Page 51 of Hope & Harmony

At the last moment, Roni’s head turned and her gaze swept the corridor behind her. Her green eyes caught mine and she hooked a questioning eyebrow at me, then lifted a finger and sassily beckoned me to follow her up the stairs.

Of course, I did.

I’d never wanted to be in the spotlight, and I didn’t think Roni particularly did, either. But tonight, I was gonna shine a light on the woman I loved with an epic surprise that the whole world would see but she wouldn’t see coming.

If all went according to plan, this birthday, my thirty-fifth, would be the best I ever had.

CHAPTER 2

RONI

I looked around into the dark, glimpsing the faces that flashed in and out of the shadows in the chaotic lighting from the stage. Crew members. Security. Friends and family with guest passes.

But I didn’t see Jude.

I didn’t feel him; his dark presence, solid and magnetic.

He’d been standing here at the side of the stage with me through the first song of Dirty’s set, but he’d slipped away during the second and I wasn’t sure where he’d disappeared to.

My mom stood on one side of me, beer in hand, loving the VIP treatment as she watched the show. One of my best friends, Jessa, and her husband, Brody, were on my other side. Usually, Jude would be right here with us the whole night.

Unless, of course, duty had called him away.

I hoped there wouldn’t be any security-related drama tonight.

I was thrilled about this show and the new tour, and I wanted it to be a great night for my man. It was his birthday, after all.

I wasn’t sure why he was so broody tonight, but I’d sensed the tension in him. He’d tried to fool me with his stoic bodyguard-on-duty face, but I knew him far better than that. Hewas distracted, and that wasn’t normal for Jude when he was working.

Would he tell me if something was brewing behind the scenes? Probably not until well after the issue was fixed, cleared up. He wouldn’t want me to worry.

The thing he never seemed to quite understand was that I didn’t worry. Because I knew he had things under control.

Even when I was kidnapped…

A disturbing shiver ran through me as it always did at the memory of that Mafia creep shoving a gun in my back, gagging and handcuffing me in his car, and holding me prisoner. But even in that situation, dangerous as it was, especially since I was pregnant, I didn’t worry. I was scared, yes. There were moments I was terrified. But I knew that Jude—and his many loyal club brothers in the Kings MC—would come through for me.

That they wouldn’t rest until they got me back.

That they’d always protect me.

No matter what we’d been through, Jude had always made me feel safe like that.

It was one of the reasons I loved him so damn hard.

Because I could trust him. With my heart. With my life.

Onstage, Dirty was really revving up the show with one of my favorite songs—and one of their fans’ favorite songs, “Dirty Like Me”. It was heavy and hot, passionate, emotional, and had me longing for Jude.

I wrapped my arms around my waist and imagined he was holding me now.

I wondered, when moments like this—songs like this—took me back in time to our teenage years, if he really understood how madly in love with him I was.

And had always been.

Even though I’d fought it for so long when I was young and stubborn… Jude had always beenthe one.

I was scared of it back then.

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