Shield followed in Storm’s significant wake. With tousled hair, a black shirt, and jeans, he was a mirror image of Saber. Only he wore a casual expression and spun his drumsticks in one hand.
My brother wore his favorite faded Dirt Dogs T-shirt with his jeans. He had Ash’s lime-green Fender on a strap. I didn’t think Ash was ever going to get that vintage bass guitar back. Cork was last in the OB Hardy line, but so not least. Grinning, he was a sunbeam to rival the moon. Even as the golden orb sank slowly behind the stage, Cork lit up the approaching darkness with all his goodness.
The guys jogged up the steps to the stage, following Penny. Smiling, she carried an iPad. She was stage manager tonight, a natural on-location continuation of the duties she performed at the studio. She loved to boss the musicians around.
I got one last glimpse of Storm as the breeze picked up his light brown hair and tossed it around his massive shoulders. His gaze was steady, and so sharp, it practically split the air in front of him.
He was ready. I could feel his excitement even half a football field away.
A musical gladiator on his way to the coliseum, he ducked behind the wall of equipment cluttering the side of the stage. In moments, he would emerge to win the masses with his talent, but he’d won me over long ago with his kindness and a smile.
• • •
Storm
My hand shielding my eyes to block out the stage lights, I scanned the sea of concert-goers, looking for Lotus.
Cork moved beside me, his eyes glittering with excitement. “Do you see her?”
“No. Too many people.” My brows inched together. “I knew I should have brought her with me.”
“She didn’t want preferential treatment.”
“She deserves it.”
“I know it,” Cork said. “And you know it. She’ll eventually accept that she’s the real star among all of us.”
He was right.
“Dudes, assemble.” Saber barked out the order and crooked his fingers. “Penny says we’re on in five.”
We moved to form a circle with him. Those of us with guitars slung them over our backs. Shield put his sticks in his back pocket. With our arms resting over each other’s shoulders, we bowed our heads. Only our gazes were lifted, and all were on Saber. As much as his authoritative shit grated, he was our leader.
“‘Nothing to Hold Us Back’ is first,” Saber said in a hushed tone. “Then Storm’s song.” He hit our drummer and then our bassist with a look. “Shield and Cork, you guys keep the tempo, yeah?”
“Right,” Cork said.
“You got it, brother.” Shield’s brown eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Storm,” our leader said. “Give ’em hell out there.”
“You too, man.” I gave Saber a chin lift.
“I plan to.” He grinned. “I’ll follow you on guitar. You follow me on vocals, until we get to ‘I’m Yours.’”
“Can do,” I said.
Saber jerked his chin up to acknowledge us all. “This is it, guys. Let’s do it.”
We broke apart and filed out to take our places on the stage. Saber stopped beside Penny at the center mic, where she introduced us.
From my position left of them, I scanned for Lotus again, but I couldn’t find her. I saw only thousands of unfamiliar faces, most looking skeptical about us.
But they won’t be for long.
After Penny left, Saber confidently stepped up to the center mic and cradled the microphone in one hand like a lover he knew he was soon going to make very happy.
“We’re OB Hardy,” he said, just in case there was any doubt. “And this first song is for everyone who has ever had someone tell them what they most want can’t be had. It’s called ‘Nothing to Hold Us Back.’”
He turned his head and gave me a nod.
My pick already on the string, I strummed the opening chord. Shield crashed in alongside me. Cork laid down his compelling off-kilter groove. We repeated that big bunch of awesomeness five times. Saber tapped his thigh and moved his head to our rhythm. By the time he turned his head and spat out the lyrics, the rest of us harmonizing with him, everyone I could see in the audience was moving to our beat.
It was a fucking rush.
On the hard counts, Saber and I each went on our back foot, the headstock of our guitars raised to the sky. The crowd went nuts. Acting cool, we kicked it up.
I plucked the strings faster. Saber chased me on his Martin, but he never caught me. No one could catch me when I was in the zone. No one but Lotus, but she wasn’t anywhere that I could see.
