ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars Book 6)

by Michelle Mankin

  “I’m sure.” She released my hand and lifted her chin. “We’re going to catch an early flight to Dallas tomorrow morning. Lin and me, Dolly too. We’ll meet the Enthusiasts there. Do you think you and Gale could head that direction on his motorcycle? Be there in time for the ceremony?”

  “Of course we’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” I gave her a firm look. “You, Lin, Dolly, and me, we’re family. We’ll always be family, no matter what.”

  “Making myself remember that is keeping me from flying apart.” Inside her gaze, darkness fluttered, a tattered curtain falling on a possible future for her and Arrow that would never happen now. “It’s something solid to hold on to. Something good like you and Gale,” she whispered.

  “Okay, Lark.” I gave her arm an affectionate squeeze. “I’m glad for that.”

  “I have to be strong for Jag.” She bobbed her head. “Arrow would want that.”

  “We’re in this together.” I held her gaze, hoping my words would sink in. “No one has to be strong alone.”

  “Yes, that’s true.” She gave me a quick hug. “Be careful out there on the road with Gale.” She leaned back, holding my shoulders briefly as she said, “Tell him I said to be careful. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me,” I said firmly. “I’ll be careful, and Gale’s a really good, capable driver.”

  “I like him for you, Jo.” She nodded once. “I love you.”

  “Love you too,” I said, but to her back since she’d already turned.

  Frowning with worry, I watched her walk away. Her retreating form was stiff, her strides slow as if she were walking uphill rather than on a flat surface. Within moments, the dark corridor swallowed her up.

  Suddenly, the crowd roared, a reminder that we weren’t alone. A reminder that maybe we both needed.

  I took my cue, knowing there weren’t any guarantees for Gale and me.

  The road ahead was unmapped and uncertain, but I did know something important—my companion. Thinking of him made the darkness seem lighter, and made me feel full rather than empty. I’d told him I would follow him, and follow him I would. Gale was the motivation I needed.

  • • •

  “Great performance tonight.” Trip, our driver, emerged from the shadows beside the tour bus when I reached it.

  “You watched our set?” Surprised, I raised my brows.

  “Yeah, wasn’t gonna miss that.” He brought the cigarette he held to his mouth, making the tip glow as he inhaled. As he released the smoke, he said, “I listened to you girls practicing while driving through several states. Sounded pretty good. I figured you might have what it takes. Now I know for sure.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled. His encouraging words lifted my spirit.

  “Seen a lot of bands come and go over the years. You four stick together, and you’ll go the distance. Mark my words.”

  “Consider them marked.” My smile widened as my spirit floated higher. It was amazing what a simple genuine compliment could do. “If you agree to drive us that distance.”

  “You bet I will.” Trip’s kind brown eyes sparkled warmly as he returned my smile. Flicking his cigarette to the pavement, he ground out the butt with the heel of his boot. “Barbara Michaels is on board.” He tipped his gaze toward the bus. “She has all my contact info. Give me a call when you have your plans sorted out.”

  “Will do,” I said, giving him a nod before opening the door and climbing the steps.

  The motion-sensor track lighting flicked on as I entered, illuminating the interior. The producer in charge of my season of the reality TV show Rock Fuck Club wasn’t in the front lounge, but following the sound of her voice, I found her in the back one. Her blond hair up in a messy bun, she was seated on one of the pullout couches.

  “I know, Suzanne,” Barbara said into her cell phone as she pointed to it and then patted the empty cushion beside her in invitation. “Yes, I’ll relay the message to Jo as soon as I see her, and get back to you soon.” She ended the call, shaking her head.

  “Thanks for covering for me.” My stomach churned as I took a seat. “She pissed at me again?”

  Barbara nodded, the top knot on her head waving at me like a warning flag. “How about I give you the good news first?”

  “Okay.” I cringed. That didn’t sound promising.

  “The last scene with you and Gale is a big hit with test viewers.”

  “That’s good but expected. After all, it’s Gale.” I shrugged a shoulder. “Of course they liked it.”

