Page 36

Jade

It’s release day.

Valentine’s Day.

Just like we planned.

I’m up early, despite how late we’d been up last night, and I slide out of bed quietly. I love cuddling with Royal in the morning—and what that usually leads to—but today I need a moment to myself.

“Midnight Snow” released at midnight.

We celebrated with a bottle of champagne and then made love in the sun room, a blanket of stars all around us.

It’s certainly too early to know how the song is going to do, but my release days tend to follow a pattern: big jump just after midnight, a lull in the morning, and then a bigger jump around dinnertime. I don’t have access to real-time sales numbers at this stage, but I can look at the charts.

I open my phone and?—

Tears fill my eyes.

Number one.

Number one on Apple.

Number one on Spotify.

Four million views on YouTube.

“Baby?” Royal’s sleep-addled voice startles me, and I turn as the first tear slides down my cheek.

“What’s wrong?” he asks in alarm, immediately reaching for me.

“Look!” I hand him my phone, and it takes a second for him to digest what he’s looking at.

Then a slow, appreciative smile crosses his face. “Well, look at that. You did it.”

“ We did it,” I whisper, moving into his arms.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m so happy.”

He chuckles, lowering his head to lightly kiss me. “But why did you sneak out of bed?”

“Because…” I worry my lower lip.

How can I explain it?

“Babe?” His eyes are filled with patient curiosity.

“Well, I was afraid.”

“Of me?” His eyes widen in alarm.

“No, no, of course not.” I wind my arms around his neck. “Never. Not like that. But I was afraid that the song might not be doing well and you’d be…disappointed.”

He frowns. “Disappointed in what way? Disappointed that it’s not the hit we thought it would be? Maybe I would have been—a little bit anyway. But you didn’t think I’d be disappointed in you…did you?”

I drop my gaze. “Maybe?”

“Hey. Look at me.” He pulls me closer. “That’s never going to happen. Do you hear me? We both know how fickle this industry is. Sometimes it’s about timing. Something going on in politics. An earthquake in the South Pacific. Anything and everything can impact the performance of a release. But there is no universe, no set of circumstances, where I could be disappointed in you . Especially not with this particular song. Baby, we put our souls into ‘Midnight Snow.’ Nothing diminishes that. Or how I feel about you.”

I rest my head against his chest and close my eyes.

This is my safe place.

My happy place.

The only place I want to be ninety-nine percent of the time.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you too, Shortcake.” He gently runs his hands up and down my back. Both hands. With equal pressure.

The fingers on his right hand are still a long way from doing what they used to do, but his new physical therapist is teaching him different ways to use his entire hand to compensate for some of the loss of control. He also firmly believes Royal will play guitar again. Not at the same level, but enough to write music, maybe perform a few songs with me when we go on tour.

It’s the first and only time I’ve ever seen tears in Royal’s eyes.

“Let’s go back to bed,” I say after a moment.

“Need a little cock to celebrate being number one?” he teases.

I snort out a laugh. “Yes, you animal.”

“You like my animalistic tendencies.” He waggles his brows then suddenly lifts me off the floor, tossing me over his shoulder.

“Royal!” I let out a pretend shriek of indignance and he slaps my ass.

“Bed or shower?” he asks.

“Bed.”

“You got it.” He dumps me on the mattress, landing on top of me after quickly shedding his boxers. “Now, tell me again why you were crying…”

I smile. “Tears of joy, my love. Tears of joy.”

He kisses them away. “Now how about we make tears of pleasure?”

My smile grows.

Because he proceeds to do just that.

And as usual, the music we make together is perfect.

“I'm so sorry I’m not there.” Royal’s voice is filled with apology.

Considering this is at least the fourth time he’s apologized, I can’t help but smile.

It’s a week later and I’m in Dallas, while he’s still back in L.A.

“Babe, it’s okay. Frankie needs you. I’ll be fine. Dash is here, and I’ll be on the first flight back to L.A. tomorrow morning.”

