“He’s made it apparent that Maria belongs to him,” Elena tells the group of us, “which she doesn’t. Maria is a club girl, she’s just as much part of this club as any of us are sitting in this room. Now, we haven’t told Maria about any of this – and we won’t. The only thing that this will do is stress her out and cause her worry, we don’t need any of that.”
“So, Rafael is back because of Maria?” Slasher laughs.
“Are you trying to get your ass beat today?” Chaos growls, putting his hands up over the wooden table, ready to beat Slash’s face in. I don’t blame him either. Slash is a dick most of the time. Even Dmitri hates him, and he’s one of the chilliest guys I know.
“Slash, shut the hell up,” Reed barks.
“We also need to talk about something else,” Elena mutters quietly. “I don’t know how many of you were at Bubba’s a couple nights ago, and I’ve kept quiet about it until now…until I knew for sure, but Bellamy Mason was there, and if that wasn’t shocking enough, she confessed something to me, something that she found out and it was confirmed earlier today. Bellamy Mason is my half-sister. Jimmy was her father.” The room goes silent at her admission.
What. The. Fuck.
There is no way in hell that I just heard her right.
“Oh shit, Siren. Are you okay?” Reed asks, bringing his hand around her, rubbing her shoulder.
“I’m fine, I really am. I think all in all I’m just shocked more than anything. I was a bit rude to her. I feel bad about that now and I will talk with her soon but that’s something to deal with another time. We need to be focused on the threat at hand, so I need two of you to do something for me, a favor of sorts, but I know in my heart that you’ll do this for me. You’re all my brothers. We are a twisted, fucked up family, but we’re still family. Reed has initiated a sort of protection order since the incident with Jenna in the woods and that hasn’t been lifted. While we have protection here…Bellamy does not. I know that maybe our enemies don’t know that she’s my half-sister, but we need to be prepared if they do and that’s exactly why I want two of you to guard her. You will follow her everywhere, you will be her protective detail. You got me?”
The group of us answer with nods and yeses.
“Her tour bus leaves tonight after her show, the next stop on their site says Cincinnati, and honestly I don’t know anything. I’m just telling you what I found out on Google. Do I have any volunteers?”
I think about this for a good second, my mouth flies open before my brain has time to catch up and process what I just agreed to. “I’ll do it.”
Bellamy being Elena’s half-sister complicates things, but it doesn’t take the need for me to see her away. Maybe it should freak me out that I fucked around with Elena’s sister, but who the fuck cares? I just know one thing right now. I want to see Bellamy again, and I can. It looks like I’ll be seeing a lot of Bellamy.
“Slasher. You’re going with him before everyone beats your ass,” Reed tells him, getting a round of applause from the room.
When I exit the room, I’m wearing the biggest shit eating grin on my face. I think to myself, I’ll see you soon, Sugar.
Chapter 7
The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me. -Ayn Rand
Bellamy
“You’ve got a few interviews lined up over the next couple days. I know that none of you like hearing this shit, but it’s necessary. Interviews mean exposure, which leads to more people hearing about you, maximizing your fanbase and at the end of the day that means more money for everyone. I don’t know about the lot of you, but I’ve been eyeing a new Prada bag.” I overhear Evie talking to the boys, I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but it’s a bit hard to do when we’re stuck on a bus with each other. “Bell?” I turn my head to the left and look over to Evie, who’s staring me down. “I haven’t booked many interviews for you quite yet considering that we’re still dealing with your PR nightmare, and honestly, we’ll probably be dealing with that for the next five years, so we’re gonna buck up and just say fuck it. Okay? I want you shadowing the boys, seeing how they handle interview questions. There’s a possibility someone might get ballsy and ask you something. Under no circumstances will you answer, do you understand me?”
I immediately glance over to Jase, Rocky, Miles, and Syd – all who look at me like I’m a lamb getting ready to be slaughtered. “I got it. Don’t you worry about me, Ev’.”
