by K. Renee
Part of me hates thinking of him with someone else after what we had, but I know that he’s a rock star and that women are always going to be throwing themselves at him on a daily basis.
“I haven’t fucked anyone since you.”
I roll my eyes at his answer.
“Just tell me the truth. I can handle it. I’m a big girl.”
He grins and shakes his head.
“I swear, doll. I haven’t fucked anyone since you. You were my last and the only one I want now.”
“You haven’t had sex in nine months?” I ask, more shocked than anything.
“Not unless you count my hand? Why are you so surprised by this? Did you?”
He pushes his sunglasses on top of his head and narrows his eyes at me.
“No. It’s just you’re a rock star. Isn’t sex part of the game? Fucking every groupie you find.”
He starts to laugh and covers his eyes with his sunglasses again.
“No, doll. Maybe before yeah, but not now. I only want you. Plus, I got a photo to use when I need to get off.”
I wrinkle my nose and try to think if he ever took a photo of me at any time. “Where did you get a photo?” I finally ask after wracking my brain.
“When I had your phone.” He almost looks sheepish at that confession.
“Oh my God! You got into my pictures too?”
He nods his head not even ashamed about it. Enver’s voice fills the line and I see him on the screen behind Wren’s head.
“Where is my little buddy?” he asks, pushing Wren’s head out of the way.
“He’s sleeping. You just missed him,” I answer, giving Wren a dirty look.
“Dammit. When he wakes up, I want to Facetime with him! Call Trigger when he’s awake again.”
I just nod my head and Wren pushes him out of the screen.
“What photo?” I ask.
I can feel my face heat at the thought of him going through my phone. He does something and I get a notification that I have a new message. Clicking it, my mouth drops open.
“Are you kidding me? Wren!”
Going back to the video, he has a grin on his face.
“It’s hot as fuck. I can’t help it. It makes me hard as shit and I come every time imagining you in that position for me.”
I hear Enver making gagging noises behind Wren and I just put my hand over my face to hide some of my embarrassment.
“When I get home, I’m replacing that photo with one of my own.” His grin is wide and I just shake my head at him. He is insane. “Oh, and you may want to come up with a better code than that.” He smirks and I drop my head in defeat.
“You’re an ass, Wren Scott.” The doorbell rings and I turn to look at the door for a second before I hear Mason start to cry. “Hold on,” I say, grabbing my robe off the barstool and wrapping it around me.
Opening the door, there is a man on the other side standing there with an envelope.
“Can I help you?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything.
“Are you Jericho Carter?” I nod my head and he hands me the envelope. “You’ve been served.”
He turns and walks away without another word. I stare at the envelope for a second before I walk inside and shut the door behind me. Mason’s stopped crying already, so I walk to where I left the phone.
“Who was that?” Wren asks.
I hold up the envelope and tell him, “I was served.”
Wren curses under his breath and I just stare at the envelope, afraid to open it.
When I finally open it, I see it’s something about paternity. My heart drops into my stomach and I put my hand over my mouth. I scan over the document to see who is filing for a paternity test. When I finally find it, I gasp.
“Jer, what is it for?”
I stare at him for a second. “He can’t do this, can he? I never slept with him, he can’t be Mason’s father,” I choke out.
“Dammit,” he mutters. “I fucking hoped he wouldn’t try this shit. Doll, I need to call my lawyer. Remember when we did that paternity test at my lawyer’s office before I left?”
I nod my head yes, vaguely remembering it.
“He has everything we need to get this shit dropped. The test came back that I am one hundred percent Mason’s father. Erik will deal with this and make it go away. Trust me okay?”
I nod my head again, unable to get anything out.
“If Elias shows up, call Seth. Don’t talk to him at all.”
I nod again, swallowing around the lump forming in my throat.
Everything else happens in a blur and as soon as he hangs up, I run into Mason’s room. The moment I see his sweet little face, the fear and anger dissipate a bit. I watch him for probably an hour before my phone starts buzzing in my hand. Good thing I silenced it not long after I came in here.
Looking at the screen, I see Wren’s name and number flashing at me. Answering the Facetime call, I put my finger to my lips and flip the camera so it’s on Mason. I watch Wren’s face brighten just at the sight of our son and I melt. Even with this shit going on, he still puts it on the side just to watch Mason.
