Gavin's Song (Road to Salvation A Last Rider's Trilogy 1)

“Kaden Cross offered to give me singing lessons,” she admitted. “It’s been so long that I don’t think I’d be recognized.” She tried to give herself the reassurance that Hammer wouldn’t.

“Kid, you’ve always known your own mind. If you believe that no one will recognize you, then we just have to wait and see, won’t we? If it’s only singing lessons, what harm could it do?”

“I know, right? Thanks, Hammer. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

“Ginny?”

“Yes?”

“Be careful. Anything, and I mean anything, makes you feel as if anyone is watching you, call me. If anything happens to me, Jonas or Killyama will contact you. You still remember where the safe house is, right?”

“Yes.”

For a brief, infinitesimal moment, she had forgotten about the other lives who could be in danger.

“Never mind. I won’t do it.”

“What would T.A. tell you to do?”

“Take the fucking lessons.” She laughed.

“Then take the fucking lessons.”

Still filled with uncertainty after ending the call, Ginny scooted off the bed after ending the call, about to go into her bathroom and take a shower, when a piece of paper fell to the floor as she stood. Curious, Ginny bent down to pick it up, recognizing the paper from a notepad in Gianna’s bedroom. Gianna must have written her the message after Ginny had gone out to meet Lily and Shade. Gianna hadn’t been in the apartment when she left, going out with her boyfriend to get last-minute supplies. They had several people over tonight, including her boyfriend, celebrating his birthday. It must not have been important, or she would have mentioned it when she was at her door.

Her blood ran cold as she read the message. Gianna hadn’t been the one who left the note.

I can’t wait for the day you sing only for me, Nightingale.

What the hell? What did it mean? Had one of Gianna’s friends just been joking around and placed the note in her room?

Checking outside of her room, she then checked the rest of the apartment, making sure everything was securely locked. She was glad that Gianna’s boyfriend had stayed the night with her, feeling safer with more people in the apartment. By the time she was back in her bedroom and had taken a shower, she convinced herself that it was just a prank one of the partygoers had pulled.

Placing the note in her nightstand, she turned down her blanket and lay down. Running her hand underneath her pillow, she felt the comforting feel of cold steel under her fingertips before she turned the light off.

She was sure it was a prank, but if it wasn’t, this nightingale was armed.

* * *

Ginny was eating toast when Gianna and her boyfriend came into the kitchen the next morning. “Rough night, Chris?” Ginny asked when he put a hand to his stomach after seeing what she was eating.

“Might have eaten a couple of slices of cake too many,” he admitted. The poor guy looked so sick, he was green.

Gianna didn’t spare him a sympathetic glance as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot Ginny made when she got up. “It wasn’t cake that had you puking your guts out in my bathroom; it was all the beer you drank.”

“I told you I was sorry. Don’t you love me anymore? I love you. You’re the light of—”

“Can it. I have to go to work.” Gianna’s face was breaking into a smile, despite pretending to still be mad at him.

Ginny could understand why. Chris looked exactly what he was—a nerd who spent most of his time in a lab. He looked like he was eighteen or nineteen when, in reality, he was twenty-nine. His thick, black glasses took up most of his face, and from being inside all the time, his skin was pasty-white. Ginny hadn’t understood Gianna’s attraction to him until she got to know him better and saw that he catered to her like she was the most important person in his life. It would be hard to resist that.

Ginny hid her grin as she put her coffee cup up while Gianna went behind where Chris was sitting on the stool to rub his back.

“I have to go,” Gianna said, giving Chris an air kiss.

“Gianna, I don’t want to make you late,” Ginny stopped her before she could make a move to leave, “but I found a strange note on my bed last night. Did you see anyone go in my room?”

Gianna and Chris both frowned.

“No. In fact, I made sure that no one went in there. Chris and I both made it plain that your room was off limits. What did the note say?”

Ginny told them, and both of them stared at her as if she had grown two heads.

“What does that mean?” Chris asked.

“Ginny sings,” Gianna told him.

“Oh … I heard you mentioning that to a couple of people last night when they asked where she was.”