“Can respect that, but you gotta know, brother or not, I can’t have shit goin’ down like that, can’t have the clubs name comin’ under fire because you can’t keep control of your temper.”
“Got control. Won’t happen again.”
He studies me. “One day, brother, you’ll hear him out, and you might come to find that what happened to Nerissa was not on him.”
Hearing her name has me flinching and a familiar pain runs through my body and explodes in my chest. I’ve purposely avoided saying it or hearing it since she died. I swallow, meet his eyes, and say in a calm, emotionless voice. “I will never hear him out. But I will respect your rules. Now, are we done?”
He sighs. “See you later, brother.”
I watch him go, and when he’s gone, I exhale and close my eyes, fighting for calm.
One day at a time.
I need to focus on now.
I need to get Scarlett safe again.
~*~*~*~
MAVERICK
“What do you fuckin’ mean we can’t go in. We’ve got fuckin’ tickets,” I growl, glaring at the four security guards standing at the entrance to Scarlett’s show.
“We have been advised that you are not allowed entry, due to security reasons. You will be offered a full refund.”
“Can’t stop someone comin’ into a concert,” Mal snaps.
“Can, and will,” a dark haired security guard says, glaring right through us as if we’re nothing more than shit on his shoe that he’s quickly and forcefully had to scrape off.
“This is fucked,” I snarl. “Bull-fuckin’-shit.”
“You have a choice, you can either leave or make a scene,” the guard says, looking far too smug. I want to wipe that smugness clean off his fucking ridiculous face. “If you leave, no further action will be taken. If you make a scene, we will take whatever force necessary to end the scene before anyone gets hurt or affected by it. What’s it going to be?”
Mal reaches over, curling a hand around my arm and pulling me. “Best we go, brother. No point startin’ somethin’ out here, in front of all these people.”
I’m panting with anger, but I nod sharply and let Mal pull me out of the crowd and back out onto the street. People stare at us as we walk past, some of them taking a step back, like we’re about to blow up the fuckin’ stadium or go bat shit crazy and pull a gun. When we’re out of earshot, I turn around and growl, “Why the fuck have we been marked off the list? Supposed to be protecting her.”
“You two get into it?” Mal asks. “Is this her doing?”
I turn and shoot an icy glare at him. “I had my mouth between her fuckin’ legs last night, so that would be a fuckin’ no. It ain’t my doin’.”
“Atta boy!” Koda grins.
“Then why the fuck aren’t we allowed into her show?” Mal asks, scanning the area, eyes going over as many people as possible. I don’t know what he’s looking for, but he’s smart to keep an eye out.
Something is going down.
“Any chance they found out about you and don’t want her near you?” Koda asks.
“Possible,” I say, running my hands down my face and scratching at the hair growing on my chin that I really need to considering shaving soon or I’ll end up with a beard. “I did go to her hotel room last night. Someone might have seen me. Also, she did get busted sneakin’ out. Manager might be hangin’ onto her ass.”
“You call her?” Mal nods in the general direction of my pants pockets.
“Give it a go, but she wouldn’t have her phone on her when she’s about to start a show.”
“Have a try,” Koda says, pulling out a cigarette. “Otherwise, our best option is to stay out here and wait, but if we ain’t able to get close enough, we won’t be able to protect her.”
“No,” Mal mutters. “Could make it hard.”
I pull out my phone and call Scarlett. It goes straight to voicemail. Fuck it. I shove my phone back in my jeans. “No answer. We’re goin’ to have to just wait it out until I can find out what’s happenin’.”
Koda kicks back, leaning against a post. “Fine by me, plenty of lovely fuckin’ ladies here to watch for a while.”
I pull out a cigarette, lighting it. We’ll be here for hours, at the very least. Makes me wonder what the fuck is going down in there? Is she safe? Did they find out about us? They’ve singled us out for a reason, which tells me that they know and have decided it is not something they’re going to accept. My chest gets tight and I feel an unfamiliar anger and a little desperation explode in my chest.
