Detour Complete Series

by Kacey Shea

  Before he can claim my lips again, our phones go off, simultaneously buzzing with incoming calls. Shit. The time! My security team meeting! God, how irresponsible am I? I should have checked in last night. This morning too. Guilt, thick and suffocating, edges my thoughts as I scramble for my cell. I exhale a rush of relief when I find it’s only seven—I haven’t missed the meeting with my team—and it’s only Trent calling, not one of my security staff.

  Austin holds up his cell, frown lines etched in his brow. “It’s Sean. Stay. I’ll take this in the bathroom.”

  I don’t have a chance to tell him Trent’s on my line—or wonder why two of the band members are calling so early—because I need to answer if I don’t want this going to voicemail.

  “Hi, Trent.” I turn and walk back into the bedroom so my voice won’t carry to Austin’s conversation.

  “Jayla. Hey, sorry to bother you so early.”

  “It’s no problem. What’s up?”

  “We have a problem.” There’s a long pause. “Do you think we could meet and uh, talk in person? Privately?”

  My heart rate jumps and races. “Um, sure.” He couldn’t know about Austin and me. Could he?

  “Good. We’re all in my suite. Well, almost all of us. Sean’s still trying to track down Aust.”

  I breathe out a sigh of relief. Of course he couldn’t know Austin and I hooked up last night. This is about the band. “Give me thirty minutes?”

  “Thank you. Oh, and Jayla? I hate to ask, but can we keep this meeting between us. I’d rather it didn’t get back to the label. At least not yet.”

  My stomach clenches with his request to keep this from my boss. Not because I don’t want to, but because I feel more of an allegiance to Austin and the band than I do my actual employer. My priorities are all wrong, and that’s something I haven’t felt since leaving the police force. “Yeah. We’ll talk when I get there. See you soon.”

  “Thanks, Jayla.”

  Austin steps out of the bathroom as I end my call. He holds his phone up with a frown. “I take it you got called into the trenches also.”

  “Yeah, is everything okay?”

  “Doubt it. They wouldn’t call a meeting this fucking early for nothing.”

  “You’re worried?” I wonder whether this has anything to do with the note the hotel staff delivered yesterday. I want to ask him, but more so I want him to voluntarily explain what it meant.

  “No. Yes.” He runs a hand through his hair and tugs at the locks in frustration. “I am, but that’s not why I’m upset.”

  “No?” My stomach churns with uncertainty.

  “I was hoping to convince you to stay for morning sex.” He bites down on his lip.

  As if by some invisible thread, my sex reacts to the sight and clenches with need. “Oh?” I ask breathlessly.

  “Yeah. I mean—” his lips tug into a grin and he waggles his brows—“I am the best lay of your life, after all.”

  I groan and roll my eyes. “I’m going to regret telling you that.”

  “No takebacks.” He steps forward, closing the space between us, and brushes his hands up my arms.

  “Humility. You should try it sometime,” I say, but I can’t hold back the laughter as it escapes my lips.

  “Not the first person to tell me that.” He winks, holding me loosely in his arms. “Hey, Jayla.”

  “Yeah?” I tip my chin up.

  “I know I said I wouldn’t, but thank you. For last night.”

  I bite my lip so I won’t thank him, too. I’ve had sex a handful of times over the years and it was good enough, but I’ve never climaxed during the act. Never felt anything remotely as enjoyable as what we did last night. I thought it was because I was broken. My mind so damaged that I physically couldn’t orgasm with a partner. But Austin proved me wrong. Sex like that could be addicting.

  Austin drops a chaste kiss on my lips.

  “I’ll see you in Trent’s suite.” I sigh, wishing I could stay longer, but we’re running out of time. I step back from his embrace to grab my bag and reach for the door handle.

  “We’ll continue this conversation later”—he moves between me and the door, this time brushing his lips against mine with more pressure, more promise—“and pick up where we left off.”

  I hope I don’t have to wait all day until he delivers.

