I run my tongue over my top teeth and nod my head. “Let’s just get one thing straight. I am not going in there for what you think I am. Ember and I have already spoken, and we’re better as friends.” I laugh and run my hand through my hair. “She’s probably one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
“Thanks,” Colin huffs.
I chuckle because he’s such a child sometimes.
“Ember has no intention of being with me in any way, so you have nothing to worry about, Colin.”
“You’re so fuckin’ blind sometimes, Marco,” I won’t dignify that with an answer. “I’ve seen the way Ember looks at you. We’ve all noticed how she hangs off your every damn word. Ember has been through hell, Marco. It’s too soon for her to be falling into bed or in love with you. Her head is messed up,”
I nod because Colin is right. I also meant what I said to Ember; I won’t chase after her when she’s not ready. All I want is to make sure she’s okay.
“Nothing is going on between us, Colin. Ember asked me for friendship, and that’s what I’m providing. I just want to check she’s okay, that’s all.”
Colin nods and walks away from me without another word.
I tap Ember’s door with my knuckles, but I get no answer. I don’t hear one, at least. She might be asleep, or it could be the loud music. I should walk away, but something tells me to press my ear to the door to make sure, so that’s what I do.
I close my eyes when I hear soft crying coming from inside. I knew something was wrong; I felt it in my gut.
I take a deep breath and open the door. I slip inside and sigh, sadly when I see Ember in her little shorts and cami top, curled up in the small bed to the left. Her eyes are closed, but the tears fall over the bridge of her nose.
I waster no time in climbing onto the bed beside Ember. I don’t say anything, I just pull her into my arms, and she comes willingly.
Ember’s head rests in the crook of my neck, and she clings to me tightly. “Shh,” I soothe as she sobs, harder.
I don’t know what happened to make Ember so upset, all I know is that it hurts seeing her like this. I don’t understand what it is that I’m feeling for this girl, but I do know that I’d take all of this pain away from her if I could.
“It’s okay, Ember, I’m here.” She doesn’t reply, but she moves even closer to me, and my arms tighten around her slim body. If Ember doesn’t want me to let go all night, then I won’t.
“Marco,” Ember sobs my name softly.
“I’m here, darlin’. Tell me what’s got you this upset,” Ember shakes her head against me. Whatever happened, Ember is not ready to let it out. However, it doesn’t take a genius to work it out. “Is this about Toby?”
She doesn’t reply, but then she doesn’t need to. I’ve been where she is right now, and I know how much it hurts to lose the one you love. It doesn’t make a difference that the love was one-sided; it hurts just the same.
“Whatever he did to hurt you,” I kiss Ember’s head. “Is over now. The pain won’t last forever, baby. I know that’s easy for me to say when I don’t know what happened between you, but I have a pretty good idea. It’s okay to cry for what you’ve lost, Ember. Everything will feel better once you’ve cried it all out.”
I don’t say anything for a few minutes as Ember’s sobs quieten. I feel her wipe her nose on the tissue in her hand. “I’m sorry, Marco,” Her voice is hoarse from crying. “I didn’t mean to bawl all over you.”
“Don’t apologize, Ember. I understand, and I’m here for you, now and always.”
She chuckles softly. “Thank you, I’m always here for you too. You’re a good friend, Marco. I’d be lost without you right now.” I smile and kiss her head. “Can I ask something of you?”
I run my fingertips softly up and down Ember’s bare arm. “Anything,”
“Will you lay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course, I will,”
“Thank you.”
“Go to sleep, Ember, I’m right here with you.” And here is where I’ll stay until Ember ask me to leave.
* * *
I groan and shake my head at whoever is shaking me. “Marco, wake up, I have a surprise for you.”
I crack one eye open, then both as my brows furrow. I don’t know whom the young woman sitting beside me on Ember’s bed is, and I don’t know how she got in here. I do know that she needs to leave before Ember wakes up.
