Ignite (Black Inferno Book 2)

by K. T Fisher

  I hold her against me as I hear the sirens and as they get louder we all look down at Lacey, getting paler by the minute. Our sobbing mixes together and we watch as police and medics take care of our girl, hoping she’s fucking fine, because if she’s not I don’t know what I’ll fucking do.

  ***

  Twenty minutes earlier

  Crystal

  I watch as Cole goes to find Lacey. I don’t know what to do with myself here. I don’t want to go to an after party where I watch my brother get a hard on over groupies and I definitely don’t want to watch Booker do the same thing! I couldn’t handle that.

  Roxie and Mason look cozy too. I don’t want to be a third wheel on that so I just stand awkwardly against the wall, waiting for when I can go back to the bus.

  Everyone looks to be leaving and Tate looks back at me. “Are you coming Chris?”

  I shake my head. “I’ll catch y up with you. I need some fresh air first.”

  Booker stops walking, looking between me and my brother. “I’ll wait with her, I need a smoke anyway.”

  Tate nods to his friend and sends me a wink before leaving with Mason and Roxie.

  Without waiting for Booker, I leave through the back door and revel in the fresh air. My back is sticky with sweat and I know my make-up has begun to smudge. I love watching the band, but the sweat and heat I don’t like.

  I sense Booker behind me before I hear his deep voice. No matter how much he speaks, my body will always respond to it.

  “What’s up Chris?”

  “Nothing.”

  He walks around me so he’s now facing me. “Come on, you just show up out of nowhere.”

  “I sent Tate a message.”

  He cocks an eyebrow. “A day before you turned up asking where we were.”

  I look down at my feet, he has me there. Only nobody knows the real reason why I’m here and I won’t tell them either. This is for me to deal with and I’m not unloading my shit on anyone.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “I can tell something’s bothering you.”

  “Just leave it Booker.”

  I lean back against the wall, closing my eyes. I smell Booker, a mixture of his scent, sweat and alcohol close by. I can tell he places an arm by each side of my head, leaning in close. I breathe him in. God, I miss him. I open my eyes and look at his, he’s a gorgeous man. Blue eyes that I know shine when he’s turned on, dimples that would make a nun swoon and muscles that can pick a girl up with no effort at all and hold her against a wall as he fucks her senseless and not break a sweat. I know that for a fact.

  He leans in and kisses me and it’s soft and it’s a cautious one. Asking permission to kiss me. I kiss him back and that’s his answer, no longer is he gentle but he’s hard. Pushing me back against the wall, his arms wrapping around me as if he’s afraid I will run away and his mouth claiming mine as his own. I moan and he groans, slamming his rock hair cock, that’s hidden under his jeans, against me. I gasp, needing a breather and lean my head back. Looking up at him with wide eyes, Booker leans back in to kiss me again but I stop him.

  “No.”

  He nuzzles into my neck. “Why?”

  “I can’t.” I step out of his grip and run my hands through my limp hair. “I just can’t!”

  “Chris, we’ve been through this. I want you.”

  “We can’t.”

  “I don’t care about Tate, I will stand against him. He won’t scare me away from you.”

  “I can’t do that to you both. I won’t hurt your friendship, the band and my relationship with my brother! It will kill him to know what we’ve been doing for a year.”

  Tears sting my eyes. I can’t let him know what we’ve been doing under his nose for twelve months. Booker may want me now while he can’t have me, but what happens when I say yes and we risk the relationships of everyone? I know what he’s like, he’s a typical man who has thousands and thousands of willing girls wanting him. He takes great advantage of those girls and he expects me to believe that he will stay faithful?

  I can’t risk everything for that chance. Besides, that’s not the only reason I can’t be with Booker and he doesn’t know that reason. Nobody does.

  “It will work out, I promise. I just want you.”

  His arms circle me again and I hold back the tears. I would love nothing more than to surrender to my feelings and let him have me, but I won’t.

  “Book, I won’t change my mind. Go and find someone who deserves you, who you won’t have to hide with. You can find her easily, go and have fun.”

  “I want you.” He demands with such power in his voice that it makes me shudder.

  “But I don’t want you.” I whisper and it breaks my heart to say it. It’s a lie obviously but it still hurts and it kills to see the reaction of my words on Bookers face.

  “Just be yourself and find someone else.”

  He’s about to say something when there’s a noise. Something between a moan and a scream.

  “You hear that?”

  I nod, not wanting to miss anything else. We slowly make our way over to where the noise came from. As we’re walking I hear a womans voice.

  “Lie her there.”

  Booker and I look to each other, wide eyed, our steps quickening. We hear a car speeding off just as we spot a bundle on the floor. I gasp when I see who it is and crumble by her side.