“I just wanted to be there.”

“There’s always next time. You take care of Frankie and I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Kiss that baby girl for me.”

“I will.”

I disconnect and sigh.

Atlas and Briar are in Shanghai on a business trip. Royal and I were staying at the house with Frankie, and all three of us were going to come to Dallas for the new MCM award show—Modern Country Music. Except Frankie came home from school with RSV and is sick as a dog. Banks is on a road trip, Aspen can’t help out because she can’t risk getting sick, and when it came down to whether Dash or Royal would come with me, we decided Dash was the better option.

I trust Trent, who’s become my new head of security, but his girlfriend just had a baby so he’s on paternity leave. Which left Dash as the person I trust most with my safety.

So Royal stayed home, and Dash and I are here in Dallas.

I’m not upset—poor Frankie has been miserable—but I miss Royal.

We haven’t been apart since we got engaged, and it was really strange sleeping alone last night.

“You ready, Jade?” Dash looks incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, and I go over to straighten his collar. Tuxes are a requirement for security at this event, and he’d grumbled about it, but I think it’s a great look for him. Those broad shoulders will turn quite a few heads this evening…but he’s all business.

So much so, sometimes I worry about him.

He needs a good woman to ease the perpetual frown line between his brows. Aside from his time at The Sapphire Room, he’s always worried. On alert. Working . Frankly, it’s exhausting just to watch.

Part of me feels guilty because he’s my friend more than my bodyguard now, and I reap the rewards of his expertise, but I also want him to be happy. And deep down, I think he’s just as alone as Royal was. Him and Atlas both. Atlas is a much tougher nut to crack, though.

And I’m certainly not playing matchmaker tonight.

I’m up for Country Music Superstar of the Year, and it’s a little strange since this is a newer award. This is only the second year this event has been happening, and this year it’s on all the major prime-time television stations.

I smooth down my raspberry red gown and get ready to leave. Dash is both my date and my bodyguard for the evening, so he’ll be with me the whole time. Lots of celebrities do it this way if they don’t have an actual date, but I’m sure the gossip mongers will be confused.

That just makes me laugh.

Royal and I have begun to enjoy screwing with the press.

“You look lovely,” Dash says as we head for the limo.

“Thank you.” I take his arm as we walk. “You look pretty handsome yourself. You know, I bet you’d like my friend Lily. We’re going to see her later.”

He chuckles. “Stop with the matchmaking. I’m not looking.”

“How come?”

“Because I don’t have the time. Or the energy. Women are a lot of work.”

“What are you trying to say?” I demand, laughing. “Are you calling me high-maintenance?”

He wobbles his hand from side to side. “A little?”

“Well, I never!” I laugh, and he does too.

Conversation is light on the short drive to the event and thankfully, there’s no red carpet tonight. But the convention center is literally surrounded by fans and paparazzi.

“Jesus, it’s packed,” I murmur as we make our way inside.

“Don’t worry. I’m right here.” He allows me to walk ahead of him, and I wave to a handful of photographers I know, breezing past them to our seats.

“I think you’re going to win,” he says quietly, looking around.

I cock my head. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Just a feeling I have.”

“You seem like you’re on edge,” I say. “Everything okay?”

“Sometimes I just get a vibe—like something is going to happen. I don’t always know if it’s good or bad, but it’s like a sixth sense.”

“Well, then let’s assume you’re right that I'm going to win!” I say. “Because we don’t want anything bad to happen.”

“Definitely not.”

There’s that scowl again.

ROYAL: Good luck, Shortcake. Frankie and I will be watching!

JADE: Thank you. I love you.

ROYAL: I love you too.

I put my phone away and try to focus on the emcee, the entertainment, the other awards. Country Music Superstar of the Year will be last, of course, which means I can’t even take a bathroom break.

And finally, it’s time.

I won’t be overly disappointed if I don’t win.

It’s a new award, new organization within the music industry, new everything, so it doesn’t hold a lot of weight yet.