I don’t like being held back from what I want.
I really don’t fucking like things getting in my way.
-16-
SCARLETT
I play, but I know they’re not here.
I know Susan made sure they weren’t allowed in the concert. I knew it the second I saw they weren’t there and fury exploded deep inside me. Because she has no right, none at all, to take people out of my life because she doesn’t agree on the company I keep. Better yet, she doesn’t get to take away my protection. I need those men, I don’t feel safe without them.
I put on a good show, because I will always give my very best to my fans. So, when I’m on stage, I zone out of everything else happening, and rock out an incredible show. By the time it’s done, I am more than ready to confront Susan and put this to bed once and for all. I am also going to need to find a way to contact Maverick, because he’ll no doubt be freaking out that he hasn’t gotten in contact with me, and that he wasn’t allowed into the show.
When I reach back stage, I move directly to my dressing room in search for Susan and mostly my phone so I can call Maverick. I wave to Amalie as I pass, and she gives me a happy, excited wave back. She’s loving joining in on the shows, and, as I knew she would, she’s doing an incredible job. She has a natural talent, but she also has something more—she has feeling, deep-rooted feeling, that makes it seem so much more powerful when she plays.
I reach my dressing room and go in.
I see Susan right away, my phone in her hand, scrolling. For a moment, I just stare, and then my ears start ringing and my skin prickles. My vision blurs with anger, and disappointment, and completely devastation. She’s my manager, but she has no right, none whatsoever, to go through my personal things, definitely not my phone.
“What are you doing?”
She spins around, phone still in hand, and for a moment she just stares at me with wide eyes, then she gathers herself, as Susan always can, and says, “I’m checking what you’ve been up to.”
“You have no right,” I say, walking forward, but she snatches the phone backwards.
“I do have a right when you’re interacting with criminals, Scarlett. Your career is on the line, and I’ve worked hard to keep it in a good place. I can’t have you contacting bikers and making a scene. It’s dangerous.”
“Please give me my phone.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”
“Susan, I won’t ask you again. Give it to me.”
“Scarlett, I know you don’t see it now, but I’m doing what’s best for you. If word gets out that you’re hanging around with ... with ...”
“With what?” I snap.
“With those kinds of people. Those ... men ...”
“Those men are no different to you and me, those men are not doing anything but keeping an eye on me and protecting me. Which, by the way, if your men did their jobs properly, I wouldn’t need ...”
Her face gets red. “I’m not going to argue with you again. We’ll be heading back to the hotel momentarily. Have your things ready.”
I’m done.
So. Done.
I turn, without another word, and walk out of the dressing room. “Scarlett!” Susan calls. I ignore her.
I storm down the halls, past security who quickly realize when Susan’s voice trails down the hall after me, that I’m not meant to be storming off. I know where the back exits of this place are, and
I’m not spending another second in the confines of this ridiculous fucking world Susan thinks she’s going to create for me, and trap me in. I start running, hard and fast, toward the back exits. Security barks at me to stop. I don’t listen.
I hit the back doors and slow down, calming myself so as not to make too much of a scene, and step out. Every entrance is guarded, for obvious reasons, but the back exits not so much because the doors only open outward, they don’t open in, which means no crazy fans can get in, even if they did get past security and get close enough. There are two guards standing by the back door, who have yet to realize I’m not allowed out. They don’t question it. They know the show is over. Their job is not to protect me but to simply make sure nobody gets in.
“Goodnight, guys,” I smile happily and give them a wave. “Thank you.”
They nod at me, and I run. Fast. There is a parking lot behind the stadium, and if I weave through the cars and keep going, eventually I’ll end up out in the street. I’m not covered, I’m still dressed in my show outfit, and the second I hit that sidewalk people will recognize me. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Because I’ve had enough. I duck around cars, using them to block myself from view. I can hear frantic, angry voices. Susan’s, no doubt, and I know she is going to lose her mind over this.
Screw her.
Screw it.
I have every right to a life.