I look to the right and find Ember isn’t beside me. Isn’t that just brilliant?
“Who are you?” I ask while rubbing my left eye with the palm of my hand.
“Breakfast,” The girl licks her lips and slips her shirt off, revealing her naked breasts.
“Whoa!” I hold my hands up while pulling myself back against the wooden headboard. “Put your top back on and leave.”
“Don’t you want this?” She grabs my hand and holds it against her large breast.
I instantly snatch my hand away. “Are you insane? Do you even know whose room you’re in?”
The leggy blonde giggles while twirling her hair around her finger. “Sure, Bob told me. He also said that you two weren’t together, so what’s the problem?”
I’m going to kill Bob for not only bringing his whore’s onboard but for letting one walk into Ember’s room looking for me.
“This problem is that you walked into my girlfriend’s room, looking for me, thinking… What were you thinking?”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Both the girl and I turn our heads to see an angry Ember standing in the doorway. “This is not what it seems,” I hold my hands up in surrender while shaking my head.
The girl quickly covers herself, and Ember raises an eyebrow in her direction. “I leave Marco asleep while I use the bathroom. I’m gone a few minutes, and you’re on my bed with your fake tits out. Didn’t Bob satisfy you last night? Or this morning, for that matter? Because from how loud you were an hour ago, I’d say he did an all right job.”
“I… I…”
“You what? Thought you’d get a piece of the lead singer while you were here? Let me give you some advice,” Ember folds her arms across her chest. “Men don’t respect women like you,”
“Women like me?” The girl looks affronted.
“Yes, women like you. Girls who throw themselves at musician’s just so you can say that you slept with them. You’re a whore in their eyes, and object to dump themselves into.”
“Oh, my God, I can’t believe you’re talking to me like this! He,” She points at me. “Already had ago at me. I didn’t know you were his girlfriend, I’m sorry,”
Ember looks at me, and I wince and shrug my shoulders. She looks at the girl again. “You should be. Have a little self-respect, and others might find some for you. Now, get the hell out of my room, and stay away from my man!” She yells, and my dick stirs. Fuck, that was hot!
The girl jumps out of her seat and leaves. As soon as the door is closed, I expect Ember to turn on me, and give me what for. Instead, she bursts out laughing and drops down on the bed beside me. “Your girlfriend?”
“First thing I could think of to make her leave. Anyway, you told her to stay away from your man.”
“Didn’t wanna make you look like a liar in front of the girl.”
“To be honest, I thought you’d blow your top,”
Ember chuckles. “Remember where I grew up, Marco. I’ve seen girls like her a thousand times. I’ve also known men caught in situations similar to the one I caught you in. My mother told me never to jump to conclusions. After the things, you’ve told me, and the fact you’re my friend, I know you wouldn’t have done anything with that girl, not in here anyway,” Ember laughs.
I’m awed by Ember right now. She really is a one of a kind. There aren’t many women who would have walked in on what Ember did and react the way she did.
“You’re a special kinda lady, Ember Marshall.”
Ember looks at
me and rolls her eyes with a smirk on her face. “You’re not too bad yourself, Marco Russo. Thank you for last night. I don’t know what came over me.”
I take her hand in mine and wink. “Any time, beautiful. What are friends for?”
“Getting you out of sticky situations with Bob’s castoffs?” We both laugh loudly. It’s good to hear Ember laughing. She seems much more at peace with things today.
I don’t expect Ember to suddenly be over whatever happened with Toby. But I hope she’s finally coming to terms with things. Ember deserves to be happy; she deserves to smile every day.
“I don’t know about you,” I climb off the bed and run my hand through my messy hair. “But I’m starving.”
“I think you could do with a shower first,” Ember laughs as I look down at myself.
“I think you’re right.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ember
Nate presses me back against the tour bus. He’s so cocky that he doesn’t give a damn that my bandmates are onboard waiting for me.
