Play Mine: Rockstar Romantic Suspense (Brooklyn Dawn Book 3)

by Cari Quinn

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Cole pulled into the back of our designated meeting area. Lila had changed up our usual departure area for obvious reasons. “Think you can handle the girls without me?”

  “Pretty sure I’ll be fine.”

  He laughed. “I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

  I hopped out of Cole’s car. All our trucks were assembled for last minute changes of equipment. Cooper and Cole headed over to the trio of instrument rigs. Cooper had ordered some replacement parts for his drum kit and wanted to make sure they’d arrived in time. With our ever-changing stage, he had to have different kits for the various venues we played at.

  Noah waved me over where Lindsey, Nash, and Jamie were standing by an enormous silver and black truck. The Brooklyn Dawn logo was stamped in an almost invisible gray like the rest of our gear trucks.

  “Hey, guys.”

  “There you are, High Tea.” Jamie slapped me on the arm. “How’s Cooper’s place?” She waggled her brows and held her fist out. “Is his drumstick as impressive as the wood ones he uses behind his kit?”

  “Umm.”

  Lindsey sighed. “You are the worst human sometimes, Jame.”

  Jamie shrugged. “What? Like they’re not boning after the way they left the club.” She dug one long finger into her painted-on jeans and pulled out a pack of gum. “Want?”

  I shook my head. “I’m good.” And I definitely wasn’t verifying that question with a yay or nay.

  She folded in a cinnamon-colored stick and immediately started snapping her gum.

  “Oof.” I patted Lindsey’s back when she hauled me in for a hug.

  She always smelled like ultra-expensive sex. She was wearing a lightweight cotton dress and sandals with a spiked heel I wished I could pull off. Her height was close to Jamie’s. Both of them made me feel even more like a little sister who wasn’t quite done growing.

  “You’ve had a hell of a few days, girl.”

  I sagged against her. “Yeah. I’ll be glad to get back to doing shows. This reality crap sucks.”

  “I think we’re all glad to get back on the road.”

  “Speak for yourself. I think you should have cancelled.” Nash’s Irish accent was heavy and sharp.

  “Don’t start, Alex. We’re not breaking contracts because some asshole is hassling us.”

  “Don’t put your head in the sand, duchess. You’re better than that.”

  Lindsey’s spine stiffened, giving her another two inches. “No one said you needed to come with us.”

  Evidently, everyone was a little off. Made me feel better about my panic attack. At least I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the stress.

  “As if you could keep me away from you.” Nash looped his arm around her waist and dragged her back against him. “I just hate this.”

  She sighed and relaxed against him. “Yeah, well, I don’t think any of us are happy about it.”

  Hoping to change the subject, I cleared my throat. “Where’s the bus?” I craned my neck to take in the sheer massive size of the sleek silver and black monstrosity. “What the heck is going on there? Did we get a bigger lighting setup?”

  “Nope.” Jamie picked at her black nail polish. “That’s our future jail.”

  “What?” I frowned at Lindsey. “What’s she talking about? That is not a bus.”

  Lindsey tucked herself along Nash’s side and leisurely looped her arm around his back. So at ease with the fact that they needed to touch all the time. Angry one minute and melting against him like chocolate the next.

  Kind of like Cooper and I. I’d never thought I would find anyone who would fit me like he did. Never expected to find it with him, especially. Knowing that he didn’t find me clingy or too demonstrative was a major plus. In fact, he might’ve even outdone me on the touching and sexy times part sometimes.

  Maybe.

  Lindsey glanced up at the truck. “I’m not sure what the heck this thing is. Knowing Ripper it’s going to be more than we expect.”

  “Ah, in the business for so long, and you’re still so quick to assume the best, love.”

  Lindsey elbowed Nash. “Not everyone assumes the worst.”

  Jamie gave a meh face. “It looks like a big rig truck to me. How impressive can it be? Are they going to put us in little Styrofoam slots like my guitars? Strap us in like our soldier boys. The security dudes are used to it, right? It’s our time now.”

  “Thank you, Jamie.” Nash dropped his arm to link his fingers with Lindsey. “She is of a like mind.”

