Her green eyes glittered with unshed tears, a bright spot of pink settling into the tip of her nose.
“You know you look like Rudolph when you’re about to cry, right?”
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as the tears streamed down her face. “Thank you for being so observant. You really know how to charm a girl. How, oh how, did I get so lucky?”
“If you feel that way now, just wait until later.”
Thump, thump, thump.
Sara recoiled with a gasp, all of the color from her flushed cheeks draining in a blink. “Cheese and crackers,” she whispered.
“Is it safe to come in?” Tyler’s deep baritone held a hint of amusement. At least it did to Daxton.
“Yeah, Dad,” he called out, running a hand over her backside, giving it a hard squeeze before opening the door. “Mmm. Just wait.”
He opened the door to find his father with an all-knowing smirk spread across his face. Tyler pulled him in for a tight hug. It felt nice, secure, comforting. “Glad I wasn’t interrupting this time.”
Daxton’s eyes flicked over toward Sara, who looked as if she might have a stroke at any second. “Dad, this is Sara. She’s our new publicist. And my girlfriend.”
“So you’re the young lady I’ve been waiting to meet. It’s a pleasure.” Tyler grasped her hand, raising it to his lips. Even at fifty, he was smooth enough to charm women out of their panties. At least now, Sara was blushing for a different reason.
“Mr. Cole, it’s um, really an honor to meet you.” She flashed a shy smile. Her hand twitched and Daxton knew she was aching to nibble at her fingernails. She was so sweet and innocent, but so very bad at the same time. He shifted to reposition his half hard-on. The fact that his father was standing only a couple of inches away should have made his dick limp as a noodle, but her presence was like a shot of adrenaline to the heart…if his heart was in his pants.
“Please call me Tyler. Mr. Cole just makes me sound old.” He smirked. “I’m sure these guys are really making you earn your paycheck.”
“When my boss said prepare to work around the clock, I didn’t realize he was serious.” A giggle tumbled from her lips, then her eyes popped open wide as realization set in. “Oh, um, I didn’t mean it like that. I just, uh… I meant…”
“She had no idea how high-maintenance we all were.” Daxton winked at her.
“Just a word of advice. Next time ask for more money. These rock stars can be real troublemakers.” Tyler grinned. “Especially this guy.”
“Thanks for the tip.” Her phone pinged. “Oh, shoot. Dax, we need to move. Punk’d just finished their opening set. Mr. Cole…er, Tyler, would you like to watch the concert from the VIP viewing area?”
“As long as you’ll be accompanying me. Can’t say I’m not curious to find out more about the woman who’s turned my son inside out.” He pointed to Daxton. “See that look? I know I haven’t before now.”
“Just watch the show, okay, Dad? Keep the talking to a minimum. I’d like her to stick around for a while.”
Tyler chuckled. “I’m not promising anything. Anyway, all of your skeletons are public. If she hasn’t run yet, you’re probably safe.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Tyler pulled out his buzzing iPhone. “Excuse me for a second, kids. I need to take this.”
Daxton pulled Sara into his arms and backed her against the couch. “How long do you think we have before he comes back?”
“Not nearly enough time. But don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. At least, not until after the show,” she murmured against his ear, her hand sliding over the bulge in his jeans.
“Dirty girl.”
“Your dirty girl.”
He let out a groan. “And torturing me is fun for you?”
“Oh it’s entertaining as hell, but not nearly as much as some other things I can be doing to you. Will be doing to you.”
His cock swelled as her grip tightened. Damn jeans were so constricting; they had no give at all. “Don’t tease me. Show me.”
“Later. You need to handle that,” she said, waving her hand around his aching groin. “And then get your sexy butt on stage.”
“Dax! I know you’re in there! Are you coming or what?” Finn’s booming voice came from outside the door. Like a tornado, he blew in, a wicked smirk on his face. “Oh shit. I guess you are. At least, you look pretty close.”
