CADENCE J.M. Nevins
NIMBLE MINX PRESS
COPYRIGHT AND CREDITS
NIMBLE MINX PRESS
26895 Aliso Creek Rd., Ste. B-310
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by J.M. Nevins
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Nimble Minx Press at www.nimbleminx.com/contact/
CREDITS:
Cover design courtesy of Pixel Studio
Cover photograph: © julenochek
DEDICATION
To all who have the courage to reinvent their life and step into the newness that beckons them.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT AND CREDITS
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER_2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
ASCENDANT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
Giselle rushed into the hallway, her ears flooded with the haunting echoes of sirens as the ambulance retreated from the estate and traveled down Sunset Plaza Drive toward Cedars Sinai Hospital.
She struggled to regain her breath and composure as she glanced down at her hands and blouse that were covered with Kit’s blood. She closed her eyes for a moment as if trying to erase what had happened, but it wasn’t working. The images flashed through her mind in a rapid fire sequence despite her efforts to squeeze her eyes shut even tighter. She opened her eyes and shook her head, desperate to make it all go away and knowing she couldn’t.
She hastily jogged past the office without taking a second look. It was pointless. Multiple pools of blood drenching the office carpet was not something she wanted etched in her memory banks. She was traumatized enough over what had transpired right before her eyes. The once tame office that she worked in daily was now a buzzing L.A.P.D. crime scene cordoned off with yellow tape and inaccessible to her.
She finally reached the downstairs bathroom and frantically washed the blood off of her hands, sobbing and feeling herself starting to crack. She forced herself to calm down as she took deep gulps of breath. She had important work to do now and it was something she could not drop the ball on.
After washing up, she returned to the hallway, startled by the female detective awaiting her who offered a friendly grin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. You’ve been through enough today. We need to get your statement…”
Frazzled, Giselle held up her hands and avoided the gaze of the detective. “I have to make a call right now. It’s urgent.” She then looked up and met the eyes of the detective. “Actually, maybe you can help me.”
Giselle went on to explain about the death threats to Sully. The detective left to get to work on her end, while Giselle retreated to the entertainment room to make a call.
Her hand trembled as she picked up the phone. Her voice was harried and frantic when she spoke. “Sean, is the band in the hotel or at the arena? Where did they go after soundcheck?”
“Early check today, G. They’re in the hotel, why? Are you looking for Bryan? What’s wrong? You don’t sound like you.”
Her voice was commanding. “Sean, listen to me. Cancel the show, tell Danny to do whatever he has to do to make sure Sully is protected and get him on a private charter to L.A. immediately. We’ll arrange the pickup on our end. I can’t explain right now, but there is someone out there that may try to hurt him tonight or worse.”
Sean’s ears suddenly perked up. “What do you mean or worse? G, that’s a very serious threat. You know we can’t just cancel a show without Kit’s ok to do it. We haven’t heard anything here. Did you receive that threat directly?”
She struggled to regain her composure. “You’ve gotta trust me. The threat is credible. Put bodyguards on Sully now! Pull the all access passes unless you, Danny or Jay know them personally, even press.”
“Shit, Giselle. This sounds serious. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
The last thing she felt like doing was talking. She was desperate to get to the hospital. “I can’t talk right now. I’ll call you later. Make sure you have your mobile with you and that Danny has his too.”
He sighed. “Giselle, you of all people know I can’t cancel the bloody show. I can put bodyguards on Sully for sure, and we can hype up security, but without Kit’s authorization…”
She raised her voice and struggled to hold back her tears. “Sean, Kit just got shot… here in her office at home. I know this is what she would want. She’s on her way to the hospital in an ambulance. She’s lots a lot of blood. It… it… it doesn’t look good. Please cancel the show. Protect him!”
There was a long pause on the line. “Done. Whatever else you need, Giselle, let me know. I’ll get Sully out to L.A. Keep us posted, ok? Is it really serious?”
Giselle finally cracked and couldn’t hold back the sobs that escaped from her. “Yes. She was shot in the chest at close range. She lost consciousness before they put her in the ambulance. Get Sully here safely, please. And if you or Danny would escort him personally, specifically someone that can keep him calm, that would be ideal.”
“We’ll take care of it, Giselle. Hang in there. Call us with updates.”
Danny pounded on the door to Sully’s hotel suite. He opened it seconds later, frowning. “Dude, would you relax? I can barely take a piss without