“Oh, sweetie. You don’t have a damn thing. Tell me that after you meet with Summer.” She laughs, going to sit down at the barstool in front of the small island along the kitchenette. I stay seated on my comfortable position on the plush couch, thinking about none other than Summer Poole – the woman who helped expose me to the entire world, also known as the Devil.
There was no proof that Zac was the one who sent her the naked pictures of me, but I knew deep down it was him. No one else could have had access to those photos. Absolutely no one. I had sent them through Snapchat, and he must’ve screenshotted them. Only, I didn’t know when I sent them that he would use them as a form of revenge and blast them out to the ice queen of the media world. That’s where Summer came into play, she got my pictures and had a field day, sending them out everywhere that she had access to. I was her story. While she ruined my reputation, she gained followers. How messed up is that? I was crying myself to sleep for weeks, and she was out partying amongst the elite, celebrating her success – tearing me down piece by piece.
I was just newly signed and starting to gain momentum in the music industry when the photos leaked, and within one second I was branded a whore. Not exactly a way to keep my image up, is it? People loved to say that I was the one who leaked my own photos to Summer as a way to get in the spotlight, it was a “publicity” stunt. That’s bull hockey, and we all know it. Never have I wanted to be exposed in such a way.
Evie has been a godsend, a tough lady, but a godsend nonetheless. She’s put together anything and everything that she could to help me repair my reputation. It started out with going to hospitals and singing for sick kids, then to the animal shelters donating my hours, which ultimately led to benefit concerts and somehow that turned into me booking not only more gigs but also helped promote my music. I wasn’t just the ex-girlfriend of Zac Depp who made her fame by her cover videos on YouTube. I was Bellamy Mason, rising star.
There have been times where Evie and I have butted heads, but at the end of the day she does what is best for us, and that’s all that matters.
***
“Are you sure you want to be here?” Jase questionably asks me. I know exactly what he’s thinking, that I won’t hold myself together once I’m face to face with Summer, and who knows – maybe I won’t. But I will sure as heck try.
I simply nod my head at his question. Yeah, this woman may have scorned me, but I am the bigger person, and I can’t wait to show her that.
No…what I can’t wait to do is show her that her attempt to ruin me failed. I may still be dealing with a lot of crap from trolls, but she doesn’t know any of that. The only thing she will see is me, standing before her, with a poo-eating grin on my face.
The group of us have been sitting in a small room with two leather couches for the last forty minutes. It’s just passed five in the afternoon and the guys were supposed to start their interview at about four-thirty. Evie ended up passing on attending so she could go schmooze some big wigs in the radio world, meanwhile, we’re left here waiting on the Ice Queen to summon us, and by us, I mean the guys.
“She’s sure made us wait long enough,” Rocky huffs, stretching his legs out across the floor in front of him. “I’m damn well gonna make myself comfortable waiting for the Ice Bitch.” He lugs his arm around me and pulls me against him until I lay limp against his side.
“You realize this is gonna give her the wrong impression, right?” I mumble, automatically knowing how she’s going to twist this scene and say that I’m in a relationship with Rocky. It’s l
ike a sixth sense that I have. Maybe once you’re scorned by the media you start thinking how they think or think about the different ways that they can get a one-up on their colleagues.
“I’m holding your lil’ butt just like I’d hold my baby sisters, if I had one,” he chuckles,
“You are not,” Jase growls lowly, rolling his eyes at Rocky.
Out of everyone, I’ve noticed that these two bicker the most. Nothing ever comes of it, but they fight like an old married couple. It’s amusing, lightening the mood exactly when I need it to. This time it doesn’t, though.
“Take your paw off Bellamy before Summer gets the bright idea that we’re all fucking her.”
“She won’t think I’m fucking her. I can hardly stand being in the same room with her,” Miles hisses, causing me to gasp in shock and glare at him.
