Sahara (A Night Fire Novel Book 3)

by Watkins, TM

  “What? I said I didn't want to go. There is only so much resistance I can put up without it becoming obvious. God, it's not as if there is even a problem. Pete didn't seem the slightest bit interested.”

  I huffed as I returned to eating my meal, sick of this conversation. Well, my conversation with the mute. Brick walls were more animated.

  “You're wrong.”

  As I looked back up at him I restrained the delight that he'd actually decided to start speaking again. I doubted he was in the mood for my sarcasm.

  “How so?”

  “Your name might have come up in a conversation after dinner.”

  My eyebrows raised with surprise and Fraser let out a pained sigh.

  “He might have mentioned having an interest.”

  “Having an interest?” I said as I frowned.

  “Damn it Eden.”

  Fraser dumped his cutlery to the plate with a loud clatter, leaning back on his chair in frustration.

  “He said he wanted to fuck you. I might add that there was a general consensus of agreement in the room as well.”

  “Pardon?”

  I could feel the color drain from my face as I stared at one angry man.

  “Evan and Jaxon.”

  “Oh don't be ridiculous Fraser. That's just man speak, big noting themselves. Maybe they suspect something and were trying to get a reaction out of you.”

  I stopped for a moment, pondering that night. There wasn't anything noteworthy in terms of me and my love life. Curtis and his family well, that was interesting but me, no.

  “How did you react Fraser?”

  “I said they were a pair of losers and they shouldn't talk about an employee like that.”

  “Really?” I said dryly. “Word for word, exactly the same?”

  Fraser looked at me blankly and then rolled his eyes.

  “Okay. So I said they were idiots who stood no chance with you.”

  “Do you always lie to me Fraser?”

  “Eden!” he huffed and as he looked at me he sighed. “Fine. I called them assholes. Then they started giving me shit for it, telling me that I was just jealous because I wanted to fuck you.”

  “Well done Fraser.” I sighed wearily. “It's going to be fine. I will send them a message saying that I don't feel comfortable with the situation and apologize for bailing on them.”

  Fraser shook his head with a lot of frustration.

  “I don't think you can. Abbey seemed so excited about coming over here to help babysit. Frankie was planning dinner.”

  “You know, if you just say something then none of this will be an issue. End the mind games and tell them.”

  He didn't tell them and that was why twenty-four hours later I was sitting at Curtis and Frankie's dinner table. I was beginning to regret the mind games. Like some bizarre need to see it to some goal post, Fraser was determined to keep the secret. The reluctance on his part had resulted in a fight, one that had me walking away to hide the pain.

  I had moved back into the spare bedroom. I had fallen asleep alone and in a morose state that there was no easy fix for. When I woke I was wrapped up in his arms I was surprised but said nothing. He'd slipped into my room somewhere during the early hours of the morning and snuggled into me. I didn't want to push him away, I wanted to keep him right where he was. So I pretended to stay asleep until Sahara woke, then there was no more pretending.

  Fraser grumped his way around the house all morning, picking on every little thing I did. Nothing was good enough and I struggled not to bite back. If I bit back it would damage us forever. I didn't fight fair, not when my heart was on the line. At least with his nit picking it could be forgotten with time, what I might say in the heat of the moment would be forever.

  He wasn't impressed when I moved my bags back into the spare bedroom. At least I was still in the house, I could have easily gone back to my apartment. Which was still a real possibility. I stayed for Sahara, not him. It was obvious he was struggling with the concept of opening up to his friends, exposing himself and his emotions. But until he did it, there never really was an us.

  I told him that just before Austin and Abigail arrived. It was one of those moments where I was on the verge of telling him to stick everything up his ass and walking out. But I tried to keep cool and retain a little dignity as I calmly told him that he had until we got on the plane for LA to tell them. If he hadn't and we had reached the airport in LA, I'd be catching a cab back to my own apartment, I wouldn't be going on the tour and I wouldn't be returning to Las Vegas with them in a year.