Daxton shoved Finn out the door. “Enough. Let’s go.” He wrapped an arm around Sara and headed into the crowded corridor where Sean and the rest of the bodyguards waited. Security was tight since there was still a psycho on the loose. The label wasn’t taking any more chances with its talent; plus, Tyler traveled with his own armed entourage. Sara would be safe, and she was his biggest concern.
Equipment teams for Punk’d rushed to break down the stage setups once they were wheeled into the hallway. Another team of security surrounded the band members, escorting them along with a gaggle of half-naked girls back toward the suite of rooms.
“Papa Ty! I heard you were here. Looking forward to the wedding.” Finn clapped a hand on Tyler’s back. “And to the bridesmaids.”
“I’m sure you are. Just make sure none of them end up on YouTube or I’ll make sure you’re violated with those drumsticks. Got it?”
“I love this guy!” Finn rubbed Tyler’s shoulders as they walked into the backstage area. “Don’t look so tense, Ty. I’ll make sure the wedding is over before I pull out the video camera.”
“Oh no, I forgot my phone!” Sara slapped her hands against her legs. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Forget it, beautiful. You’re not going back there by yourself. I’ll get it.” Daxton grasped her wrist.
Finn snorted. “Don’t even think about it, lover boy. You need to get your ass on stage. Tell Merrick to get it if you’re so afraid.”
“It’ll just take a minute. I’ll be fine.” Daxton looked at Sean. “Stay with Sara and Tyler. Don’t let anyone near them.”
Sean nodded. “You got it, Dax.” His beefy frame shifted, fencing them in. Nobody was breaking through that human barrier. Shit, they were barely even visible over his hulking shoulders.
Daxton jogged down the empty corridor and around the corner toward his green room. Punk’d was in a separate section of the maze, and they took most of the noisy party along with them. All the crews for Jimmy Sixx were on point to handle stage and sound setup.
He pulled out his key and turned it in the lock. The door opened, the room blanketed in darkness. Where the hell was the light switch? He lost his balance, stumbling into what felt like a table as the door slammed shut.
A strong hand clamped over his mouth. Any discernible sounds he could make were held prisoner. His throat tightened, body aching to draw in a breath. A powerful force impaled his chest, like a hot poker searing a path through his insides. A crippling tingle ravaged his midsection, almost as if his body was being electrocuted, consumed by a heat so intense, it might just spontaneously combust at any second. The assailant tugged at the weapon, the serrated edges tearing apart his flesh like razor blades raking over bare skin.
Daxton’s knees buckled and he collapsed onto the carpet. A warm, sticky liquid soaked his t-shirt, pooling around him. He tasted metal…his blood. “Who the hell are you?” he choked. His mouth was bone-dry, teeth chattering like he was trapped in a freezer. Violent tremors assaulted his body, an icy coldness slithering through him. Death. This was the end. And the attacker? For all he knew, it was the grim fucking reaper, who had shredded his chest with a sickle. He needed to get up, to scream, to run. Where was everyone? Couldn’t anybody save him?
His eyes clouded over, bile rising in his throat. Waves of nausea pummeled him, his stomach ready to revolt at any second. There was no hope of moving; his limbs were all frozen, imaginary cement blocks weighing down his body. He was numb, immobile, and completely fucked.
One last foggy thought flashed through his mind before his eyel
ids drooped closed. Who’s going to save Sara?
Chapter Thirty-Four
IT WAS HARD TO DESCRIBE the charge of elation that had flowed through him when the knife impaled Sara’s chest. He knew she’d eventually be back looking for her phone, the one he’d palmed earlier. Stupid bitch had it coming, just like those other skanks and their little “accidents.” But then he heard Daxton’s voice, drenched in anguish and desperation. What the fuck? He was supposed to be on stage already!
A flick of the light switch made Merrick crumble to the floor next to the bloody puddle surrounding the man he needed as much as air, food, and water. “Dax! Fuck!”
He dropped the knife and grasped Daxton’s hand. It was stiff, cold, almost as if—No! Not now. Not when they were so close.
“God, please! I can’t lose you, Dax. I love you.” He pressed his ear against Daxton’s chest. Nothing, except a seemingly endless flow of blood gushing from the wound. No, no, no!
