My eyes travel ed the length of the bar and something shifted in that happy place. I couldn’t put my finger on it but something was wrong.

Stil chanting with the crowd, my hand in the air, my eyes went back up the bar.

Then down it.

Then back up.

Then it dawned on me that Tex wasn’t sitting at the bar.

And Tex never brought the tequila.

And Tex never brought the tequila.

Automatical y, the band and I finished the “na-na’s” as my eyes flew through the crowd, searching for but not finding Tex.

Then the band stopped playing and I said into the mic,

“We’re gonna take a break, be back!”

The crowd roared and I gave them a wave and a smile, keeping up appearances but, as fast as I could, I moved offstage.

Duke was there with a beer and he shoved it in my hand.

“Girl, normal y you kick ass but tonight, I gotta tel you darlin’, you are the shit! ” Duke said to me and normal y I would be stunned, maybe even moved by his compliment.

Duke didn’t hand out compliments very often.

Instead I looked up at him and asked, “Where’s Tex?” Duke’s body went stil then his head jerked around to scan the bar.

My band had come down behind me and the Rock Chicks were rounding the stage but I didn’t look at them.

I moved.

I shoved though the crowd. People were trying to get my attention, to stop me, to talk to me. I heard their words as I moved, shoving through until I saw Mace coming my way.

I stopped in front of him, put my hands on his chest and tilted my head back.

He was looking down at me, smiling, face soft, voice low, “Babe –” he started.

I cut him off, “Where’s Tex?”

His head jerked then shot up. He, too, scanned the bar.

My fingers curled into his t-shirt. “When I arrived, he met me at the backdoor. He went off to get me tequila. I haven’t seen him since. With everything that happened, I didn’t think –”

I didn’t finish. Mace’s hand wrapped around mine and he started pushing through the crowd. By the time we got to the side of the stage, the Rock Chicks were looking pale and the Hot Bunch was in a huddle. Lee sliced an unhappy look at Mace and got on his phone.

“Has anyone seen him?” Roxie asked.

“When we arrived but I haven’t seen him since,” Jet answered.

“Fuck,” Duke muttered.

“What’s happening?” Lana asked, getting close to Mace and me.

“One of our people is missing,” I told her and looked up at Mace. “We need to make an announcement. Stop the show,” I said.

Lee flipped the phone shut and addressed the group,

“The girls are going home. Then I want everyone in the field.

Bobby, Matt, Duke, Tom and Dad wil stay on Stel a and the band. Matt, you’re responsible for getting Stel a home.

Dad, arrange police escorts for every band member when the gig’s over. Yeah?”

Malcolm nodded.

“Fuck!” Duke exploded. “How did we miss this?”

“It’s my fault,” I whispered.

Lee’s eyes sliced to me. “Get that out of your head.

Finish the gig,” he ordered then his gaze moved through his men as Hector and Darius arrived at the huddle from wherever they’d been. “Luke, you got Ava and Al y. Darius, you got Shirleen, Daisy, Lana and Chloe. Hector, you got Jet and Roxie. Vance, you got Jules and Indy. Mace, you’re with me. Let’s go.”

They went except Mace who looked at Matt. “I gotta know you got this.”

Matt nodded. “I got it.”

Mace’s eyes went to Tom and he skewered Tom with what could only be described as a look.

Tom said, “We got it. Go.”

Mace looked at me and I started babbling, “It’s my fault.

We didn’t think. We didn’t catch it. Everyone was caught up in my shit, your shit, Dixon, your Mom, Chloe. I knew I should have waited until al this was over. If something happens to Tex –”

His finger went to my lips, effectively quieting me then down and his hand curled around my neck. He stared at me as he gave me a neck squeeze.

Then he was gone.

Fear streaming through my system, my eyes were locked on the backstage door Mace went through fol owing Lee.

“It’s al my fault,” I whispered.

Chapter Twenty-Four

No More Fucking Hugging

Jules

My cat Boo and I didn’t sleep wel , tossing and turning al night, waiting for Vance to come home or phone to say everything was okay.

He didn’t.

The alarm went off and I got out of bed, fed Boo and did my morning business. I was standing, h*ps against the counter, eating slightly toasted toast (I was trying, with limited success, to learn how to cook, I’d tried but never got the hang of making toast and since the morning sickness was sticking with me, slightly toasted was a lot better than ful y burnt) when Vance walked in the backdoor.

His eyes cut to me and he said, “Hey, Princess,” before he turned to deactivate and reactivate the alarm.

I waited and he came to me, put an arm around my waist, brought me to him and touched his lips to mine.

I knew this wasn’t good. If the news was good, he wouldn’t have had to put his arm around me before giving it to me.

After he’d lifted his head, he said softly, “We got nothin’.” I closed my eyes and opened them when Vance’s arm went tighter around my waist.

“I gotta shower and get to the office. We’re havin’ a briefing and we’re al goin’ back out.”

I nodded and asked, “Do you know what this means?” He shook his head. “Sid’s usual y communicative, let’s people know what he wants or what he’s done and why. No word.”

“Do you think Tex is al right?”

His face went tight and I had my answer before he said,

“Sid doesn’t mess around. It’s not lookin’ good, Jules.” I bit my lip and tried not to cry.

“Hank says Roxie’s a mess,” Vance told me. “Can you take some time today, get to her?”

I swal owed back my tears and nodded.

Tex was Roxie’s uncle. He’d been estranged from his family for decades but through letters, since she was a kid, they’d been close. Eight months ago, she’d done for Tex what Stel a had done for Mace last night. She’d brought him back into the family fold.

Vance kept talking. “I’m gonna be busy, Princess, so you need to cal the real estate agent. Put in an offer on that house.”