  Booker picks up his phone and immediately rings an ambulance, then tries Cole.

  “Fuck he’s not answering!”

  Just then I hear footsteps and spot Tate, he’s looking around trying to find someone.

  “Tate!”

  As soon as he hears my voice he comes running towards me. When he takes in Lacey lying on the ground he halts in place.

  “We just found her like this, fucking Cole’s not answering.”

  Silently Tate turns and runs off into the distance. With any luck he’s gone to find Cole. While we wait I hold onto Lacey’s hand, wishing her to be ok.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lacey

  That beeping is driving me insane!

  I go to open my eyes, but they won’t respond to my brains order. Confused, I try a little harder and wince when I manage to pry them open a little bit and bright light pours through. I groan and I’m sure I hear Roxie’s voice speak my name. She sounds a little worried and my heart drops a little at whatever she’s concerned about. I still can’t open my eyes, but oddly I start to feel really sleepy. It makes me relax back into the stiff pillow behind my head and it’s not long until I feel myself slipping away.

  ***

  When I wake again, I’m glad to hear that the beeping has now gone and my eyes are able to move more freely. The bright lights sting my eyes a little but I’m able to open them this time. I don’t recognize the room I am in, it’s plain and boring. As I take in my surroundings I gather that I’m in a hospital room. Memories of what happened come back to me and I look down at myself. I’m tucked into the stiff bed sheets but I see that my arms look slightly purple from bruising.

  My breathing starts to quicken, my heart pumps faster and I start to become too hot. Before I start to have a full freak out, the door facing the bed I am lying on slowly opens and in comes Crystal. Great, I’m feeling like shit and in walks Miss Beauty Queen!

  Her eyes rest on me and widen in surprise. Her face breaks into a smile and she turns back to face where she just came from.

  “Cole! She’s awake!”

  Suddenly Crystal rushes in and Cole quickly follows. He looks frantic as he demands for someone to get the doctor. He’s beside my bed in seconds, looking me over and kissing me on the face frantically.

  “Fuck me Lace. I’ve been so fucking worried.”

  “I’m fine.” My voice comes out scratchy and I look around for a drink.

  Knowing what I was looking for, Crystal kindly hands me a cup of water.

  “I’m going to call Roxie, she will want to be here. This is the first time she’s
left your side.”

  Cole softly kisses my hand. “You’re not fine baby. We’ve been waiting all day for you to wake up.”

  His eyes sparkle a little and I look around, sure enough I can see outside my window that the sun is going down.

  “All day?”

  Crystal slowly nods her head and I look back to Cole.

  “You came here last night, Booker found you outside the building. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up ever since, what happened to you Lacey?”

  I look between Cole and Crystal and gather myself. I drink some of the cold water, take a deep breath and start from the beginning. From when I left the girls at the side of the stage, every detail from the attack and then losing consciousness. Toward the end I start to sweat again and look around the room, expecting my attackers to jump out at me again.

  Cole grabs me in a hug, trying to calm me but it only causes me pain. He quickly lets me go. “Shit I forgot, sorry babe. I just hate what these fuckers have done to you. I had no idea there were three of them!”

  I manage a tight smile because my body still hurts from Cole’s crushing hug.

  “What’s the damage?”

  “I’ll go and get the doctor, he wants to know when you’re awake.” Crystal informs a little happily.

  When she’s gone Cole sighs. “All things considering, your injuries are pretty tame. The doctor says it’s bad bruising, no sprains or broken bones.”

  Hearing this I’m surprised. After the beating they gave me, I was thinking for sure I was going to have some sort of serious injury. Apparently not.

  Crystal walks in with an old and kind looking doctor. He gives me a little more detail than Cole did, my attackers did a good job on me but they missed my vital points. The heel from my shoe only cause small flesh tearing and luckily no breaks. I can’t believe how lucky I am! The doctor says to me that if I promise to take care of myself and rest for a few weeks, then I should heal nice and quickly. The doctor leaves, promising to fill out my papers as quick as possible, so I can get back and out of this hospital. Not before talking to the waiting police though, which I’m dreading. How stupid will I look? It was my fault, I shouldn’t have been walking around in a strange place at night all on my own, anything can happen and it did!

  Roxie soon arrives, worrying over me just like Cole did, but Roxie breaks down at my side instead. After telling my story to the police and them going over key points over and over until I feel like I’m going to scream Cole finally gets them to leave me alone. Seeing that Roxie is in a mess, everyone gives us a minute alone and Roxie smiles awkwardly at me.

  “I’m sorry Lace. I was just so worried about you and seeing you awake made me so relieved. I guess all my emotions just came pouring out!”

  “It’s fine Rox.”

  I start to stroke her hair but she shakes her head.