  So now I sat at a highly polished table that glinted under the light, gazing down into the Carbonara that Frankie had made. It was an amazing dish, one that made me want to gobble it up like a little pig and forget about anyone else that might be sitting at the table watching. When I looked up I saw the lowered head of Pete, clearly he liked his sister's meal as well.

  He was at the door when I arrived. It was painfully awkward, Pete was a man of few words. Less than Fraser which was saying something. He smiled at me briefly as he held the door open. We'd had a short conversation in the entry, which was me telling him that this wasn't my idea. He said it wasn't his either. We both agreed that his sister was the devil in disguise and that neither of us were comfortable with the hidden agenda for this dinner.

  Pete's words about being uncomfortable with tonight had made me curious, so I pushed him a little more. He did have a girlfriend, one that he hadn't told his family about because she had kids and he didn't know how his parents would react. Which made me even more curious about what Fraser had heard. Or had he heard it, could it have been a mistake?

  He had heard Pete correctly, however it wasn't as Pete had intended it to sound. The men at that were at that dinner party who might have been getting a little drunk as they sat and watched television were talking women. They talked about some celebrity that had just graced the television screen in front of them. She'd somehow managed to have a sex tape released by an ex-boyfriend and so they all talked about how lucky the guy was to even get a look in with her. Apparently she was shit hot. So then the conversation turned to all of the famous women they'd want to fornicate with and somehow it turned to the regular folk, like me.

  Yep, little old me had become the center of the conversation about sex with them. Fraser was right when he said that Evan and Jaxon wanted to, but Pete hinted that it was purely for show. He sounded like he was trying to gauge my reaction about something entirely different.

  I was careful, wondering if Frankie had sent him on the snoop for information. By this stage we had made our way to the outdoor entertainment area, Curtis and Frankie were notably absent which from a fishing for information point of view, it was ideal. Pete seemed all too happy to part with any information I wanted to know and didn't look for a reaction or ask questions.

  The dinner party was at a time when Fraser was still a free man, the box on the doorstep that contained his daughter was a few days away. So Pete said that he happily sat there and got drunk like the rest of them, except for Curtis of course. We both agreed that alcohol was great for loosening the mind and the tongue and whilst it was great for a good time, there was a certain responsibility to be had. And the cop in him was that responsibility. He had one beer and then offered to be the designated driver to the three drunken idiots.

  So sober Pete got to listen to the drunken ramblings about movie and television celebrities, porn stars and the strippers from varying clubs, groupies and Eden. It was Curtis who slowly pushed them closer to discussing me, thinking it was funny. Pete said that between him, Evan, Jaxon and Fraser they all agreed that I was indeed very fuckable and that I was definitely a screamer. How right they were.

  Pete said it was obvious that Evan and Jaxon were messing around but with Fraser he said there was an element of truth to it. He surmised that it was the cop in him that made him see the little facial gestures and body language that no one else saw. And then he smiled at me and I knew that h
e'd figured me out as well. I'd just been played.

  And that was the end of Frankie's grand plan for getting her brother and I together for a one night stand. Pete stated that he was only there to shut her up and to figure out if he was right about what he saw that day. Happy with the way things had gone, he was now eating his meal in silence. It probably made Frankie wonder where it had all gone wrong. She did look a little perplexed.

  Dinner was over and Pete walked me to my car, if only to shut Frankie up. He kept saying she was a pest for trying to interfere with his love life but he loved her all the same. I could only agree, sisters were a pest but still very lovable. Though I doubted that Reese would try and play matchmaker with my life, she knew better.

  When I arrived back at Fraser's house, Austin and Abigail were still here. No doubt they would give me a quizzing over the events and I didn't know how to answer their inquisition. There was no garage door opening for me tonight, I pulled into the driveway and locked the car. I looked at the car sitting in front of theirs, wondering if Jaxon or Evan was here as well.

