by Anna Edwards
“Maybe another drummer.” Leo chuckles and hangs up the call.
“How’s the head?” Austin asks. For once, he’s not attached to his game console or phone.
“Easing. I think I’ll be taking a few days off the beers, though.”
“I might join you there.” Cameron lays back on his seat, and I can tell by his relaxed pose, in spite of the dark glasses, he’s closed his eyes.
“What are we going to do with you?” Tate shakes his head.
“I have no idea. I’m sorry. I know I’ve created extra work for Zoey.”
“Don’t worry, she thrives on it. I think she’d be bored if we didn’t give her something she has to placate the press about.”
I chuckle. “Thank you. I know it’s not going to be easy to sort out, but I will protect the band. It’s my mistake, and I’ll clean it up.”
“No you won’t,” Cameron pipes up with a big yawn.
“What?” I lean forward in my seat shocked at his comment.
“We’ll sort it together because we’re in this together, no matter what. One of us needs help, the others are there supporting him. You may have been a total idiot and got married while drunk, but you’re not alone sorting it out.”
My heart swells with pride at having these three guys for my best friends.
“Thanks.”
Cameron yawns again. “Can I go and get another couple of hours of sleep?”
“Yeah, I was in the middle of an important level in one of my games. I bet the idiot who was trying to beat me has got a higher score than me now,” Austin adds and pulls his phone from his pocket. “Fuck! I’m going to kick the little twerp’s ass.”
“I think you should probably get a couple of hours’ sleep as well.” Tate looks at me with concern. “You look like complete shit. Do you want to come and sleep in my room while the girl’s talk?”
“I will. First, I’ll get a couple of things from my bedroom. I really need to brush my teeth again. My mouth feels disgusting.”
“I’m surprised the woman didn’t call for a divorce straightaway with your morning breath.” Cameron gets to his feet and swaggers from the room, laughing.
I flip him the bird behind his back.
Austin leaves next, still muttering about losing in the game.
I get to my feet to go and collect my stuff, but Tate grabs me by the arm.
“Cameron’s right, you know. We’re not just a band who sings together. We’re a band of brothers as well. Family. You aren’t in this alone, even if it means I get less sex for the next few days because you’re going to be keeping my beautiful fiancée busy.” He smirks.
“I’ve been an idiot. There’s no way around that, but it’s what I do next that matters.”
Chapter 2
Yivi
#IveEnteredTheTwilightZone
“Hi,” the pretty blonde says as she walks into the bedroom I found myself in when I woke up this morning.
Last night was the first time I’d ever touched alcohol, and it will be the last. I can’t believe I was so drunk that I got married. The very thing I was running away from, I’ve ended up doing. I’m a complete fool.
“Hi,” I reply from where I sit timidly on the bed.
After I ran from my home, I managed to steal some clothes and a bag. They’re all I have in the world except for some change I managed to procure through begging.
I’m not sure I’d thought through my escape plan very well.
“Do you need some painkillers for your head?” the woman offers as she hands me a bottle of water. My head feels as though I’ve got a hundred elephants stomping around in it, but I won’t take tablets. They’re evil and unnatural.
Or is that just in the life I’ve left behind?
I accept the water and shake my head at the offer of the tablets.
“My name is Zoey. How are you feeling? This must be a shock?”
I nod my head frantically like a mad woman.
“I’m Harmony, but people call me Yivi.”
Harmony is the name my family use. The official name they gave me at my birth, but Yivi is what the very few people I’ve come to think of as friends call me. I feel guilty at leaving them behind, but they were content with the rules of our community. I was always the rebel.
“I’m sorry for upsetting you all,” I apologize.
“It’s not just your fault. Don’t worry. We’re not ogres, really. The boys are just protective of each other. It’s a bit of a shock to everyone, and they want to look after Liam.”
Liam?
“Is that his name?” I question, and Zoey’s face falls.
“He didn’t even tell you that?”
I shake my head.
“When he realized we’d got married, he immediately ran from the room. I didn’t really know what to do. Should I leave?”
“Do you have anywhere else to go?” Zoey asks as Liam walks into the room. I watch him as he smiles at me and then makes his way into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
“I’ll be all right.” I don’t directly reply to Zoey’s question more skirt around the issue. The truth is I don’t have anywhere to stay. I hadn’t thought that far ahead when I ran.
“It might be best if you stay here for a while. Until this mess is sorted out. I’ll see if I can get you another room.” Zoey sniffs at the air. “Sometimes sharing with these guys is a bit of a smelly issue.”
“You share with them?”
My eyes go wide, thinking about the pretty young blonde in a tryst with the four men I’d just seen talking together. I don’t have much to compare them with, but they’re all really handsome, especially Liam with his darker features. I’ve never seen so many tattoos before. Well, I’ve never seen any tattoos before, but the guys seem to be covered in them.
I remember the ink on Liam’s body as he stood in front of me naked. and my cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“I don’t share with all of them. I’m Tate’s fiancée, but I spend a lot of time traveling with the guys, especially on the bus.” She pauses and bites her lip, like she remembers she shouldn’t be telling me this. “Look, you stay here. I’m sure you could do with a change of clothes as well. Why don’t I go and fetch you something to wear from my room? You don’t look too dissimilar in size to me. I’ll be back soon.”
