I shudder as I think of what may have happened. Those men looked at me with intent and if Scott had allowed it, I would have been passed around like a favorite toy. The only satisfaction I get as I look at that picture is the thought of Grady’s face when he realizes he’s not getting his very personal assistant.
As I skip through the paper I see more photographs of the guests. There are many famous people attending and all of the most influential people in Washington. This was a society wedding to top every one that went before it. This world they all live in is bigger than them all and it must take a certain type of person to be able to exist in it without falling to pieces.
Placing the paper on the bedside table I turn out the light. I need to remember what’s at stake. This is bigger than me and Scott. Whatever this club is involved in would be best left undisturbed, for all our sakes.
***
Chapter Thirteen
Jax
The car picks me up at 6am and I drag my sorry ass downstairs. The driver tosses my luggage in the trunk and nods respectfully.
“Morning, Sir.”
I just nod. Sir, what am I his father?
I feel irritable. No sleep does that to me and I didn’t get any last night. I felt unsettled when I got back from the studio. The tour is weighing heavily on my mind. It’s ok for the guys, they get to hide behind the mikes. I am up front and must concentrate hard. Despite it all though, I love this. When I get on stage, I feel free. I feed off the adrenalin and soak up the devotion of my fans. It fuels me and is the biggest rush a man can get. Music makes me forget. It takes me away from the lonely world I live in and wraps me up in a warm familiar embrace. It soothes my battered soul and gives my life purpose. I thank God it found me because without it I would probably be dead by now.
The car arrives at the studio and I see three tour busses lining the streets. Huge black machines with no indication of who’s inside. These will be our home for the next three months and it will be a long, hard road.
Three months putting up with my band members who I bicker with like hell. I love and hate them at the same time but they are my brothers and we are a family.
I head into the studio and leave my driver to take care of my bags.
Almost immediately I spy the girl from yesterday standing in the corridor with a huge clipboard. She is directing the crew and ticking things off her list. I watch her for a moment. Once again, she has her hair pulled back, and the cap pulled over her eyes. Her glasses look too big for her face and her skinny jeans just accentuate the fact she needs a good meal inside her. I feel unsettled. I don’t like change and I don’t trust newcomers.
I scowl and as if she senses it our eyes meet. She looks at me with a direct, curious stare. She doesn’t blush or look away. She doesn’t even look worried or shy. Instead, she looks at me as if trying to read my mind. She is assessing me and it irritates the crap out of me. I move towards the studio and just nod in her direction.
“Morning, Miss Stone.”
She smiles and my breath hitches. That smile changes her. It lights up her face and transforms her in a way I would never have thought. I see her eyes sparkling behind those dumb glasses and I long to remove them and that stupid cap and see the beauty inside. Because I can see that beauty loud and clear in that smile. Emily Stone is much more of a woman than I credited her for. Now I’m interested.
She looks down at her clipboard and ticks something off her list. I smirk.
“Here, Miss.”
She looks up and then laughs softly. Like the smile, the laugh rocks me. Emily Stone is one sexy girl behind that mask she puts on. I must have been more hung over than I thought not to have noticed this yesterday.
She grins.
“No, I wasn’t ticking off your attendance. I’m not that bad. I just remembered that I’d ordered the coffees to be delivered by 7am. Sorry, I have so much to remember and my brain isn’t quite in gear yet. It’s all buzzing around my mind and not in any order.”
She rolls her eyes and then someone calls her away.
I watch her walk away and note the swell of her ass and the wiggle in her walk. Suddenly, I regret my words yesterday. I want to break the rule I set in place and fuck that ass until I pass out. Damn, now I’m hard and it's only 6.30am. Fuck I need a drink.
I head inside and see River lying on the couch. He groans as he sees me. "Whose fucking idea was it to leave this early? Why couldn’t they helicopter us in one hour before the show like normal rock stars?”
I kick his legs off the couch and sit down heavily beside him.
“Beats me, bro. It’s not the life I thought it would be, that’s for sure.”
He sits up and Cody saunters into the room with his arm around Emily. I feel something stir inside me and my irritation reaches boiling point. Blasted Cody, typical. He has no idea of authority. He does what he wants and to hell with the consequences. Well, he’s not doing Emily if I have anything to do with it.
He smirks at us.
“I was just saying to Emily here that she should ride with us. I mean, she’s management and we need her in our bus to organize us. What do you say, guys? Tell her it’s her job to look after us and keep us happy.”
Emily rolls her eyes and smiles.
“I’m sure you’ll all be fine. I have to travel with the crew to find out what they need to do their job.”
Cody squeezes her tighter to him and I want to punch him.
“What about what we need? After all, without us, there would be no show.”
She laughs and pulls away and I breathe again.
“Don’t worry guys, I’m sure you’ll cope. Anyway, just one more to arrive and we can be off.”
As if on cue Tyler bursts through the door.
“Sorry guys. I got held up.”
Cody raises his eyes.
“Yeah right and I’m Father Christmas. What’s the matter Ty, couldn’t get it up fast enough this morning? You’re slacking man.”