  133

  Austin

  “What’s with the fire alarm?” I push into Trent’s suite and meet the grim expressions of my bandmates and their girlfriends. A sense of foreboding settles on my shoulders when no one responds. I brush my hair back, the strands still wet from my shower, and plop next to Opal on the couch. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

  Trent’s gaze flicks to Sean and then over to Jess. She studies the tips of her shoes, her face etched with worry. Opal rubs her hand over her belly in slow circles. Everyone is being weird and that knot of concern in my gut grows.

  Lexi meets my stare and breaks the silence. “Maybe we should wait for Jayla?”

  I laugh to ease the tension. “This better not be an intervention. I promise I hardly get high anymore.” And I don’t. Not unless you count the woman I am completely addicted to.

  Trent rolls his eyes, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “Not everything is about you, dumbass.”

  “But it should be. Speaking of, I hope to God you ordered breakfast for this impromptu meeting. I’m hungry.”

  “There’s bagels, fruit, and orange juice,” Opal says. “Let me make you a plate.” She presses her hands into the couch and moves to stand.

  “No way, little mama.” I reach for her elbow and halt her from moving any further. “I should be getting you a plate. You want something?” I stand and take a few steps backward.

  “Bring me an apple?”

  “You got it.” I wink, mostly because it annoys Leighton. I have no interest in Opal, but I do like fucking with him.

  As if on cue, he frowns.

  I just laugh, strutting across the suite to make a plate and brew myself a cup of coffee. I have a feeling I’m going to need several more to get through today. I didn’t get a ton of sleep last night, not that I’m complaining. I’d gladly trade rest for more sexy times with Jayla, but we have a full schedule on the agenda. Interviews with local radio and news stations. Sound checks. Luncheon with some sponsors. Then a meet and greet before tonight’s show. It’ll be past midnight before we roll on to St. Louis and do it all again.

  “You’re in a much better mood this morning.” Trent stands next to me at the bar and snags a grape off my plate, popping it into his mouth.

  “Yeah, well. New day. New dawn.” Jayla and I fucked and it was amazing. The urge to brag is there, but for once I don’t let it out. Not because I’m embarrassed, or because he’ll give me shit about sleeping with her. No, it’s bigger than that. Last night was everything I’d hoped for, and all I needed. More than I ever expected. It was more than sex, and special, and I don’t want to share that with anyone.

  “You got laid,” he deadpans.

  “What?” Is it that obvious? I’ve been a miserable SOB this week, sure, and even now when I know there’s something big going down, I can’t keep the slight smile from playing at my lips, or the lightness from my step.

  He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Shameless. What did you do, chase down that chick from last night? All because we were giving you a hard time for crushing on Jayla.”

  “Something like that,” I mutter and mix cream into my coffee.

  “Wait. You didn’t fuck—?”

  The door swings open with a sharp knock, and Jayla struts through wearing her badass CIS pantsuit and self-confidence like she runs this show. Which isn’t far from the truth. Damn. This woman. I can’t help but stare.

  “Jayla.” Sean stands from his seat next to Jess. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Tell me what’s going down,” she gives a curt nod, and settles herself onto the edge of an empty armchair.

 
I grab my plate but pause at Trent’s gaping stare. He knows. About Jayla and me. Shit. It’s probably written all over my face. He’s come to the truth by his own conclusion and if he asks I won’t lie, but by the nervous bouncing of Jess’s leg and the anxiousness in Sean’s eyes, this isn’t about me right now. I leave him to ponder and rejoin Opal on the couch.

  “Coy is harassing Jess,” Sean says plainly.

  “Wait, what?” I practically roar.

  Jess shoots me a pleading look. I don’t know if it’s meant to calm me down, but my mouth clamps shut regardless.

  “Explain,” Jayla says. “The more details the better.”

  “It started with a few texts.” Jess’s voice is soft. “I didn’t know for sure it was him, but I deleted them anyway.”

  Jayla leans forward on her elbows. “When was this?”

  “The first week of January. After the tour restarted.”

  “What did they say?”

