Fade to Red

She was too close now. Just a slight change of plans.

Roxie.

Roxie would have to go first. Security was tighter and she’d have to be more careful, but she’d always loved a challenge.

She twitched and on shaky legs stood up and made her way across the room. She grabbed her pills and tossed one back. The twitching stopped a few minutes later. Blood continued to slowly trickle down her arms and onto the counter, but she didn’t notice.

There wasn’t time to make any mistakes. It would take discipline and the cu

She smiled. Within a few days, Roxie would be dead.

“I like that Beckham Woods.” Ellen smiled. “He is a hunk.”

Ian snorted at his mom then twisted around when he heard Sparrow laughing.

“My wife agrees,” he grumbled.

Her lips lifted on one side, along with an eyebrow. “You don’t?”

He took a long drink of water. “Yeah, yeah, he’s pretty hot.” He rolled his eyes and winked at his mom.

“He doesn’t even come close to your hotness, Orville,” Sparrow said. “Except when he dances … and … sings.”

He lowered his head but didn’t take his eyes off her, giving her a look that made her shift in her seat. “You want me to dance and sing, baby?” he asked softly. He leaned across the table and settled right in front of her face. His nose touched hers. “Seems like I remember some good times in this house doing just that,” he whispered. His lips moved to her ear. “Maybe we can go upstairs in a little bit and reminisce.”

He moved back slowly and sat down.

“Dang,” Sparrow said shakily.

“You do remember,” he said, smiling.

Sparrow glanced nervously at Ellen, but she was focused on Journey. She hadn’t set her down since they’d pulled in the driveway that morning.

“Do your parents always act like this?” Ellen asked Journey.

Journey let out a long string of gibberish, and when they cracked up, she did too.

And then Ellen repeated what she’d been asking since they got there: “Are you sure you can’t stay longer?”

“I wish we could, Mom. I really do. I’ll have to fly you out when we’ve got a few days off.”

They stayed around the house visiting, until it was time to go to the venue. On the drive, Ian caught Sparrow laughing to herself and smiled, wondering if she was thinking about when he’d carried her upstairs. He’d completely shocked her with his moves in the little striptease reenactment. And she’d shocked him more by taking his hand and showing him how instantly turned on it made her. He freaking loved married Little Bird; she was all kinds of bold.

“Dang girl, dang girl, dang girl, dang girl, dang girl, dang,” he sang softly.

Sparrow lost it then. She shook her head and wiped her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. “You are such a nut.”

He kissed her hand. “Your hot nut, you mean.”

“Ew.”

“Yeah, that didn’t work, did it?”

“No.” She took another deep breath and looked at him. “Seriously, though, Magic Mike. Where have you been this whole marriage?”

He smirked. “Gotta spread some things out, little at a time, to keep the love alive.”

“Our love is alive,” she said, waving off his words and then pointing at him. “I’m go

“Yes, ma’am.”

Beckham took the last picture with a fan and then he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Howie stepped into place beside him as he walked out the door.

“Joh

Beckham gri

She was drifting off when he walked in. His eyes drifted down the length of her body, stretched out on the couch, and he couldn’t stop smiling. Someone yelled outside and Roxie jumped up, dazed. He steadied her.

“Hey, thanks for waiting for me,” he said, pulling her in for a hug.

“I’m so tired. I better get going.”

“No—really?” he asked, unable to hide his disappointment. “Stay. We can sleep.”

She laughed. “Seriously?”

“Well, I’m kinda tired, too. It was a great show though. I’m always a little wired after one like that, even though I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I get like that too. Tonight everything was just working. You sounded amazing.”

He opened his mouth to say something and then stopped. “You really think so?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

“I wasn’t sure you liked what I do.”

“Are you kidding? I love your music.”

“You do?”

She nodded.

“I’m shocked. This day has been so enlightening.”

She frowned then choked back a laugh, all in a matter of seconds—her face a clear window of warring emotions.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked.

“Water sounds good.”

“Are you always this easy?” He smirked.

She turned her head to the side. “I think you know the answer to that.”

He laughed, grabbed a water out of the fridge, and handed it to her. “I do like this new, improved side I’m seeing,” he teased.

All of a sudden, the bus lurched and they began moving. She held onto the counter and looked around.

“What are we doing? What about Sierra?”

“I hope you don’t mind. She said she’d hang out with the people on the other bus tonight.”

“What?”

“Come on, it’ll be fun. We can sleep. Or we can talk all night, if you want. Or whatever…”

“That was awfully presumptuous of you,” she yelled.

He pulled her to him and took her hand. “Don’t be mad. I’d like some time with you. We can watch movies … anything you want. Please? If it’s really that bad in here with me, I’ll stop the bus and you can get on yours. Deal?”

“You should have asked me.” She bit the inside of her lip.

He stroked the inside of her wrist; it felt like satin. She stilled and watched his fingers.

“Would you have said yes?”

“No.”

“Thought so.”

She huffed. “You’re not my type, Beckham. Let’s just get that clear right now.”

“Really? Didn’t seem that way earlier…” He gri

She waved an arm over his body and said, “This is not what I’m talking about…”

He winced and then forced a smile. “So I have a 50-50 chance, is what you’re saying.”

She gave him a small shove.

“Look, we can argue all my flaws another time. Will you stay?”

She nodded.

He exhaled. “Woohoo,” he muttered under his breath. “I hated the way we ended things this afternoon when…”

“Not go

“Right. No. I didn’t mean that we’d-…” He pressed the palm of his hand on his eye and looked at her with the other. “Let’s watch a movie—here or the bigger TV in the back?”

“Well, your bus is incredible, by the way,” she said. “I don’t think I told you that earlier. I’d like to see the back, even if we don’t stay there.”

He turned around and led the way. On one side a twin bed fit into an alcove tucked behind curtains, and on the other wall was a bathroom and long vanity.

“Sierra’s space,” he said.

“It’s great. Looks like a fun, little hideaway.”

“Yeah, I’ve tried to give her my room, but she swears she loves this more.”

He opened the door to his room and Roxie gasped. She wouldn’t have believed a room like this existed on a bus. Cabinets and a flat screen TV were built-in on the left side. On the right side, a king-sized bed seemed to float out of the wall, with windows above the headboard. A section of glass ceiling over the bed gave a full view of the sky. There was still plenty of room to walk around on both sides of the bed. Another bathroom was to the right of the bed, at the end of the bus.