Backlash (Winter's Wrath #1)

by Bianca Sommerland

  Then, when Alder joined him and Connor helped him adjust his position, one hand on his hip as he reached around Alder’s body to show him just how far to lower the weight as he bents down…damn it, she was tempted to take some time to herself in her bunk.

  Malakai had the protective, nurturing qualities down pat. At a signing in Arizona, he’d stuck close to her and Tate while Alder and Brave were dragged off to have lunch with a few locals that had won a contest. The bassist spent the whole signing pacing between them like a bear watching over his cubs. His hard stare had the more enthusiastic fans behaving themselves, which helped both her and Tate relax. Tate had no trouble flirting with his band mates, and he was fine with his older female fans, but his teenage admirers seemed to make him nervous.

  He didn’t have to deal with them for long with Malakai hovering and the new security guards watching over the guys. Two had gone with Alder and Brave, but the one that stuck with the remainder of the band strictly enforced the ‘hands-off’ rule.

  Tate himself didn’t get her all hot and bothered, though his teasing could make her blush. She still had the urge to hug him whenever he looked upset or uncomfortable. He’d taught her to play a few of his favorite video games and she loved how riled up he got when she started beating him. He pretended to be a sore loser, but he’d goaded the other guys to play against her and bet on her every time.

  He used the money to fan himself once in awhile. Which got shoes, pizza crusts, and the odd dirty sock tossed at his head. She definitely never got bored with him around.

  Out of all the guys, Brave was the only one she still wasn’t sure about. She could kind of see him as one of the arrogant, billionaire heroes that were trendy right now, but even the worst of those had moments when they were approachable.

  Of course, she knew very well that was partially her fault. The first few days, she’d been standoffish with him. Which was stupid. She’d had to play nice with both male and female models who were despicable people. Whether she liked it or not, she had to develop a working relationship with Brave.

  Thankfully, she hadn’t been needed onstage for the small shows they’d done in Flagstaff and Tucson. The band’s next big show would be in Dallas.

  Cole had shown up this morning with the great news that he’d rented rehearsal space for them in Albuquerque, where they’d be stopping for the night. He was still in his own car, so at least he wouldn’t be staying on the bus with them. She couldn’t relax with him around.

  And she wasn’t the only one.

  He’d gone into town with Jesse and Tate to do a grocery run—which all the guys seemed to think was weird, but no one objected. Alder and Malakai were working on some new solos, and Connor had gone hiking in the desert, so she took advantage of the privacy and gave her grandfather a call.

  She’d called him every morning since their first day on the road. Which was different, since he wasn’t fond of chatting on the phone, but once she’d told him she was touring with a band, he’d insisted.

  He answered on the first ring. “How’s my beautiful girl?”

  Danica smiled and leaned against the wall at the head of her bunk. “Good. Doing my best to keep busy, but it’s nice not to be rushing around from one photo shoot to the next.”

  “I bet.” He laughed. “You always seemed happier when you were doing that TV show. More time to make friends, scripts to read, and constant change of pace.”

  She snorted. “You hated that show. You said they had our culture all wrong.”

  “They certainly did, but I let you do it and ignored all my ‘friends’ who spoke badly of you. I knew my girl was making something of herself.” His voice warmed with pride. Then he paused. “I can’t say performing with a bunch of screaming, dirty rock stars is what I had in mind, but Sophie assured me they’re treating you well.”

  “They’re not dirty rock stars, Grandpa.” She shook her head, grinning at the image he’d probably painted of Winter’s Wrath in his head. “Have you listened to any of their music?”

  “Don’t ask me to do that, ikwesens.” He cleared his throat. “Your language teacher told me it’s not horrible.”

  Sitting forward, Danica’s eyes widened. “You’ve seen Ms. Nitsch?”

  “Yes. She’s a nice lady. She convinced me to go to the sweat lodge when I told her I was worried about you.” He made a soft ‘humph’ sound. “Pushy woman. She’s trying to get me to be more active in the community. It hasn’t been horrible.”