I reach the sidewalk and peer out. There are still people pouring out of the stadium. It’ll take a good hour or more for them to clear the streets. If I walk out there now, I’ll be swarmed.
That’s when I notice them.
Maverick, Koda, and Malakai standing to my right, a good distance away from the entrance, which is to my left. They’re leaning against a few street lamps, watching the crowds of people flow out. No doubt keeping an eye out for any sort of danger. Considering there wasn’t much they could do, I guess that’s the best they were able to offer tonight. The fact that they’re still here, and have been for probably hours, makes my heart swell.
So, I take a deep breath, I do not think it through, and I put my head down and run.
I hear someone call out my name the second I hit the sidewalk, and then I hear the frantic chatter of fans as they realize who I am. Mal is the first to notice me, and when he does, he shoves Maverick. By the time Maverick’s eyes hit me, swing to the fans, and then back to me, Koda is already moving toward their bikes parked on the street.
I pick up the pace.
My fans scream behind me.
I run hard and fast toward Maverick’s bike.
He has his leg over it and the engine running by the time I reach him. I launch on the back, with little thought going to the fact that I’m wearing a sparkly, silver, short dress. I hang onto Maverick’s waist and he pulls out with an angry rumble from his bike, weaving through the traffic until we’re out of sight.
I already know someone would have captured a photo.
I know by morning, Maverick’s face will be all of the news right alongside of mine.
But right now, I don’t care.
I just don’t care.
~*~*~*~
“What the fuck happened?” Maverick asks when we’ve come to a stop at a quiet parking lot by the beach. “We couldn’t get in.”
Mal and Koda have pulled up beside us, and gotten off their bikes. I keep leaning against Maverick’s, still trying to catch my breath. That was the craziest, most insane thing I’ve ever done, but damn it felt good. It felt so good to just ... feel. Even if it was fear, and guilt, and adrenaline all mixed in one. It still felt amazing.
“My manager found out about you all, and decided she was going to stop you coming near me. She even took my phone. So, I took a runner tonight, which wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, because now your faces will be all over the news by morning.”
Mal snorts. “Won’t be the first time, sweetheart, and certainly won’t be the last. We’re always gettin’ bad attention, this ain’t goin’ to do us any harm. It’s you that’ll cop it.”
I shrug. “I’m not honestly worried about it. I’m good at what I do. I always follow the rules, but even I have my limits. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life locked in a hotel room and then shoved onto a stage. I’m tired of not having a say in how I’m allowed to feel, who I’m allowed to talk to and what I’m allowed to do.”
Koda nods, face tight. “Fuck that. I’d rather die than be tangled in those kinds of boundaries.”
Sometimes, so would I.
“You goin’ back tonight?” Maverick asks me, and I meet his eyes.
Something rushes through me, hard and deep, hitting me right in my core. Memories of the last time we were together flood my mind and I bite my bottom lip. His eyes drop to it, and I swear, you could cut the sexual tension with a damned knife.
“No,” I murmur. “No, I’m not. I don’t have a show now for another few days, I’m not going to spend that entire time on my bus.”
“Playin’ with fire, babe,” Maverick says, his voice so husky I shiver at the sound. “I fuckin’ like it.”
I swallow, and smile.
“Rented a cabin out of town,” Mal says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys. “Go there, have a night off. We’ve got business that will take up the night. You’re welcome to use it.”
He tosses the keys, and Maverick catches them, nodding with appreciation. I flush and Koda grins, and winks at me. It’s obvious exactly what they’re saying, even though none of them are saying it. Go and have alone time, we’ll leave you be and let you do whatever it is you want to do when you’re there.
“Appreciate it,” Maverick mutters. “Address?”
“Text it to you. We gotta be on our way. Got some leads. Talk to Scarlett, fill us in in the morning. Otherwise, enjoy your night. Don’t mess my fuckin’ sheets up.”
I blush so hard my cheeks burn, and Mal grins at me. “Be nice to him, darlin’, if you ride him, ride him slow.”