We all grin and Emily shakes her head.
“Whatever, you’re here now. You can leave when you’re ready. You should find everything you need on board but if you need anything just call me. I have texted you all my number so don’t hesitate to call.”
Cody winks.
“Oh, I’ll be calling you, darlin’. I just hope you can give me what I need.”
Shaking her head, she leaves the room.
I look at him angrily. “What did I say yesterday? Leave the kid alone. Save your dick for someone that doesn’t matter. You go there and Eddie will lose it. Think with your brain and not your dick for once in your life.”
There is silence as the guys look at me in surprise. I shake my head and grab my stuff.
“Come on, we’ve got a bus to catch.”
***
Chapter Fourteen
Emily
Finally, I take my seat on the bus and get a minute to breathe. I was up so early it feels as if I never went to bed.
I’m glad I’m here though. It’s just what I need to keep my mind occupied.
I am sitting on one of the crew busses. They appear a rowdy lot and yet there is a quiet respect in their eyes when they look at me. I laugh to myself. It’s probably due to Eddie’s threats. He is a force to be reckoned with and he scared the shit out of them at our meeting this morning. He left them with the image of what would happen to them if they moved one step out of line with me. For all they know I’m some sort of relative of his. I smile as I think of Helen and Eddie. They are a great couple and I owe them a lot. They have really put themselves out to help me and I will never forget it.
My phone lights up and I laugh to myself. It’s a text from Cody.
“It’s lonely on my bus. Are you lonely too? Make them stop and come and keep me company.”
I tap back.
“You have company, Cody and I have work to do.”
“I don’t want that sort of company, darlin’. You did say anything I need.”
“You need
to sleep. It’s a long drive ahead and you will need your rest. If you can’t sleep, then listen to music or watch a film.”
“I’ll only sleep if you’ll keep me company.”
“See you in Columbus, Cody.”
I put my phone in my bag. Cheeky bastard. I don’t mind though. I can tell he’s only messing around.
Leaning back, I think about the guys in the bus behind me. They are just what I expected. I was shocked when I walked in and found Cody with his dick in that girl. The other guys appeared disinterested and I’m sure it’s not the first time they’ve seen it. I didn’t miss the smirk on Jax’s face either. Even though he hid behind his glasses, I felt his eyes on me.
I think some more about Jax. He took my breath away. I kept my eyes on Eddie but was aware of him the whole time. He sat there slumped on the couch like a panther watching his prey. I felt his eyes on me and almost forgot to breathe. He is totally different to Scott. He must be well over 6ft tall and is absolutely huge. His arms burst out of the tight t-shirt he was wearing and I could see the tattoos creeping down them like modern day art. His hair was as black as the devil’s eyes and just long enough to demand a hand to run through it.
I try to ignore the fluttering in my stomach at the thought of Jax. When I saw him this morning, he took my breath away. He appeared angry and irritated and that excited the hell out of me. I felt him watching me again and for reasons I can’t explain I gave him something to watch as I walked away.
I bite my lip and stare out of the window. I need to keep away from him. I need to keep away from all of them. Not easy to do when you’re stuck with them for three months.
So, I throw myself into my work. For the next three hours, I move around the crew. I have never been on a bus like this and it’s like a proper home, cum office. Most of the guys are relaxing in some sort of living area. The air is blue with jokes and alive with excitement. This is the start of a long trip ahead and the monotony hasn’t sunk in yet.
One by one I sit down with them. Lighting guys, sound guys, roadies responsible for shifting the equipment, cooks, technical wizards and maintenance guys. There is a lot of talent on this bus and I am interested to find out how much goes into making these guys rock.
Mostly they are great guys. I don’t miss the interest in their eyes and the silent questions on their lips. I just set about discovering everything about them.
Then I meet Calum.
A young good-looking guy who has shy eyes. He blushes as he looks at me sitting in front of him and I smile reassuringly.
“Hey, Calum, isn’t it? I’m Emily and I just wanted to find out a bit about you and what you may need.”
Calum must be late teens early twenties. He is a good-looking guy with an air of sweetness that surrounds him. He smiles shyly.
“Pleased to meet you, Emily. I am responsible for shifting the equipment and helping set it up. I don’t need anything special and I try not to be any bother.”
I look at him with interest.
“Well, if you do need anything you know where to come. Anyway, how did you end up here? I’m curious.”
Calum smiles and I notice his eyes light up.
“My Cousin Ritchie has been a roadie for years. He knew I would be interested because I’ve been in a band since Junior High and it’s my life. When this job came up, he got it for me and here I am.”
I grin at the enthusiasm in his eyes.
“You love it, don’t you?”
He laughs and nods vigorously.
I look at him with interest.
“Tell me about yourself, Calum. Where do you come from?”
He smiles. “Falmouth, Maine. Grew up there and my whole life is there.”
I want to know more about his life and for some reason, I want to know everything about this shy boy who is almost a man.
“Tell me about your family.”