  Cheeks sore from smiling so wide, Danica tried to contain her enthusiasm. Grandpa hated when she made a big deal about him socializing. Since she’d gone off on her own, he’d been content with only Ninja as company, rarely leaving the house unless he needed something.

  As much as she loved their cat, the feline could only do so much.

  She’d have to bring Ms. Nitsch a gift for taking care of her Grandpa while she was gone.

  “Are you less worried?”

  “A little. I would like to meet this boy you seem so fond of, but I know he must be a good man if he’s caught your interest.” His voice was calm, as though he truly believed what he was saying. “You’ve been alone for too long. I’ll decide if he’s good enough for you, but he can entertain you for now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “He’s not ‘entertaining me’, Grandpa.”

  Grandpa chuckled. “Then what use is he?”

  “Grandpa!”

  “I love you, my girl. And I hope you’re happy, whatever you’re doing,” he said, quietly. “Don’t worry about calling me every day anymore. I’ve been going to Ms. Nitsch’s classes, talking to her students about my childhood. She thinks they can learn from me—I’m not sure why. Those times weren’t good.”

  Her throat tightened. “I know. But I don’t mind calling you. This is the longest we’ve talked in a few days.”

  “Because we are both busy. But that’s good. Let a few days pass and we’ll have plenty to tell one another.” He sounded distracted. “This time, I have to be the one to let you go. But I need to know that you’re really doing well. You’re eating properly? Sleeping?”

  Eating, yes. Sleeping? She was working on that. “I’m fine, Grandpa. And you?”

  “Yes. Mary wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  She hung up the phone, wondering what exactly was going on between her grandfather and her teacher. Mary Nitsch was almost Grandpa’s age, so they were a good match, but he’d been uncomfortable with her at first because he had a jaded view of education in general.

  Not that she could blame him, but if he ever gave love a chance again, Ms. Nitsch would be very good for him. She was active within the tribe and one of the strongest people Danica knew. She’d known Danica’s mother and had told her stories about when her mother was younger.

  And she was one of the few people, besides Grandpa, who hadn’t resented Danica’s ambitions. At times, within the tribe, there was a rift between traditional and modern life. Danica had been raised very modern, coming back to her roots more as an adult. She did what she could, but in following her own path, she’d gone against what many in the tribe believed in.

  They still welcomed her when she returned for ceremonies, but she couldn’t completely ignore the underlying resentment. Or blame anyone for it.

  Too many hadn’t been given her opportunities. And her presence was a reminder of what they’d never have.

  Which was part of the reason why she returned less and less.

  Taking a deep breath, she shook off the melancholy trying to take hold and pushed out of her bunk. She heard singing and hesitated. The only one still on the bus was Brave, since Alder and Malakai had gone outside with their notepad. She didn’t want to bug him, but his voice was alluring, making it impossible to walk away.

  Silently, she moved closer to the curtain that separated the back lounge from the sleeping area. She brushed aside the curtain, holding her breath as she spotted Brave, his back to her, singin
g as though the words flowed out from his very soul.

  The song was familiar, but she’d never heard it sung like this before. Come as you are, by Nirvana. He wasn’t even singing in the rough, wild style of Winter’s Wrath. Every note was deep and clear, beginning with a quiet tone that hinted at so much more passion, until his voice reached a crescendo, leaving no doubt as to the pain and anguish pouring out.

  As he hit the final chorus, he brought his hand to his hair, the chord ringing out in a way that brought tears to her eyes. A man could break down in tears and show less emotion than Brave did when he was singing. His talents were unmatched, but it was all the darkness within that truly made him stand apart from the rest.

  She wanted to tell him how amazing he was. Fuck, she wanted to hug him. To figure out a way to forget how hateful he could be and find the source of that pain.