“Your words don’t mean jack,” Saber sang. “You’re a big fuckin’ wall that’s gonna crack. Ain’t nothing. Yeah, man. Ain’t nothing. Nothing gonna hold us back.”
The lyrics were simple and repetitive, but it was rock ’n’ roll repetitive. A big fuck-you to our old man, and an anthem for anyone who had ever been told their dream was impossible.
The song and its message resonated. I could see the approval spreading like a wave from front to back through the crowd, the diehard music fans closest to the stage becoming converts first, then the skeptics in the rear.
We ended the song with a crash, and Shield set his sticks on his thigh.
The rest of the band took it down a notch, except me as I strode to the center mic, switching positions with Saber.
“The Dogs are barking at our heels,” I said into the mic. “So we only have one more song to share with you.” I smiled as I heard more than a few voice protests. “This one is for that girl you never got over, the one who stole your heart and never gave it back. She’s out there for you. Mine’s out there for me. Her name is Lotus.”
“I’ll be your Lotus,” a woman standing just below me shouted, wearing a bikini top.
“Appreciate that, darlin’,” I said. “But a flower by any other name is not as sweet as mine. I need everyone’s help getting her forward where I can see her. If we can all be quiet, I can find her. Raise your hand, Lotus. Babe, where are you?”
“Here!” Sophia shouted. “She’s here.”
I spotted Lotus beside her other best friend. In the center of the large crowd, she stood out in her white dress and raised a slender arm in the air.
“I’m here!” she yelled.
Her sweet voice hit me right in the center of the chest. She moved toward me, and the crowd parted for her like the fabric of my soul had so her heart could be stitched together with mine.
My smile widened as she stopped in front of the stage. A vision in white. A goddess at my feet. A bloom that never faltered. A love that couldn’t be denied.
“This is for you,” I said low into the mic, holding her gaze. “It’s rough and a little raw, but the best things in life, the ones most worth holding on to, often are. My breath. My love. My Lotus. This is for you. ‘I’m Yours.’”
I planted my feet wide apart, raked my hair back, and stared into her shining eyes. Then I gave her me inside the music and the words. They were only for her. I was only for her, but I wanted the world to know what she meant to me.
Ten minutes to midnight
The clock is winding down
But I’ve been holding out for you
Don’t want to be alone
Up on a razor’s edge
But I’ll back down off that ledge for you
My earnest croon seemed to make Lotus shiver. She wrapped her arms around her sexy body.
Shield clacked his sticks behind me, then crashed down like a bolt of lightning. I windmilled one arm, going into a power chord. Shield came in on it with me. Both of us thrashed our heads in unison, whaling on our guitars. Cork was the punch, his bass the spiral of my fall, the inevitable descent, my heart rolling to land at his sister’s feet.
Only she picked it up and clasped it to her own. Together, we soared on the unending currents of our love.
Turn back from my dead end
Your love’s where I begin
I’m yours
Don’
t want to be alone
My heart is coming home
I’m yours
Once dark as midnight
But your love’s burning bright
My beacon in the night, it’s true
No words are needed
Just let our bodies speak
The only one I seek is you
Look in your pretty eyes
I see you realize
I’m yours
Call it by whatever name
One thing will never change
I’m yours
• • •
Lotus
The security guards whisked me backstage, taking me straight to Storm.
He was in a crowd of people, but he broke apart from them and came toward me. Video camera lights turned on, spotlighting us. He grabbed me, lifted me in the air, and spun me around in a circle before gathering me close.
“You were fantastic-amazing-incredible-I was so proud of you.” My words ran together without proper pauses as I slid down the length of his sexy body.
“You are those things.” His gaze locked on mine, holding me steady, though the backstage area was chaos all around us. “I’m nothing without you.”
My feet were on the ground now, my body plastered to his, yet I floated on those words and the love in his eyes.
“Come out on the road with me, babe. The Dogs and OB Hardy are going together. Ash wants you to bartend and do special events. He’s paying your salary. But I want you there in my bed.”
