The sound of clapping drew his eyes back to Ginny as the music changed tempo, blending into the beginning of another song. Jesse, another lead singer and guitar player, moved to stand next to Ginny. The audience started cheering before resuming their silence once again. Jealousy struck again as Ginny and Jesse sang together.
He had gone years without any feelings, other than hatred and revenge fueling every thought, yet Ginny had somehow managed to erupt a maelstrom of emotions within him in a matter of days.
His sanity since coming off the drugs had been hard won. When Taylor had visited, letting him know there was no going back, he almost lost it, yet he somehow came out of the deep despair. Standing behind the black curtain across the stage from Ginny, Reaper felt as if a yawning abyss just opened in front of him.
Ginny wanted a future with him, she saw him as the soul mate, she had been waiting for him. What Reaper was witnessing reiterated to him that what Ginny wanted was never going to happen in a gazillion years. The abyss was too deep and wide for him to be able to reach her without destroying what little of him was left.
The woman was a star. Becoming involved with him would not only destroy her career but the voice the world deserved to hear. Everyone knew what happened to stars when they fell to Earth ….
They disappeared, as if they had never been born.
Chapter Seventeen
A sound at his back had Reaper turning to see Kaden coming up the metal steps. Reaching the top, Kaden silently watched Ginny’s performance, waiting for his cue.
Continuing his perusal of the audience, Reaper remained still, despite being uncomfortable with Kaden being so close. He watched the crowded interior and saw the already full club was even more packed, all waiting for Kaden’s turn on stage.
Reaper wasn’t surprised at Kaden’s popularity. The sexual energy he put off was hard to miss. The music he wrote and sang captured listeners, while his looks did the rest. Kaden exuded a sexual chemistry that, along with his talent, he could easily fill a venue twice the size of this one. Reaper had missed his rise to fame, but he didn’t need Shade’s file to fill in the blanks. The media had documented the rise and the fall. Except it wasn’t much of a fall, since his audience hadn’t deserted him after the knowledge of his drug use and the hard partying that characterized his lifestyle during his early years. The death of his mother, sister, and her family had been the turning point for Kaden, withdrawing from the limelight for several years before emerging with a more mature, hardened appearance. His private life had gone through a change, also. The hard partying days switched to a reclusive lifestyle with a wife and children. Kaden protected them with an iron fist. No part of his fame was allowed to impact his family, who were his main priority.
Speculation had been rife that Kaden would return to his previous lifestyle, yet the singer remained steadfast in the new life that he was building, while the other band members were more than happy riding the rough edges of a knife. Kaden and Alec were managing to keep their screwups to a minimum, exerting their control over the band in a contract that Kaden demanded before resuming his place in the band.
Alec, never far away when Kaden was performing, was at the bottom of the steps with one of his men, making sure none of the fans had the opportunity to get within breathing distance.
“Ginny’s a good kid. Whoever is stalking her won’t stop. It’s just going to get worse as she gets more popular.”
“I agree.” Kaden’s remark was enough to have Reaper take his eyes off the crowd. He continued his perusal, hoping to find a defining face to store in his memory.
Reaper’s focus switched to another table, but a couple at a table in the center of the nightclub blocked his as they tried to find empty seats.
“Is she planning on returning to Queen City or Treepoint when the show ends?”
“You’ll have to ask her that question.”
“I have.” Kaden said as Ginny and Jesse’s song trailed off and the crowd started shouting for another.
“Then I guess we’ll both know when she does.”
“Will you be staying with her, or is she going be handed off to someone else?”
“Viper will make that call.”
Kaden’s arrogant features, shadowed by the black curtain, held disappointment in his answer. “I thought you were smarter than that.”
Losing focus from Kaden’s derision, Reaper shifted his full attention to him. “What in the fuck does that mean?”
“If you or any of The Last Riders think Viper is calling the shots where Ginny is concerned, then you’re all delusional.”
Raising a questioning brow, Reaper started to disagree with him then stopped. “Why? Has she said something we’re unaware of?”