  It wasn't a car that I recognized and as I walked to the front door, I knew it wasn't Jaxon or Evan. The front door was open for ventilation, the security door shut and locked. Thankfully I had a set of keys, otherwise I'd be stuck with the indignity of knocking on the front door of a house that I slept in. I pushed the key into the lock and turned it slowly, feeling an uneasiness in the pit of my stomach.

  I didn't want to believe that Fraser would sink so low as to try and make me jealous but as I opened the door and listened to the laughter of an unknown woman, I knew he had. Carefully I closed the door and locked it again. My heart was hammering hard and my legs were so heavy it felt like I had bricks in my shoes. Abigail saw me first, her beaming smile made three heads turn. All I could do was grit my teeth and smile back.

  “You're back, how did it go?”

  “Dinner was lovely.”

  “And Pete?” she grinned wickedly.

  “Just friends Abigail, like I said from the start.”

  I looked at Fraser who was on the lounge with the woman beside him. No, beside wasn't the right word. Let's try, on him. She was blonde and perky, skinny with long legs that were draped over his. The skirt sat too high and the shirt revealed far too much. Her arm was wrapped around his shoulder, his around her waist with the other on her knee.

  “Really?” she whined.

  I turned back to Abigail, disappointment on her face.

  “Yeah, really. I'm not interested in him and I never was. I'm sorry Abbey, now if you will excuse me I've got some packing to do.”

  “Packing?”

  Ignoring her I turned away from the entry to the lounge room.

  “Is that your girlfriend Fraser?” the woman asked as I slipped into the shadows of the hallway.

  “No. Just my assistant.”

  Tears trickled down my cheeks as I walked to the bedroom and slammed the door shut hard. So hard I had woken Sahara up. As I packed my bag I could hear Fraser stomping his way down the hallway.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you Eden?” he yelled at me from the other side of the door.

  I said nothing as I continued to pack my bag. Screw the tour, I was gone. Another city bites the dust. I might try New York this time. I stopped at the laptop, realizing that I wasn't going to get far in the car that was owned by the management company. So I called a cab and hastily continued with the last of my things. When I was done and the bags were by the door, I set the phone on the laptop along with the car keys.

  Then with my big girl pants pulled up and my brave face on, I wiped the tears and opened the door. Fraser was still at the door looking like he was going to burst a vein. I could hear Abigail trying to settle Sahara down.

  “Austin!”

  Warily he put his head around the corner, looking at me.

  “Yeah?”

  “Laptop, mobile and car keys are on the bed. Good luck with the tour.”

  I picked up the bags and pushed past Fraser.

  “What? You can't go. Fraser say something.”

  But like always he was silent. He was never going to change. Not sure on why I expected him to but I had.

  “What the fuck have you done?” Austin snarled at Fraser.

  I dropped one bag at the door to unlock the security door, glancing at the blonde who was frowning at the commotion. As I pushed the door open, I picked up the bag again. The cab pulled into the driveway and I was grateful for their speedy service. I wanted to get away from here as fast as I could.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Austin beat me to the cab, flinging a hundred dollars at him and telling him he wasn't needed anymore. The poor cab driver was so confused when I said that he was needed and that I wanted to go to the airport. Austin stuffed more money through the window and told him to leave. Clearly the man thought he was on a winner, every time I disagreed Austin gave him another hundred dollars. By the third lot Austin told him that if he didn't go he'd get the shot gun out and make him go. The cab driver suddenly became disinterested in the cash and sped away into the night, leaving me stranded.

  “What's going on?” Austin asked softly with his hands on his hips, determination in his face. “Clearly I'm missing something and I've got a sneaking suspicion but how about you humor me?”

  I huffed with a derisive smile, walking down the driveway. I'd walk to the fucking airport if I had to. Not sure on how to get there exactly but I'm sure there would be a nice person that would enlighten me.

