Center Stage
Page 17

Finally the chill that ached in her muscles eased. “You’re all I’ve been thinking about, too.”
She walked around the table that separated them and stood next to him.
“You said something else last night. Something about taking care of the woman you loved.”
He nodded slowly. “I didn’t think you were listening.”
“I heard you. And a woman wouldn’t hide anything from the man she loved.” His eyes flickered for a moment when she said it, but he stayed quiet.
Arianna pulled her phone from her pocket and pulled up the text message. “This came through last night.”
He took the phone from her and looked at the text message and picture. “Son of a bitch!”
“It has to be the same blocked phone from the calls.”
“If I find this guy…”
“It’s Alexander Hamilton.”
If a man’s blood could actually boil, John’s was close.
“How the hell do you know that?”
Arianna’s shoulders dropped. “That’s why I moved back here so quickly. He came to me in New York and wanted to know where Regan’s baby was.”
“The baby she gave up?”
Arianna nodded. “He’s crazy. The man doesn’t want Regan or that child. He wants to hurt her.”
He knew that well enough. He’d seen him take after her in L.A., and then he’d seen Zach take in after Alexander. He shouldn’t have pulled Zach off of him. Perhaps he should have let him kill the bastard.
“He’s stalking you?”
“I don’t know if this is him, but I assume it has to be.”
“We need to go to the police.”
She touched his arm. “I’m not worried about me, but we need to protect Regan.”
John left his work on the table, grabbed Arianna by the arm, and led her straight to his truck.
Two hours later they had filed a report, but there was nothing the police could do and that had him angrier than before.
He sat at the stoplight on the way back to the site, gripping his steering wheel. He hadn’t even noticed he hadn’t spoken until Arianna reached across the cab and touched his leg.
“You’re very quiet,” she said softly.
“I’m pissed off.”
“I know, but you heard them. There is no proof it’s him, and they can’t do anything about it.”
“No, but we can be on the lookout. That bastard is crazy, and I’m not about to let him touch you like he touched your sister. And he’s not getting his hands on her or that child either.”
He heard what he thought was a sob, so he took his eyes off the road and saw Arianna gazing at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not a thing. I’ve never felt so safe.”
“Well, I wish you would have told me about this before you even moved back. What if he’d gotten to you again? What if…”
“I love you.”
He gripped the steering wheel tighter. “You love me because I’ve made you feel safe?”
“No, I’m very certain I’ve loved you for a long time. The feeling safe, that’s just a bonus.”
He nodded. He’d started this last night by telling her he’d care for the woman he loved, and of course, he’d meant her. But was she expecting him to say those words to her? Did she need validation?
When he stopped at the next light and looked over at her, she was smiling and watching the people move about the city from her window. He needed to tell her, but not under these circumstances. She needed to know it was a sentiment from his heart, not out of need.
“I think we need to get everyone together and tell them what is going on,” he said as he eased off the brake and shifted the truck into gear.
“I think we should have everyone meet at Mom and Dad’s.”
“Start calling. We can’t wait. We need to do it now.”
By seven o’clock, the entire Keller family was assembled around Arianna’s parents’ dining room table.
The room had grown smaller over the years with spouses and children.
Usually the room bustled with noise and laughter, but the atmosphere was different now. They’d all joined there because Arianna had asked them to, but they knew something was wrong. And how she was going to ease into it, she wasn’t sure.
“John and I needed to share something with all of you.”
Regan lifted Spencer to her shoulder and narrowed her eyes on Arianna. “The funny part about all this is I’d like you to follow up that sentence with something like we’re getting married. But with your tone and the look on your face, if you tell me you’re dying I’m going to lose it.”
“I’m not dying.”
“Good,” Madeline spoke up. “I’ve already tried that. Let’s leave that subject alone.”
Carlos put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “So why are we all here?” he asked.
Arianna let out a long, slow breath as John took her hand in his and interlaced his fingers with hers. He knew she couldn’t tell them and keep them calm. She gave him a nod.
John acknowledged and looked at her family. “The reason Arianna moved back to Nashville was because she had a visit from Alexander Hamilton in New York.”
Zach was the first to come out of his seat, followed by Curtis.
The vein in Zach’s neck bulged, and his face turned red. “That maniac came to you, and you didn’t tell anyone? He’s on American soil, and I haven’t killed him?”
Regan placed her hand on his arm. “You’re going to scare Tyler.”
“Regan, if he even steps foot in this state…”
“I think he has,” Arianna interrupted.
Curtis was swift as he came around the table and turned her toward him. “We’re not playing games with this. You know what he did to her.” He pointed to Regan. “You should have told us what was going on.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop the sobs that had taken over her breathing. She was the one always in control, and now she didn’t know what to do as that control slipped.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
John pulled her into his arms and held her close. “Listen, the point is he’s out there. He’s been calling her and hanging up. Last night she got a text message and a picture of us outside the theater. If it’s not him, someone is following her and that’s just as scary.”