Zoey taps on the bathroom door, and Liam opens it with a toothbrush in his mouth.
“Hmm.” He speaks around the brush.
“I’m going to go and get Yivi a change of clothes. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Yivi?” Liam pulls the brush from his mouth.
“Harmony is her birth name, but Yivi is the one she chooses to go by.”
“Okay.”
Zoey leaves the room, and Liam and I fall into an uneasy silence.
“I’m sorry for making your friends shout at you,” I offer by way of breaking the tension.
“It’s okay. They do it often. I’m known for making mistakes.” Liam smirks and quickly disappears back into the bathroom. I hear him spit and rinse before coming out again.
I take a sip from the water bottle Zoey gave me while I wait.
“Are you feeling okay? Would you like me to order up some breakfast?” Liam offers.
“I don’t think my stomach would cope with food yet. It feels a bit dodgy.”
“Same.” Liam leans against the bathroom door. He’s still only dressed in jogging bottoms and a t-shirt.
“I wish I could remember what happened. I’ve never drunk alcohol before, and I did it pretty spectacularly last night. I think I was intoxicated after the first drop,” I admit.
“Never had alcohol?” Liam pushes off the door and comes closer to me. I’m still sitting on the edge of the unmade bed.
“It wasn’t permitted where I lived previously. Do you remember anything?”
Liam raises a skeptical eyebrow at me. I need to stop talking about where I come from, because I don’t want him to know. As long as I keep it to myself, I�
��ve got more chance of staying hidden.
“I remember meeting you in one of the casinos. You looked so lost, staring up at all the bright lights, like it was your first time in a big city, and not just Las Vegas. You carried your bag with you and kept it close to your chest. I asked you to join me, and I got you a drink. After that, everything becomes very blurry. I guess we drank a few more together and got married. I still don’t know how I managed to give my bodyguards the slip.”
“Bodyguards?” The alarm sounds loudly in my voice. We had bodyguards who looked after the females in my community. They followed us everywhere making sure we behaved and didn’t fraternize with other men in the compound. “Why would you have them?”
Liam falls silent.
“It doesn’t matter.” He slides his hands into his pockets, and I know he’s hiding something from me. It sits uneasy with me, but then I’m not being entirely truthful with him.
“Do you have any friends you need to let know where you are?” He changes the conversation.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Are you sure? You can use my phone?” He holds the device out to me, and I jump back from it. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve heard the Leader talk of a phone before, but I’d no idea what one was.
“Are you all right?” Liam looks at me concerned.
“Yes,” I reply quickly, probably too quickly.
“It’s safe. It won’t hurt you.” Liam waves the phone in the air.
“It’s fine. I don’t need to tell anyone where I am,” I repeat.
“Okay.” Liam moves forward and takes a seat next to me on the bed. I feel the heat of his body radiating my way. It’s intoxicating being this close to a man, especially one I’ve slept with after marrying him. His deep brown eyes bore into me, trying to find the truths I’ve buried deep down inside me. “Yivi, where are you from?”
“Nevada,” I reply bluntly.
“Where in Nevada?”
“North.” Again my answer is short.
Liam pauses. He’s still examining me, and I get a chill over my body at his intense stare.
“What are you doing in Las Vegas?”
I open my mouth to answer, but I don’t know what to say. I can hardly tell him I’m only here because I ran through the burning hot desert with little thought except escape.
I open the bottle of water and take a big mouthful, remembering how thirsty I was when I first arrived on the outskirts of the city.
“Please don’t ask me,” I plead.
My hand is shaking around the bottle of water now, and Liam reaches out and helps me put it to my mouth to drink.
“Okay, but answer me one thing. If you leave this hotel right now, do you have anywhere to go?”
I can’t give him the words he seeks, confirming I have nothing other than what I’ve brought with me. The only thing I can do is shake my head.
“I understand.” He gets to his feet as Zoey returns to the room. She’s carrying a few different outfits.
“I’m sure we’ll find something for you to wear among this lot. Choose whatever you like. Jeans and a t-shirt or something less casual. Tate was already snoring when I returned to our room. Are you planning on sleeping for a bit longer, like the others?”
Liam answers for me. “Yes, she is. I’m not sure how much sleep we got last night, but if she feels as bad as I do, then she’ll need it.”
Zoey nods and pulls out what looks a bit like a pair of pajamas.
“Why don’t you take these into the bathroom, have a shower, and get changed, Yivi? We’ll sort the bed out and make it comfortable so you can get a few more hours’ sleep.” Zoey smiles as she hands me the clothes.
I stand up and start to make my way to the bathroom. Behind me I hear Liam whisper to Zoey, “Can you arrange another room for me? Yivi is going to be staying here for a while, and I want her to be comfortable. I think moving her to a different room might be a bit confusing.”
“All right?” Zoey replies, and I can hear the confusion in her voice.
