Ravensong (47 page)

James turned to Julian. “Cancel
tomorrow night’s concert.”

Julian’s eyes nearly popped out of his
head. “We’ve already canceled too many nights. I’m not canceling
another. God, we look like amateurs as it is.”

“
I don’t care. He can’t
perform,” said James going toe to toe with the manager.

“
Well, I’m not canceling
anything else,” said Julian in return.

“
Stop it!” said Joshua.
“I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

James whirled to face him. “Damn it,
Joshua, look at yourself. You can hardly walk.”

“
As soon as I get some of
the antibiotics in me, I’ll be fine.”

Julian snapped a hand out to Elena.
“Give it here.” She handed it over in bewilderment, but Julian
simply held it out to Brian, his assistant. “Go have this
filled.”

“
Where?” asked the kid.
“It’s midnight.”

“
Do I care? Find some
place. That’s your job.”

Joshua felt bad for the boy as he took
the paper and gave a grunt of disgust, walking away, but he was too
sick to stop him. Honestly, he was afraid there was something more
wrong with him than just a simple kidney infection, but he wasn’t
going to say anything now.

Elliot shifted weight. “I think we
should cancel the rest of the tour.” His gaze rose and fixed on
James.

Joshua frowned. What the hell was that
all about? Had they been talking? Joshua didn’t want anyone else
beside his brother and Elena knowing what was happening.

James nodded. “I agree.”

“
Well, you have no
authority here,” sneered Julian. “You’re lucky we tolerate you at
all.”

Elena pushed through to Joshua’s side.
“Let’s go back to the hotel,” she told him, taking his
arm.

He was so tired, he couldn’t protest.
He let her help him to his feet and support him with her shoulder.
Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her tight against him. God,
he loved this woman. Her understanding meant more than anything to
him.

Joshua shot a look at Julian. “We’re
not canceling the tour or the concert tomorrow night, but I am
going back to the hotel to sleep. I won’t be at sound check
tomorrow.” He shifted his attention to his brother. “Are you
coming?”

“
In a little while,” said
James, a belligerent look on his face.

“
Let it go, James,” said
Joshua tiredly.

“
Don’t you worry about me.
Just go to sleep. I’ll get the prescription and bring it to you as
soon as it arrives.”

Joshua nodded reluctantly and let
Elena lead him from the stadium.

* * *

Elena watched Joshua belt through the
list of songs. He wasn’t moving as much as usual, but the audience
didn’t seem to mind. He’d slept all night and most of the day. He’d
told her he was much better and ready to perform. He had looked a
bit better, but there were still dark circles under his eyes and he
moved as if it hurt him.

Elena thought they ought to take him
to a hospital whether he wanted to go or not, but when she’d made
the suggestion to James, he’d told her to be careful about what she
said to Joshua. Once before Joshua had been hospitalized against
his will. Joshua had told the entire family it would never happen
again. They didn’t push him on it, they didn’t want to have him
drift away from them.

As the concert progressed, though, he
seemed to weaken. He didn’t come backstage during the solos; he
leaned against Michael’s drum stand, as if that much walking was
difficult. Elena knew something was very wrong.

She turned to James. “This needs to
end. We’ve got to get him to another doctor.”

Julian rolled his eyes and moved to
the edge of the stage, peering out.

James glanced between the two of them,
then fixed his focus on his brother. Suddenly his phone rang and he
reached into his pocket for it. Snapping it open, he placed it to
his ear.

“
Hello?” he
said.

Elena looked away in aggravation. They
needed to do something and soon. Joshua wasn’t going to be able to
finish this tour, not this way.

“
Yes, this is Officer
Connor,” said James. “Yes, go on. I can talk.”

Elena’s attention was pulled from the
show. James turned his back and walked away from the stage where he
could hear over the music. By the cast of his shoulders and the way
he was listening, she knew the person on the phone had important
information.

She followed James to where he waited,
moving around in front of him so he would know she was listening.
James’ expression was serious, his eyes narrowed in
concentration.

The next few minutes were filled with
a heated exchange between the person on the phone and James. Elena
found her attention divided between Joshua’s brother and the band.
The last song had come to an end and they were headed
backstage.

She glanced at James one last time,
moving toward Joshua, but his next words brought her up
short.

“
Shit! Are you
sure?”

Elena turned and looked at him. He was
staring at her with loathing. “What?” she demanded.

He finished his conversation and
closed the phone. “You want to tell me about your ex-fiancé, lady,”
he said.

* * *

The stage was slanting at a strange
angle. Joshua clung to the microphone stand and hoped his legs
wouldn’t collapse beneath him. The pain in his back was a burning
sensation that wouldn’t ease and he was trembling with a bone deep
chill.

He remembered very little about the
days when he went through the worst parts of his withdrawal, but he
remembered this. He was fairly certain he was having a relapse, and
the constant stress of the tour was playing havoc with his kidneys.
How bad it might get, he wasn’t sure. He’d had a few bad days on
past tours, but this one felt worse than any of the
others.

Suddenly Elliot was at his side.
“We’re done.” He grabbed Joshua’s arm and turned him toward
backstage. Roadies were waiting, but Joshua pushed between them,
falling into the chair Dominic usually occupied.

He could hear the crowd chanting for
an encore, but he didn’t think he could go back out there. He
forced his head to lift and looked around for his brother and
Elena. They were standing to the side and James was on the phone.
The conversation didn’t appear to be going well.

