Lights flashed in time to the deep bass of the song that was currently playing as we approached the doors. Eric and Kane stood on the outside of our little group, keeping Rita and I wedged between them. I saw Rita’s eyes roaming up and down my cousin’s security and she blushed when she realized I’d caught her in the act.
“Oh, shush,” she giggled. “Can’t blame a girl for looking.”
“Huh?” Kane asked, raising his voice over the music.
“Nothing,” Rita and I said in unison, bursting out into an obnoxious laughter when we looked up to see both men looking clueless.
Once the bouncer at the door saw Kane, we were waved to the front of the line, entering the building in a rush. Eric stopped and spoke to one of the men, shaking his hand as he turned to escort us to a set of stairs. We’d visited this place before. The upstairs area circled the building, a half wall with brass railing, giving a loft like appeal to the place.
Kane pulled out a chair for me and waved to a passing waitress. I ordered a mixed drink while the others ordered a pitcher of beer. Kane leaned back in his seat and smiled warmly at me, silently telling me that tonight was my night to relax and enjoy myself.
My cousin and I were so close that we didn’t need words to express ourselves. I appreciated him for doing this, and the smile that lit up my face was thanks enough for what he’d done. He gave me a chance to let it all go.
Grabbing Rita, we laughed loudly as we made our way to the dance floor. Once there, I glanced over my shoulder to see Kane and Eric standing up at the railing, watching our every move. It’d been a few years since his wife had almost been drugged at a club similar to this one, and I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to us.
“Your cousin is my favorite person,” Rita laughed, throwing her hands in the air and shaking her ass to the song that was pumping heavily through the sound system.
“He’s a good man,” I admitted, smiling to myself.
“That he is,” she replied, grabbing my hand and spinning me around like a ballerina. I threw my head back and laughed loudly. Tonight was going to be amazing, because I wouldn’t let it be any other way.
A new song started and I let myself get lost in the music, feeling tiny beads of sweat roll down my spine. More people crowded on the floor, causing Rita and I to push closer together. She laughed when I threw my hands in the air and let her lean against my chest so that we could dance together. A few men looked at us with lust in their eyes, but they didn’t approach. I was free to flirt and even dance with them, but I was here for myself…not to find a date.
As the night went on, Rita and I made several trips to the table to have drinks and chat with Kane, who promised he was enjoying himself even though he wasn’t down there with us. He’d calmed down a lot since he got married and had children. Seeing him happy and relaxed was the best feeling in the world. I was truly happy for him.
“One more dance?” Rita begged. It was going on two in the morning and our time was coming to a close. I noticed Kane pull his phone out of his back pocket and frown at something on the screen. He quickly schooled his features and took a long pull off of his beer.
“I think two more,” I smirked, feeling the warmth from my own drinks flowing through my body. I wasn’t drunk, but the buzz I had left me a bit wobbly on my feet.
“You alright?” Kane asked, steadying me when my foot caught the leg of his chair. Thankfully, I didn’t face plant and make a fool of myself.
“Yes, sir,” I giggled, feeling a little more buzzed than when I was sitting down.
Rita and I took off for the stairs and giggled as we found our way back to the floor. The lights had doubled in strength and I squinted my eyes to be able to see where I was dancing. Following Rita, we made our way to the middle where there was a group of people grinding against each other, their hands thrown in the air.
Large hands slid over my hips and I felt a hard body mold itself to my back. I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of a man’s strength against my small body. My arms lifted in the air and hooked around the back of his neck, letting his face settle against my neck. My eyes were still closed and I absorbed the feel of his touch for as long as I could before I needed to pull away.
I didn’t want to pull away. That was the problem, wasn’t it? I wanted him to hold me, protect me, and comfort me. I needed his strength for those times when I couldn’t be strong. Those few moments in my life when I wanted to just let go…let someone else call the shots for me. Was that too much to ask? Was it too much to hope for, coming from a woman who prided herself on her independence?
