“Your romantic is showing.” She blinked, and the way the colorful lights bounced off her silky skin made my mind race and my heart beat erratically. There was nothing as gorgeous as she was. Nothing.
I feigned embarrassment while rubbing at my face. This caused her to giggle again, and the sound drowned out the loud music. God, I loved her laugh.
A light tap touched my shoulder, breaking the full concentration I had on the beauty rubbing her ass against me. When I turned around there were two girls smiling at me. You could plainly see the star struck all over their face.
“Sorry to bother you, but we are HUGE fans,” one of the girls said. Big Mac was standing behind them, entranced to their every move, ready to grab them at any minute if needed. “Can we get a picture with you? Please!” they both squealed.
“Go ahead,” Country encouraged with understanding. “I’ll be right here.”
Damn, I love her! Have I said that already?
“Sure.” I smiled at the girls that looked fresh out of high school and who seemed to be actual devoted fans. “Let’s go over there where the light’s better.” I pointed to an area where there weren’t many people.
Big Mac snapped a few photos with one of the girl’s phones and I autographed two napkins, thanking them for being a fan of the Knight Raiders. When I turned back around to head toward Country, my blood simmered in my arteries.
Some guy was dancing with my girl. The fuck-head had a big grin on his face with one hand on her hip. She pulled away, but he just moved in closer, placing it back in the same spot. Every corner of the club turned red. All I could see was red. I wasn’t aware if the lights had changed or if it was my anger making it appear that way. I tried to force the growing tension in my body to relax into sensibility, but it wasn’t fucking working.
“Get your hands off my girl, motherfucker.” It came out way calmer than I expected, even though my fists were aching by my sides and the muscles in my jaw were grinding at their own accord.
The cocksucker looked up and awareness hit him like lightning. “Yo, dude...dude, you’re—”
“I know who I am! Now take your hands off my girl.” I was becoming extremely irritated. I fuckin’ hated when people told me who I was, like I didn’t already know. That shit got annoying.
“Sorry, man. She was dancing by herself. I didn’t know she was with anyone.” He backed up. “I fuckin’ idolize how you get all the hot babes. I didn’t even realize this was Izzy.” It wasn’t lost on me that he knew her name, it revealed that he must be somewhat of a fan, though it didn’t ease my tension none. He peered around to inspect her face. Dick-for-brains should have done that first. “Holy shit, I danced with Trevelin Knight’s babe. Her pussy must be pretty sacred for you to give up—”
In an instant, quicker than Superman himself, I gently shoved Country aside and my fist cracked against the cocksuckers jaw. I was unable to control the anger I felt when people spoke of Country with a lack of respect. And he made me lose that control in all honesty when he touched her.
One hit. That’s all I got before Big Mac’s enormous arms captured me around the chest right as I went to lunge for the douche staggering in front of me. I hope I broke the bastard’s jaw...and his nose.
“What the fuck!” he shouted, grabbing at his face, blood trickling down his busted lip. My chest was heaving to my quickened heart rate as adrenaline surged through my veins quicker than a runaway train. Everyone had stepped back, creating a circle around us. Lights flashed as if we were standing in a storm cloud. No doubt it was from people taking pictures to sell to the tabloids. Country was standing off to the side, stark still, watching me with a fearful look.
“Your ass is so sued,” the guy snickered wickedly, swiping at more blood.
“Bring it on, motherfucker,” I lashed back.
He looked over at Country, and the way he eyed her sexually caused me to growl like a wild animal. “You would’ve hit my ass harder if you knew the thoughts running through my head when I had my cock pressed against your girl,” he laughed acrimoniously. I tried lurching for him again and thankfully—for him—Big Mac still had a tight hold on me. No letting loose.
I knew what the rambling asshole was doing. I wasn’t stupid, but at that moment my anger had flooded my rational thinking and I wanted to do nothing more than break every bone in his sorry body.