  “They were mostly nothing. Just a lot of ‘Hey, girl,’ and ‘Can I see you?’ that kind of stuff.” Jess waves it off, but it’s obvious this isn’t nothing.

  Jayla nods. “And you think it was Coy?”

  “That’s what I think now. About a week ago, he started showing up at work.”

  “Fucker,” Sean mutters under his breath. I concur.

  “You work at a clothing boutique, right?”

  “Yes.” She says. “Paula Sorrento’s shop on Rodeo.”

  “Did he approach you?”

  “Not at first. He just came in, browsed, and then left.” She visibly shivers. “Then I caught him waiting outside a few times.”

  “He’s stalking her.” Sean’s arms flex with agitation. “That’s illegal, right? We have a restraining order.”

  “Good. The restraining order is good.” Jayla’s demeanor is calm, her voice firm. Her presence alone settles our room as everyone looks to her for guidance. In this one moment I can see that she must have been an amazing cop. “Jess, did you ever call the police when he came in? Or say anything to him?”

  “No. Should I have?” Jess bites the inside of her cheek and presses her hands together. “I didn’t want to cause problems for the shop, or make a scene. But now, I think maybe that only encouraged him.”

  “None of this is your fault. You know that.” Sean rubs the small of her back.

  “What happened next?” Jayla encourages.

  “He followed me to school. I’m taking classes at the community college. I didn’t see him approach. Like at all. One minute I was grabbing a soda from the vending machine during a break, and then next he was there, right in my space.”

  My head pounds with rage and I’m overcome with the impulse to beat the shit out of Coy Wright all over again.

  “That must have been terrifying,” Jayla says.

  “It was. I wanted to scream. Or run. But I felt stuck. I just kept flicking the tab of my soda back and forth while he begged me to fix things. He said I owed him, that he would take me back.” She shakes her head and bristles. “Like I’d ever go back to that monster.”

  “Did he touch you, or hurt you?”

  “No. He didn’t get close enough. Once the shock of seeing him again wore off, I excused myself and went back to class. I thought he might wait for me, but he wasn’t there when I came out.”

  “And when was this?”

  “Yesterday.” Jess blows out a breath and leans into Sean’s side. “Before I flew out for the weekend.”

  Jayla taps her fingers at the knee of her pants for a quiet moment before she speaks again. “Do you know what he meant, for you to fix things?”

  “He kept saying I ruined his life. That no one would hire him. That I broke his heart.” Jess’s gaze flicks over to me briefly. “And that my new guys made it impossible for him to play.”

  No.

  My gut fills with dread.

  This is my fault. Mine. I’m the reason Coy is stalking her. Harassing her. Why the fuck did I think it was a good idea to fight his lawsuit? I could settle. I should have sooner. A bastard like Coy doesn’t just go away. Of course he’d reach out and try to hurt the people I love to get what he wants.

  “This is all my fault,” I blurt, unable to keep the crush of guilt to myself a second longer.

  All eyes in the room swivel from Jess over to me.

  “I’m sorry.” Sean chuckles but it’s filled with annoyance. “How do you have anything to do with Coy the douche canoe harassing my girlfriend?”

  “The lawsuit.” I swallow my pride. “He’s coming after us to make us hurt.”

  “That’s his choice. Not yours.” Jayla levels me with a serious stare. “You can’t take responsibility for someone else’s circumstances.” By the undercurrent of her words, I feel as if she’s talking about more than Coy. That she’s giving me absolution for not being there for her when she needed me most.

  “But I told Rachel I wouldn’t settle.” I swallow another wave of responsibility and send a meaningful glance in Jayla’s direction. “That’s why she called the other night. That’s why Coy came after Jess. It has to be.”

  Jayla’s brown eyes give nothing away. I can’t tell whether I convinced her my lawyer’s late night call meant nothing, or if she’s forgiven me, and I wish we could go back to my room to work all of this out.

  “Austin.” Jess waits until I meet her gaze. “You have done nothing but protect me. This is not your fault. Besides, what makes you think Coy will go away, even if you pay him off?”