He grins. “My mom brought me and my two brothers up on her own. Our Dad split when Dylan was two. He’s the youngest and I never really knew him. My Mom had it hard, but we never suffered because of it. She gave us everything she could, and we didn’t miss our Dad at all.”
My heart skips a beat as I share a little bit of something with him. I never knew my Dad; at least he knows who his even is.
I look at him encouragingly.
“Tell me about your mom, she sounds awesome.”
He smiles and I see the love he has for her shining from his eyes.
“She is tough, no nonsense and doesn’t let us get away with a thing. She brought us up to be respectful to everyone and work hard. She’s a nurse by trade and it wasn’t easy on her juggling a job with the three of us. Luckily, we have good neighbors and somehow we muddle through.”
I smile and picture his family. It sounds like heaven to me.
“Tell me about yourself, Calum. Do you have a girlfriend?”
He blushes and I grin. He nods shyly.
“Yes, Taylor and I have been together since High School. She is everything to me and the only bad thing about this is it takes me away from her.”
I smile sympathetically.
“It must be hard.”
He nods and his eyes look a little lost. I sigh as I realize what a lonely road it is ahead. Not just for him but for all of us. Three months will feel like a lifetime to us all. Our lives are put on hold which actually couldn’t suit me more.
Calum smiles. “What about you Emily? What’s your story?”
Immediately I tense up, regretting asking him about his. Now I will have to field some awkward questions. I feel my phone buzzing in my bag and smile at him ruefully.
“Sorry, Calum, duty calls. I need to take this, it’s that damn Cody again.”
Calum laughs and rolls his eyes.
“Watch out for him, Emily. He is a magnet where women are concerned. In fact, they all are. They like a constant supply on tour and they will hit on you hard.”
I grin, reaching for the phone.
“Thanks for the advice. They can try but I’ve got their number—literally.”
I move away to take the call. Saved by the buzz!
***
Chapter Fifteen
Jax
I feel on edge and have withdrawn into myself. The other guys leave me alone. They know not to push me when I’m in this mood. I listen to their joking around and try to tune out. I tell myself that I always get like this before a tour. I feel nervous and apprehensive. However, I am only kidding myself because the reason for my mood is sitting on the bus in front.
What is it about Emily Stone that is bugging me? When I first saw her, I wouldn’t have looked twice if she’d just been a face in the crowd. But the more I’ve seen, the more I like. Underneath that unflattering get up is a sexy, beautiful woman. Her smile captivated me and her laughter pierced my heart.
I listen to Cody bragging about texting her.
“You watch brothers. It won’t be long before the elusive Miss Stone warms my bed.”
River laughs. “Eddie will kick your ass back to New York and around the country one more time if you do. You heard what he said—she’s family.”
Cody shrugs and grins wickedly.
“Not my family.”
Tyler chips in. “Leave her, man; it’s not worth the aggro. We need an assistant for this trip and she seems like a good one. What do you want to chase around after her anyway when there are more than enough willing bodies to sink into?”
Cody grins.
“Because I love a challenge. The chase will be entertaining and the reward sweet. Watch and learn guys, I’ll show you how a real master operates.”
They start reminiscing about every fan they’ve ever had and I tune out. Emily Stone is no prize to conquer. She is damaged. I saw that in her eyes. I know that look because I see it in my reflection every day. If Cody thinks I’m letting him add to her problems, then he can think again.
River heads back to one of the bedrooms on board this luxury suite on wheels, to crash. Of al
l of us, he parties the hardest. Whereas Cody just likes to fuck as many women as possible, River likes the drink. He’s not averse to indulging in what’s on offer with the rest of us but the man sure can pack them away. He parties hard and then sleeps it off. You won’t find a better base player in the business and he is worth his weight in all the alcohol he consumes. The fans love him and out of all of us, he is the hardest to read. Where Cody is the joker of the pack, Tyler is the Ace. He writes our words and is an awesome drummer. I write the music and sing the songs. I also play lead guitar along with Cody and I love them like I do my family. Not that have many of those. Just a disabled mom and a sister who I would kill for. They are my family and mean the world to me.
I doze until we stop at a service station for a break. We don’t travel light so we are restricted where we can stop. This place looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere which suits me fine. The last thing we need are crazy fans keeping us from the journey.
We all exit the bus and stretch our legs. There’s not much here but we head inside, anyway.
I hear Cody and Tyler laughing with the crew from the other bus. River stayed asleep on our bus and I look around for Emily. I see her talking to Calum; a nice kid who reminds me of me once upon a time. They appear deep in conversation and I watch her through my dark shades whilst pretending to look at some magazines.
Once again, my dick throbs as I let my gaze travel the length of her. I picture her naked and tied to my bed whilst I fuck her senseless. Now my dick is straining to go and get my prize but I realize it would only draw attention to me. She looks down at her clipboard again which makes me smile. Such an efficient little PA. I wonder if she has noted the need for dozens of willing young fans to feed to us at the after party. She is certainly in for a shock.
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