Page 41 of Play Dirty (Brooklyn Dawn 1)

I nodded and reached over to squeeze his hand. “I was there, and I still don’t believe it.”

Logan and I had dealt with our fair share of unhinged fans. It came with the territory, especially with us being lead singers of famous bands. Only Logan’s stalker had actually been an ex-girlfriend of sorts. I didn’t really know all the specifics—only Logan and Bella really knew it all.

In the end, Aimee had gone one step further. She’d turned Christian, one of Logan’s best friends and bandmates, against him. A twisted manipulation that had ended in two deaths on a stage in front of thousands.

He squeezed my fingers back and let me go. “Izzy and the kids keep me sane. We’ve tried to record a few times—get together and jam, but everything is different.”

“I can’t even imagine, Lo.” I was so tight with my band that the idea of one of us turning against the other was unfathomable.

“Yeah. I threw myself into this project because I couldn’t do anything else. We’ve got a damn good record, but we were so damn stupid hinging most of the songs on this one with Angel. It has a whole theme of forgiveness and holiday spirit without being too religious. We have a few standards on there. Johnny Cage actually did a surprising version of ‘Silent Night’ that is haunting as hell. Not sure where that shit came from, but we were thrilled. Angel should have rounded out the record perfectly.”

Hell of a project to step into. “And now you have me.”

“Shit. I didn’t mean it like that.” He turned to me as we came to the one stoplight in town. His expressive green eyes had a few more lines at the corners, but there was frustration lighting them right now. And regret.

I leaned into him and gave him an impulsive hug. “Don’t look at me like that. I get it. I’m a fill-in.”

“No.” He returned my hug. “You’re our savior.”

“Let’s not go that far.” I patted his back. “I’m happy to help. We just have to get the song right.”

He twisted back in his seat. “Actually, I think we might need to write a whole new song. Your powerhouse voice wasn’t meant for this one.”

“I sing a boatload of love songs.”

“Yeah, but every one of them has an epic scope that is the exact opposite of Angel’s style. She’s coffeehouse with sadness and a hint of angst.”

I punched his arm as we parked in front of Valentine’s. “I can be angsty, dammit.”

“We don’t need you angsty. We need your range. And we’ll damn well write a song that shows it off.”

Memories of a different performance, one full of drama and a sweeping foreboding, came to mind. My voice and Nash’s rage-playing had made for a heat level I’d never experienced before. Brooklyn Dawn’s sound was supersonic and elemental. Even with Jamie’s intense playing, it had never held that much…discord infused with something I couldn’t name.

Yeah, that dingy bar and that raw version of “Dream On” needed to go back into the mental closet. No room for that in my life or my psyche right now.

I jumped out of the truck. The sound of pounding feet nearby made my skin tingle.

Uh oh.

“Oh my God. Oh my God.”

I pasted on a bright smile at the chatter coming from the sidewalk. When I stepped outside, I was used to the sound of female voices quickly rising to a fevered pitch. Not usually here, but when you were as famous as I was, then add in Logan—well, it didn’t take long to get noticed.

I shoved my hands into my hoodie. “Hi.”

“Oh, Mr. King. We’re sorry.” The two girls had their fingers twisted together as they stood vibrating near the front of Logan’s truck. “We don’t want to interrupt. Oh, gosh, Mr. Stacks is going to kill us.”

Logan laughed. “It’s okay, girls. Jacob won’t kill you if you want to talk to Lindsey.”

“We’re supposed to leave you alone when you have friends in town.” The girl with huge brown eyes was almost in tears.

“It’s fine.” I stepped forward. “I’m Lindsey. What’s your name?”

“Of course you’re Lindsey. Everyone knows who you are.”

I laughed. “Not everyone, but that’s sweet. Did you want a picture or an autograph?”

“Could I?” The girl’s fingers shook as she tried t

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