  “You two deserve one another.” Lindsey rolled her eyes.

  “We’d kill each other.” Jamie walked the length of the trailer attached to the black truck cab. She quickly posed beside the wheel that came to her chest. “Take a vid for TikTok. People will be so jealous.”

  “No one is taking any sort of video for any social media until you’re on the road.” Lila’s crisp voice came from behind me.

  I spun around. “Hi.”

  “Ms. Daly.” From her chilly demeanor, she was not exactly over our duck-and-run from Cole yesterday.

  Lila’s ever present iPad was tucked against her chest. As usual, she was in a spotless and unwrinkled suit—this one lavender linen in deference to the heat. Even Lila was human enough to sweat. At least I was pretty sure.

  Oz and Daisy crossed the parking lot from their bodyguard’s car. Sarah, their bodyguard, followed at a brisk pace, her no-nonsense blond ponytail swishing behind her as she scanned the parking lot.

  Daisy attack-hugged me. “I’m so glad to see you. And you liked what I sent?” She pushed me away with both hands on my shoulders to look at my outfit. “I love shopping for you. These dresses are the cutest.” She flicked her fingers over the tiny cap sleeves of my summery black sundress covered in poppies.

  I flushed. “Thanks. I love it.” I’d mostly been living in Cooper’s shirts for days—or nothing at all. It felt good to be a bit girly again.

  Daisy dabbed at the corner of her eye where a few tears had formed. “Were you able to salvage anything at the house?”

  “Not as much as I’d like.”

  “I’m sure Daisy would like to catch up more, Ms. Daly, but we have a schedule to keep. You can discuss what’s happened in the last few days when you’re on the road.”

  Daisy gave Lila a stiff smile. “Sorry.” She backed up and sniffed into Oz’s chest as he looped one of his long arms around her neck to bring her in tighter.

  “Thank you all for being prompt.” Lila nodded toward Cooper and Zane, who’d finally joined the group.

  Cooper came up behind me and brushed his hand along mine. “What’s that thing?”

  I shrugged. “We’re trying to figure it out.”

  “And I’ll explain that. As you can see, we’ve made the best of this…unusual situation. Our current security situation required a little creativity. Luckily, Donovan has contacts just about everywhere. He paid handsomely to camouflage your residence on wheels.”

  “In a truck?” Oz snorted.

  “No one would think this is actually a state of the art tour bus.” Lila pulled a remote out of her pocket, and the nearly invisible door opened with a hiss of hydraulics. It popped out a little then glided to the side, showing off a gleaming set of steel steps with black grips. “After you.”

  All of us stood there in shock. Finally, Jamie pushed through all of us and climbed the first stair. “Well, I want to see the secret lair. I don’t know what you people are waiting for.”

  Curiosity got the better of me, and I quickly followed her.

  “Teag, wait up.” Cooper crowded behind me.

  I turned the corner and simply stopped in the middle of the aisle.

  Oh my God.

  “Is this the Tardis?” Jamie was sprawled in the back already, her long legs spread over the huge U-shaped couch taking up most of the space in the rear.

  I wasn’t quite up on my pop culture like Jamie, but I understood the refer
ence. It sure as hell hadn’t looked this big from the outside.

  Lights shot down the floor and slowly went from dim to bright along a design in the ceiling. A motor rumbled under my feet, and the side panels of the bus widened, leaving a large area. A table lowered like a Murphy bed, and seats came out of the floor, creating an eating area.

  Screens covered the back of the living area and blinked to life. A bank of machines were lined up in a skinny cabinet. It seemed to be a gaming center with blue-lit controllers stacked along the bottom. A charging hub with cables galore was on a shelf behind glass. Some of our instruments were bolted to the wall, and a skinny carpeted wall opened, revealing a smaller version of my keyboard setup tucked inside.

  Jamie hopped up on one of the tables and took down one of her acoustics. “Man, this is freaking sweet.” She plopped down cross-legged on the table—because she was Jamie—and started strumming away.

  I spun around and found a similarly stunned Cooper looking at the small kitchen. He was opening cupboards and finally, the fridge. He held up a water and I nodded. My mouth was bone-dry. I could definitely use a drink.

