Page 13 of Forbidden Confessions, Volume 2 (The Forbidden Volumes #1)

Sophie

A s Rand disappears down the hill to find my shoes, I fight a loopy grin.

I’m in love.

Yes, it sounds crazy, even to me—and I’m living this reality.

But Rand has been everything I’ve wanted in a man and a partner since the moment we met.

The instant zing was a clue. The way we naturally worked to solve problems together hinted that we share something special.

And the sex… I let out a long sigh because I’ve never felt pleasure like that in my life. I never even dreamed it was possible.

But now what? We have really different lives.

How do we tackle that?

I’ve been thinking for a while that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in the spotlight. I miss having a real home, but if Rand is in the picture? I can’t drag him from concert to concert or ask him to wait at home alone. And what if we have kids? I’d like to someday.

Oh, my gosh. You met this guy today, and you’re already thinking marriage and babies?

Okay, I’m probably getting ahead of myself. I need to downshift and?—

Suddenly, a clicking noise sounds behind me, then something cold is pressed against the back of my skull. “Hello, Sophie.”

I know that voice, just like I know what’s prodding my scalp. The cold metal presses harder against my skull, gouging me.

I realize with crystal clarity that I’m about to die.

My hands shake as I slowly raise them. My heart trips into overdrive. “Why are you holding a gun to my head, Dorinda?”

“The answer should be obvious since I tried to have you killed this morning. I made sure Rob’s food got poisoned last night, just enough to incapacitate him, not kill him and draw suspicion.

I needed you vulnerable, alone, so you’d be easy for my hired gunman to pick off.

” She sighs. “I didn’t count on you having another bodyguard to save you.

But today proves that when you want something done right, do it yourself. ”

Panic sets in. If Dorinda says she’s going to do something, she damn well follows through.

If I let her, I’ll be dead.

“Wait! Why?” I demand to stall. “You’re still making money off of me.”

“But if you die now, everyone will remember you fondly as you were when you first appeared on the charts, not like the whore you are now.” She looks me up and down with a sniff. “ Those wholesome songs will be downloaded and played. But this isn’t about money. It’s about disrespect.”

“You think I disrespected you?”

“I don’t think; I know. You threw me away like garbage after I made you a star. I gave you everything—my time, my connections, my reputation—and you repaid me by humiliating me publicly when you fired me. Time for you to pay.”

Shit. I have to keep her talking until Rand comes back and hope for the best. “How did you find me?”

She tsks as if my question—and me by extension—is annoying.

“I’m far more clever than you ever gave me credit for.

It was your lipstick. I paid the stylist to make sure you carried the tube, with the tracking device inside, just in case the gunman proved unsuccessful.

” She sighs. “I hate being right so often.”

And I hate that she seems to have lost her damn mind. Was she always so full of malice?

Never mind. Not important. What is? Figuring out how to deal with Dorinda.

The old me—before Rand—would have asked what she wanted and done my best to comply.

Of course, the me without Rand wouldn’t have escaped the parade alive.

We might not have had a lot of time to talk about how I should defend myself, but I learned a lot from observing him.

One thing I know? Rand would never give in.

Neither will I.

“Very clever,” I murmur. Let her think she’s got the upper hand.

“I told you. You just didn’t believe in me enough.”

Wrong. I knew her professional limitations. They cost me millions. “Then we’re even. You didn’t believe in me enough, either. You sold me short.”

“I proceeded cautiously. After all, most child stars fail at going adult.”

“I’m not most.” Clandestinely, I align my elbow with her stomach, situated directly behind me, then give a vicious shove.

Instantly, she doubles over with an “Oomph!”

I don’t dare wait for a better opportunity or for Rand to return. Heart roaring, I spin around and shove her onto her butt. She’s not any bigger than me, but I’m stronger. I have surprise on my side. And I’m absolutely determined to come out of this in one piece.

But she’s desperate and unhinged, which makes her dangerous. Her finger tightens on the trigger as we struggle.

When I bend to swipe the gun from her, she raises it again and points it in my face. “You stupid fucking bitch. I’ve never killed anyone, but I’ll enjoy wasting you.”

Suddenly, I’m staring down the barrel of her gun. Oh, god. It’s over. I’ve failed.

Then the sound of a gunshot fills the air. I flinch, waiting to fall, bracing for death. Instead, something warm splatters me—blood?—as Dorinda jerks. Then she flops to the grass like a ragdoll, unmoving.

“Sophie! Are you okay?”

Rand! I turn and find him rushing up the hill, straight toward me, his aim still pinned on Dorinda.

“I-I’m fine.” I think. My voice trembles, but I’m in one piece.

I’m alive—thanks to him.

At Dorinda’s side, he kicks the weapon from her hand and bends to check her pulse. A moment later, he lets out a relieved breath. “She’s dead.”

The nightmare is over. I’m shaking so hard I can barely stand, the adrenaline crash hitting me like a freight train.

With a cry, I launch myself into Rand’s arms. “I wouldn’t have made it without you. Thank you.”

He pulls me even closer. “You helped. You kept her talking and held her off until I could get a clean shot. Thank God.”

The sound of his heart hammering fills my head. Every muscle in his body is taut. Then he dips his head to take my lips in a hard press. “I don’t know what you think should happen between us next, but you’ll have to get a restraining order and a crowbar to pry me away from you.”

“I don’t want that. I want you. Always.”

“I want to spend my life with you, Sophie. Wherever that takes us, let’s do it together.”

“We should start by getting married.” It’s unconventional as far as proposals go, but why not?

“You took the words out of my mouth.” He smiles as he presses a kiss to my forehead, then gives me a solemn stare. “But first we need to call the police and sort through the red tape.”

He’s right. “I’ll need to call David, too. He can do damage control with the press.”

“You up to that?”

If that’s what it takes to spend my life with Rand? “Yeah.”

And while I’ve got David on the phone, I’ll also tell him that I’m downshifting my career to enjoy some life with the handsome hunk of bodyguard who turned out to be the man of my dreams. I can’t wait to get started on my forever with him.