I just wanted to give that control over to one person…
And as I opened my eyes, there on that packed dance floor, I saw exactly who I wanted holding me. He was standing about ten feet in front of me, his eyes dark with anger. I felt hands gliding up my sides, making quick work toward the sides of my breasts.
As the music stopped, I heard a deathly growl come from Taylor, just as I realized the man who was touching me wasn’t the man I wanted.
“Coraline!” Kane called out from my right. As I turned my head, I saw panic in his features. My alcohol fueled brain was slow to understand that he was trying to get me away and out from between Taylor and the man who’d basically felt me up on the dance floor.
Scrambling backwards, I must’ve tangled my feet together, because I felt myself falling, just as the strange man reached out, softly grabbing the tops of my arms to set me upright.
“Are you okay, doll?” he asked. Even with my blurry eyes, I noticed he was very good looking. His long dark hair touched his shoulders and his green eyes were soft. He was large, but not as large as the man who’d just rushed up to pull me behind his large frame.
“Taylor,” I warned. Well, it sounded slurred to my ears, and I’m pretty sure the rolling of my stomach had nothing to do with being moved around so quickly and everything to do with the six mixed drinks I’d consumed. Or was it seven?
“Go with your cousin,” Taylor warned, his eyes never leaving the man who’d been dancing with me. “Now, Cora!”
“No,” I barked, locking my knees to keep me upright. “No, you don’t get to do this, Taylor.”
“The fuck I don’t,” he growled. “He had his fucking hands on you.”
“And?” I pressed, knowing damn well I was poking the beast. That beast was about to lay down a path of destruction, but I just couldn’t keep my fucking mouth shut. “Maybe I wanted to dance with him?”
“Excuse me?” Taylor cursed, turning around to glare daggers at me instead of the sexy, dancing man. I looked over Taylor’s shoulder at the man in question and gave him my best drunken flirty smile. “Coraline…now would not be the best time to push me.”
“Go back to the bus, Taylor,” I said, sidestepping when he made a move to reach for my hand. I was proud of myself for not stumbling. Placing my hands on my hips I continued to glare at him. “Get the fuck away from me, Taylor!”
“Come on, doll,” the guy said. “Let me take you to the bar for another drink.”
“Oh, shit,” Rita gasped.
Eric and Kane made a grab for Taylor, pulling him back from mauling the guy. It took both men to drag him off of the dance floor. I watched as Taylor jerked to the right, dislodging himself from my cousin and his security guard.
“It may be best if you get the hell out of here,” I said, looking over my shoulder at the guy who now had a target on his head. “Go!” He didn’t need to be told a third time. I sighed heavily when he disappeared into the crowd that had gathered around us.
The music continued, but there was no one dancing. Everyone had pulled out their cell phones and were patiently waiting for the guitarist for Fatal Cross to do something that would have him splashed across every gossip rag in the country before noon.
My hand was grabbed and I found myself being pulled out of the club, Rita was hot on my tail. Taylor didn’t stop until we reached the SUV, picking me up and tossing me into the seat. I shook my he
ad at Kane when he opened his mouth to speak. This was my issue to take care of, and as soon as we got to the bus, I’d remind him to stay the hell away from me.
The ride to the bus was quiet, Taylor continued to fume next to me in the seat. Rita and Kane kept giving me sideways glances as I kept my arms folded across my chest. My stomach knotted and I had to swallow a few times to keep from emptying my stomach in the floorboard of the truck.
As soon as we arrived, Rita hopped out of the vehicle first, standing just outside the door in case I needed her help. I gave her a short nod, silently telling her I would be okay. Kane pulled me into a hug and I could tell he was unsure of what to say or do. “Go on the bus, Kane. I got this.”
“You need to talk to him,” he whispered, kissing my temple before walking away.
Gritting my teeth, I decided that now wasn’t the time to get into an argument with Taylor. I’d been drinking and I knew that I would say something I’d later regret, but he wasn’t going to let me just crawl out to the bus and lick my wounds.