  “He’s gorgeous, charismatic, and a big star.” She nodded, another Lafleur fan, obviously. “Dolly got high scores too.”

  “She’s beautiful and sweet,” I said. “So, what’s the bad news?”

  “It’s not going to be your last scene, I’m afraid. Suzanne’s not going to let you count yourself as a fuck.” Barbara’s blond brows drew together over her seafoam-green eyes. “I warned you that ploy probably wouldn’t fly with her.”

  “I won’t do any more fucking for the show,” I said firmly, wanting to be clear on that. “I’m done with the RFC.”

  “Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. I mean, I get where you’re coming from. Raven and Mars, they both had the same issue at the end of their seasons.”

  “It’s wrong to mandate a number. It’s in direct opposition to the empowerment theme of the show.”

  “I agree completely.” Barbara patted my knee. “But you agreed to that number and signed your name on the dotted line. You’re contractually obligated.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut. “I don’t want to think about this right now.” Sighing, I opened my eyes. “Not with everything else going on.”

  “I understand. Truly, I do.” She reached for my hands and gathered them in hers. “I was on the phone with Marsha before Suzanne. Everyone is reeling. It’s terrible what happened.”

  “Did Mars give you the remembrance ceremony details?” I asked.

  “Yes, she did. I have to go to New York first to finalize things at the home office for Mars’s season and yours. Then I’m meeting up with Von and we’re headed to Dallas together.”

  “It’ll be good to have you both there.”

  “I’ll be meeting with the film crew while in the city.” Barbara tilted her head. “Can I pass on any message to them for you?”

  “My gratitude. Again. To them and to you. I wouldn’t have made it through my season without your help.”

  “I was happy to do what I could, and I’ll continue to assist you in my capacity as executive producer through all the necessary promotion and the launch of your season.”

  “I’m glad.” I put myself out there, peeking through an allowable crack in my protective wall, because I really liked Barbara. “I hope we can be friends after this is through.”

  “We are friends,” she said firmly.

  “That means a lot to me.” I put my hand on top of hers. “Thanks for giving me a heads-up about Suzanne gunning for me.”

  “As a confirmed friend, can I offer you some advice?” Barbara’s expression turned expectant.

  “Sure, I guess.” Confirmed or not, that lead-in made me tense.

  “You should probably let Gale know sooner rather than later what’s going on with Suzanne.”

  “Remind him about my commitment to the RFC?” My voice rose, and I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Not when he thinks we’re through with it.”

  “Not trying to tell you what to do, Jo.” Her eyes softened even as I withdrew my hands. “It’s just a friendly suggestion. I’ve seen the harm keeping secrets can do to developing relationships.”

  “Being on reality TV will lay you bare,” Marsha had told me, warning me before I signed on to the show. She’d been right, and the warning continued to hold true to the end of the season.

  The almost end.

  Josephine

  AFTER PACKING WHAT I needed for the
trip into a small duffel, I left the tour bus and headed to the concert after-party. Stumbling to a stop inside the cavernous room, I took in the scene.

  Not because the recorded music was blasting at top volume. Not because Cush Diamond was by the door with his jeans down around his thighs, fucking a naked groupie against the wall. Sure, that was unexpectedly jarring, but the real blockade to my forward momentum was seeing Gale with my crew.

  Isn’t Gale part of our family?s

  Several yards away, he certainly appeared to be, with his strong, comforting arms around Lark and Lin. And I truly believed if he’d had an extra arm, he would have included Dolly in that embrace too.

  My best friend stood across from him, her mouth moving as she talked. Gale was listening, as were the twins, but she was too far away and the music was too loud for me to hear her. When Dolly’s lips stopped moving, Lin nodded and stretched out her arm. Then the three women I loved most in the world and the only guy I ever truly loved came together, forming a group huddle like we had as a band before taking the stage.

  My eyes burned, and my nasal passages started tingling.

  Gale was a part of our family. In fact, my crew had already adopted him.