A rapid escape was unfathomable. Leaving Daxton…not knowing if he’d just killed the love of his life…
He grabbed the knife and plunged it into his thigh. “Ahh!” Searing pain exploded down his leg, but it was nothing compared to the agony of seeing Daxton clinging to life at his own hand. It wasn’t enough. He needed to feel more, to let the anguish consume him for what he’d done. Gripping the handle, he jammed the blade into his side. Christ, there was so much blood.
He wiped the handle of the knife with his jacket lining and slithered toward the couch. Numbness snaked through his insides, paralyzing his ability to move, to think, to weep. Tears blurred his vision. “Help,” he croaked. “Please help.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
“SARA, THESE PRE-SHOW SHOTS are fantastic. They’re blowing up on Instagram. I’m already showing thirty thousand likes, and they were only posted an hour ago.” Kat shoved her iPhone screen in Sara’s face. “Unprecedented!”
“That’s awesome.” She rubbed the back of her neck. Something was off, but it was evading her. Where was Tyler? Her eyes scouted the darkened space. Hordes of record executives, publicists, agents, and A-listers swarmed the suite, and it was hard to think above the commotion. Nope, he was there, surrounded by doting female fans, none above the age of twenty.
“What’s wrong with your neck? Did Dax have you in some crazy ass position?” Kat snickered. “Wait, don’t answer. I really don’t want to know.”
A strange feeling settled in her belly. Uneasiness? Nerves? It definitely wasn’t due to the cluster of butterflies that took flight whenever Daxton’s name was mentioned. “I just…I don’t know. Maybe it’s a stress knot.”
“Mm-hm.” Kat cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe he can rub out your stress knot later.”
Sara peered through the large glass pane overlooking the stage and then at her watch. Ten minutes had passed. How long would it have taken him to grab the phone and get backstage? A thudding in her chest grew more intense with each passing second. “Excuse me for a second, Kat.” She walked over to Sean, gnawing at her thumbnail. “Hey, Dax has been gone for a while. I’m going to check on him.”
“No, he wanted you to stay put. I’ll send one of the guys to the green room.” Sean pulled out his walkie-talkie.
“Please, let me just go. I’ll be careful. Maybe he’s in the bathroom.” She forced out a half-hearted giggle, desperate to ignore the chill that seeped through her insides. This was all wrong. He would have brought the phone to her or at least sent someone else. Too much time had passed. If something had happened to him…
“Please, stay here, Sara. Let me—”
“No.” She pushed past him and shoved open the door. “You can send them after me, but I’m going.” A sob rose in her chest, her heels clicking on the concrete floors of the arena corridors with each sprint. The door to his green room was closed. She gripped the handle and pushed it open, blood rushing between her ears. Oh God, please let him be okay. Please, please, please.
* * *
The green room door slammed open. A strangled cry resounded in the expanse, followed by shrieks for help. Bright fluorescent lights from the hallway illuminated the space. His eyes opened a crack to see Sara crumble to the floor next to Dax. Merrick shifted his aching body, pain slicing through his now-jagged insides. He’d fallen unconscious behind the sofa, out of her view, so she couldn’t have seen him unless she ventured farther inside.
“Dax! Oh God! Dax!” Sara’s voice pierced his brain. Merrick clutched his temples, the high-pitched sound reverberating through him. “Please wake up!”
Nothing. No response. A chill slithered through him despite the numbness setting into his limbs. Say something Dax. Please.
Fucking bitch. She was supposed to be lying there. Dead! Out of his life. Out of his way!
Sean ran into the room, dropping to the floor next to Sara.
“Is he going to be okay? He isn’t moving, Sean. Please help him!”
Merrick pressed his hand against the self-inflicted gash in his side. Blood poured from the wound. Fuck, he must have nicked something important. “Help me,” he croaked.
Five medics rushed into the room with bags of equipment minutes after Sean’s call for help, descending on Dax. He was the star of the show, after all. Who the fuck cared about the lovesick manager who might just be bleeding to death himself?
