I sang the last word, the drawn-out tone barely passing my lips in a breathless quiver.
I stared at the floor for a second, the emotions from the song still flooding me with their rawness. The bar was quiet for a second, and then there was an eruption of cheers and stomps and whistles again.
I slowly glanced up with a smile, avoiding looking in Vic’s direction. “Thank you so much,” I said into the microphone as the cheers and shouts continued. “Thank you. You guys were incredible.” I stood up, and then like a magnet, my eyes found him again. My breath was sucked from my lungs like they were attached to a high-powered vacuum, and tingles erupted from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.
Because he didn’t just look at me. Vic crawled inside of me, and it felt heated, protective, and comforting.
And yet, his expression was guarded, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Why was he here in Zero Crow? I would’ve thought this was the last place he’d ever show up.
A hand landed on Vic’s shoulder, and my eyes tore from his to see Saint standing beside him. He was here with the Chief of Police.
I stood there gripping my guitar, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than I had been when I was singing. My legs shook and my heart was doing all kinds of crazy beats as I walked to the edge of the platform.
“You were amazing.” I glanced up to see Sam with his hand outstretched to help me off the stage. He smirked. “Well, I already knew you were amazing, but fuck—that was incredible. Beautiful. How are you not famous and singing in front of millions?”
I laughed, but it was forced. “Thanks. I can’t imagine singing in front of millions. I still have to get past the terror of singing in front of fifty people.”
“You blew them away, Mac. You blew me away.” He didn’t release my hand, and instead drew me to the right of the stage where it was quieter. “Listen, I know you’ve already said no to dating me a zillion times, but what if it wasn’t a date? Just friends having dinner.”
“Sam…” I started, but he squeezed my hand.
“Or lunch, if you’d rather.” He shrugged, and it was almost shy, which wasn’t like Sam. “No pressure. Just friends having a meal.”
I liked Sam. He seemed like a good guy, but the last thing Jackson needed was a strange man hanging around. My brain went straight to Vic because he was around, and Jackson liked him—a lot.
I smiled, but the expression was swallowed up when I glanced past Sam’s left shoulder and saw Vic approaching. And it was a fast approach despite the packed bar because he didn’t have to weave through the throngs of people. No, they got out of his way.
He wore army-green cargos and a black T-shirt that clung to his muscled chest and broad shoulders like a second skin. He was scowling, but then there was nothing unusual about that. What was unusual was the scorching heat blazing in his dark eyes.
And it wasn’t a slow-burning heat like a crackling fire. This was a match being struck and then thrown into a barrel of gasoline. What I didn’t know was if it was anger or something else. But I wasn’t about to find out.
A hand squeezed mine. “Mac?”
My eyes darted back to Sam. “Sorry?”
“I’m leaving soon. To go back to the city.”
Vic was twenty feet away. His eyes were locked on me, but shifted to Sam, then to our linked hands. His jaw twitched.
“Can I call you some time?”
Shit, I had to get out of here. Whatever Vic’s issue was, I didn’t want a scene in the middle of a crowded bar.
“Huh? Sorry?” My eyes darted back to Sam, and I saw he had his cell phone out.
“Can I call you?”
“Oh, uh, Sam, I like you, but… listen, sorry, but I have to go.” I was already moving away from him. “Thanks for coming tonight.”
“Okay, I’ll….” Sam’s voice faded as I took off into the crowd.
I needed to find Addie. Facing Vic alone wasn’t a good idea. Not only because he was being scary Vic, but because of the belly fluttering that turned me into a big glob of goo at his feet.
I pushed through the crowd, making my way to the bar, but several people stopped me to tell me how much they loved my songs. I smiled, inching closer to the bar, when suddenly he was there.
He stood in front of me, and everyone else faded away. It was like being trapped in a tunnel where the only light was him.
But that didn’t make sense because he was all darkness.