Page 35 of Swan

“Get out the back now.”

“Dad?”

Screams started inside the restaurant, and people scrambled to their feet.

Lockland stood, looking towards the door and back to me over and over.

“Swan, what’s going on?” Dad demanded.

“Anyone move and I start shooting,” a woman screamed.

People froze.

“Swan?” Dad’s panicked voice came through the phone. “Sweetheart, tell me what’s going on.”

I couldn’t tell him anything.

Not when my heart was lodged in my throat.

Not when the woman’s eyes were locked onto Lockland.

“You were supposed to love me!” she yelled.

“Who are you?” Lockland asked.

She snarled at him with a crazed scream. “I heard the song. I knew it was meant for me. It was supposed to be me!” Her gaze swung to me. “Until she showed. There was a photo online of you hugging her at the meet and greet. You didn’t hug anyone else but that… thing. Then I saw the comments. People saying you know her. People saying you love her.”

Into the phone, I heard, “Hold on, kid. Hold on, Swan. We’re close. The club is comin’. Put me on speaker, sweetheart. Put me on speaker so I can hear as I record it and drop the phone to your side. You don’t want to anger her.”

I wanted to throw up. My body was tight with fear, but I did what he said as I also registered sirens off in the distance outside.

The woman let out a frustrated growl and waved the gun around when she said, “It made me sick seeing you with other women in America. But I could deal. I had to. I wasn’t over there with you. Now you’re here. You’re here, and you didn’t even look into my eyes like you said you would in our song.”

Someone moved off to the side. In an instant, she aimed the gun there. “Move again and I’ll shoot you.”

Lockland took a step back towards me.

The woman snapped her attention to him.

Lockland’s hands went up in front of him. “I’m sorry I didn’t treat you right. But it doesn’t stop us from getting to know each other now. How about we let everyone leave, and we can have a meal together? Talk.”

She threw her head back and cackled.

My stomach churned and heart pounded.

Lockland took another step towards me.

There was a door not far from where I stood. We could make a run for it.

She stamped her foot twice, aiming the gun at Lockland. “Don’t move. Don’t move. Don’t fucking move.”

“Okay. I hear you…. What’s your name?”

Tears welled in her crazed eyes and fell to her cheeks. “You don’t remember my name?”

“I’m sorry. I-I met a lot of people that day.”

“I’m not special. I’m not memorable. I’m nothing. To you, to my family, to anyone!”

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