  When had that happened? How had I missed it?

  Not wanting to be left out, I moved to join them. Since most of the crowd was engrossed in a drinking game on the other side of the room, it was mostly a matter of threading my way between breaks around smaller groups. Gale saw me first and grinned slowly. The curve of his lips was a lure, his silver gaze a grappling hook that pierced the center of my chest. I didn’t fight it as he reeled me in.

  “Hey,” I said low.

  “Hey yourself,” he said in his delicious voice.

  “What are you talking about with my crew?” I swept my gaze over him, noting his change of clothes. He now wore jeans and a Heavy Metal Enthusiasts T-shirt that had an arrow drawn through the band logo. The cotton and denim clung to his sculpted form distractingly.

  “You,” he said as he extended his hand.

  I placed mine in his, my heart skipping a beat as our skin connected.

  “Oh yeah?” I raised my pierced brow. “What about me?” I cocked a hip, affecting a casual stance that was all BS. My body tingled everywhere, completely haywire at being this close to him.

  “Heard you were having second thoughts about our ride.” His eyes narrowed to silver slivers.

  “The timing worried me, but everyone seems to think it would be good for us to go.” Warm tremors ran up my arm from where our hands were joined.

  “They like me.” His expression relaxed and his eyes danced, reflecting his pleasure at that thought.

  “They like you for me,” I said with a laugh. “Don’t let it go to your head.” He had no idea what a huge deal this was, for all my friends to approve of him for me.

  “Only you inside my head right now, Jo.” His gaze drifted over me, the warm tremors becoming a fiery glow in the places where it lingered.

  “Good, because there’s only you in mine.” My lips curved.

  “Do you truly have everything you need for a weeklong trip in that tiny bag over your shoulder?” he asked, his gaze returning to mine.

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “I figured there’s not much room in your luggage compartment.”

  “There isn’t.”

  “And I didn’t figure I’d be wearing many clothes.” I gave him an arch look.

  “You thought right.” His eyes gleamed beneath his thick brown hair. “So, are you ready?”

  “Just need to say good-bye to my bandmates. Where are yours?”

  Glancing around the room, I didn’t find Art and Noah, but I did notice Mary Timmons and a handsome silver-haired gentleman talking to Von Arnold, the guitarist for the Monsters. They appeared to be sober, unlike nearly everyone else in the room, except for our small group.

  “They took off already,” Gale said.

  “No party for them?” I asked, surprised.

  He shook his head. “Art went to a vineyard to sketch. And Noah likes to visit a French bakery whenever we come through this area.”

  “Bakery, huh?” My brows rose. “Kinda late for that.”

  “It has an extensive gluten-free menu.” He shrugged. “Told you we’re nerds away from the stage.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. Not for Noah, certainly. I wondered what Art was sketching, or more accurately who, and if Noah was alone at that bakery. But I didn’t voice those speculations. Now that the tour was over and everyone was agreed about me going away with Gale, I was ready to leave.

  “Guess this is good-bye, doll.” I moved toward my best friend, Gale in tow, and kissed her cheek.

  “See you soon, Jo.” Dolly reached up and touched her own cheek after I drew back, as if to hold my affection there. “Remember what we talked about.”

  “I remember.”

  “Have a good time, Jo.” Lin stepped forward and gave me a one-armed hug, smiling down at Gale’s hold on me. Now that he had me, the sexy lead singer appeared to be reluctant to release me.

  “Be safe,” Lark said with a nod. “Both of you.”

  “Will do.” The low timbre of Gale’s voice and the care implied in those two simple words warmed me. They were exactly what my friends needed to hear.

  “Lead the way,” I said huskily, susceptible to Gale and all the ways he showed his care. I hoped we didn’t have to travel far tonight.

  “Unusual and noteworthy you giving me the lead,” he said, slipping the strap of my small duffel from my shoulder and sliding it onto his.

  “Nothing about me and you is usual.”

  “You’re right. Phenomenal would be a better word.” Placing his hand on the small of my back, he made that area and other parts of me burn as he steered me toward the door.

