Heshook his head. “I’ll find you a place to watch from, sweetheart. Come withme.” His beefy palm gripped my shoulder and he led me to the backstage door.
Climbingthe stairs, I caught sight of Devin and his band members waiting at the side ofthe stage. With a turn of his head, he noticed me with my escort and told theguys he’d be right back.
“Whathappened?” he asked urgently, pulling me from the security guard. “I got this,”he told the burly guy.
“I’mgoing to show her where she cansafelysit,” he said, and it almostseemed like he was scolding Devin.
“Heyman!” Robbie shouted. “Let’s go!”
“Twoseconds!” Devin called back, never taking his eyes off me. “Get her a chair andput it at the side of the stage,” he told the security guard.
“That’snot—”
“Doit,” Devin said. “She sits in the front row.”
“Look,I get it,” the guard said, hooking his thumbs into his beltloops. “You rockstars like impressing your flavor of the week with—”
“Watchyour fucking mouth,” Devin growled and shoved a finger in the guy’s face, and Ireached up with both hands to grab his arm.
Iwas regularly becoming a subject of rage for him.
Maybeit was good I was leaving.
“Dev,it’s fine. I can just sit somewhere else.” I pulled his arm down, squeezing myhands around him. Angry tremors passed through his veins and bones, but when helooked down at me, I saw nothing but defeat.
“Ineed to see you, KJ. Please.” He pleaded with me, and his eyes revealed thesorrow the rest of him refused to show. “I’m not going to see you for a longtime after tonight.”
Thesecurity guard groaned, dusting a hand over his bald head, and he said softly,“Okay, look, I’ll let her hang out with me in front of the stage, okay? But ifthey get handsy out there, she’s going somewhere else.”
Devinnodded gratefully. “Thank you,” he said, and then added, “Sorry.” The securityguard returned the nod.
“Holyshit, Devin!” Robbie growled. “Comeon!”
“I’mcoming!” He looked down at me and bent to press a kiss to my lips. “You betterbe screaming the loudest.”
Inodded, and I couldn’t explain why the tears pricked at my eyes. “I’ll try myhardest.”
Heflashed me his best smile and ran over to the guys, while the big securityguard led me back out there and gave me the best spot in the house, with myarms folded on the stage.
“You’rehis girlfriend?” the guard asked, arms crossed with his back to the stage.Watching the crowd, watching my back.
“Wife,”I corrected. It was our practiced line, it was our promise. As soon as he gothome.
Henodded, understanding. “Some of these girls?” He tipped his chin toward theswarming sea of estrogen. “They’d kill you if they had the chance, you realizethat?” He was speaking warnings in a gentle voice, and I felt the shiver traveldown my back. “I understand how things might have been before—this shit happensquickly sometimes—”
“It’sbeen a few weeks since his first show,” I said, agreeing with a nod.
“Right.It might be time to adapt. The more they catch word of who you are, the morethey’ll do what they can to strip you of that title, you understand? I’ve seensome crazy shit in my time, and I’d hate to see it happen again.”
Inodded again, my throat dry and hairy. “I’m going home after tonight,” Ineedlessly explained.
“Good,”he nodded and turned toward the crowd, assuming his position as the naggingnausea made my skin crawl.
Ifelt the heavy footfalls vibrating through the floorboards. From the gentleglow coming from backstage, I could see the shadowed figures of Robbie and hisguitar, of Ty and his bass, and Sebastian at his drumkit. I heard the bass drumbefore it hit the speakers, and the crowd erupted in a tsunami of cheers. Tycame next, plucking at his strings and then Robbie with a continuous riff fromhis Fender.
Then,there was Devin, walking out to the stage. I knew his gait. I had memorized itafter years of living together and years of being best friends. When hestrummed his electric-acoustic, the lights turned on to the overpowering shriekof three-thousand recently acquired fangirls.
Hestood six feet away from me, appearing bigger than his body on that stage,haloed by lights and a generous fog.