“Will you just tell me what in the hell I did to you that makes you hate me so much?” I snap, shocked at the fact I even cursed, which is something I only do when I’m singing or extremely pissed. I don’t get it. I just don’t understand why in the hell Miles hates me. He always has, and maybe he always will, but I damn well deserve an answer! And what I don’t deserve is to be treated this way.
“It’s more what you didn’t do. You didn’t work your way up from the bottom playing at no-name clubs. You sang other people’s songs in front of a camera and the only reason you were discovered is that you were riding on Depp’s fame. That is the reason you’re even in this room with us because you saw an opportunity with him and started playing your own game.”
“She isn’t Kallie, stop treating her like she is,” Syd barks, jumping up in my defense. Kallie Hart, Miles’ ex-girlfriend. Oh my gosh. How I should have known. He hates me because he thinks that I’m just like her. The only difference is that Kallie actually used her boyfriend to get noticed, I didn’t. All I did was continue to be supportive of Zac, while having a bit of fun on YouTube. I never knew that my channel would blow up overnight, or that I’d be getting a call from a major record company. It was a once in a million shot. There was no way that I could’ve seen what the future had in store for me.
“She is nothing like Kallie,” Jase jumps in, and the next thing I hear is Rocky going, “Yeah,” in total agreement with his other two bandmates.
“That’s bullshit, and you all know it. Bellamy is just like Kallie, and you’re all too blind to see it. Especially you, Jase. You’re like a fucking puppy dog practically in love with her, co-writing songs in the middle of the night. You think we don’t hear that shit? You’re getting played just like I was, man. I only hope that you realize what kind of leech she is before it’s too late.”
“Wait. Hold up a minute!” Syd snaps at Miles. I sit up and stand. Rocky tries to grab my hand, but I’m too quick for him as I take a few steps away, turning towards Miles.
“Well, this leech is going to get lost.” I knew that Miles didn’t like me, it was so much more than obvious. Only, I didn’t fully comprehend just how much until today. I can’t blame him, in a way I can understand why he hates me so much. Kallie took him through the ringer. But just because I empathize with the way he feels doesn’t mean I’ll stand around and be his punching bag. He can talk as much crap about me as he wants. I refuse to stand around and listen to it.
Quickly, I walk towards the door and shut it tightly behind me, continuing down the hallway until I turn the corner and am faced with none other than the Ice Queen herself, Summer Poole. “My, my. I could hear your lovely little squabble from my office. Care to tell me what has the pack in a spiff?”
“Go see for yourself.” In the back of my mind, I know that I shouldn’t have added any more fuel to the fire. My simple comment is just going to give Summer ammunition for when she goes to interview them. Is it wrong that I don’t care? That I’m too hurt by Miles’ comment to even give a damn on what she asks? The only thing I want to do right now is run into the city and get lost. I just want to explore, to see, and most importantly, not think about anything that just happened. After all, I’ll have plenty of time to do that when I get back home tonight.
Chapter 8
Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention. -P!nk
Bellamy
It turns out that walking through a city that you don’t know is two things, lonely as all heck and kind of terrifying. If I was with Rocky, or Syd…or even Jase I’d be having a blast right now taking in the scenery, appreciating the history of the city. I would be living like every moment is my last, but I can’t do that right now. I have my guard up, completely unintentional, and yet it’s happening. When I think hard about it, I realize that is something that’s stuck with me since my parent’s death. I was thrown into the foster system for a bit until my uncle could pull me out, but I had to become guarded, it was the only way that I could protect myself from everything that was going on around me. The changes, the questions, and even the kids in the foster home. Being strong meant being cold, and I was really good at it for a time. In a sense, I think that maybe I still am, especially when being put in situations like I was today.
It’s been nearly three hours since I walked out of Summer’s office building fuming from what Miles said. I mean, c’mon. How dare he? I am not Kallie Hart for goodness sake! No matter what I do, I know that Miles will always look at me and see his ex who took everything from him. It’s about time that I just accept his hatred towards me. The only thing that I can do is ignore it and move on, even if it is hard for me. I’d like to think that at the end of the day that I’m a good person. So, I struggle with the fact that he hates me because I feel like if he didn’t have the history with Kallie that he did…we’d actually be friends.
