Page 111 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

“That’s right, Luna-bug,” I said, squeezing her fingers gently.

She smiled, her eyes drifting closed. “Then, I’ll definitely get better. Your cells are strong, like me.”

The next fewdays were the most terrifying of my life. Every temperature spike sent panic through me. Every blood test held the potential for devastating news. Luna’s body might reject my cells, attack them as foreign invaders, or simply fail to integrate them.

But somehow, miraculously, neither happened. Seven days after the transplant, Dr. Robbins entered Luna’s room with the first genuine smile I’d seen since we arrived.

“Her blood counts are improving,” she announced. “The engraftment is beginning to take hold.”

I sagged against Holt, who had been my constant shadow throughout the ordeal. “So it’s working?”

“It’s early,” Dr. Robbins cautioned. “But yes, so far, it’s working exactly as we’d hoped.”

That night,when we were at the apartment while my father stayed with Luna, the stress of the past weeks crashed over me like a tidal wave—the fear for Luna’s life, the battle with Remi, the physical toll of the donation, all of it.

Holt held me through it. “You saved her,” he murmured against my hair. “Not only from the cancer, but from him too.”

I looked up at him through tears. “We’re not out of the woods yet. She has a long recovery ahead of her, and Remi’s threat still hangs over us.”

“Let him try,” Holt said, his voice hardening. “He’s going up against you, me, and an entire community that loves Luna. He doesn’t stand a chance.”

Our moment was interrupted by a sharp knock at the apartment door. Holt frowned, crossing the room to answer it. Ben Rice stood in the hallway, his expression grave.

“Sorry to disturb you this late,” he said, stepping inside when Holt gestured him in. “But I have information you both need to hear immediately.”

I straightened, instantly alert. “About Luna?”

“It’s about Remi.” Ben’s jaw tightened as he sat across from us.

Holt’s eyebrows shot up. “What about him?”

Ben ran a hand over his face. “The lead singer of the band that opened for us on the East Coast contacted me yesterday. He said one of his sound engineers is accusing Remi of sexualassault. She’s also saying she wasn’t the only one.” Ben’s expression darkened. “Liv, the rest of our band, and I have been on the phone with everyone Remi’s worked with, every band we’ve toured with. In the last twenty-four hours, more women have come forward with similar stories.”

“My God,” I muttered. “Heassaultedthem?”

“That’s right. Every one of the women said they were afraid to speak up because of Remi’s position and influence. He threatened to ruin their careers.” Ben met my eyes directly. “When you disappeared from the tour, I should have questioned it, especially given how abruptly you left.”

The validation after all these years brought unexpected tears to my eyes. “You couldn’t have known.”

“I should have,” Ben insisted. “When I confronted him about these new allegations, he became defensive, started ranting about ‘ungrateful women’ trying to ruin his life.” Ben shook his head in disgust. “Then he made the mistake of bringing up Luna.”

“What did he say?” I asked, my stomach tightening.

“He implied that if these allegations came to light, he might need to ‘explore all his options’ regarding her.” Ben’s expression hardened. “He didn’t explicitly threaten custody, but the implication was clear—he was planning to use her as leverage to silence the accusations.”

“That fuckingsonuvabitch,” Holt seethed.

“Here’s the thing; I recorded the entire conversation,” Ben continued, pulling out his phone. “His veiled threats about Luna and his response to everything else. It might not be admissible in a court of law, but if these women are willing to press charges, knowing they have my backing, along with that of other powerful people in the music industry, we wouldn’t need it for evidence.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Do you think they will actually press charges?”

“Two already have. The police picked him up an hour ago. He’s in custody now.”

“For how long?” Holt asked.

“With multiple charges coming in from different jurisdictions, his lawyer will have a hard time getting bail.” Ben’s expression was solemn. “I came here as soon as I heard. I wanted you to know that Luna is safe from him, and so are you.”

I pressed my hand to my mouth, overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events.

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