  The sound of clapping came from behind her, cutting through the moment of silence.

  “That was incredible, Brave.” Cole stepped around her. “I wouldn’t normally recommend you doing covers on stage, but some bands have success with them. We could record it in Detroit, get it up on Youtube in a few weeks. Draw in some new fans.”

  “No.” Brave glanced over at her, inclining his head in a way that made her feel like he’d known she was there and hadn’t minded her listening. Then his expression hardened as he turned to Cole. “I wrote a song for the new album. We can record that if you want and release it as a single.”

  “Fine, but I still think—”

  “I’m starting to think my brother’s right.” Brave pulled a black elastic off his wrist and flipped his hair into a messy bun, looking more put together with that simple updo than Danica could ever manage. “You’ve lost touch with your position as our manager. You’re good at what you do, but know your limits.”

  Cole’s eyes narrowed. “Can you excuse us, Danica?”

  Before she could answer, Brave shook his head. “She’s fine where she is. This conversation is over, Cole.”

  “It’s not over! I am completely devoted to this band and you know it. Do you have any ideas how many offers I’ve gotten?” Cole shook his head. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. I wanted to discuss LOST.”

  Brave went white. He fisted his hands at his sides. “LOST has been disbanded for almost four years.”

  “Exactly. The anniversary of your brother’s death would be the perfect time to release a song in his memory. It will appeal to fans of LOST and we may be able to use some of your old material.” Cole sounded excited. “Think about it. Winter’s Wrath, recording the songs Valor wrote.”

  At first, Danica was sure Brave was going to punch the manager. Then, she wasn’t sure he would be satisfied with anything that left the man breathing. Maybe she should go find Alder or Jesse. The murderous rage in Brave’s eyes might be more than either of them could handle.

  An icy cold smile sliced across Brave’s lips. “Mention LOST, or Valor, to me again and I will fire you, Cole. This is your last warning.”

  “Got it.” Cole stormed out.

  Before Danica could do the smart thing and follow him, Brave was at her side, blocking the curtained doorway with his arm. “For someone who doesn’t like me very much, you sure do spend a lot of time watching me.”

  “I never said I didn’t like you.”

  “You didn’t have to.” He moved a little closer, dropping his tone in a way that made her shiver. But not in a good way. “Was there something you wanted?”

  She shook her head. One thing she had learned about Brave, which became even clearer with his abrupt shift in demeanor, was he could be the biggest asshole when anything set him off. Most of the time, he just got quiet, but then there were moments like this when he was downright scary.

  He let out a bitter laugh. “Then get the fuck out of here.”

  As soon as he moved his arm, she bolted. Running away from him chaffed her pride, but confronting him would accomplish nothing. He hadn’t really done anything, he just rubbed her the wrong way when he was in this mood. As though he could shut off any emotion and stop giving a fuck.

  How do you even talk to someone like that?

  The sun shone brightly outside the bus, practically baking anything it touched, but the chill lingered.

  Until Alder stepped out from under the frame tent the roadies had set up. He walked right up to her and took her in his arms. “Hey, angel. Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m just tired of being inside.” She smiled up at him.

  He frowned, clearly not buying it. “You might be a great actress, but you’re a horrible liar.”

  “Fine. Can we not talk about it though?”

  “If you answer one question.” He rubbed her arms, watching her face as she nodded. “Who upset you? Cole or Brave?”

  She cupped his face in her hands. “Either way, I need to handle my own issues with the guys. All of them.”

  “Understood, but you can still tell me. I swear, I won’t go breaking anyone.”

  A few feet away, still lounging in one of the camp chairs set up under the tent, Malakai chuckled. “You might want to lead off with something better than a promise not to break anyone, pal. I wouldn’t tell you shit either.”

  “Thanks, Malakai,” Alder said, dryly. “That’s very helpful.”

  “Maybe not to you, but anything that will get you to drop the subject.” Malakai’s tone became serious. “She doesn’t want to come whining to you every time someone hurts her feelings. I can respect that. You should too.”

