Rockstar Romeo - Abbie Zanders Page 0,20

asked.

“She was a tiny thing,” I said, smiling at the memory. “More hair than girl, I think. She was on this miniscule little excuse for a stage, surrounded by guys with equally long hair, wearing more makeup than she did and tight spandex.”

Tommy looked appalled, but Brian grinned.

“She looked scared to death. The music started, and she just stood there, frozen, until the crowd started getting nasty and throwing shit up on the stage. Then, the lead guitarist shot them all the finger and went over to her. He spoke to her, and when he walked away, she put the mic up to her mouth and blew out the clearest, most perfect note I’d ever heard and held it for more than a minute.

“The place went silent. Then, the drums kicked in and the bass, and a wicked, insane guitar riff followed. The crowd went completely batshit. That was it. They rocked the place for more than two hours and ended up winning the contract. Nobody else even came close.

“No lie, that woman had the most incredible voice I’d ever heard. It wrapped around my very soul in a way nothing else ever had—or has since. Not until tonight anyway.

“I knew then that while I liked engineering, it would never make me feel like that. Music was already in my soul, but it took her to wake it up. Shortly after, we started Dark Wing, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Eva raised her eyes to look at me.

“Holy shit, Mom,” Tommy murmured, looking from me to Eva, earning himself a harsh look and a reprimand from his mother, which he dutifully ignored. “You? You were in Black Raven?”

Eva didn’t answer him, but I nodded.

“Yes. It was your mother I saw that night.”

“You never told us you were part of Dad’s band,” Tommy scolded. “How come?”

Dad’s band? Ian Flynn was Brian and Tommy’s father? I was beginning to understand why Eva had a poor opinion of people in our profession. The guy was hardcore.

“It was a long time ago,” Eva said evasively.

“But what happened?” Brian asked, turning back to his mother. “Why did you leave the band? Didn’t you like it?”

Eva shrugged, looking as if she’d rather have a root canal than continue the conversation. “I did at first,” she said hesitantly. “But things change. People change. I changed.”

She stood up. “I’m going to get some more snacks. Anyone want anything from upstairs?” Before anyone could answer, Eva was gone.

Four sets of male eyes, two of them still rather stunned, followed her until she was out of sight, and the basement door closed behind her.

Turning to me, Brian asked, “Do you know what happened, Jace?”

I shook my head. I didn’t know, but I’d always wondered.

I’d bought a copy of their demo that day and played it to the point of wearing it out. But when their first real album was released a year later, the woman pictured with the band wasn’t the same one I’d seen.

Over the years, Black Raven went through several female leads, none staying for more than a year or two until they didn’t even bother trying to replace them anymore.

On more than one occasion, I tried to find out who the original singer was. No one seemed to know. It wasn’t like it was now, where everyone had a cell phone and twenty-four/seven internet access. To find out things, you had to actually talk to people.

At one point, I went straight to the source and asked Ian Flynn about her when we ended up at the same venue for an all-day concert. Ian said he didn’t remember. He was so out of it that I believed him.

Only those who were there that day, like me, remembered her. To the rest of the world, it was as if she’d never existed.

Until I had seen her again, three days ago.

“We happened, you idiot,” Brian guessed, breaking into my thoughts.

Tommy’s eyes widened. “You think?”

Brian smacked his brother upside the head. “Duh. Summer, twenty years ago? We just turned eighteen, shit for brains.”

“Excuse me for a minute, guys,” I said, interrupting their little convo. “I’m going to see if your mom needs any help.”

I found Eva in the kitchen, staring out the window, looking lost.

“Eva?”

She turned quickly and wiped at her eyes. “Sorry. Coming.”

“Eva,” I said softly, drawing up behind her. “I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have.”

She gave me a small smile. “It’s okay. It’s not like it’s a big secret or anything.”

“It just never came