Since we started this tour nine weeks ago, Nate hasn’t left me alone. He corners me whenever he gets the chance. He also thinks that it’s perfectly okay to tell me how he’s going to fuck me awake or passed out, he’s not fussy.
I have to be careful with my drinks when he’s around because I’m worried he’ll spike them and do all sorts to me when I’m out of it. I wouldn’t put it past him, at least.
Nate is such an asshole that he believes that nothing he does will have consequences. He even told me that no one would believe me if I told them he’d taken what he wanted from me. Other’s had done just that in the past, and it got them nowhere. He has a good PR team that always makes him look like the victim.
What kind of people help a man like Nate to get away with the vile things he does to women?
People paid to do so, Ember. They aren’t paid to think; they’re paid to turn a blind eye.
It’s disgusting, and Nate Rigby shouldn’t be allowed to get away with rape. That’s precisely what he’s doing to those poor women, and all the while, he makes them think it was all their fault. Nate tells anyone who will listen that they wanted him, they came on to him, and he’s the one being punished because they want money out of him. He looks, even more, the victim when those women take payoffs they’re not allowed to talk about. Some have also made video’s stating they lied, and the comments those women get are outrageous. Of course, they would be; they look as though they’ve pried on a famous person and slandered their name.
I will not be one of those women!
“Get your damn hands off of me!”
“I’m gonna have my hands all over you, sweetheart.”
“Like hell,” I hiss and push Nate away from me. “I think my boyfriend might have something to say about that!”
“Boyfriend?” He laughs sarcastically. “Everyone knows you don’t have a boyfriend, Ember.”
Think fast, Ember!
“I’m with Marco, you cretin!” Christ, why did I say that?
Because you want this piece of shit to back off, Ember, that’s why.
“Huh,” Nate nods his head while scratching his jaw in thought. “You and poster boy, I should have seen that comin’, everyone else did.” He raises his eyebrow and takes a deep breath. “No matter, I still want you.”
I slap his hand away before he can touch my face. “Not going to happen. Why won’t you leave me alone? I don’t want to be with you in any way, Nate, why can’t you understand that?”
“Because,” He leans in close, and I have to turn my head away. The smell of alcohol on his breath is nauseating. He sniffs my hair, and I cringe. “I always get what I want, Ember. Every damn man here wants you, and you won’t give it up. Why?”
“Are you deaf? I already told you that I’m with Marco. Now back off, Nate,”
“Here’s the thing, I can’t back off until you give me what I want, Ember. If you don’t, then I’ll have your little band kicked off this tour. Not only that, I’ll put word out that you’re a little slut who slept with every man here. Then to top it off, I’ll put a call into the record company and…”
“What the fuck is going on here?” I close my eyes, grateful that Marco came looking for me.
It’s not going to end here, though. If I don’t do what Nate wants, he’ll destroy Dun’s Dungeon. I can’t let that happen when they have worked so hard for this. Of course, I want to be the girl who tells the sleaze-ball to go fuck himself and that I won’t sleep with him. But what choice do I have?
If I don’t sleep with Nate, he’ll ruin us. The others will never forgive me, and I won’t forgive myself. It would be easy for me to say that Nate’s all talk, and he could well be, but what if he’s not? He knows everyone in the business, and bad-mouthing us would be detrimental to our careers.
I don’t know what it is about me that makes Nate want me so much, but I do know that I can’t let him win. I also don’t want to sell myself to save the band, but I don’t know what else to do.
Be honest with the others and tell them what Nate is threatening you with. They’ll be understanding and help you figure out a way to shut him up.
Nate takes a step back from me, his eyes wide, and his head shaking slightly.
He’s afraid of Marco, it’s written all over his face. This piece of shit is scared that I’ll tell Marco what he said.
“Ember?” I drag my eyes away from Nate. I’m not going to save this asshole. I won’t let him threaten me and think I’ll let him get away with it. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Nate smiles at Marco while forcing his hands into the pockets of his super tight jeans. “Ember and I were just having a little chat.”