  Alder’s eyes widened. “I do.”

  Damn it, he was trying so hard, she couldn’t help but kiss him and laugh. “I love you guys. And no worries, I know I can talk to you. But Malakai’s right. So let’s talk about something else.”

  Taking her hand, Alder drew her back to the green camp chair he’d abandoned, plopping down, then lifting her up to sit on his lap.

  One of her very favorite places to sit. She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest.

  “Any particular topic?” He asked, idly stroking her hair.

  She lifted her shoulders and smiled. “Tell me what you guys were working on.”

  “Well, we’ve pretty much got the solos for three of our news songs perfected, along with a new melody we think will sound great with the right lyrics.” She could hear the satisfaction in his voice, as though he felt he’d accomplished something great. He grinned when Malakai nodded and lifted his beer like he was cheering their efforts. “Once we finished that, we were just messing around. Playing old songs.”

  Glancing over, she saw his guitar case. Which was closed. Malakai’s guitar was propped up against the side of his chair. “You play another instrument?”

  “Ah…no.”

  “Then…?”

  Malakai snorted. “You two are so fucking adorable, it makes me sick. Alder, she’s impressed with you already. You can tell by the way she looks at you. She’s not going to dump you when she finds out you’re a mediocre singer.”

  Alder’s face reddened.

  Danica shot Malakai a dirty look. “And here I was, thinking you were the sweet one of the group.”

  Hands up in the air, Malakai shook his head. “His words, not mine. I think he should sing more than the odd background verse, but he’s decided if he doesn’t sound like Brave, he’s not good enough.”

  “We’ve actually never had that conversation.” Alder picked up a beer cap from the cup holder and chucked it at the bassist. “I said I’d rather play guitar when it was brought up. That was it.”

  Tipping her head back, Danica gazed up at Alder. “So you have no problem singing for me?”

  He pressed the tip of his tongue into his bottom lip and took a deep breath. “No, I don’t mind.”

  Malakai sat up. “Well fuck, I think the man’s in love with you, Danica.”

  Her lips parted. “Why?”

  “Because he usually only sings when me and him are alone. Not sure if I should be jealous.” Ma
lakai winked at her. “Lucky for you, I’m willing to share.”

  She stared at him, her cheeks heating. Her plans so far had leaned more toward getting Jesse and Alder closer, but she couldn’t forget how much chemistry her man had with Malakai on stage.

  This could get very very complicated.

  “The look on your face.” Malakai snorted. “If you two ever want a threesome, let me know. But you have to promise not to get attached. Which is the only reason I haven’t tried to get into Alder’s pants before. Maybe, now that he’s got you, he won’t expect commitment from anyone else.”

  Holy shit, does everyone want a piece of my man? Danica wrinkled her nose, deciding, right there and then, that Malakai was the last person she’d ever consider letting into her and Alder’s bed.

  “I can’t make that promise, Malakai.” She stroked her hand down Alder’s chest as she noticed him glaring at the other man. “I’m big on commitment too. If you want to join us, you’ll have to give up any other guy or girl that catches your interest.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “Actually, I think the van’s empty if you want to—”

  “Fuck no.” Malakai actually scooted his chair back, holding his guitar in front of him like a shield. “I’m allergic to relationships. You two can keep those particular shackles to yourself.”

  A soft laugh had them all looking over to the side of the tent, where Jesse had come up at some point and stood leaning against the tent frame, arms folded over his chest. “I’m not sure why Sophie was worried about you being able to handle yourself with the band. Everyone always considers Brave the dangerous one, since Malakai’s such a sweet, caring guy, you wouldn’t expect him to be just as much of a player.”

  “The only player lately.” Malakai pointed out, retrieving his beer and grinning at Jesse. “You’ve ruined Brave. Congratulations.”

  Jesse arched a brow. “Thanks?”