Page 1 of Rebel

Chapter One

Nikki

“It’s almost showtime.” My best friend Mia, who also served as my producer, said as she popped her head into the studio wearing a bright smile. “Are you ready?”

“Just about,” I nodded as I went over the list of songs I would need queued up over the next three hours of my radio show,Highway Pulse. “We’re going heavy with Classic Rock tonight. I think the topic demands it.”

Mia’s brows rose in surprise. “What’s tonight’s theme?”

I smiled proudly as I answered. “Bonds forged on the road.”

“Oh, that’s going to get us some stories tonight.” She folded her arms and leaned against the doorway. “I don’t know how you get people to call in and tell the whole city their deepest, darkest secrets. It really is a talent.”

“Thanks.” I beamed at her praise, which meant the world to me, coming from my producer—even more than my best friend. “Okay, here’s the set list for tonight.”

“Thanks.” She took the sheet and called for her assistant. “We need these songs ready forHighway Pulse.”

“On it.” The twenty-one-year-old grabbed the sheet and rushed off to do Mia’s bidding, giving us a few minutes to talk.

“So, have you given any thought to what we talked about over the weekend?”

I let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “I’m always thinking about it, but wouldn’t it be cruel to tell Olivia about her father when I know next to nothing about him and can’t find him?” My little girl was my entire world, and I loved her enough for two parents. I had to, since her dad had done a ‘hit it and quit it’ before I even knew I was pregnant.

“You could try to find him.” Mia tapped her chin. “If only you had a platform that went out to millions of listeners every night from six to nine who would be happy to help you track down the mysterious Logan.”

“Maybe.” I hated to brush her off when she was just concerned because she loved Olivia as much as I did, and she knew how desperate my daughter was for a daddy of her own. “I’ll keep thinking about it until I come up with a solution I can live with.”

“Fine,” Mia blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m happy to help any way I can. Just let me know.”

“I will,” I promised, even though I had no intention of giving it much thought tonight. Olivia was almost six and I figured that gave me at least another year before Ihadto tell her something.

Mia stared at me for a long moment and then she sighed. “All right, then. Ten minute warning. Break a heel.”

“Thanks.” It was what she always said instead of ‘break a leg’.

I finished my pre-show rituals and set the headphones on my head before I leaned back in my chair and held themicrophone a few inches from my mouth, a smile on my face. “Good evening road-a-holics. It’s your girl Nikki back for another night ofHighway Pulsewhere we explore, glorify, and commiserate about our tales from the road. Good, bad, or ugly, I’m here to talk about it with you for the next three hours. Before we get into tonight’s topic, let’s start with this old favorite, ‘Ventura Highway’, to get us in the mood. Spin it.” The first strains of the oldie played, and my eyes slid shut for just a few seconds, letting the music wash over me. It was one of the best parts of my job, the music. Listening to the old rock and blues songs that my dad and I used to listen to when I was a kid. It was just me and him after Mom died, and when we cleaned, grilled out, or went on a drive through the desert, we did it with an incredible soundtrack.

“Okay road warriors let’s kick back and get personal. Really personal if that’s your thing. Tonight’s topic is loyalty and bonds forged on the road. Do you have a road trip story where friendship turned into something more? How about experiencing the kindness of a stranger? Or any other poignant moments that happened to you out on the road? We want to hear them all.”

Mia motioned to me that we already had our first call for the night with her signature two thumbs up and a wide grin.

“Looks like we have our first caller. Oracle, you’re onHighway Pulse, tell us your tale of loyalty or a bond formed on the road. Take the mic.”

“Um, hi. Yes, hello Nikki. Long-time listener, first time caller.” The man sighed and cleared his throat as if contemplating whether he really wanted to tell his story to the Las Vegas metro area or not. “Yeah, okay. This is about a little bit of both actually. I used to work for a well-known local politicianand I loved my job, loved helping people, and loved seeing the way they trusted him to do what was best for them.”

I nodded even though Oracle couldn’t see me. “I’m guessing he wasn’t doing what was best for anyone but himself?”

“Exactly, Nikki. It turns out that he was the cliché everyone thinks about when it comes to Vegas politicians. He was totally on the take, keeping company with criminals and diverting city funds to them. Not to mention his own pockets. I confronted him and urged him to do the right thing and guess what?”

He got fired.

“He fired me. Twenty years of service and he fired me.”

“That’s loyalty for ya!”

“Yeah, it’s kind of soured me on the whole business of politics. I get it now when people say there’s no such thing as a good politician.” The bitterness and anger in his voice were expected, but the sadness hit me right in the feels.

I felt for Oracle, I really did. What happened to him wasn’t right, but politics was something we occasionally talked about on the show, and the listeners might be interested in what he had to say. “Feel free to mention him by name if you’re so inclined. Maybe some investigative journalist will hear tonight’s broadcast and dig into his dealings.”

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