The sound of the bedsheets flying through the air prevents me from hearing anymore of their conversation, but suddenly the room falls silent. Zoey gasps, and I spin around.
There in the center of the bed is the tell-tale sign of just how intimate Liam and I were last night, confirming what I’ve suspected all along from the soreness between my thighs. The crimson stain of my virginity has bled into the crisp white sheets for all those present to see.
I can’t say anything to them. I look at Liam’s face, and he’s paled to the same color as the bedsheets. I make my way quickly into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. I remove my old clothes and step into the shower to try to wash away the aftereffects of the alcohol.
I ran from one wedding, and I’ve found myself in exactly the same position. Somehow, I know this is different, though. Liam is not the monster I was destined to marry. I’m sure he’ll help me. But, how long will I be able to protect him from who I truly am?
Chapter 3
Liam
#LandOfTheGods
“You nearly ready, Liam?” Cameron calls out from the lounge area of the suite I’ve been staying in.
I’ve transferred my belongings into a new one down the hall as I didn’t want Yivi to be disturbed. Thankfully, I’m a light traveler. All I need is a couple of clean t-shirts and underwear, so it hasn’t been any problem.
“Won’t be long,” I call back as I grab the rest of my bathroom toiletries—now, I do travel with a lot of those. I like to look good, keep my skin healthy, and with the sweat of being a drummer, I like to cleanse my skin thoroughly after every show.
The lawyers came a couple hours ago and left us with papers to read over, but neither of us felt we were able to look at them today. We put them aside and will consider them tomorrow when our heads are clear of the alcohol that clouded our judgment last night.
I place the final few bottles of lotions into a bag and glance over to where Yivi is watching me. Having gone back to bed when the lawyers left, she woke a short time ago and has been staring at me ever since with the covers pulled up to her chin.
“How are you feeling?” I ask when she reaches out to take a mouthful of the toast I ordered in for her.
“Much better.” Her voice is quiet. “I think I needed some more sleep.”
“You should come with us.” I offer.
“Where are you going?”
“A helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. It’s my first time. I can’t wait to see it.”
Yivi looks quickly down at the bed, her butter smeared fingers tangling in the sheets.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea. Zoey’s nice, but I’m not sure your friends like me. I’ve caused a lot of trouble.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips. Yivi’s face falls.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way.” I place my bag down on the table and make my way over to where she’s sitting on the bed. “My friends aren’t like that. They don’t hate you. They’re angry we did something so stupid, but it’s because they’re worried.” I settle on the bed next to her. “Look, I was told I probably should keep this from you by the lawyers, but I’m not a person who lies and deceives. My friends and I are in a band. We’re pretty successful and currently in the middle of a world tour. I’ve got a bit of money, but I think you can tell that from the hotel suite. My friends are worried because there are people out there who would love to marry me just for my wealth and fame.” Yivi opens her mouth to speak, but I place a finger to her lips. “Let me finish. I don’t think you’re one of those people, but that’s why they’re so angry at us both. They don’t hate you. None of us know enough about you to hate you, and we’re not the sort of people to make an instant judgment just based on what’s happened between us. Tomorrow we’ll sort out our marriage, but for today, come with me to see the Grand Canyon.”
I’m not sure why, but I turn my hand around and stroke my thumb over Yiv
i’s plump pink lips and down her chin to cup her jaw.
“Call it a honeymoon if you like. Reality can hit tomorrow. I don’t know your past, but I sense there’s a sadness to it, and I want to give you a few moments of happiness because that’s the sort of person I am.”
Yivi gently takes hold of my hand that’s caressing her jaw.
“I’d like that very much,” she says with a smile.
“Liam, will you get a move on?” Cameron shouts through the bedroom door again. “The cars are waiting to take us to the helicopters.”
“I’m coming.” I slide from the bed and hold my hand out to Yivi, who takes a deep breath before grasping it with hers.
Thankfully, she’s fully dressed under the bedsheets. I wait while she quickly drags her fingers through her hair and puts on her only pair of shoes, and then I lead her from the room to where the rest of the band is waiting.
“Yivi is coming with us as well. Is that okay?” I question. A big smile beams on Zoey’s face.
Tate shakes his head knowingly. “Of course it is. Just get a move on.”
We walk in convoy through the hotel to the limousine waiting outside. It’s only a short distance to the airport where the helicopters await. I watch Yivi the entire journey. Her eyes go wide and her skin pales when she sees the helicopters. I can tell she’s anxious.
“I’m so nervous,” Zoey announces. She’s sitting on the other side of Yivi. “Have you ever been on one of these before?”
Yivi shakes her head. “No, it’s my first time in a limousine as well.”
“Get used to that. We only travel in style,” Cameron responds, pulling down his sunglasses and winking.
“Says the guy who drives around in a beat up Chevy when he’s at home,” Austin teases.
“It’s a classic car, Austin.”
“Beat up Chevy,” Tate and I both add at the same time.
“Heathens,” Cameron moans.
The chauffeur opens the door to the limo, and we all file out. Two helicopters stand waiting for us, each one emblazoned with a Maverick logo and a sign saying Grand Canyon Spirit.