A spasm of pain rose inside of him and
he gritted his teeth against it. It left him breathless and
nauseated. He blinked up at Elliot and the other band members. They
were arguing with Julian, he guessed about doing an encore. Even
Dominic had waded into the battle.

The nausea intensified and Joshua knew
he was going to be sick. Rolling out of the chair, he gained his
feet and staggered toward his dressing room. Shutting the door
behind him, he threw the lock and leaned against it, willing the
sickness to subside. Everyone was in a fury over him already, he
didn’t need them to know how sick he really was.

He reeled to the bathroom and fumbled
for the switch. The bulb flickered, then flooded the interior with
light. Joshua reached for the toilet seat, but his hand recoiled.
Stumbling back, he collided with the wall and stood staring at the
syringe where it lay on the top of the lid.

His legs felt like rubber as he slid
down the wall and sat at its base, staring at the syringe, primed
and ready, filled with a clear liquid. A moan escaped him, a
tortured mix of pain and fear. He could feel a cold sweat pepper
over the entire surface of his skin.

Closing his eyes, he curled his arms
around his legs and bowed his head on his knees. The answer to his
pain was laying right there before him.

CHAPTER 19

“
What the hell is that
supposed to mean?” snapped Elena, planting her hands on her hips.
“What was the phone call about?”

“
What should I know about
your fiancé? How much did he know about Joshua when you broke it
off?”

“
Why?”

“
You tell me first.”
Elena’s only experience with cops had been during routine traffic
stops, but the look he leveled on her was certainly
intimidating.

“
Maybe if you told me what
this is about, I’d be able to give you the information you
want.”

“
Did he know you were
leaving him for Joshua?”

Elena tried to recall the last
conversation she’d had with John, but James’ intensity was making
her thoughts scatter. “I can’t remember, I don’t think
so.”

“
Are you sure?”

She pressed a hand to her forehead. “I
can’t remember. Please tell me what’s going on.”

“
Look, I just
want…”

“
James?” Elliot’s voice
stopped him cold. He looked up at the guitarist. “Where’s
Joshua?”

Elena whirled around, searching the
backstage area, but James didn’t hesitate. He brushed past her and
hurried for Joshua’s dressing room. Elena realized her heart was in
her throat as she followed him. He grabbed the doorknob and turned
it. With a curse, he released it and banged on the door
itself.

“
Joshua!”

Elena clasped her hands and watched as
Dominic pushed through the crowd and came to James’
side.

“
Move away,” he
ordered.

James took a step back.

Dominic grabbed the doorknob and threw
his shoulder into the door itself. It splintered. He didn’t
hesitate, but slammed into it a second time. The door flew open,
taking him into the dressing room. James was on his
heels.

Elena crept to the door and stepped
inside. James had dropped to his knees in the bathroom, cradling
Joshua in his arms. She could hear Joshua murmur something, but she
couldn’t hear what it was. She moved further inside and could see
the syringe where it lay on the toilet lid.

Reaching up, James grabbed a washcloth
and threw it over the syringe, bundling it inside, then he turned
and glared over his shoulder. “Get everyone out of here,” he
commanded Dominic.

Dominic moved past Elena and started
to usher the other band members from the room. Elena took a step
closer to Joshua, but James’ attention shifted to her with a look
of pure hatred.

“
Especially her,” he
ordered.

Elena was so shocked she didn’t even
realize that Dominic was pushing her toward the door. Once she was
outside, she shook herself and shoved against him. “No, don’t do
this, Dominic, please!”

“
I’m sorry,” he said, then
took up a position at the door. The medics arrived and Dominic let
them through.

Elena didn’t realize she was sobbing
until Elliot folded her in his arms.

* * *

“
I think he should be in
the hospital,” said Dominic, lowering Joshua into the seat of the
private jet they’d chartered.

“
Shh,” hissed James. “I
want him home where they know his case. Not here where I don’t know
any of the doctors. My father will meet us at the airport in Los
Angeles.”

“
You don’t even know what’s
wrong with him,” persisted Dominic.

“
Yes, I do. He’s going
through relapse.”

“
You said he didn’t take
the drug.”

James glanced apprehensively at the
attendant, then back at Dominic. “He didn’t. According to my
father, the stress of the tour and these past few months have
brought it on.”

Dominic slumped into the seat opposite
Joshua. “I still think he should be in the hospital.”

“
Leave it alone,” muttered
Joshua. He had his arms banded around his waist and was leaning his
head back on the headrest. “Please.”

Dominic grumbled, but he didn’t say it
loud enough to hear.

The flight attendant worked up the
courage to approach them. “Is he all right?” she said.

James flashed her a smile. He wasn’t
as charming as Joshua, but it had worked on some women. “A touch of
the flu. How long until liftoff?”

“
Half an hour.” Her worried
gaze lowered to Joshua again. “Can I get him anything?”

“
Just a pillow.”

She walked away, glancing back over
her shoulder. James sank into the seat beside his brother. “How you
doing, Josh?”

“
Where’s Elena?”

James sighed. He’s explained this a
number of times already. Joshua wasn’t able to focus on anything
for too long. “I didn’t want her to see you like this,” he
lied.

Joshua subsided, his eyes closing.
They sat in silence as the pilot and the flight attendant made
ready for take-off. Joshua’s breathing evened out and grew shallow.
James prayed he’d sleep through most of the flight.

Dominic watched him. “How bad will it
get?”

James shook his head. “Not as bad as
the original withdrawal, but I just don’t know.”

“
What are we talking
about?”

“
Tremors, hallucinations.
Again, I just don’t know.”