Half Empty (First Wives, #2)(86)

He pushed Jordyn out of his mind and sang to Trina, even though she wasn’t there.

That’s when he noticed his mother.

She filled the spot where Jordyn had been, her eyes wide and her smile just as brilliant as ever.

He mumbled the words of his own song and faked his way through.

He had to concentrate or he’d end up singing his frustration with her presence.

He made a motion with his hand, as if to tell his mother to stay right where she was so he could keep an eye on her.

She smiled, like she did when he was in the fourth-grade talent show, and Wade forced himself to relax.

He made it through the song and turned to Gus. “Buy me a few minutes.”

There weren’t many times he couldn’t make it through a set without needing to pee, so Gus looked confused. Then he smiled and started a slow intro to the next song.

Wade rushed offstage to find Jeb.

By the time he got back out, his mother had already disappeared from the audience, and Wade relaxed.



Ruslan lifted his phone after it buzzed in his breast pocket.

Everything is set. Waiting for your instructions.

Much as he didn’t like being this close to the action, he wasn’t about to leave this up to just anyone to handle.

With a final glance toward the stage, Ruslan turned on a heel and strolled away. Two hired hands flanked his sides.

He slowly made his way out of the arena and onto the casino floor.

Eyes followed him, he could feel it.

He paused at a craps table, made eye contact with a busty blonde, then turned and walked away. The hotel elevator took him up to his room on the twenty-eighth floor. Double doors opened to an empty suite.

His guards flanked the doors, once they were shut, and folded their hands.

Ignoring the “No Smoking” sign on the bar, Ruslan lit up a cigar while he poured himself a drink.

He looked at his watch.

Wade’s show should be ending any minute.

Ruslan put his phone to his ear.

It rang once.

“Put me on speaker.”

His voice was encrypted.

He waited until he heard a female voice.

“You’re going to look into the camera and say exactly what I tell you to say.” He pulled two silver balls from his pocket and shuffled them between his fingertips.

“Who the hell are you?” The woman screamed the question.

“Remind her of her manners.”

Ruslan waited, heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

She cried out.

“Now . . . let’s do this again. You’re going to look into the camera and say exactly what I tell you to say.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t hurt me. I have money. Please don’t hurt me.”

Ruslan’s hands itched to be the ones inflicting pain.



Wade said a final good night to the crowd while he and the band took a bow and waltzed off the stage.

The roadies swept in after them, collecting anything they left behind, while the lights in the arena lit up, signifying that there weren’t going to be any more encores.

Jeb was at his side as one of the roadies shoved Wade’s cell phone into his hands.

“Where is my mother?” Wade felt Jeb’s energy before the man opened his mouth.

“We gotta go.”

Two more bodyguards flanked Wade’s front and back, their eyes in constant motion.

“What happened?”

“Wade?” Gus called out as he stepped close.

One of the bodyguards cut him off.

Jeb pulled on Wade’s arm.

“Where is Vicki?”

Jordyn ran up behind the stagehands. “You were on fire tonight.”

Wade didn’t look at her twice. “Jeb?”

He paused. “We can’t find her.”

Wade’s blood chilled. “Where is my mother?”

“Wade?” Jordyn pushed between him and Jeb.

“Did you bring her here?”

“Who?”

“Vicki? My mom?”

Jordyn placed a pout on her lip. The one that she’d used to get her way when they were dating. Wade saw through it then and hated it now. “I want a second chance. Your mother loves me. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Wade pushed Jordyn aside. “Where is she, Jeb?”

The background music in the stadium filled the PA.

Wade started for the stage again as his bandmates gathered around.

“What’s going on?” Gus asked.

“My mom is here.”

Gus smiled. “Where? I could use a dance partner tonight.”

Wade turned to Jeb.

“We can’t find her.”

Panic, like nothing Wade had known before, filled every cell in his body.

“We need you out of here.”

“Not without my mom.”

Jeb took hold of Wade’s arm and didn’t let go. “Ruslan is in the building. I have the house security at every exit.”

“What’s going on, honey?” Jordyn’s words made him want to throttle her.

Wade turned, put two fingers in front of Jordyn’s nose. “Did my mother tell you it was a risk for her to come?”

“She said there was some drama with your new friend . . .”