"Calm down, both of you," Tinker barks. He points at Clayton. "He saved my life. And it sounds like he just saved yours, so knock it off."
I clench my jaw and cross my arms.
Tinker lowers his voice. "Did she surface yet?"
"No," Clayton responds.
"They won't keep her hidden forever. We need to be patient and wait."
For three more weeks, we wait. Every moment she doesn't surface makes me feel like I'm going crazy. Then she finally pops up at a press conference. When I see her, my heart almost stops. She looks beautiful as always, but the statement she makes is forced.
And they are going to break her voice. One hundred days of published concerts and who knows how many other "private" events they will make her perform.
My gut constantly flips with the knowledge of what may be happening to her.
She appears, okay. Maybe they haven't touched her.
She always looked good, and no one knew what they were doing to her.
When the news is over, I pace the room. "When is the first event? We need to get her."
"You can't just show up. You know this," Tinker says.
"We have to get her. Every moment she spends with them, she's in danger."
"Yes, but we need to get her out of there alive."
For weeks, we assess all her public events that are coming up. We debate where we can get access and how we can do it.
Then our break comes. A man who served for the Mexican army and is friends with Clayton works at the embassy in Belize. His name is Lorenzo, and Clayton saved his life. He's a huge fan of Zoe's. But it seems he isn't too keen on the new Mexican Ambassador, Eduardo Macias, and is happy to help us rescue her from his party.
Zoe's scheduled to perform at the embassy in one week. The three of us go to Belize, scope out the scene, and obtain equipment from Tinker's buddy who lives in the city.
Lorenzo, who works at the embassy, keeps the door to the roof unlocked. Every night before the event, I check and double-check everything is set up. I need to rescue my Little Diva, and without my team of guys, I need to make sure she isn't going to get killed or harmed.
The night of the event, I'm up in the rafters of the ballroom. I see everything. Eduardo Macia's put his hands on her as if he owns her. Penelope and Vanessa are also there. My heart sinks, and I wish I could rescue them as well, but I can only save one woman right now.
Zoe's dressing room doesn't have a ceiling. Her manager comes in and sets a box and tube on her vanity, and I cringe.
I know what's in that box. I don't know if Zoe is using it again or not. I don't blame her either way, but I hope she isn't. If she is, then we'll have to deal with it later.
I need my Little Diva to know that I'm coming. I use my cable and lower myself into Zoe's dressing room. I place my rattlesnake necklace on her vanity and am tempted to take the drugs away, but I don't. I push it to the corner.
She's strong enough to resist it.
But she's in the most horrible of situations. It's the only way she could cope before.
She's strong enough.
I raise myself back out of her room and see Eduardo once again, making her uncomfortable. All the restrain I have is tested.
His moment is coming. Be patient.
My Little Diva gets emotional when she sees what I left her, and I'm ready to make plan A happen and zip down and get her when her manager manhandles her to the stage.
On to plan B.
I freeze before I reposition myself and the pully in the rafters. She's singing her new song Country Boy. I've played it over and over the last few weeks. It went viral, and I know it's about me. But her voice is so full of emotion, and it hits me harder than it normally does. She wails out every note perfectly about how she'd give anything for one more kiss, one more touch, one more night.
When she's done, I have to wipe my face.
I'm coming for you, my Little Diva.
She announces Jorge Cano's birthday and begins to sing. When he throws her over his shoulder and slaps her ass, I almost shoot him on the spot.