“So, were you going to go home with that guy?” he snarled.
“Oh, you think that highly of me?” I gasped. “Fuck you, Taylor.”
“I can’t believe you were that irresponsible,” he yelled. “How much did you have to drink?”
“That’s none of your business,” I argued, averting my eyes. I couldn’t look at him when he was this angry. I didn’t like it at all. “I wasn’t in any trouble. Kane and Eric were close…and what does it matter to you? We are not together, Taylor. You have no claim on me.”
“Oh,” he chuckled, but not in humor. “You are mine, Coraline Maddox, and you damn well know that. The next man who touches you is a dead motherfucker. You’re lucky I didn’t kill that son of a bitch for molesting you in that club.”
“I. Am. Not. Yours!” I yelled. It was my turn to get angry. “You gave up that right when you refused to call me back…when you decided that you’d wait almost three months to talk to me! Get the hell away from me, Taylor, and do not ever throw your claim on me like that again.”
I turned and ran for the bus, ignoring his growl of frustration, but I didn’t miss the words he shouted at my retreating back.
“Damn it, Coraline. You are mine!”
God, I think I might be sick.
Chapter 6
Taylor
It’d been two shows since she’d basically run away from me, saying she wanted nothing to do with me. I’d really fucked up, and I’d apologized until I was blue in the face. I shouldn’t have acted like a raging beast in that club, but seeing that asshole with his hands on her made me murderous.
We’d just come back from an interview at the local radio station in Phoenix. Even though I was only filling in for Gabe, Glory Days asked me to go with them to do the interview. It was good press for my band, Fatal Cross, and I wasn’t going to tell them I couldn’t go. Ash and the guys had always helped us out from the first time we’d met. Hell, without them, we wouldn’t be where we were today.
The guys headed for the bus so that they could call home while they had an hour or two to spare. I, on the other hand, looped around toward the back of the arena to see if I could get a glimpse of the woman who haunted my dreams.
“Where the hell is Doug?” Rita growled, looking into one of the closed rooms just inside the entrance. She shut the door with a loud bang and turned toward me with a scowl on her face. Her pink hair was in disarray and I swear she looked like she was ready to crack.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, feeling a sense of dread and worry fall over my senses. Something wasn’t right…I could feel it. My heart raced in my chest, pounding in my ears. My senses were all over the radar. Even the backstage area felt…weird.
“The temp crew is running behind because that jackass hasn’t shown up and we are so far behind, it’ll be a miracle if we get everything set up to start on time tonight,” she said, running her fingers through her hot pink hair.
“Where’s Coraline?” I growled, knowing for sure that something wasn’t right when I heard her curse.
“Oh, shit,” she gasped, looking around the area. I didn’t have to ask, but she said it anyway. “I haven’t seen her for at least an hour. You don’t think?”
“Fuck,” I swore, my heart dipping to my stomach. I couldn’t even answer her question, because I knew something was terribly wrong. “Find Eric!” I pushed her carefully toward the back door. Rita hauled ass outside to find Glory Days’ head of security while I searched the venue.
My feet pounded on the hard concrete floor. My heart thundered in my ears so loudly that I was sure it was echoing off the cinderblock walls. The scent of pine and bleach assaulted me as I followed the corridor around the backstage area. With each torturous step, I prayed I’d find her…soon.
I called her name as I checked each room. There were doors every ten to fifteen feet, most of them nothing more than empty, unused areas. Some were used for storage, others as dressing rooms for the entertainers.
If Doug was going to get revenge on Cora for that black eye she gave him, then today would’ve been a great day to do it because security and her cousin were away for a few hours. With everyone out of sight, then he could’ve hurt her…or worse.
I didn’t want to think about the “or worse” part.
“Taylor,” Kane called out, rushing to my side. “Have you found her?” Kane Maddox loved his baby cousin more than any siblings I’d ever seen. That man would give his life for hers, and I knew exactly how he felt. Coraline Maddox had weaved her way into my heart, body, and soul, and there was no way in hell I was going to sit back and let her be hurt.