  “Eden.” he sighed. “I think that the other three members of this band have a right to know that their assistant is walking away from them when we are days away from a tour, don't you agree?”

  I offered nothing as I walked down the road, Austin following me. He wasn't going to let up. Men were such stubborn creatures.

  “Hey. Need you to come 'round to Fraser's, now. Eden's walking.”

  I turned and looked at Austin who was on his phone, he held it out to me and I ignored him, continuing on my path to the end of the street.

  “Yep, okay.”

  With a click the phone was back in his pocket and he pressed a thin smile into his lips.

  “Urgent band meeting. That is unless you tell me what's going on.”

  “That's not for me to answer Austin. You need to ask Fraser, only he can tell you.”

  “Well then, let's go.”

  He gestured to the house that was a yellow blip of light set against the darkened street.

  “No Austin, I'm not going back there.”

  I turned and walked to the end of the street, turning the corner to find a bus stop. There I sat and waited, Austin looking at me like I was crazy. Likely to be true, just another symptom of Night Fire-itis.

  “You're walking away from Sahara?”

  “She's not my kid Austin.”

  “And she's not mine but that doesn't mean that I'd walk away from her.”

  “You've known Fraser for longer than I have.”

  He huffed and rolled his eyes as he began to pace, stopping briefly in front of me.

  “You can't tell me that you're not attached to her. After all these days and nights of looking after her and you can still walk away so easily. I'm not buying it. Tell me what's going on.”

  Austin waited but there was no response from me. Like I had said before, this was for Fraser to tell them. He was the one that had issues with opening up to his friends.

  Maybe he didn't want to tell them, that thought stung. Maybe I was a dirty little secret that he was embarrassed about. I was right when I said that he was going to break my heart and the fool that I was had let him.

  A bus appeared in the distance, Austin began to panic.

  “Please Eden, don't do this. Why are you punishing the rest of us because he's an asshole?”

  “Because I'd still have to put up with him and I can't do that.”

  I stood to hail the bus, Austin took my bags from me.

  “Not going, you
are going to have a proper conversation with all band members.”

  A black dodge turned into the street, speeding alongside the bus and coming to an abrupt halt beside us. The passenger door opened and Evan was beaming as he leaned over.

  “Get in.”

  “There are only two seats.”

  “There's a back seat.” Austin grumbled.

  He pushed the seat forward and tossed my bags in, ignoring Evan's complaints about the interior. Austin and his long legs climbed into the backseat and both he and Evan waited patiently. The bus had stopped behind Evan's car, the driver madly waving at me to get the car out of the way. Wearily I sighed and got into the car.

  “Airport thanks.” I said as I closed the door.

  “You can get fucked if you think I'm taking you to the airport.” Evan snarled, pulling out onto the road.

  Well then, that certainly put me in my place. I could hear a tapping coming from the backseat, Austin had stretched his legs out.

  “Who are you messaging?”

  “Abigail, telling her to go home and leave the douche-bag with the baby and the tart.”

  “Where did he drag her up from?”

  “Not really sure on that one. You gonna fess up to what's happening Eden?”

  I turned back to the front and said nothing. Still wasn't my call.

  A few minutes later Evan pulled into the small car park of a tavern, one that was a little seedy looking. I wasn't trying to pigeon hole people but the car park was enough to tell me to be worried. But this was their place to go, they could relax here and not be bothered by too many fans. The owners and the majority of the patrons kept their secret.

  We sat at a booth, Evan on one side and Austin on the other. This was their game plan, trap Eden and make her confess. If she doesn't confess then they would get her drunk enough so that her tongue became a little looser. A waitress swanned by with three bottles of beer, all without the boys placing an order. She sauntered away without a word, unlike so many women that I had seen around this band. As I watched her walk away I wondered if she was the one that they talked about being the receptionist. No, that was a stripper and this woman wasn't a stripper and this wasn't a strip club. She had jeans and a leather vest on, biker boots and a don't mess with me attitude.