“With your body pressed against hers?” Marco’s eyes narrow.
Marco knows how much I despise Nate, and he knows that I’d never be out here with him like this unless Nate cornered me.
“He was telling me how if I don’t sleep with him, he’ll have us kicked off the rest of the tour. Not only that, but he’ll tell the record company lies about us. Christ knows what lies, but I’m guessing nothing good, so they’ll drop us before we’ve begun.”
Marco’s eyes shoot to Nate. “You’re trying to blackmail Ember into sleeping with you?”
I grab Marco’s arm as he takes a step toward Nate. “Leave it, Marco. I already told him that you and I are together, and there’s no way I’m sleeping with him.”
I note the smirk trying to break free on Marco’s lips. However, he used the same thing on a girl not so long ago; it’s only fair he repays the favor.
“It was a misunderstanding is all, Marco.”
“I didn’t misunderstand you, Nate. However, I hope you understand that I won’t be threatened by you or anyone else.”
Nate scowls at me.
“Don’t you dare look at her like that!” Marco yells, drawing the attention of Colin, Saint, and Bob. All three are now walking toward us with curious looks on their faces. “You come near Ember again, and I’ll rip your goddamned throat out!”
Nate smirks. “Don’t threaten me, Marco, you know it can only end badly.”
“What the fuck is going on out here?” Colin asks, and I notice more people are watching us.
“Why don’t you ask this prick!”
I need to get Marco out of here. If anyone watching decides to video what’s going on, it could end up online, and Marco will look bad. I can’t have that because he’s only standing up for me.
“Marco,” I pull myself against him, my hand in his, and I hold my mouth to his ear. “Don’t do this. This is exactly what he wants - a reason to have us thrown off this tour. Remember what Caren said about opportunities. People are watching, and if they film you going postal on Nate, you’ll be painted as the bad one. Please, Marco, walk away with me, and we can talk about this.”
Marco looks at me for a moment, and I see so much anger in his eyes that my stomach turns. I know that it’s Nate with whom Marco is ang
ry, but I get the feeling he is with me also.
Marco’s chest heaves as he clutches my hand tightly in his. He looks at Nate. “Stay away from Ember. I’m warning you,” He hisses at Nate, then drags me away with him and back to the bus.
“Marco, are you angry with me?”
“Just get on the bus, I need some air.”
I shake my head as Marco walks away from me. I watch as he weaves in and out of the parked tour buses, and I wonder what he’s thinking right now.
“Don’t worry,” Colin smiles slightly. “We’ll go after him.” Colin, Saint, and Bob take off after Marco, and I make my way inside.
“What’s up with your face?”
“I’m not in the mood, Hannah.”
Hannah looks at me curiously, and then she looks at Caren. They seem to be going through the band’s schedule for when we get to Texas. Hannah has taken it upon herself to be Caren’s, right-hand woman.
Right now, I can’t wait to get to Texas. Once we get there, this tour is over, and we can start recording our album.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” I like Caren, she has a sweet nature, yet she’s not a woman to be messed with either. Caren takes her job seriously, and she’s doing wonders for the band’s public image. So naturally, Matt hates her, but she puts him in his place quick enough.
Every day, Caren posts on our social media pages, and every day we gather more followers and fans.
Caren is even in talks with the record company about Dun’s Dungeon joining a world tour if the album does well. The tour has no headlining act, but no one seems to mind. The tour will be massive, and five other groups will be joining us if we get the gig. Thankfully, not Nate and his band. I don’t think any of us would ever tour with that man again.
I don’t know all the details yet. However, the idea of traveling outside of the US is beyond exciting to me.
I sit down with Caren and Hannah and explain what happened outside with Nate and Marco.
“He can’t really have us thrown off the tour, can he?” I ask Caren.
Ember: Next Gen (Snakes Henchmen MC Book 12) Page 11