  “No it’s not, someone did this to you. No, three people fucking did this to you! Who does that kind of shit! I will find out who did this for you Lace.”

  “I don’t want you putting yourself in danger.”

  Roxie looks up at me with big eyes, her black hair which is usually glossy and thick looks scraggy and in need of a wash in a tight pony tail.

  “Lace, I will do anything for you.”

  Feeling a little awkward from the intense look in her eye, I’m glad when Cole returns.

  “Time to go babe.”

  ***

  Back on the bus, I oddly feel at home. A lot calmer than I was back in the strange hospital. Everyone is being over the top and making sure I’m in need for nothing and comfy. I was worried that because of me their tour was behind schedule, but lucky for me their show isn’t until tomorrow night. They just wanted to arrive a day early to have a free day, I do feel guilty for that though.

  Now that I’m bound to stay in one place due to Cole’s strict rules. I am noticing some things more than I did before. Like how often Roxie goes into the drinks cupboard, how she spikes her coffees and that when she thinks nobody is looking her face falls. Her true emotions show and my heart melts at what I see. She doesn’t look happy at all, in fact she looks down right miserable! What’s the matter with my friend?

  Also, very weirdly the bus isn’t all that clean anymore. It’s cleaner than what it was before, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not up to Roxies standards. Which worries me, a lot and I need to do some investigating, but these pills Cole has given me are sending me off to sleep. So maybe later.

  Roxie

  I’m grateful that at the latest tour stop, we have a park area across the road from where the tour bus is parked. Today, this has been my only peace and quiet. I love everyone on board that bus, but a girl needs a break every now and then, especially when the best friend you have accidentally fallen for has been attacked so bad that I thought she was going to die! Even though the man I love had his arms around me, comforting me, it’s just a complete mind fuck and I’m grateful for the small advantages that alcohol gives me.

  I grasp the cup in my hands tighter, feeling the heat spread onto my palms. I take a much need gulp of my special mixture of coffee with a helping of Vodka to calm my nerves. What happened to Lacey was awful and I’m glad that she’s back on the bus and ok. Cole gave her some sleeping pills last night that the hospital gave him and they knocked her right out. Now he’s snuggled up to her side, afraid to let her out his sight. Something I wish I was doing.

  Lacey being hurt only adds to my head fuck. When Lacey was still unconscious, the police got us all together and bombarded us with questions. We figured out that there was at least one woman who was present during Lacey’s attack because Booker and Crystal heard her before they found Lacey. They also heard a car speeding off which the police say they are looking into. Then when Lacey woke up, her thoughts were a little blurred but she knew that there were three attackers and they were all women. The cops think that the attackers could be fans of the band, jealous because she’s with Cole. Whoever they are, they will be found. I will kick them to the floor if I’m there. That’s a fucking promise.

  With my nerves more relaxed due to the help of my special coffee, I take out the letter in my pocket. This is the third from him and I get a little more scared every time I receive one. I found my first letter taped to the tour bus window and the second was pushed inside the door to the bus. Since the first one, I always tried to get up early, just in case someone else was to find the next one. Thankfully, I was the first one up this morning because today the letter was on the fucking kitchen table! It’s pretty scary to know that he can walk onto the bands bus without anyone knowing.

  I open the letter, preparing for what he has written this time.

  To my dearest Rocky,

  I am missing you. From the first time I was deep inside of you I have dreamed for more! I intend to have that gift from you very soon.

  I’ve been watching you Rocky, you don’t seem very happy. Why do you stay with him if he does not please you? I can please you, you know that for a fact!

  Have you thought about what I asked you? The offer is still there, anytime.

  Or you can let me tell your perfect boyfriend of yours our little secret.

  Your choice beautiful,

  Joe

  X

  I scrunch it up and burn it with the lighter I found in the living area.

  It’s the usual letter but they still scare me and leave me feeling on edge. I know he watches me because I see him. He seems to be everywhere.

  The offer he has offered me is to dump Mason and be with him. He said we can leave and be together which isn’t what I want at all. I will never agree to it, but the alternative is him telling Mason what happened while I was supposed to be watching him on stage. I don’t want either of them to come true, but I know which I’d rather happen.

  Movement catches my attention from the far side of the park. I didn’t see him before, but sitting on a bench across from me is Joe. Has he been there the whole time watching me read his sick note? I down
what is left of my coffee and head back inside the tour bus. My head banging from all the pressure and stress. Fuck me I need a drink.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lacey

  I wake up the next morning, shocked to see that I wasn’t in the living area. Instead, I woke up on the bed in the private bedroom with a sleepy Cole beside me. A protective arm slung over me and when I shifted under him just a little he woke straight away. His wide eyes staring at me as if he was preparing for something to happen to me again.