But it would still be cool.

“And the winner is…”

There’s the typical dramatic pause, and it takes a lot of self-control not to grab Dash’s hand.

“...Jade Cantrell!”

“There you go.” Dash smiles triumphantly.

I stand up and he gently squeezes my hand.

I don’t even have a speech planned because I didn’t want to assume anything.

Now I’m going to have to come up with one on the fly.

“Thank you, Dallas!” I say after accepting the small but heavy glass award in the shape of a cowboy hat. “I’m so honored to win this. First and foremost, thank you to Grandma Louise and my Mama, who instilled the love of music in me.”

Lots of cheering and clapping.

“And to my amazing fiancé, Royal Ewing, who couldn’t be here tonight—I love you. Oh! And feel better, Frankie!” No one knows who I’m talking about, but I don’t give a damn. “The last year has been incredibly chaotic. In the best possible way. Awards like this mean everything…I appreciate my fans, my team, and all of you—my contemporaries. Thank you!” I raise my hand, holding the glass award as the music comes up and I start to exit the stage.

But something in my peripheral vision catches my eye.

Instinctively, I step back as a man lunges onto the stage and comes at me.

Startled, I drop the award and it shatters as it hits the ground.

“Stupid cunt! You don’t deserve shit!”

I shrink back, unsure what to do, and then like an arrow shooting through the night, Dash is there. He puts himself between me and my attacker, and I see the glint of metal.

“Dash—he has a knife!”

Dash is still between us, his large body a barrier that’s both soothing and terrifying because I can’t see what’s happening.

“Sugar, let’s get you out of here and let security handle it.” One of the announcers comes to my side, putting her arm around me.

But I can’t leave Dash.

Not when he’s in danger because of me.

It’s ridiculous, since I know he can take care of himself, but I look back over my shoulder as I’m forcibly propelled backstage.

More security has descended on the stage but not before my attacker lunges at Dash.

I can only see a tiny bit of their scuffle.

And then both of them go careening off the stage.

“Dash!” I scream his name and hurry back in that direction.

“Jade!” Someone is trying to stop me, but there’s a melee on the floor in front of the stage. Security guards everywhere, police, yelling, the sound of breaking glass.

I can’t see anything, but when it’s all over, an officer has my attacker in handcuffs.

And I still don’t see Dash.

“Dash?” I run forward, oblivious to the people trying to pull me back. “Dash! Where is my bodyguard?!” I demand.

A police officer approaches me, a serious look on his face.

“Ms. Cantrell, we’ve called for paramedics.”

“Where. Is. Dash?” I try to see around him but he’s blocking me.

“Ms. Cantrell, I don’t think?—”

“Tell me what happened!” I snap, losing my patience.

I see paramedics surrounding someone on the floor.

“...could be a spinal injury…”

“Get the backboard…”

“Don’t move him…”

My hands fly to my mouth.

“Oh, my God.”

“Jade.” Lily appears at my side. I’d known she was going to be here and we’d made plans to meet up for a late dinner. She slides an arm around my waist. “Come on—come with me. We can follow them to the hospital. I’ve got security and you can’t be alone.”

She’s right, but I don’t want to leave Dash.

“I have to call…” Who do I call first? Royal? Atlas? Briar?

“Let’s go to my limo. Come on, honey. Let them take care of him.”

Tears sting my eyelids as she gets the pertinent information from the paramedics about where they’re taking him.

The moment we’re in her limo, I call Royal.

“Hey, baby! Congratulations!”

They must have cut to a commercial.

He must not have seen.

“Royal!” I burst into tears.

“Shortcake, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Dash—he’s been hurt. And I think it’s bad.”

We hope you loved HEARTbrEAKER as much as we loved writing Royal and Jade’s story! If you want to find out what’s happened to Dash, don’t miss DEALbrEAKER ! He never wanted to settle down...until he stumbled upon his own sleeping beauty… Then he would do anything to keep her safe.