I was so mad I felt the acid-like tears burn in my eyes as I fought against Big Mac who was dragging me through the club. “Calm the fuck down, Trev. That douche is just trying to twist your noodle so you’ll do something more stupid and he can slap you with an even bigger lawsuit,” Big Mac’s voice rumbled. There was no question he was pissed, but I was unknowing if it was with me or the situation at hand. I rightfully didn’t give a fuck.
“Where is she?” I barked as he released me by the Navigator.
“Where’s who?”
“I’m right here.” Her voice slightly trembled, and when I saw her, the look she gave me matched the fragile tone.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” I cupped both sides of her face, examining every inch of her thoroughly.
“I’m fine. He was just dancing with me.”
“He touched you.”
“And I told him not to.”
“But he did it anyways.” It was no question. I saw it, she pulled away, but he moved back in. I should have punched him harder.
“You didn’t have to fight him. Now he’s going to sue you and it’s going to be news tomorrow,” she expressed with concern, getting in the Navigator as a strobe light of cameras flashed behind us.
Ignoring the commotion beyond the wall of security, I climbed in, shut the door behind me and situated myself beside her. I placed my arm around her and delicately drew her tightly against my chest.
“I don’t care about that crap, baby. Tucker will take care of that shit. I just can’t handle seeing another guy touching my girl, and to top it off, he disrespected you. No one does that!” I eyed her, stare on stare, letting her see the strong emotion and warning. “I love you, Country, and I won’t let someone talk about you like that.”
She sighed heavily, but hugged me with great force with her dainty little arms, folding them around my stomach and squeezing as tight as she could.
The embrace had the power to settle every raging nerve in my body. Her touch soothed and comforted me like the warmth of a blanket on a cold winter night. I was unable to understand how I made it so long without her. She was my other half that I’d never known was out there and was capable of finding. She was everything I’d never had. She’d taken my empty shell and filled it full with life, love and compassion. Every time I looked into those big, blue eyes I saw my future.
Our future.
Critics of the world be damned.
Chapter Twenty Three
Izzy
Two weeks of blissfulness had passed since the Knight Raiders last show. Trevelin and I had been inseparable since that night at the airport. Of course that wasn’t necessarily a good thing considering we did need to take time out of our relationship for ourselves once in a while, and that was exactly why I was seated in a pedicure chair at the moment with the massage function on high, in a spa with Addie chatting amicably with the beautiful Asian lady massaging her feet.
I wouldn’t say the whole past two weeks had been blissful. Trevelin made sure the guy he hit in the club was paid off so he wouldn’t press charges. He said that was all the guy wanted anyways, money. I didn’t doubt that the slightest. I despised the lengths some would go to or how shameless they could become in order to make a few bucks. In this case I guessed several thousands.
And of course the rumors were flying around nonstop like pesky fruit flies along with photos. There were some of me with Trevelin and some from a while back of me with Ryker. Speculators claimed that I was hanging them both out to dry. That sparked an argument between Trevelin and me. To which I reassured him that the photos were taken over a month back and I hadn’t see
n Ryker since the end of the Fuck ‘em All tour.
My reassurance had appeared to appease him as he held me tightly, whispering how much he loved me and that it was only me and how he never wanted to lose me. Again I reassured him all night long that for me it was only him.
One thing that did bother me that I’d tried to ignore was the poll on the Internet where people could vote on how long they believed our relationship was going to last. Apparently people didn’t have anything better to do with their measly lives than to make wagers on some else’s. It turned my stomach any time I saw a magazine or a gossip show on television. So I’d pretty much stayed away from anything news or gossip related, period. Even social media was a nightmare.
I would say the relationship between Reed and I was on the mends. Rightfully so, it felt odd having him be friendly, which meant I felt an obligation to be friendly back. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
Trevelin had been on a call with Tucker one day and I was bored out of my mind. I’d heard Jace and Reed cursing and shouting at each other from the living room, and I’d found them both in front of the enormous television playing one of their games on the Xbox.
I’d played a few times and taken a seat by Reed who looked at me with his usual smirk pulling at his pierced lip. “Wanna play, Kitten?” he’d asked.