  “We have to try,” I say immediately.

  “How much?” Jess’s lips press into a nervous line.

  “Doesn’t matter,” I say, because it doesn’t. If it buys her safety, it’s worth it.

  Jess shakes her head. “I can’t let you do that. I’ll pay you back.” Jess doesn’t have money, but she’s also someone who won’t take handouts. She fights Sean every time he insists on paying for things, and they’re together. The woman is incredibly resilient and strong despite her outward appearance.

  “You’re not paying him back.” Sean shakes his head and lets loose a chuckle. “I know for a fact he has the money.”

  I wink at my friend. “That’s right. I’m a fucking baller.”

  Sean groans with a roll of his eyes, but I can tell he appreciates the diversion. “Scratch that. I’ll pay for it. I can’t have you holding this over me.”

  “Coy’s suing me, not you.” I shake my head. “I’ll pay.”

  “You guys can argue about who’s flipping the bill later. For now, I think it’s best we come up with a plan to keep Jess away from Coy.” Jayla turns back to Jess. “You’re not flying back until we get to Ohio, right?”

  “Right.”

  “That gives us a few days. I’ll arrange for private security when you get back. I also have some connections with a few guys on the force who owe me. I’ll ask them to check in on Coy.”

  “Is that necessary?” Jess rubs her hands up and down her arms. “I’m probably overacting because of my past. He didn’t do anything other than try to talk to me.”

  Sean opens his mouth to argue but it’s Jayla who lays down the law.

  “Yes. We won’t take chances. He hurt you before, and he’ll do it again if given the chance. I don’t want him feeling comfortable enough to approach you anywhere, ever.”

  Jess nods, and despite her earlier bravado, her features soften with apparent relief.

  “We got you, Jess,” Lexi reassures. “You’re family. You don’t do this alone.”

  “Thank you,” Jess says.

  Not wanting to waste another minute, I pull out my cell phone and fire off a text to Rachel. I should have done this days ago. Thinking of how Coy hurt Jess, how Jayla was hurt by her cousin, how I’ve let down the important women in my life time and time again, spurs me to action. There’s a good chance Rachel won’t get my message until Monday, but it’s better to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. Thankfully, Jess is here with us for the next few days and safe until then
. As crazy as Coy is, he’s a fucking coward too. I don’t think he has the balls to approach her with all of us around.

  “Thanks, Jayla. I appreciate your help on this.” Sean scrubs a hand over his face, the worry not completely gone from his features, but eased. “We don’t want the label involved. This is a personal matter. But we also don’t want to put you in a situation you aren’t comfortable with.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Jayla straightens her shoulders and presses her lips together. “It’s fine. I understand.” She doesn’t meet my gaze.

  “You’ve been a total professional since you joined this tour,” Sean continues, his hand rubbing circles against the small of Jess’s back. “We trust you. And we don’t want to force you into an ethical dilemma.”

  Jesus. He’s pouring it on a little thick. Jayla appears as uncomfortable as I feel. Fuck, Sean. He’s going to make her re-evaluate spending the night together, and probably cock block me from ever enjoying that again.

  I glare daggers at my bandmate, willing him to shut the fuck up, but it’s in vain. And pointless, because not a second later, a sharp rap of knocking pulls everyone’s attention to the hotel door. We all glance at each other, no one making a move to see who it is.

  134

  Jayla

  I raise my brows with a tired sigh. “I take it none of you ordered room service?” My stomach knots with anticipation as well as a touch of alarm. I don’t know what lies on the other side of the door, but if it follows the way my morning’s been going, it’s probably not good.

  “We did not.”

  “Trent, this is your room, so you should open it. Everyone else stay here.” I motion for him to follow me to the door. A glance out the peephole reveals a giant bouquet of roses. I don’t miss how the arrangement hides the face of whomever is holding them. Convenient or happenstance? Either way, my entire body tingles with suspicion.

  “Did you order flowers?” I whisper to Trent.