“Remember, we have to focus,” Linc hissed in an undertone. “Stay vigilant.”
Seth pulled his attention away from the stage long enough to meet Linc’s gaze. Linc gave him a barely perceptible nod of his head toward the side of the stage.
Seth looked over and squinted, tilting his head to see around a fellow listener. He saw the side door that opened to the backstage area of the blues lounge. Just as he was about to turn his eyes back to Gentry, that side door opened up, but painstakingly slowly. Like someone was trying to hold it open for someone without getting spotted.
To Seth’s great interest, two sketchy-looking men came slinking toward the door. They pressed themselves close to the wall as they made their way up closer to the side of the stage. Seth scrutinized them closely. They weren’t dressed in the sleek black and white uniform usually worn by the other Miami Blues employees. They wore regular street clothes, one in jeans and an oversized hoodie, the other dressed in a smart business-casual suit. As they reached the door, it parted widely enough for them to go inside. The door closed.
Seth and Linc looked at each other intently. Linc’s brows furrowed even deeper and he whispered, “Seth, look.”
Poking out the side door now was a man with a familiar look to him. Tousled ginger hair and a cheesy suit. Was that Gentry’s manager they had met briefly the night before? What was he doing over there? Who were those random guys, and what could they possibly need to be backstage for?
Ricky looked up at the stage, then out at the crowd. He looked relieved to see that everyone was paying rapt attention to Gentry, not to him. He slinked out of the doorway and, like the other guys, stayed close to the wall as he made his way across the room. As luck would have it, or perhaps because Ricky could sense the two pairs of eyes staring a hole in his head, he happened to glance over at their table as he walked away. He looked startled to see Seth and Linc watching him. Ricky tripped over his own foot, quickly recovered, and gave the guys a sheepish smile before high-tailing it out of the blues lounge.
Linc and Seth locked eyes and nodded. That was weird.
At least now they definitely had a reason to stay. Maybe Ricky was just awkward, but maybe there was something worth investigating around here. Seth smiled and settled in for the rest of Gentry’s set. He was happy to be here, whatever the reason.
9
Lincoln
Linc stared up at the stage in complete awe. Even though he was surrounded by people breathing, murmuring, clinking their glasses, he felt like he was alone in the room when he looked at Gentry. His dark, brooding gaze swept up her body. He took in her delicate feet in their gold kitten heels, her toned calves and thighs. Her legs were long and shapely, and with the heels she looked as willowy as a ballerina. Linc licked his lips as his eyes fixated on the spot where the hem of her black dress met her legs, about halfway up her thighs. He could see the ever-so-faint pressure of the tight hem squeezing against the soft, pale flesh of her thigh. The fabric clung tight around her rounded, sensual hips, and he was struck by her small waist.
He wanted to wrap one strong arm around her middle and pull her in close. He wanted to slide his calloused fingertips up her arms to her bare shoulders, lingering over every precious inch of naked flesh. He longed to press his nose into her thick, dark hair and breathe in her delicious feminine scent.
Gentry tilted her head as her lips parted in a musical sigh. The lights danced along her cheekbones and around the crown of her head like a halo. He thought that not even heaven itself could hold such an angel. One arm dropped to her side, her fingers clenching up into a loose fist as she embodied the emotion of her song. She closed her pretty eyes and looked for a moment like she was lost in prayer. Linc’s heart thumped almost painfully in his chest. He couldn’t understand the depth of emotion sizzling in his brain when he watched Gentry perform. What was it about this girl that filled him with warmth and peace, yet pumped adrenaline through his veins? How did she humble and thrill him at the same time?
He tried to remind himself to slow down. To be cautious. He hardly knew the woman, and besides, he was supposed to be here unofficially on police business. He was supposed to be watching the doors, looking for signs of sketchy activity, and staying vigilant. He was trying to do just that, but it was damn near impossible to tear his eyes away from this goddess. Even when he did manage to look away for a moment, to scan the room for threats, of course he could still hear her. Gentry’s voice was equally as enticing as her perfect body, hugged tight in that slinky black dress. It didn’t seem like her style, based on her appearance last night, but Linc wasn’t complaining. He soaked up her beauty and drenched himself in her song.
