Page 53 of Her Nightshade

And yet, the world outside was pulling at me. The tour loomed closer. It was just weeks until the first show at Madison Square Garden. Everyone was ready except for me. I didn’t want it. I didn’t wantanyof it. All I wanted was to stay here, in this apartment, keeping Ana close, filling her with every inch of me, drowning in her.

I could feel her walls breaking down, see her giving up all her preconceived hesitations. And while that pulled me closer, it also fed my obsession. I needed more. I needed to prove to her that I was the only one who could make her happy.

So I hired the guy who stalked Jake to stalk Callan. That wanker tried to rip us apart and I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. He was in Sloane’s ear, filling her head with shit that spilled over to Ana. I had to put a stop to it.

At first, there was nothing. Callan was clean, annoyingly so. Days passed with no results.

And then, finally…something.

I was sitting on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through my phone while Ana got ready for a Zoom meeting when the text came through.

Got something. Corner Chevron on La Brea and Beverly, near their house. Callan stops there every so often. Clerk remembers him. Said he bought a small bottle of vodka a few days ago. Paid cash.

Holy shit. A recovering alcoholic buying vodka?It wasn’t enough proof, but now we had somewhere to dig.

“I’ll just be an hour or so, baby,” Ana said, startling me as she appeared in the living room.

I looked up, locking my phone quickly, and gave her a smile as I stood, taking her hands in mine.

“You sure you don’t want me on my knees in front of you, pleasuring you while you try to keep your composure?” I teased, flashing the grin I knew she couldn’t resist.

She smiled, shaking her head with a soft laugh. “No, Charlie. I need to get things done. I haven’t worked in what feels like weeks,” she said, almost apologetically.

But my mind was already racing.Who would be on that Zoom meeting? Who would be talking to her when I wasn’t there to watch?

“Okay,” I said, keeping my voice light, though I wasn’t sure how well I hid the jealousy that began to simmer. “I’ll be here waiting.”

Her expression softened as she placed her hand on my cheek, her touch lingering. I turned into it, kissing her palm.

She hesitated before finally letting go and walking to the other room.

As she disappeared into her office, I sat back on the couch, my thoughts spinning between Callan’s secret and the idea of Ana on that Zoom call, laughing, talking, giving someone else her attention.

I was about to check my phone again when it buzzed in my hand.Reese.

I let out a sigh and answered. “What?”

“Good to hear your voice, too,” Reese said dryly. “Listen, we need to talk about the tour. You’re cutting it close, man. You’ve barely been responding to anything and the team’s starting to freak out.”

“I told you, I’m handling it,” I snapped, walking out to the terrace where the cool breeze bit my cheeks.

“Are you, though?” Reese pressed. “We’re weeks away from Madison Square Garden, Charlie.Weeks. You haven’t approvedthe final setlist, the lighting cues are still a mess, wardrobe is freaking out, and don’t even fucking get me started on the promo shoots you’ve skipped. People are noticing.”

“Reese, I said I’ll handle it,” I growled, though anxiety burst through my chest.

“Look, I know you’ve got…whatever’s going on,” Reese continued, hesitating. “But this is the biggest tour of your career. You can’t just ignore it because—”

“Because what?” I cut in sharply.

Reese sighed. “Because you’re holed up with Ana. I get it, man, but you’ve got responsibilities. People are counting on you. Just—try to keep your head in the game, okay?”

I clenched my jaw, ready to hurl my phone off the terrace. “I’ll call you later.”

“Charlie—”

I ended the call, walking back inside and tossing my phone onto the couch.

The irritation continued to grow. I knew Reese was right; I couldn’t ignore the tour forever.

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