That’s what upsets me the most. Kallie did a number on him, and now he hates me because of her actions. He doesn’t judge me for being me – Bellamy. He judges me because he thinks that I’m just like her.
I ended up walking my butt into a bar close to the river. The moment I saw the exposed brick through the window I knew that I wanted to check it out, and when I stepped inside my expectations were blown away. You could only see a little bit from the window out front, the entire bar gave me this industrial vibe. It made me wonder if this place was designed specifically like this, or if maybe some of the aesthetics were original to the building.
The bar top looked as if it was carved from a giant redwood from the Northern Californian forests, every vein through that tree you could see perfectly. The details were impeccable. Throughout the bar, there were metal and wooden tables matched with dark plush chairs. The hardness of the metal combined with the comfort of the chairs gave this a homey feeling, and the bar was packed with people, telling me that the customers loved it here.
I made my way up to the corner of the bar where there were a couple seats open on either side of me. This may have given me a homey feeling, but it didn’t take away the fact that I didn’t know anyone in this bar, and I’m alone.
“Can I get something for you, sweetheart?” I glance over and see a sweet blonde man with a killer smile asking me the question. He pulls out a black rag from his apron and wipes down the bar in front of me, eyes glued to mine.
“A Moscow Mule would be great.”
“Coming right up. I haven’t seen you around here, are you new to town or just passing through?” He asks, combining vodka with ginger beer and a splash of lime juice. I don’t know what it is about this drink, but I have to order it whenever I go to a bar. It’s my poison of choice, as they say.
“I’m just passing through, I’ll be here a couple days and then I’m headed off to the next big city,” I add a small laugh along with my reply, but we’re headed to Pittsburgh, Baltimore then off to Philadelphia before we take a week break and then stop in Camden, and lastly, New York City – which will be the biggest show I’ve ever done before. After that, I’ll have a sit down with Evie, and we’ll figure out the rest of my schedule. I have to go into the studio for a few weeks and finish up the last bi
t of my first album, which I’m still trying to decide on a name for. I’m sure once something feels right, I’ll be able to tell, but at the moment I don’t have a clue.
“What a shame, and here I was hoping you’d be in town for a little bit longer than that.” He smiles, handing me my Moscow Mule in a copper tin cup. “Say, are you busy later?”
“She’s going to be busy for a very, very long time.” My body runs cold at the sound of his voice, chills pass through every limb and my core ignites into a mighty flame.
I hear the chair to my right creak, and in it sits a lug of a man, pure muscle with tattoos starting at his jawline, going all the way down to his hands. The first thing I notice about him is the tattoos that mark his body, and then I see the scar on the left side of his face. “I’m Slash, and you must be Bellamy.” He offers his hand, riddled with metal rings and I take it, shaking.
“Yep. That would be me,” I mutter, glancing around to look at Butch, who is glaring straight at the bartender.
“We’ll take two beers, make it spiffy,” Butch orders, and just like that, the bartender goes in through the kitchen doorway, disappearing from sight.
“We’re your watch dogs, boss’s orders,” Slash tells me. I grab my mule and take a hefty sip, trying to understand what he’s telling me.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s telling you that your sister sent us out here to protect your lovely little ass, Sugar,” Butch growls, sitting down on the barstool to my left.
She had the DNA tested. This is good news. I keep having to think that, but I find it interesting that she sent these two out here but didn’t even bother to communicate with me herself.
“Protect me from what exactly? Cute bartenders?” I tease.
“Bartenders are the least of your worries. I think Elena’s more worried about the Cartel chopping you into little bits and delivering you in a trash bag on her doorstep,” Slasher says, clear as day. I gasp, not realizing just how dangerous her life is until this exact moment but then again, do I really know how dangerous her life is?
Relentless (Skulls Renegade Book 4) Page 5
