Page 70 of Hard Ride

Right then and there Kyra realized she’d been a moron.Absolutely irrational in her own way.And as soon as she got the chance to tell Van and Ollie that she would respect them and whatever they needed to feel secure in her love from then on, she was going to make them believe it was true.

Kyra would have backed up again but she couldn’t go any farther.In fact, her foot landed on top of the coiled wires that led up to the incredibly powerful stage lights.It plunged into the pile and got tangled, throwing her slightly off balance.

Number One was out of patience or maybe sanity.He was terrified for himself and for her.

That made both of them.

“PLAY FOR ME!”he roared in that shredded voice.

It sent shivers up her spine and flash froze her heart.She reacted on a base, instinctual level.

“Like hell I will.”Kyra lunged at him, using one of her sticks as a weapon.If she could stun him or injure him, maybe she could dart past him and escape.Why had she sent Van away and refused anyone else?Hell, Walker or Dane would have sat quietly and kept her company.A couple of badass bikers would have done the trick nicely.

She was done with stupid mistakes and bad decisions.

When she got out of this mess, if she got out of it, she was going to quit being so afraid of asking for help that she put herself in these situations.

Unfortunately, Number One was shockingly nimble or high on adrenaline.He dodged her attack then grasped her wrist, twisting it until she had no choice but to drop and roll to avoid breaking her bones.That could be the end of her career and everything she’d always dreamed of…until Ollie and Van, at least.

As she tumbled, her boot yanked the cord it was caught in.And before she knew it, one of the giant stands holding the fancy lights, which their stage designer had recently added to their show for Kason’s song “The Real Thing,” tipped.

It came crashing down around her, the pole slamming into her ribs and knocking the wind out of her.

Kyra’s mouth opened on a silent scream.

“Oh no.No.NO.NO.NO!NOOOOOO!”The fanatic stared at her, horrified, though he didn’t attempt to help her get free.“I never meant for this to happen.”

He began to shake as he looked from her to the sparks that began shooting from the smashed bulbs.

Oh, shit!

The spritz of sparks turned into a something steadier.A flicker, and then a small but legit fire.Kyra tried to point toward the extinguisher near her drum kit, but Number One was far too gone for that.A dark stain spread across the front of his dirty jeans then down his legs.

Kyra struggled to breathe and to move, attempting to lift the lights off her, but they were far too heavy.She was stuck.Trapped.And the flames were growing higher by the second.How the hell did the stage ignite so fast?

She remembered Ollie’s recounting of the Christmas tree and thought she’d underestimated how terrified he’d been and how quickly things had gotten out of control.

“Help me,” she wheezed to Number One, whose misplaced adoration had caused all this.It was a shit show when he was her best option for salvation.

It also, in some surreal way, made her realize that just because she loved Ollie and Van—and shedidlove them—that if she wasn’t careful, she could destroy the two men who had become everything to her.That wasn’t her plan.So she had to fight.

Kyra thrashed and heaved, making the world around her dim on the edges.Except for the blaze beginning to climb higher, up the curtains on either side of the stage.

Number One looked at her with pure panic making his eyes even less sane than they’d been before.“I can’t go to jail.I won’t be able to go to your concerts if I’m locked up.I didn’t mean to hurt you.I just…I just wanted to tell you that I’m…your Number One fan.”

“You are.Thank you.Now go.Run.Get out of here.”Kyra figured there was no reason for them both to die.

Number One nodded, then he bolted.

And sooner or later he was going to crash through one of Van’s security barriers, which would alert security to the problem.If they didn’t know by then because…

Yep.Kyra’s eardrums nearly split open when fire alarms began to go off all around her.And then chaos erupted.

Someone pounded on the metal door to the wings behind her.The one she’d jammed so perfectly that even Van wouldn’t be able to budge it.Way to pick now to excel at this shit, Kyra.

Worse, they eventually stopped.

She followed the banging as it moved around the arena floor.

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