He watched Sara grasp Dax’s hand, shoulders quaking. Her lips were moving pretty fast. Maybe she was praying. She should be.
“We’ve got a pulse! He’s alive.” The welcome words permeated the thick fog surrounding Merrick’s mind. The medics cheered. “Let’s get him out to the ambulance.”
“Oh thank God!” Sara’s raspy voice rose, relief lacing her words. “Sean, can you get Tyler? He’s still back in the suite.”
Dax was alive. Thank fucking God. Merrick tried to slither closer, but his head was as heavy as a block of cement, impossible to raise, even the slightest bit. Shit, he’d lost so much blood. All sounds faded, morphing into white noise. His body felt like it was floating above the carpet, levitating, away from the agony he’d just inflicted upon himself and the man he adored.
A medic hovered over Merrick, shouting questions about the attacker and the weapon lying next to him, but his mouth refused to form words in response. His brain couldn’t string together a single coherent thought. His fingers and toes tingled with the sensation of being pricked with pins and needles. The medic snapped his fingers, his face blurred, and then warmth. A welcome heat, one that flowed throughout his extremities, replaced the frigid chill that had previously accosted his body.
Dax was safe. He could finally rest.
Chapter Thirty-Six
TWO MONTHS LATER
THE MASSIVE SWELLS OF THE Pacific Ocean crashed against the cliff overlooking the horizon. The setting sun provided an orange glow, soft rays reflecting off the glittering waters below. High walls of exotic flowers and foliage created a natural barrier to any paparazzi who dared creep close enough to snap a picture. And if the barricades didn’t deter them, the armed guards lining every corner were sure to send them running with their cameras swinging between their legs.
A deep breath filled Sara’s lungs. The scent of the sea air provided serenity and peace, something they’d been lacking for the past couple of months since the attack. Those chilling moments, finding Daxton unconscious, drenched in blood, not knowing if she’d lost the love of her life…the haunting sequence of events was never too far into her subconscious to rear its ugly head. Nightmares plagued her since that night, the fear of losing the one person she needed more than food or air was constant.
But tonight, all fears were put on the back burner. It was a celebration, of the most epic variety.
“Have I told you how gorgeous you look?” Daxton’s warm breath fluttered against her cheek, tickling her skin like soft feathers.
“Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it, so if you feel the need to repeat yourself, please do.”
“You look gorgeous tonight.”
The corners of his lips curled upward. “Although, I can’t wait to strip you out of that dress later.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He snaked an arm around her waist. “The doctor said it’s perfectly fine. You were there.”
“I know, but I’m afraid. What if you rupture something? That could still happen months after the injury. You could die of internal bleeding before we even know there’s a problem! Maybe we should wait a little longer, just go to one more doctor.“
“No way. I can’t hang on another second. In fact, I’m thinking about running you up to the house now. There are plenty of bedrooms to choose from.” He winked. “What do you say?”
“I’m scared. If something happened to you…I just…I can’t lose you, Dax.”
“Hey.” He cupped her chin, tilting it upward. His heady scent swirled around her head like a halo, making her woozy with repressed lust. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise. And if you don’t feel comfortable, we’ll wait.” He let out a deep sigh. “Although seeing you dance around in those lace thongs and matching bras every day is making me die a slow, torturous death. Worse than the threat of any rupture.”
She giggled. “I didn’t realize you watched so closely.”
“I’m a pretty observant guy.” His soft lips brushed against her forehead. “You win. We’ll go to the doctor on Monday. And once he says there are no risks, I’m tearing off those panties with my teeth, got it?”
“Got it. I know how much you love that.” A chill zipped through her, his half-hooded gaze damn-near melting off the lace panties in question. The guy could sizzle her insides with nothing more than a suggestive wink. Jeez, was she ever weak. She slid an arm around his waist, silently cursing her choice of shoes. One false move, and her heels would be held prisoner by the cobblestones along their path back to the reception.
Dirty, Dark, & Dangerous: A Contemporary Romance Boxset Page 16