My mouth drops open, and the two men laugh, low and deep, and climb onto their bikes, disappearing into the night with an angry rumble in the darkness. I turn to Maverick, suddenly nervous, suddenly alone for the first time with no strings attached, no drama, no singing, no protection, just us. Maverick and me. For a whole night. To do whatever we want to do, with nothing holding us back.
My heart swells with anticipation.
“Let’s get rollin’ before you get cold.”
I nod, rubbing my arms. It is a little chilly, but that could be the sudden onset of nerves rushing through my body. I swallow and turn, facing the bike and waiting for Maverick to climb on. When he does I slip on behind him, shuffling close and leaning in, breathing in his smell and shivering at the thoughts that start invading my mind. Maverick is every woman’s fantasy, but he also holds a scary, uncertain edge that makes you wonder just what it is he might have up his sleeve.
I guess I’m about to find out.
~*~*~*~
The ride to the cabin takes just over half an hour once we get out of the city. I don’t mind. For a few minutes, I just close my eyes and take it all in, letting the weight of the world slip off my shoulders and bring me peace. I forget about my music and the trouble I’ll be in when morning comes and just focus on the here and now. Maverick, me, and the road. Nothing in my way. Nothing to hold me back.
Just us.
We arrive at the cabin, and the small outside light has been turned on. It isn’t too far into the deep woods behind it; in fact, it’s kind of sitting just off the road, so Maverick’s bike easily moves down the smooth dirt. It looks quaint, comfortable, and it makes me wonder why a biker would pick it. I guess for the privacy. They don’t seem like the overly social types. Maverick brings his bike to a stop, and I climb off, exhaling and tipping my head back, closing my eyes and breathing in the fresh air.
“For someone that has her own ranch, anyone would swear you ain’t seen fresh air before, darlin’.” Maverick chuckles
, taking the helmets and putting them on the bike before reaching for my hand.
I’m nervous all of a sudden. Tiny little butterflies flitter around in my belly. It’s been so long since I’ve been with a man, suddenly I don’t know what to do. Will it be awkward? Will I sound terrible in the throes of passion? God, what if my orgasm sounds like a dying cat? Was I a screamer before?
“Breathe, Scarlett,” he murmurs, snapping me from my thoughts. “Stop thinkin’ about everythin’ and just let the universe give you what it needs for one night.”
“The universe has given me a biker and a cabin, I’m not sure I trust those two combinations.” I laugh a little.
“Don’t worry, baby,” he says, squeezing my hand and leaning in close enough that his breath tickles my ear. “I’ll only bite a couple of times.”
I shiver and swallow, turning my head to gaze into his eyes. God. He’s perfection. Fucking terrifying perfection. “Okay,” I whisper.
His gaze grows hungry and he tugs me towards the cabin. I don’t take in a lot as we’re walking in because my mind is spinning with all the possibilities that tonight holds. What will he do to me? How will it make me feel? Dammit, I probably shouldn’t be here but hell if I have the strength to stop it now. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.
It’s about time I did something for me.
The cabin is open plan, so everything is in one, big room. A fire place crackles to the left and a bed is situated in front of it. There is a small but gorgeous white timber kitchen, a living area, a table and chairs, and then two rooms off to the right where I’m assuming the bathroom is. Big windows line one wall with double glass doors in the middle that lead out the back of the cabin, no doubt into a gorgeous yard. I make a note to have a look in the morning.
Maverick leads me towards the bed, and suddenly, my heart is in my throat and I’m struggling to remember how to breathe. When we reach the bed, I can feel the warmth of the fire tickle over my skin. “What do you want to do first? Shower, or fuck, or both at the same time?”
His voice is low and husky in my ear, and I tremble at the sound. I turn toward him, tipping my head back and looking into his eyes. I’ve been singing all night, so I want to shower, and I want to do it with him. The idea of being in the shower with him, our bodies pressed together, those big hands roaming all over me, has every fantasy in my mind coming to life.