Wicked (Somerset University #2) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,68
make the switch to legal.”
I never thought I’d be happy at the prospect of working with Daniel Meyer.
“Fine with me. I’m not riding back with them. Valentina flew down on Amelia’s plane. We both come back in the morning.”
“Alright. Brant’s got it from here. That’s why I hired him. You chill with Val, forget about this whole thing.”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
We talked a little more and then ended the call. I ducked into the tour bus and found Rylan where I left him, sitting with his laptop at the table. “Thanks for letting me use your phone,” I said. “I have to make one more call. Check in with Val.”
He waved me on. “Go for it.”
I called Valentina and got her voicemail. “Sorry I’m late, baby. I lost my phone and then there was another issue. I’ll tell you about it when I see you. Leaving now. Love you.”
Rylan accepted his phone, sliding it into his pocket. “Any idea what happened to yours? I saw you with it before we went on.”
“No clue. I did have it on the stage, and then after the set, it was gone. But I don’t have time to look, Val’s waiting for me. I’ll have that one shut off and grab another one when I get home. Speaking of which,” I said as I moved to my bunk. “I’m flying back with Val in the morning.”
“Can’t blame you.” He laughed. “I’d take a private plane with my girlfriend over Chandler snoring in the next bunk.”
“Nah. I liked hanging with you guys.” That I meant the masculine form of “guys” went unsaid. “And for our last ride together, I’m glad I got to see you kill at the festival. There’s nowhere else but up for Beyond Berlin. I promise you that.”
“Our last ride?”
“My time in A and R is up.” I shoved the last of my things into my bag and popped into the bathroom to grab my toothbrush. “I’m transferring to legal.”
I came out and Rylan was there, holding out his hand. “It’s been great working with you, Jaxson. Son of the owner, but you put up with all of our bullshit. Came through for us every day. We won’t forget it.”
We shook, pounding each other on the back. Rylan was good people. Chill. Hard-working. Drama-free.
“I’ll see you around the building, man.”
I shouldered my stuff and headed for the door. It flew open as I reached for the knob. Chandler climbed out of the mud, hair wild and looking harassed.
“Jaxson. Is Serena in there?”
“No.”
“Have you seen her?”
“Last saw her behind the stage.” I stepped down to leave. “Good job today. See you at the studio.”
“Wait. If she’s not here, I need your help to look for her. London Panic invited us for drinks. Hang out. Sign any autographs that come our way. She was supposed to clean up and meet us at the stage.”
“She probably got held up with fans on the way.”
I tried again to leave. Chandler didn’t budge.
“Serena wouldn’t be late for this. We heard them play and their crowd was screaming just as loud as ours. Serena wanted us to take pics, post them on our pages, and get some cross-promotion. Please, Jaxson. Rylan, you too. We have to look for her. She’s not answering my calls and I have a bad feeling,” he said. “You know how fans can get. One guy grabbed her on the way out of a gig last year. Fucker pulled and yanked her so hard, he bruised her arm.”
I bit back a sigh. There was more than friendship between Serena and Chandler. If Val was missing for five minutes, I’d expect him to help me find her. “All right,” I agreed. “I’ll alert security and check our stage. Rylan, mind if I borrow your phone again?”
He handed it over.
“Search near the entrance,” I told him. “Chandler, call the London Panic guys and ask if they’ve seen her.”
We got off the bus and went in three different directions. I wasn’t convinced Serena was in trouble. More likely she was smarting from me pushing her away and swiping off her kiss like it burned. All the same, I called the number for security that came in the festival’s information packet.
“What does she look like?”
“Short. Red hair. Wearing a silver top and black miniskirt. She’s the lead singer, so we’re concerned she got caught out by overzealous fans.”
“Understood,” the woman said. “I’ll pull a few guys off clearing the park and start the search.”