  “You and your word choices.” Shaking my head, I smiled at him. His love was a miracle, a gift I didn’t merit. But I would fight to hold on to it as long as I could, even if I had to take on Suzanne and the entire World Media Organization.

  Outside the party room, the corridor was deserted. The fans had gone home. Security, support staff, and everyone else connected to the tour was either at the party, or had taken off in search of their own brand of entertainment for the evening, like Arthur and Noah did.

  “Man, it’s quiet,” Gale said, his voice echoing off the concrete walls.

  “Everything shut down so quickly.” I reached for his hand. The tour was over, but I didn’t want us to be.

  You have him, Josephine.

  I curled my fingers around his, probably a little too tight. The matters I’d put on hold for this trip unsettled me, and I had a feeling the road ahead would be bumpy for us before it smoothed out.

  If it smoothed out.

  “You okay?” Seeming to sense my unease, Gale gave me a long, searching look.

  “I’m a little tired.” I was, but mostly I was deflecting, not wanting to address the concerns I needed to set aside. “I’m looking forward to spending time with you.”

  “I’m looking forward to spending time with you too.” He pressed the metal bar to exit the building and held open the door for me. After I stepped through, he spoke again. “It’s been a rough couple of days. But it’s had highlights. All of them related to you.”

  His fingers curling around my upper arms, he gently turned me to face him. A nearby motion-sensor light kicked on, casting an orange glow over us.

  “Even the darkness has light because of you,” I whispered, my gaze lifting to meet his.

  “That’s beautiful.” He framed my face. “You’re beautiful. The road we’re set to travel does have plenty of light. Daytime driving, mostly. Lots of surprises along the way, and opportunities to make memories. It’s just not an open-ended trip. We have a sad good-bye to say at the end of it to a friend who left us way too soon. But before we get to that good-bye, I’m going to enjoy having you all to myself.”

  I felt the seriousness of his words. Saw it in his expr
ession. Did he have concerns similar to mine? Could he possibly know about the RFC?

  “Planning to bed down with access to the stars tonight. Nothing too fancy.” He glided his hands down to my lower back, bringing my body flush with his. “You okay with that?”

  “Yes.” My lips curved. Anywhere would seem fancy with him there.

  “I’m a little tired too.” His voice dipped low. “But I’m not planning on us doing a lot of sleeping.”

  “Me either.” My heart rate quickened as he grinned.

  “Good.”

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “And I love you,” he said softly as he lowered his head.

  Coming up on my toes, I dove my hands into the satiny waves of his hair. His warm breath dampened my lips before his mouth touched mine. Willingly, I parted my lips at his urging, and his tongue slipped inside.

  Gale kissed me deeply, making love to my mouth, and my concerns scattered. Nothing else mattered but us, the here and now, and this incredible bliss.

  Josephine

  “WHERE ARE WE HEADED?” I asked Gale through our helmets’ two-way headset connection.

  “Someone I know has a place on the other side of the bay.”

  His amplified voice in my ears was pure audible pleasure that pricked my skin with awareness. More awareness. Seated on the motorcycle behind him, my body pressed into his, I was very conscious of the sexy man in front of me.

  “What kind of place is it?” I laid my head against his back.

  “A surprise one. You’ll see.” He released his grip on the right handle and squeezed my hands where they were interlaced at his waist. “Hold on tighter. I’m going to get us on the interstate and pick up some speed.”

  “Okay.” I practically purred my agreement. It wasn’t a hardship to tighten my hold.

  As he accelerated, I leaned forward, enjoying the feel of the engine revving between my legs and the wind whipping my hair. I smiled, watching the world zip by as we skirted around a large body of water. Shipping yards with large cranes held my attention for a while, but we quickly left those behind us. With nothing to distract me but a concrete dividing barrier and very little traffic, my thoughts drifted. I wondered what Dolly and the twins were doing, and where they were sleeping for the night. We hadn’t had time to discuss it.