Page 36 of Her Beastly Billionaire Rock Star
“Don’t you have sad food? A list of things you eat to drown your sorrows in, only to get on the scales and cry because you gained twenty pounds?”
“No,” he replied, shaking his head as the corners of his lips quirked up. “I’ve never heard of that.”
Charlotte frowned. “Oh. Well. Huh. I thought everyone had that.”
He laughed. “I get what you’re saying, though. I use music.”
“Okay, so almost the same thing.” She laughed with him. “You think the paparazzi will still be out there?”
Nodding his head, he replied, “Probably, but not many. We’re leaving a little early, so they won’t expect that.”
That was a relief. “Good. Maybe we won’t be followed anywhere.”
He nodded. “I hope so. I know we’re dressed up, but there’s this little Italian place I love. It’s not fancy, and most people pass by it because it’s in a strip mall. The food is delicious.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. “Nonna’s! I love that place.”
“Me too.”
With that, they hurried to the front door. As soon as it shut behind them, a mob of flashes went off, and they were surrounded. The barricades had been moved, and paparazzi were circling them. One second, Charlotte was holding on to Malakai’s hand, and the next, someone yanked her back as she screamed his name. The heel of her shoe hooked onto a wrinkle in the carpet, and she tried to brace herself as she went down.
Dazed, she shook her head and pushed herself up. The last thing she felt was something slamming into the back of her head, and everything went black.
Chapter 16
Bracing his elbows against his knees, Malakai held his head in his hands in the emergency waiting room. He’d last seen Charlotte when she was being loaded onto a stretcher, and then he’d watched taillights as the ambulance drove away. He’d found the waiting limo and quickly followed. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t family, and the hospital couldn’t tell him anything.
She’d called his name as she was jerked away from him when they left the building, and before he could find where her voice was coming from, she’d been lost in the crowd. So many were pawing at him, preventing him from reaching her, until he finally bulldozed through them to find Charlotte on the ground, unconscious. Her dress had been torn, and her right arm was at an unnatural angle.
He’d pulled his coat off, covered her, and lifted her into his arms while he dialed 9-1-1. When he pulled his hand back from her head, he found blood on it. Once again, someone he cared about had been hurt…because he wasn’t able to protect them. This one hurt even worse because he’d looked her in the eyes and said he’d protect her.
His phone rang, and he dug it out his pocket, putting it to his ear. He’d called Octavia after phoning Emilia, letting them both know what had happened.
“Malakai.” Octavia’s tone was icy.
“We were mobbed.” He was answering the question he knew was coming next. “It happened so fast.”
“And yet, my employee is the only one harmed.”
“Nothing like that has ever happened before. We left early. There was no reason for all those reporters to be there. Plus, they already had all the photos they needed of us. I was holding her hand, and someone pulled her away from me.”
“You’re Malakai Raven, showing up to an event with an unknown woman. A woman who has speculated about for weeks now. Word travels quickly within the press. You should have expected it.”
He palmed his forehead, working his jaw to keep his temper in check. “You do realize I don’t follow any social media, right? The band’s publicist does all of that.” He’d killed every platform he had when he checked himself into rehab the first time.
She cleared her throat. “But you’re not a novice at this. You knew they’d be salivating for information about the new woman in your life. Guess I should have expected her to get hurt. Shewasin your atmosphere.”
He hung his head and pinched his lips together, gritting his teeth as he held back anguish threatening to drown him. All he wanted at the moment was to know if Charlotte was okay. “I keep asking if she’s okay, and they won’t answer. I don’t even know if she’s in a room yet. Could you just please give them consent to talk to me? I’m not leaving until I see her.”
She scoffed. “That came out more like a demand, but I’m sure you’re stressed, so I’ll brush it off.Thistime.”
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Please, Ms. Ellington, I just want to know if Charlotte’s okay.” He infused the words with as much sincerity as he could.
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be in touch.”
The line went dead, and Malakai took the phone from his ear and stared at it. The only reason that frost queen had a job was because of stupid celebrities like himself. If nothing else, he’d stay clean the rest of his life just to avoid her.
He raked his hand through his hair and swore under his breath. Stuffing his phone back in his pocket, he stood and stretched. Two hours and the hard emergency room seat was making his rear numb. He rolled his neck, walked to the closest drink machine, and paid for a bottle of water.
