Read Online The Hollow Heart (The Heartfelt Series) by Adrienne Vaughan - Free Book Online Page B

Irish rogue, a fatal combination when it came to pulling girls back in the
day, I can tell you.”
    She burst out laughing. She could just imagine them, so
different, so charming, so incorrigible.
    “What happened to the band?”
    “Oh, a huge success, did you never hear of us? Gave some of
the big names a few sleepless nights I reckon.” He was teasing, his State-side
twang becoming less obvious as he talked. “We did a sell-out tour of two
village halls in South Devon, then fell out with our manager when the drummer
was recalled to London to join the family firm, taking most of the equipment
with him. George and I bummed around for the summer until we ran out of money
and had to find a proper job.” He grinned at the memory. “With me working in
the States I hadn’t seen him for ages, so when I found out he was an MP and in
Chesterford, which is where my son and his wife live, it made sense to visit
and do a gig while I was there. Sadly I couldn’t make the Awards Ceremony in
the end and asked him to stand in for me. I hope George was a good enough
substitute?”
    “Oh, he was! It was how we met really, but I wasn’t aware of
the connection.” Marianne gulped back a huge slurp of wine.
    “I did make it to the funeral, there were so many people
there, people I hadn’t seen for years,” He looked into her eyes, the flintiness
softened. “You were very brave that day. I’m sure you and George were great
together.”
    “Thank you,” she said quietly, then brightly, “I never knew
George was in a band.”
    “Hey, come on you two, it’s about to start,” Paul
interrupted.
    Ryan nodded at Paul and, touching Marianne’s hand briefly,
laughed.
    “We were rubbish. Thank goodness we both changed careers.”
He turned and placed his arm lightly across Angelique’s shoulders. “You okay?”
he asked.
    “Sure,” she replied, “why shouldn’t I be?”
    Marianne noticed Angelique refill her empty wine glass
abruptly.
    The beginning of the
attack was almost silent. A faint eerie hiss complemented the band’s opening
riff, followed by a vague rumble, gently vibrating the stage. It tripped along
the catwalk, as a floor-to-ceiling streak of light lit the auditorium. The audience
gasped; the effect was obviously pyrotechnic, a flash of firework genius. The
lead singer turned to check the musicians were still with him and as he nodded
back to the orchestra pit the explosion erupted; a loud crack, followed by an
enormous boom. Then stillness, as the sound hung in the air; a malevolent hum,
like a swarm of locusts. Flames burst from the stage, followed by immediate,
intense heat, then swirling smoke and screaming.
    Someone turned the sound off as Marianne, watching in slow
motion, saw the stage implode and the Royal Box and its contents slide, arms
flailing, to the floor. Instantly people were crashing against her, charging
for exits as clouds of smoke mushroomed around them and the fumes intensified
growing into a dense, black, suffocating smog. Someone grabbed her hand, she
was spun round harshly.
    It was Ryan. He put Angelique’s hand in hers, squeezing them
together. Paul had been pushed to the floor. Ryan hauled him up and put his
hand in Zara’s, who was holding onto Mike. Ryan signalled them to hang onto
each other, demonstrating by clamping his arms together. He tied a napkin over
his mouth and nose, urgently indicating they all do the same. He pinched his
nose and put a finger to his mouth, shaking his head, signalling them not to
breathe. No point speaking, people and alarms were shrieking and they were all
bomb-deaf anyway.
    He did all this in mere seconds. Then taking the lead, he
began to move swiftly towards the exit. People were panicking and pushing, some
were shouting, trying to barge through the crowd, others had fallen to the
floor and were being trampled. The smoke kept building, blacker and thicker,
people were coughing and spluttering, some were collapsing as others pushed
them aside.
    The area