I kept singing and my eyes kept moving and I saw Mace, standing head and shoulders above the crowd, his eyes were scanning. I waited and, just as I knew it would, his gaze came to me. I didn’t know it but the minute his eyes hit me, my smile grew brighter. I also didn’t know that Lana and Chloe caught my smile and turned around to see what I was smiling at. Further, I didn’t know, when they saw it was Mace, Chloe burst into tears again and Lana hugged her.
Mace’s eyes left me to scan the crowd again and my eyes kept moving, stil singing the “na-na’s”, stil living in my happy place, my lucky place. The place where my band was heading to LA to record an album. The place where I’d chased Mace’s demons away and gave him back his family. The place where I lived now. The place where Mace loved me.
My eyes travel ed the length of the bar and something shifted in that happy place. I couldn’t put my finger on it but something was wrong.
Stil chanting with the crowd, my hand in the air, my eyes went back up the bar.
Then down it.
Then back up.
Then it dawned on me that Tex wasn’t sitting at the bar.
And Tex never brought the tequila.
And Tex never brought the tequila.
Automatical y, the band and I finished the “na-na’s” as my eyes flew through the crowd, searching for but not finding Tex.
Then the band stopped playing and I said into the mic,
“We’re gonna take a break, be back!”
The crowd roared and I gave them a wave and a smile, keeping up appearances but, as fast as I could, I moved offstage.
Duke was there with a beer and he shoved it in my hand.
“Girl, normal y you kick ass but tonight, I gotta tel you darlin’, you are the shit! ” Duke said to me and normal y I would be stunned, maybe even moved by his compliment.
Duke didn’t hand out compliments very often.
Instead I looked up at him and asked, “Where’s Tex?” Duke’s body went stil then his head jerked around to scan the bar.
My band had come down behind me and the Rock Chicks were rounding the stage but I didn’t look at them.
I moved.
I shoved though the crowd. People were trying to get my attention, to stop me, to talk to me. I heard their words as I moved, shoving through until I saw Mace coming my way.
I stopped in front of him, put my hands on his chest and tilted my head back.
He was looking down at me, smiling, face soft, voice low, “Babe –” he started.
I cut him off, “Where’s Tex?”
His head jerked then shot up. He, too, scanned the bar.
My fingers curled into his t-shirt. “When I arrived, he met me at the backdoor. He went off to get me tequila. I haven’t seen him since. With everything that happened, I didn’t think –”
I didn’t finish. Mace’s hand wrapped around mine and he started pushing through the crowd. By the time we got to the side of the stage, the Rock Chicks were looking pale and the Hot Bunch was in a huddle. Lee sliced an unhappy look at Mace and got on his phone.
“Has anyone seen him?” Roxie asked.
“When we arrived but I haven’t seen him since,” Jet answered.
“Fuck,” Duke muttered.
“What’s happening?” Lana asked, getting close to Mace and me.
“One of our people is missing,” I told her and looked up at Mace. “We need to make an announcement. Stop the show,” I said.
Lee flipped the phone shut and addressed the group,
“The girls are going home. Then I want everyone in the field.
Bobby, Matt, Duke, Tom and Dad wil stay on Stel a and the band. Matt, you’re responsible for getting Stel a home.
Dad, arrange police escorts for every band member when the gig’s over. Yeah?”
Malcolm nodded.
“Fuck!” Duke exploded. “How did we miss this?”
“It’s my fault,” I whispered.
Lee’s eyes sliced to me. “Get that out of your head.
Finish the gig,” he ordered then his gaze moved through his men as Hector and Darius arrived at the huddle from wherever they’d been. “Luke, you got Ava and Al y. Darius, you got Shirleen, Daisy, Lana and Chloe. Hector, you got Jet and Roxie. Vance, you got Jules and Indy. Mace, you’re with me. Let’s go.”
They went except Mace who looked at Matt. “I gotta know you got this.”
Matt nodded. “I got it.”
Mace’s eyes went to Tom and he skewered Tom with what could only be described as a look.
Tom said, “We got it. Go.”
Mace looked at me and I started babbling, “It’s my fault.
We didn’t think. We didn’t catch it. Everyone was caught up in my shit, your shit, Dixon, your Mom, Chloe. I knew I should have waited until al this was over. If something happens to Tex –”
His finger went to my lips, effectively quieting me then down and his hand curled around my neck. He stared at me as he gave me a neck squeeze.
Then he was gone.
Fear streaming through my system, my eyes were locked on the backstage door Mace went through fol owing Lee.
“It’s al my fault,” I whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Four
No More Fucking Hugging
Jules
My cat Boo and I didn’t sleep wel , tossing and turning al night, waiting for Vance to come home or phone to say everything was okay.