My heart sinks when I hear sirens approach. Seconds later, five police cars scream into the back parking lot, followed by two ambulances. They burst through the loading dock. Fee is sobbing now. Frantically calling both Zane and Carter with no answer. I’m feverish with worry. Just when my patience runs out, the EMTs wheel Carter out on a stretcher. Zane trails behind him, wailing. Clutching his dad’s hand.
Fee stands there with the most broken expression I’ve ever seen. Her face is streaked with tears, but she’s almost comatose. Like she’s seen a ghost. She’s clearly in shock. Rather than go to Zane, who’s with Carter in the ambulance, she looks at the two of us and steels her expression. “I’m going back to the restaurant.”
I’m about to follow her, because she’s clearly not okay, except Ty’s shoved out the door, shackled in handcuffs. He looks like hell. It’s all too much. We’re in a nightmare. Watching Fiona’s dream explode. LTZ’s reunion go up in flames. Needing comfort, Alex and I embrace.
There are nowords.
“Fucking chaos. It’s a fucking disaster,” Jace roars as he bursts through the loading door followed close behind by Connor. It’s clear they don’t see us standing there.
Our men stand at the edge of the concrete platform. Surveying the aftermath. Ty crumpled in the back seat of the police car. Zane draped over Carter in the ambulance, wailing like a dying dog.
Alex and I peer inside the venue as the door snicks shut, hoping to get some clue as to what the hell’s happening. All I can see is LTZ's crew and various kids from Ty's foundation milling around, tearful and slack-jawed. Our expressions mirror theirs. I'm unable to fully process what I’ve seen—what I'mseeing.
Strong arms suddenly wrap around my waist. Connor pulls me against him. “Come here, my love. I’ve got you.”
“What in the world is going on?” I turn in his arms and clutch his t-shirt. In my peripheral vision, I see Jace and Alex wrapped up together.
He smooths my hair. Speaks to me in a calm voice that I know masks his true feelings. His eyes are wild. Scared. “I don't know, Mae. Ty went berserk. I had to pull him off Carter. He beat the absolute shite out of him until he was unconscious. Then, Zane beat the shite out of Ty. I truly couldn’t tell you what the feck is happening now. Ty quit the band. He said some nasty, nasty words.”
“Ohmygod.” I bury my face into his chest.
He disengages from our embrace to look at me with sad eyes. “I'm gonna take charge and smooth things over. It’s going to be up to me to talk to those poor kids. And our crew, of course. This is an absolute disgrace.”
I nod to Jace, who’s on the phone with someone, Alex firmly tucked into his side. “Is he handling press?”
“Aye.” Connor glances down to a black car pulling to the edge of the lot. The police are waving it away. Out pops Zoey, clutching her protruding belly. When she spots Ty in the police car, she run-waddles toward her husband, wailing in grief. Alex breaks free from Jace and rushes past me, Connor, and Jace, down the loading dock stairs to intercept Zoey.
Zoey collapses to the ground in Alex’s arms when the police door closes, and Ty is whisked off to the station. Jace runs down the stairs toward them, but the EMTs in the second ambulance already are loading her on a stretcher. Connor and I watch him have words with Alex before she climbs into the ambulance with Zoey. Seconds later, both vehicles are headed to Harborview with their patients.
Jace paces like a panther. He’s clearly pissed. It’s unlike him to display any emotion in a public setting. I clasp his wrist. “We should go in. I’m sure we’re being filmed. At the very least, we can try and do some damage control until we can figure all of this out.”
“Aye. Let’s go.” Connor takes my hand. Jace follows.
Once inside Connor grabs a mike and jumps on stage. “Ladies and gents. None of us have words to describe what just happened. All of you are valued members of the LTZ and Mission community. We ask that you cooperate with the police and remember you’re all under NDA. No one may talk to the press or post on social media without running it past our management. For those who are here with the Rainier Foundation, the same thing applies.”
The police aren’t there for long. Once they’re finished, Jace and Connor manage to get everyone to depart. I can’t help but shudder. What occurred tonight changed LTZ’s history. My husband’s identity is tied up intrinsically with his band, which means his life has just been forever altered.
We’re quite the pair.
The three of us go back to the dressing room. I’m flabbergasted. It’s utterly trashed. The walls have jagged holes in various places. The furniture has been turned over. Paper is strewn everywhere. The catering table has collapsed, squished fruit, meat, and cheese splays across the floor. Connor and Jace start cleaning up when I realize no one’s checked on Fiona for at least forty-five minutes.
Kneeling next to him, I hook my arm through Connor’s. “I think it’s best if I go to Fee. After all her hard work, her night is ruined too. Everything she planned for so many months is destroyed. Zane’s with Carter. Someone needs to be there for her.”
“Mae, my love. Go to her. That’s very kind of you.” Connor kisses me sweetly. “Jace and I will clean up as best we can.”
Once outside, I’m grateful to be back in the fresh air. I can’t help but lean against the back wall and take cleansing breaths. My stress level is through the roof. I’m trying so hard not to make assumptions about what happened. It’s a well-known fact that Carter was the one who broke Ty and Zoey up all those years ago. He’s since redeemed himself, but who’s to say what happened? I can’t help but wonder what Carter did to cause Ty’s visceral reaction.
I make my way back to Gus. Inside, Fee is curled up on an ornate couch in the waiting area by reception. I sit next to her. Gently take off her chef hat and brush a hair out of her face. “I know you’re not okay.”
“I’m trying not to make this whole thing about me, but fuck, Ronni. Every time I think everything’s on track, the rug’s pulled out from under me. It’s hard to keep fighting.” She sluggishly sits up and slumps back against the cushion. “I’m trying not to feel sorry for myself, but there’s a nugget of rage bubbling inside me. It started when I had to call the food critics and tell them we weren’t opening. Based on the reaction I got, it’s unlikely they’ll give me another chance.”
I move so I’m sitting sideways, cross-legged. My back’s against the armrest. “This is just as much your loss as Zane’s, babe.”
“I know, it’s not that. It’s everything. Zane texted me. Carter had a heart attack.” Her shoulders slump forward. She buries her face in her hands and cries. I scoot over and pull her into me. Hold her as she lets out her grief.
“Carter will be fine. You’ll reopen. The band will work it out,” I say decisively.
She shakes her head sadly. “Zane needs me, but they won’t let anyone else in Carter’s room. He’s just wrecked. It’s like déjà vu.”