Page 97 of Not Another Rockstar
Anita studied her, and Phoebe feared she wouldn’t believe her. But then she smiled. “Finally you’re telling the truth.”
“But you’re wrong about one thing—”
“Phoebe, don’t,” Axel interrupted, and Anita tightened the cord around his neck.
“Let her talk.”
Phoebe felt herself go cold but forced herself to continue. “You don’t need to pretend, Axel. I know you love Anita, and I know you were only with me because you felt guilty about letting me go with Cillian that morning,” she said, before turning her attention to Anita. “Axel cares about you, and I’m the one who made him fire you. I was jealous.” The flattery tasted like ash on her tongue.
Anita started to lower the gun, and Phoebe stepped slowly toward the piano to get closer to Axel. If Anita fired, she’d be able to shove him off the stool.
She tried to hide her hope. “I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret. You love him, you don’t want to hurt him. All you’ve done for him over the past few months, years—I’m sure he can see how much you care about him.”
“Even if that’s true, he won’t forgive me now. You got your claws in too deep.”She turned to Axel, stroking his cheek while pointing the gun at his temple. “We could always go together—maybe we’ll get the chance to spend our next life together. I can’t make you see how much I truly love you, and you are so blinded by your guilt that you won’t give in to your feelings for me.”
Phoebe wanted to scream but no sound escaped her. She struggled to stay calm.
“No, he’s only upset because I lied. I used him to get back at Cillian. You’ve done all this so you can be together. He can’t speak with the cords around his neck, he doesn’t need those—”
“I only put them on because he wouldn’t listen, and I didn’t want him to try and protect you,” Anita reasoned, and Phoebe let out a long exhale when the gun left his temple.
“But he wouldn’t protect me now, not now that he knows all you’ve done to show him the truth. Right?” Phoebe said to Axel, trying to fight back tears.
A growl distracted them all, and Anita turned to see Bart charge into the studio and leap on her. With a snarl, he chomped down on her hand with the gun. Anita screamed in agony, and the gun went off. The shot rang off the drum, but Bart refused to let go, no matter how Anita struggled.
Phoebe used the distraction to rush to Axel and unravel the cords.
“Get away from him!” Anita screamed, and Bart whined as she kicked him off.
He scampered under the piano behind Phoebe. Anita pointed the gun at their four-legged protector, but Phoebe refused to move. Blood dripped down Anita’s arm and her eyes were black with rage. Axel froze when she locked eyes with him. Phoebe wasn’t going to let Anita take anyone else from her.
“Anita… please…” Her pleas were silenced by the sound of shattering glass, the sharp shot of the gun, and she dropped to her knees. Phoebe waited for the pain, but none came. She looked up from the carpet to see Anita hunched over the piano. The keys trilled as Axel pushed her from his lap.
The door opened and she looked to the shattered studio window. Isaiah burst into the room as Phoebe scrambled to her feet. She didn’t care about Isaiah looking after Anita, who’d fallen to the ground. She just wanted to get the cords off Axel’s neck.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner. I’m so sorry,” she cried, removing the tight cords carefully.
The thin cuts caused him to hiss, and she checked him over for any other injuries, but he grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m okay, and I wish you hadn’t come at all. It wasn’t me she wanted to kill,” he said, holding her so tight she could barely breathe.
A team of medics followed Isaiah in.
“She has a pulse,” Isaiah told them. “The bullet clipped her shoulder. She’s bleeding, and she hit her head on the way down.”
Axel pushed the medics aside when they tried to get a look at him. Thankfully the cords hadn’t cut too deep.
“You should go to the hospital,” she said, but he shook his head.
“Not a chance.” He smirked, but his hand went to his neck, which was sure to be hurting.
The promise of treats finally got Bart out from under the piano. His teeth were bloody as he padded over to Axel and sat at his feet.
“Thank you for saving us.” Phoebe crouched and rubbed his ears. If Bart hadn’t managed to get in, Isaiah could’ve arrived to find a room full of bodies.
They strapped Anita to a gurney, and a satisfied smile crept across her face as she was handcuffed to the side.
“I could have pulled the trigger at any time. You’ll never be able to move on from me. You’re alive because of me,” Anita rasped, tugging at her new chains.