“Yes, of course I’ll go.” My heart skipped a beat at the knowledge Storm wanted me with him to share his dream.
“One more question.”
Reaching for my hands, he gathered them in one of his and slid something on the ring finger of my left hand. Glancing down, I saw the huge blue sapphire on a platinum band, and my eyes widened.
“What . . . what are you doing,” I stammered. “What is this?”
“Blue for the ocean, your favorite color. Infinite and unchanging like my love for you. Will you marry me?” Storm asked, his voice as earnest as it had been onstage.
“Yes,” I said immediately.
“I knew if I led with the garden,” he said with a grin, “your answer would be yes for anything else I asked.”
I smiled. “And you are my wish come true. I always knew everything in my life would be right when you came back to me.”
THANK YOU for reading STORM! I loved writing it! It was a much needed beach escape for me too.
As a reader, you can make all the difference in STORM’s book life.
By writing a review.
The best way for readers to find books they like is by reading recommendations from other readers like you.
EMAIL me a link to your review at [email protected] so I can thank you.
I LOVE hanging out with my readers. Come join my reader group on Facebook. I’m considering writing another story with one of the characters in STORM. I have a poll up in my reader group. You can vote on which STORM character would be your favorite to read about next.
Big sandy beach hugs,
Michelle
Thank you to my family. My hubby, two boys and my sister by another mother. You know who you are. I love you Lisa.
Thank you to Teresa Marsh-Jensen for musical inspiration.
Each time I write a book, there is usually one song or group that inspires me. For STORM, the group was Blink-182 and two songs by The Hunna were on constant repeat: Sycamore Tree and Bad For You.
Thank you to my reader group. You are ROCK ALL STARS. Every word of encouragement is savored.
Thank you to my team. Pam Berehulke is my fabulous editor. Elaine York, Allusion Publishing, is my formatter. Lisa Anthony is my wonderful PA. My ARC team is the best in the world. My rock writing friends are the best too. A big thanks to Lisa Suzanne. She is always so helpful to me. PR on this book is sweet Ena at Enticing Journey. Thank you to every blogger aka super-reader who put up a post for STORM.
You, all the above, are my rockstars.
MICHELLE MANKIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Records series of novels.
Fall in love with a rock star.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a BRUTAL STRENGTH centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier turn with the TEMPEST series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the MAGIC series.
Get swept away by temptation in the ROCKSTARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES DIRT DOGS ROCKSTAR series.
Romance and self-discovery, the FINDING ME series is a Tempest spin off with a more experienced but familiar cast of characters.
The ROCK F*CK CLUB series is a girl-power fueled reality show with the girls ranking the rock stars.
The ONCE UPON A ROCK STAR series is sexy modern-day fairytale retellings.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock or NOLA funk music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend.
BRUTAL STRENGTH series:
Love Evolution
Love Revolution
Love Resolution
Love Rock’ollection Box Set
TEMPEST series (also available in audio):
SOUTHSIDE HIGH
Irresistible Refrain
Enticing Interlude
Captivating Bridge
Relentless Rhythm
Tempting Tempo
Scandalous Beat
The Complete Tempest Rock Star Series, Books 1-6
The MAGIC series (also available in audio):
Strange Magic
Dream Magic
Twisted Magic
ROCK STARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES DIRT DOGS ROCKSTAR series (also available in audio):
Outside
Riptide
Oceanside
High Tide
Island Side
The Complete Rock Stars Surf and Second Chances Dirt Dogs Rockstar Series, Books 1-5
FINDING ME series (also available in audio):
Find Me
Remember Me
Keep Me
ROCK F*CK CLUB Girls Ranking the Rock Stars series (also available in audio):
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book 1
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book 2
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book 3
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book 4
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book 5
ROCK F*CK CLUB BOX SET, Books 1-5
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book 6
Once Upon A Rock Star:
The Right Man
The Right Wish
The Right Wrong
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