“No, man,” I choked, swallowing tears of rage. I needed to calm the fuck down, because she just had to be okay…wherever she was.
I slammed into one of the women’s restrooms, not caring if there were any girls in there. I slapped my hand on each and every stall door. My heart held in my throat as each one revealed an empty space. The lights overhead hummed quietly as the heartbeat in my ears tried to overpower every other sound in the room.
“She has to be okay,” I whispered, not thinking anyone would hear me.
“She better be,” Kane growled, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. “We will find her.”
“I won’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her and I wasn’t here to protect her,” I vowed, not caring if he realized that I’d just laid some unwritten claim on his cousin. She was mine and always would be; no matter what she thought. From the harsh scowl on his face, I didn’t think Kane missed the possessive tone to my words, either.
“You really do care about her?” he inquired with a raised brow.
“More than my own life,” I promised, pushing open the janitor’s closet at the end of the hallway. What I found there had me crying out in sheer rage. “Cora!”
“Cora!” Kane wailed, falling to his knees next to me.
She was beaten and bloody. Her wrists were turning black and blue from someone holding them with force. Blood trickled out of her nose and her head had a huge purple lump forming on her left side.
I immediately reached for her neck, praying I’d find a pulse. “She’s alive,” I yelled, hearing Kane on the phone with someone, hopefully the paramedics.
“See if you can wake her,” Kane ordered, obviously relaying the dispatcher’s request.
“Come on, baby girl,” I cooed, stroking the side of her face that was undamaged. “When I find that son of a bitch, I’m going to kill him.”
Cora wore a pair of jeans and a purple tank top. Her skin felt cold to the touch, so I stripped off my leather jacket and laid it carefully across her upper body. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and hold her tight, promising her no one would ever harm her again.
“Don’t move her,” Kane barked. I guess I’d reached for her without thought. “The ambulance should be here any second.” I had to gently lay her back on the cold concrete floor, against all of my
instincts to cradle her in my arms.
Feeling her tiny body in my arms, I said a silent prayer of gratitude that I’d found her and that she was alive. I also vowed vengeance against the asshole who’d dared to put his hands on her.
Looking up, I saw the concrete floor littered with specks of green. Kane followed my gaze and cursed out loud, but I already knew what it was. Marijuana was scattered all over the floor by a table that was on its side. Small, clear plastic bags were among the mess.
“She walked in on him,” I surmised, vibrating harshly with anger. “He could’ve fucking killed her, Kane!” The son of a bitch was dealing drugs!
“I know,” he barked. “I fucking know this! I swear to God, if she’s okay, I’m going to blister her ass.”
“Not if I do it first,” I promised.
Commotion behind us had my eyes turning to see Ash, Reed, and Eric barging through the door. A look of agony crossed each man’s features. Reed cursed loudly, pulling at his long hair. Ash fell to his knees beside me and leaned over her head like he was assessing her injuries.
“Who did this?” he demanded, looking around the room.
“It was Doug,” Rita announced, entering the room. “I know it was him!”
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Ash said, holding up one hand. “What the hell is going on? Why do you think Doug did this?”
Rita spat out the story of Doug talking to Cora and her like band whores, wanting to pay Cora for a blowjob. Cora didn’t take to kindly to his advances, punching him in the eye. Rita told Ash that they didn’t say anything to any of them, because the guys had more things to worry about that a confrontation with their crew. I’d already heard this story, but it still sent a new wave a fury through my veins.
“You do not ever think that we are too busy for the crew, Rita,” Ash admonished. “This is something that we need to know about. This isn’t something small! This is serious!”
Ash’s words were cut short when Coraline moaned, trying to roll to one side. I immediately leaned over her body so that I was in her line of sight, taking her face gently between my hands and holding her completely still.
Fatal Desires (Fatal Cross Live! Book 1) Page 4