  The entire room hummed with excitement and shock.

  A deep brownish-gray wood stain complemented the soft gray leather of all the built-in couches and seating areas.

  “Holy shit.” Jamie flipped down from her perch and opened the doors on the table she’d been sitting on. “There are amps in here.”

  “Yes, this is a state of the art rolling studio.” Lila’s voice rose. “Upstairs, you’ll find sleeping quarters, if you’d like to check them out. There’s a stairway at the back.”

  Jamie was climbing the table to put her guitar away, and I took the opportunity to duck through the small opening. There was another door half open that looked like a typical bunk area, but I followed the stairs up.

  “Where’s the stripper pole?”

  I snorted at Jamie’s question coming through the stairwell.

  “Good question,” Cooper quipped. “It seems to have everything else.” His hand slid along my waist as he trailed after me. “Can’t wait to see the bedrooms. Think there will be headboards I can use for those handcuffs I ordered?”

  “What? You did not.” I craned my neck to look at him behind me.

  He grinned. “Guess you’ll find out.”

  My panties were going to flame off before we even got out of the parking lot.

  Upstairs, it was much more dimly lit, but there were doors spaced about five feet apart. None of them were labeled, so I went to one in the center. It was a pocket door with a little window that said unoccupied.

  I opened the door and slid my hand along the wall, finding a light. There was an extra long bunk with a wide mattress. Not quite the lake-size bed Cooper had, but it wasn’t as small as my full-sized one at home. Well, the one I’d had—now it was a soggy, smoky mess.

  Nope. Not thinking about that right now.

  Cooper crowded into me. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” He dropped a quick kiss on the nape of my neck. “No headboard. Too bad.”

  I elbowed him. “Shh.”

  He gave my ass a squeeze then went to check out the small closet tucked in the corner before flashing me a quick grin. “Pretty cool.”

  The walls were charcoal gray and reminded me of the soundproofing in a studio.

  Soundproof? Hmm.

  I opened the door under the bed and found a small storage area and electronics. An IPad, chargers, and a ten-plug power bank were bolted to a shelf.

  Cooper hopped up into the bunk and picked up a remote. He pointed it and suddenly, a television rose from the foot of the bed. “Holy crap.” He tossed the remote into a little cubby stashed on the side. “C’mere. Let’s see if we both fit.”

  “Not right now,” I whispered. “Later.”

  He grinned and slid off the bed. “It’s comfy at least.” He gave me a brief kiss and headed back out into the hallway.

  We descended the stairs as Lila spoke to the group.

  “Okay, okay, that’s enough for now. Let’s chat, and then you’re free to do whatever while we get on the road.”

  We emerged in the main part of the bus, and Cooper laid a hand on my shoulder as I looked toward Lila and the rest of the band. Well, at least the ones I could see. Noah was in the back with the security people, but at the sound of Lila’s authoritarian voice, he strode to the front to stand beside her.

  “My bed isn’t long enough,” Oz announced, hustling down the steps from the bedroom area and slapping Cooper on the back as he passed.

  “It most certainly is, Osmond. We measured. Did you lay down on it with your Jack and the Beanstalk boots? They add a few inches.”

  I giggled as I looked at Oz’s huge purple shitkickers. “At least the toe box isn’t curled.”

  Oz flipped me off before he sat on the enormous leather couch and stretched out, boots and all. “You think you’re funny.”

  “Trust me,” Lila said, “no expense was spared. That bed will fit you, unless you’re having another growth spurt. If that’s the case, perhaps you should see a physician.”

  “Those are some boots,” Cooper remarked. “I’d ask where you got them, but they’re assaulting my eyes.”

  “A man secure in his masculinity enjoys all colors of the spectrum.” Daisy’s voice was prim as she sat on the arm of the couch where Oz was stationed.

  “Ohhh,” Cooper and I said, practically in unison.

  “She bought them for you. Now it all makes sense.” I exchanged glances with Cooper. “See what happens when you become coupled?”

