Dropping The Ball - A New Year’s Billionaire Romance - Weston Parker Page 0,101

you. You’re going to be great, baby. This is your moment. Take it.”

I pivoted to face him, my arms going around his neck as he pulled me closer. Our mouths met for a long, lingering kiss we probably shouldn’t have shared in front of my parents, but I couldn’t break away from him.

He was right. It was my moment and I was going to take it. If I fell, I knew he would be there for me.

Letting out a long breath once our kiss ended, I looked into those gorgeous eyes and smiled. “It’s time to show up and show off. Everything else be damned.”

Chapter 35

CARTER

Almost a million people were barricaded into the pens lining the streets this evening. Large screens showing performances, interviews, and other entertainment were mounted everywhere. The roar of the crowd was constant, but the speakers managed to drown out even that in the immediate vicinity.

I was situated near the edge of the stage, and the energy of the audience behind me was palpable. There was a certain magic in the air I couldn’t describe, but that might just have been me.

In less than thirty minutes, Rylee was taking the stage in front of me and I couldn’t wait to see her do it. There were whispers about the surprise guest who would be performing on this stage soon, but no one had any real idea of what was about to happen.

My hands were folded behind my back, the earpiece buzzing with reports from Bart and the rest of our team. Police officers checked everyone before letting them into the pens, running wands up and down their bodies, checking bags, and trying to mitigate the risk of trouble.

At an event of this size though, there was only so much anyone could do. A potential threat could pop up anywhere, anytime.

My eyes were peeled, my body on high alert. I didn’t expect the threat that made its appearance in the least, but it happened when Nathan walked onto the stage Rylee would soon be rocking.

He shook hands with the host, waving at the crowd like he was a celebrity in his own right. My muscles tensed and my eyes narrowed when he was handed a microphone.

Oh, fuck. Here we go.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please help me to welcome to the stage the New York Times’s very own, Mr. Nathan Biles.” The host grinned at him. “Nathan, thank you for joining us.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here, Phil.” The asshole flashed a smile that made an ooh travel through the pen closest to me. “I’m happy to be here to ring in the new year with you all.”

“We’re happy to have you.” He tucked one hand into the pocket of his coat, twirling the microphone in the other. “You’ve written a series of articles recently concerning Broadway star Rylee Naples. She took the scene by storm a number of years ago and then suddenly disappeared. What inspired you to write about her after all this time?”

“Well, Phil, just because she’s been gone for a while doesn’t mean she doesn’t still have fans out there.” He motioned toward the crowd, and a cheer with some catcalls ran through it. Winking at them, he waited for people to settle before continuing. “I’m a staunch believer that we deserve to know the truth and I didn’t believe that what her team was putting out there was true.”

Phil nodded sagely. I didn’t know if he was humoring the asshole or if he truly believed him, but seeing that nod made a viper coil in my stomach.

“You’ve recently reported that she was diagnosed with a critical illness. Multiple sclerosis, was it?”

“That’s the one.” Nathan manufactured a somber expression that made me want to punch him twice as hard as I had before. “The girl was a rising star, loved by us all, but unfortunately, she was struck down right in a middle of a rise that could’ve been meteoric.”

“So you believe she’s done? Has New York seen the last of Rylee Naples?” Phil’s tone was overly dramatic. “That would be a real shame.”

Nathan bowed his head as he shook it. “It truly is a shame, Phil, but yes, I believe we’ve seen the last of her. She struggles daily with the symptoms of her illness. There are weeks where she can’t even get out of bed.”

My blood boiled, but Nathan kept right on discussing things he knew nothing about and frankly were none of his business. “Sources have told me she spends more time