Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
“Ms. Cole, Ms. Cole, can we have your autograph? Can we have a picture with you?” multiple voices shout at once.
“Of course,” I answer, smiling as I turn back to my small crowd. “Thank you all for waiting.” It takes about fifteen minutes for Bee to get me through all of them and back into my dressing room. I’m so damn tired that all I want to do is sleep, and my body shows the signs. I let out a long, drawn-out yawn.
Bee giggles and says, “Andi, let’s just get you back to the hotel and get some sleep. We’ll make our plans tomorrow.” Bee and I grab our things and leave the center, hopping into a cab to the hotel.
“We’re here, ladies.” I nod, and Bee pays the driver before I can take out my wallet. She tends to do that. It gets billed to the companies anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.
We head up to the suite, and I get a sickening feeling. “Something’s wrong.” There’s something off, and as I press my keycard to the door, I hear music playing in my suite. Since I didn’t bring anything that plays music, I gasp.
Bee calls hotel security, who call the police immediately. They rush up to the room and ask for the keycard. I hand it over to the police officer, who taps it on the door. He grabs the handle, turning it while another officer whips out his gun and pushes the door open. They both head in, searching room to room, but the sight before me is enough to know I’ll never be safe while my stalker is still out there. Although I didn’t step inside, I can see from the entryway that he’s been here.
The next hour is grueling as the police and a team arrive to assess the scene. A forensic team is brought in and the hotel staff is questioned. Of course, not a fucking soul saw a damn thing, and I feel helpless.
As my shoulders deflate, my cousin says, “You need to call your friend. She said she had some people who could help us.”
Yes, Lena had gotten help from a group of men who had rescued her and two friends a few years ago. They were her angels. She said that if I still had that stalker problem when we were back in Texas, I should call her friends. Maybe it was time to rely on someone other than law enforcement with my problem.
“It’s going to be a couple of hours before you can get your things.”
“I just want to sleep.”
“We can move you to another room where it’s secure with an officer at the door,” the hotel manager says, looking at me with a severe expression on his face. I should have stayed at my apartment, but it was so much farther and they wanted us to have long practice days. Besides, I thought my apartment wasn’t as safe as a hotel with cameras and locks. Apparently, I was wrong.
“Thank you.” This is the most help we’ve gotten to date. They walk us to a new room on a different floor, which eases some tension in my shoulders, but there’s not going to be any peace.
We enter the room and the officer says, “Stay here. I’m going to search the room first.”
She does a cursory check and doesn’t find anyone lurking, which is good, but I expected that, unless the bastard works for the hotel. “You should be safe here for the night. If you need me, I’ll be right outside the door.”
“Thank you.” Bee walks the officer out and I sit on the bed, doing my best to hold it together.
“I still say we should call those people. Get a hold of your friend and get those people to help us. I don’t care if it’s less than legal,” Bee says, whispering that last part.
I check the time and it’s after midnight, which means it’s already past one in the morning there. “I’m with you, but it’s late in New York. They’re sleeping by now.”
“First thing in the morning, then.”
“I promise.” I don’t get undressed because I have no idea what the next hours will bring, but I slide my shoes off and lie down. Closing my eyes for just a moment, I see a pair of light ones that take away the fear. It’s a brief instant, but the relief is there. A sigh escapes my lips.
“I promise we’ll get this guy, Andi.”
“Thanks, Bee.” I raise up onto my elbow, turning to look at my younger cousin who has been my best friend and confidante since she moved in with us when we were twelve.
“Anything for you. Now try to get some sleep so we can get out of here as soon as possible.” I can sense her nervousness, even if she’s trying to remain calm. It’s funny because even though she’s the younger one, she’s always been the leader. My parents put her in the position to be my personal assistant. I don’t know if it was intentional, or if things just felt that way. Still, I’ll forever be grateful for her strength.