  He pinched my ass. On the opposite side from where Oz and Daisy were cuddling but still, he didn’t make much attempt to hide it. He also didn’t hide nosing my hair out of the way to whisper in my ear. “I’ll wear what you buy me, but remember, payback’s a bitch, Daly.”

  Lila sat at the circular table in the kitchen area, and one by one, all the band members gathered around it. A couple of the men remained standing, because there weren’t quite enough seats at the table. And of course, Noah always stood, regardless.

  Daisy and Nash made themselves scarce. Surprisingly, that was actually possible to do on this bus. It was freaking gigantic.

  “For those who haven’t finished exploring, you’ll have plenty of time once we’re on the road. But every one of you has a private room. They are small, but there are doors, and it’s your own space. Enough for significant others or nightly visitors, your choice of poison. Just remember, you make filth, you’ll live in it until the next time the cleaning crew comes through.”

  Lindsey pointed at Jamie. “She means you. Slob.”

  Jamie rolled her eyes. “I thrive on organized chaos.”

  “You’ll also notice that not only is your security team glued to your sides off the bus, it is now attached to you on the bus, as well. For those of you who abide by the rules, anyway.” She gave Cooper and I a hard stare. “The security rig is at the far back.”

  Cole must’ve come aboard while Cooper and I were checking out the bedrooms.

  Priorities.

  “So, Master Sergeant isn’t our only accompaniment on the road? Gee, whiz, how did we get so lucky?”

  Ignoring Jamie, Lila rolled on. “Most of you have probably heard about Zane’s misadventure this weekend by now.”

  “What misadventure? We went off the grid after the club.” Lindsey’s eyes narrowed on Zane, who was slouching against the wall and staring somewhere out the window. “Zane?”

  “Yeah, what the fuck happened?” Jamie turned around to slap him on the thigh, approximately half an inch from his crotch. He didn’t so much as blink. “You were fine at Purgatory.”

  “I was, until you got me to drink that piece of shit drink that got me a fucking record. The one Cooper brought to the table.”

  “Hey.” I frowned. “That’s not fair. He bailed your ass out.”

  “That’s true. It was still your drink.”

  Cooper rested both hands
on my shoulders from directly behind my chair. “Watch it.”

  Zane swore and held up his hands. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m not blaming any of you. It was just crap luck. I rolled and I lost. It could’ve been worse, right?” He let out a dry laugh. “At least I didn’t tattoo Minnie Mouse on my bicep.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Jamie demanded.

  In lieu of an actual explanation, he turned around and pulled down the waistband of his jeans. The lazy turtle tattoo made Jamie cup her hand over her mouth. “Damn, that’s um…”

  “Hideous. I was fucking roofied or something, and I stole a Lambo, got myself arrested, and oh, yeah, at some point, I chose to get that as a tramp stamp.”

  “Roofied.” Lindsey’s voice was flat. “Someone put something in Teagan’s drink. Thank God she didn’t drink it. Who the hell would have done that?”

  “We have a line on who it might be, and we’re looking for her to bring her in for questioning.”

  “Her?” Jamie cocked her head. “Did you get a sicko female after you, High Tea?”

  I shook my head. “That would make more sense than this.”

  Lila didn’t acknowledge us, just continued seamlessly. “Unfortunately, a couple of your bandmates chose to go rogue and play Nancy Drew to meet with her, which did not happen. So, now she’s MIA, since they were as subtle as a tank.” Lila gazed at me before shifting her attention to Cooper. “Did either of you get the memo about not going off on your own, especially not on investigative sojourns that accomplish absolutely nothing?”

  “How did you hear about the meeting?”

  Cooper’s hand clamped on my shoulder, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop my mouth.

  I winced. “I mean, we made a mistake, but—”

  “But I wasn’t supposed to know about it.” Lila flashed a thin smile. “I got that message quite well.”

  Noah aimed a steely glance over my head. It wasn’t difficult to guess who it was directed at. “As did I.”

  “Look, we made a decision. When the call came in, we figured if Teagan met with Priscilla, maybe she could get a line on if she was really who she said she was.”

  “Did you get that line?”

  Cooper shuffled his feet. “No. She never showed.”