“I don’t know how to play this one.”
“I can teach you.” He jerked the remote from Jace who shared a few tasty words with his brother.
Restarting the game, Reed went into depth explaining the rules of the game and showing me all the controls and how to use them. I was a little overwhelmed by the information, although relieved that I was doing something besides twiddling my thumbs.
Reed had shouted and cursed me a few times when I’d accidently shot his man, but apologized each time when he realized it was me he was talking to and not one of the guys. I was shocked, and so was he when I ended up kicking his butt in the end, earning me the title of Reed’s Ass-kicking Xbox Partner. I may or may not have had him tell me how badass I was repeatedly.
I was just glad that we were in the same vicinity and not ripping one another apart with words. I’d admit that those few hours we had spent bonding while playing some stupid game together was fun and I enjoyed it. It scared me to think that maybe Reed wasn’t so bad after all.
He and Trevelin were spending buddy time together today while Addie and I relaxed in this lovely spa. It would be even more relaxing if we didn’t need security standing guard or if there wasn’t a throng of people waiting for us to exit beyond the front doors. Trevelin wasn’t kidding when he said his life was hectic. Now I was the center of all the new chaotic craziness.
“I want to tell you something, but you have to promise me you won’t yell,” Addie’s nervous voice invaded my thoughts.
I looked at her, slightly frowning. “How do you expect me to promise something like that when you say it all nervously?”
“Just promise,” she sighed.
“I’ll do my best.”
She rolled her eyes. “Jace and I are leaving for Vegas tonight,” she outed quickly.
“What? Like by yourselves? Why?” I tried not to shout. I really did.
“You promised not to yell.”
“I did no such a thing. I said I would try.”
“We want some alone time. Is that so wrong?” She tilted her head, glaring at me with narrowed brown eyes.
“No. I just...I don’t know, can’t y’all spend alone time here? Reserve a hotel suite somewhere or something?”
“We could, but we want to go to Vegas.” It was stated plainly as she looked at the lady that was painting her toenails a bright red. My discussion with our dad months back replayed in my mind, “Promise me you will watch after Addie and not let her do anything too stupid.”
How was I supposed to keep that promise if she was in Sin City? The place was called that for a freaking reason. I had a horrible feeling about this. But she was an adult and was capable of making her own choices. I wasn’t her keeper and I couldn’t stop her.
“Well, have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I told her as the lady working on my feet started coating my nails with a bright pink polish.
“If that was the case then I’d be stuck in my room the whole time.”
“That’s not true, Addison!”
“Yes, it is, Izzy.”
“Just go have a good time with your boyfriend and be careful.”
When I said boyfriend a huge smile stretched across her lips. She and Jace seemed really happy together, and to me it seemed really weird. She probably thought the same thing of me and Trevelin though. I was just happy that she had finally settled for one guy. It has been a huge relief not seeing her with a different boy-toy each night.
“Oh, I will. You can count on that,” she winked at me.
“Don’t blow all your money either.”
“I plan on blowing things, but money isn’t one of them,” she sniggered.
“Gross.” I held my hand in front of her face. “Don’t want to hear it.” We both laughed as we were escorted to the back where our spa day was to continue with facials and massages.
♪♫♪♫♪♫
A few hours later, our hair had been washed, trimmed, styled and our makeup professionally done. I felt like an expensive, pampered poodle. At some point Ross had brought us a few dresses to try on. Trevelin had called him that morning and told him to assist us on a shopping spree, courtesy of his credit card. That was another argument we’d had, but seeing as how I was here, all sticky and sparkly with a new dress on, he won the battle. I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t appreciative, because I was. But I had my own money, so there was really no need for him to spend his on me. However, him spending it on Addie as well made it kind of easier.
So Ross met us at the spa, dressed us in two gorgeous sundresses, and now we were seated outside at an umbrella covered table at the 208 Rodeo restaurant, enjoying a very late lunch after walking down Rodeo Drive for what felt like forever.
“How long have you and your boyfriend been together, Ross?” Addie asked before biting into her sandwich.
