Page 102 of Final Serenade

“A man can dream, right?” His deep laugh filled the shower cabin. He took his hand off the wall and spun to face me.

Water dripping down his chest shimmered under the glow of the overhead light.

I wrapped my arms around his body and nuzzled the crook of his neck. “Talk to me. What happened out there?”

“I don’t know. I was lightheaded. It hit me out of nowhere.” Frank cupped the back of my neck, and his fingers ran through my wet hair. “I fucking hate this body sometimes.”

“It’s a beautiful body,” I countered. “After you get some rest tonight, you’ll be good to go for tomorrow.” I wasn’t sure if I believed my own words at this moment. He felt weak in my arms. Then there was the nurse in the house and the doctor on call. And the countless pills he’d been popping all week and the suspiciously crazy theatrics and pyro on stage that distracted the audience from the obvious, Frankie Blade wasn’t ready to do a ninety-minute set night after night…or wasn’t able to at all.

“Why don’t you lie down and I’ll get that nurse you’re paying crazy money to check your blood pressure, okay?” I pushed his hair away from his face and stepped out of the cabin. My clothes left wet trails everywhere inside the bathroom as I squished around searching for a clean towel.

The water stopped. I heard faint footsteps. The glass door rattled behind me, then came the sound of a naked body thudding against the floor. I spun to face to shower, and my eyes registered Frank lying beneath the wall of steam.

“Frank!” Heart in my throat, I rushed over to him and shook him, but he wasn’t conscious. “Frank? Can you hear me?” My palm slapped his cheek lightly to get a reaction but there was no response.

“Nurse! I need the nurse! Right now!”

THE END OF BOOK ONE