusing to entertain them with an answer.

“It’s best I leave,” I say instead.

“Probably,” Jagger says bluntly, and my heart drops with the way he says it. “I’m sorry I interrupted your life.”

My eyes narrow at him, and a hint of irritation sweeps my entire body.

“Fuck you, Jagger.”

How dare he.

“Jagger, that’s really out of order,” Ash says, and before I can say anything, Jagger passes me my phone and I take it.

I honestly don’t know if I’m angry or disappointed. Maybe hurt a little too.

“She never was in this fully,” he says to Ash and then turns to me directly. “Your lyrics were half-hearted, and your mind distracted. Last night was something that should never have happened. This is a job; we’re not teenagers anymore, and maybe you sought comfort in Ash and Callum, but we’re not starting anything here. Not with you, not ever.”

I’m taken aback by his harsh words. The other three attempt to sway his decision, but the only thing I hear are his words repeating in my head.

“So you’re firing me?” I glare at him with disbelief as my irritation heightens.

My words hang in the air, and a brief silence settles between the five of us.

“Everyone is entitled to making a mistake. Even myself,” Jagger finally replies, remaining solid on his decision.

“No, you’re not!” Haze exclaims. “Who the bloody hell put you as chief?”

“I’m band leader. I make decisions on what’s best for the group.”

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