It had been a long time since he’d had such enjoyment from a live music performance. After what had happened years ago, the whole experience had been soured for him. But now, watching Gentry sing, he felt those old flickers of joy again. Joy and desire, bubbling just under the stoic facade he showed the world. He took some solace in the fact that nobody could tell how enthralled he was with Gentry’s show. Linc was the king of keeping a poker face, which definitely helped him build a reputation as a no-nonsense tough guy who could handle anything. Even when he was feeling emotions so intense they sliced through him like knives, he knew how to keep calm. He might be kicking like hell under the water, but he was placid as a swan on top.
In the rare moments when he was able to take his eyes off of Gentry, Linc did spot some unusual activity going on in the lounge. He took the time to memorize the faces of the wait staff, clearly marked by their black and white uniforms, to count them out of the suspect line. Although, he thought grimly, there was always a chance an employee was involved. Still, most of the weirdness he observed came from people dressed in regular clothing. Civilians. Patrons of varying ages and types who seemed to subtly come and go from the lounge through the side stage door. On top of the new faces, again and again Linc noticed a familiar one: the red-haired man who had whisked Gentry away last night.
Ricky Hanes.
Linc wanted to know more about this guy. Not only was he a shady character, but he was a direct link to Gentry, which meant that he and his sketchy endeavors posed a possible threat to her. Linc barely knew her, but he knew she was worth protecting.
For a split second, it crossed his mind that she could be knowingly involved. But one solid look at her told him that wasn’t true. He had no factual evidence to clear her of suspicion, but his heart knew the answer. Even if by some chance Ricky was doing the kind of illicit things that could get her in trouble, Linc was certain Gentry wasn’t in the know about it. She was just a beautiful, innocent angel who was swept up in something she never expected.
Or maybe everything at Miami Blues was totally above-board. Maybe his suspicions were just that: suspicions. Nothing concrete. Linc hoped that was the case; although he could handle whatever the job threw at him, he naturally preferred order over chaos. He wanted to believe that a Miami staple like the Blues was a respectable, honest business.
But then again, if there wasn’t anything amiss here, that would mean the end of his ‘official’ reason to show up here. He would have to come up with his own reasoning. He knew why he was really here—Gentry was here. It was simple as that. But acknowledging that would mean coming to terms with a lot of other things Linc had been shoving down and burying for years. He swallowed hard. Less than twenty-four hours of meeting Gentry, and he was already fighting feelings like this?
He had to get ahold of himself. For the lieutenant’s sake. For his own.
The show was coming to an end. The blues lounge burst out into a standing ovation and enthusiastic whoops and cheers as Gentry finished her final, lingering note. Her gorgeous features lit up even more brightly as she smiled at the crowd. She was breathless and humble, her cheeks flushing pink as she gave a dainty bow.
She leaned forward to the mic and, in the sweetest voice Linc had ever heard, said, “Thank you. I appreciate y’all.”
Her Tennessee accent made Linc’s heart stutter. Her smile was contagious. He found himself grinning back at her despite his attempts to remain stoic. Her brown eyes glittered as they locked with his. She looked at Linc and Seth happily as she took a step back and the red curtain fell across the stage again. Linc glanced to Seth, who was already standing up.
“One hell of a show. Let’s go see if we can get an autograph,” he said, half-joking as usual. Linc nodded and got to his feet. The pair of them wove their way through the cheering, bustling crowd and walked back to the side stage door.
“You saw what I saw here earlier, right?” Seth murmured to him, pausing as he grabbed the doorknob.
“Yes indeed,” Linc replied.
Seth smirked. “Well, then. Sounds like we have a good enough reason to go backstage.”