“Almost three years. He is a gem. I’m a lucky man to have him,” he said whimsically.
“Do y’all plan on getting married?” I glanced at him, trying to ignore the slew of paparazzi on the sidewalk snapping pictures of us.
I knew we should’ve taken a table inside. Big Mac and Tom could only block so much with their larger than life bodies. This was the part I hated. No privacy was grueling and something Jace warned us about months ago.
“We’ve talked about it. He is a pediatrician and fabulous with kids,” he smiled, clasping his hands together. “We’ve discussed adopting someday. There is nothing sexier than a smoking hot dad.” He fanned his face. “Did it just get hotter out here or is it my over exuberant mind?”
“It’s you,” Addie and I laughed together.
Ross gabbed on and on about his partner Seth as I sat and listened, thinking about what he’d said about hot dads. Trevelin definitely fell under that category. He would make for one swelteringly hot daddy. My attention wandered off on its own, wondering what kind of father Trevelin would actually be. How adorable it would be to see him holding a tiny version of himself.
I squashed that thought no sooner than it started tinkering within my head. Us being parents was something that was deep, and I emphasize deep, in the future. I wanted to be married and live a little first—the sole reason why I’d gone last week to get put on birth control. Better safe than sorry and all that.
My phone buzzed in my bag and I searched for it
Hollywood: Just got back to the condo. We caught a feast for tonight babe. Hope you love fish.
Me: I do, but I love you more <3
I hit send smiling like a fool as Ross and Addie carried on a conversation without me. I was too busy wandering around somewhere in Trevelin Land. A place I’d been frequenting a lot lately.
/> Hollywood: I fuckin’ love it when you say that. Get your sexy ass back here. I miss you.
Me: Trust me, I’d much rather be in bed with you than some stupid store shopping.
Hollywood: LOL! You better be spending my money in those stupid stores.
I giggled out loud, leading to intrigued glances from Ross and Addie. “Trevelin,” I offered for an explanation, holding up my phone. They shook their heads and continued with their conversation.
Me: Hahaha☺ Ross and Addie have spent more of it than I have. They seem to be enjoying it 2 much ;)
My phone buzzed immediately.
Hollywood: Not funny. Hurry up, I need to kiss you :*
Me: Tell that to the clan I’m with. Be there ASAP. Love you
Hollywood: Only you, Country
Could I possibly love him anymore? I didn’t believe that was possible. Life right now was surreal and the only thing that could make it better was if there was no such thing as paparazzi.
I’d become lost in my thoughts when I heard my name, and it was neither Addie nor Ross. Turning to look over my shoulder, I saw Ryker making his way to our table. Uh-oh!
“Hey, Izzy,” he smiled, then looked at the others. “Sup, Ross? Addie.” He waved. “Gage is over there if you want to talk to him.”
“I better not.” She chanced a glance in the direction he’d pointed in, seeming uneasy.
“Mind if I have a seat?” He looked at me and motioned to the vacant seat beside me. I gulped at the buildup of saliva in my mouth as my nerves started to jitter rampantly inside every limb of my body. Looking at Ross and Addie, they seemed just as unsure as I did about the situation, but I didn’t want to seem rude.
Against my better judgment, I lightly said, “Sure,” offering a casual smile.
Scraping out the chair, he sat beside me. Double-D cleared his throat forcefully, catching the attention of others. His eyes widened at me, and I had a feeling of what he was silently trying to say as he and Tom moved closer to the table.
Trevelin was going to be pissed when he saw this on a magazine or tagged on Facebook or Twitter. Suddenly, I felt guilty. The rumors that I was using them both to build my music career screamed like a mad banshee in my ears. I didn’t want people thinking that. I wanted us to become successful on our own, because people loved our music, not from who we knew. I sure as hell didn’t want to hurt Trevelin by anymore stupid gossip. I considered his feelings like they were my own, knowing it would bother me if I were to see him in some picture sitting next to someone he was rumored to be having a relationship with.
Surrounded By Knight Page 38