“God, he looks so big already,” he murmurs.
“Yeah, he’s gained a few pounds already. The doctor said he is doing amazing.”
“That’s awesome. I had no doubt that he would be perfectly healthy.”
I smile at Mason when he opens his eyes and stretches. I flip the camera again and set it in the crib before reaching in and grabbing my baby. Grabbing the phone after I situate him, I face him toward the camera so Wren can talk to him.
“Hey buddy,” he coos at him. “Your uncle Enver is going to be butthurt he didn’t get to see you.”
Wren grins and does this little wave thing that Mason loves. He starts smiling and a little bit of drool falls from his lips to my hand. Wiping the back of my hand on my robe, I just grin while watching them. They are adorable together and I wish Wren was here instead of on the road right now.
“Are you being good for your momma? I bet you are. You’re getting so big! I can’t wait to get home and love on your cute chubby self.” He says a few more things to Mason before the phone is taken from him and Enver and Graham get in the screen.
“Hey, kiddo. What is your mom feeding you? I swear you are twice the size you were at the airport.”
I can’t help but laugh at that.
“Tell Uncle Enver that you’re a growing boy and that you’ll soon be able to play guitar better than him.”
Mason grunts this cute little sound before smiling at both of them.
“Ha, you wish little man. I know you’ll be better than your old man, but Uncle Enver will always be the best.” He winks at us and moves so Graham can get a little talking in with Mason too.
Dek never has much to do with Mason while I’m on the phone with them and I wonder if it has to do with the fight between him and Wren. I know that Wren is still in the news a lot, but now it has to do with the band and not our drama.
Wren told me about the little discussion that they had on the flight to Las Vegas. He said that Dek said sorry, but that things between them were still rocky to say the least.
I still hate being the reason they are at odds, but there isn’t much I can do to make it better. He and Deklin are going to have to figure something out. Wren told me he offered to leave again and Deklin didn’t like that.
When Wren gets back on the phone, he’s laughing at something which gets Mason smiling. “Hey, baby boy.” He grins at Mason.
Mason tries to reach out to touch the screen, but it’s still a little too far for his little arms.
“I talked to my lawyer and he is going to get that paternity test taken care of. We already had one done and it proves I’m Mason’s father, so more than likely the suit will be dropped. I don’t want you to worry about it.”
I nod my head, happy that one thing is going okay.
“Hey babe, I have to go. They want us to do sound check. If I don’t get to talk
to you after the show, I’m saying goodnight now. I miss you both.”
“We miss you too. Have a great show.” I blow a kiss at him and he acts like he catches it and puts it in his pocket, getting me to laugh. “Knock them dead.”
“You know I will. Bye baby.”
Chapter 29
Wren
Getting to see Mason and Jericho before sound check made it like I was walking on clouds all through it until I missed a chord and Dek went apeshit on me. I knew shit between us still wasn’t good, but I ignored it because I had better things to do with my extra time like get to know Jericho and talk to Mason even though he didn’t understand a word I said.
“Pull your fucking head out of your ass, Trigger. Ever since you became the new face of the band, your playing has been garbage.”
I don’t even think twice about it, I just swing. My fist connects with his cheekbone and his head turns to the side from the impact.
“Fuck you, Dek. You want to be the face of us, go for it. I didn’t ask for that shit. All I want is to fucking play and then at the end of this tour, go home to my son and my woman.”
He laughs at that. “That’s if she’s even still there when you get back.” I step toward him again, but Saint gets between us. He pushes me back, but I don’t move. I’m tired of Dek’s shit.
“Go to hell,” I sneer.
I move again and Saint doesn’t budge. Shadow moves behind Saint to keep us apart still and Dek is lucky as hell. If they weren’t holding me back, I would punch the smug bastard again.
“Trigger, go cool off,” Saint says, pushing me backward.
I huff out, but after a few seconds, I turn and walk off the stage. I hear them talking to Dek, but I ignore them all. Fuck this shit. Opening the door to the dressing room, I walk inside and slam the door shut. The walls rattle with how hard I just slammed it, but I don’t give a shit. The damn door could have broke and it still wouldn’t affect me one bit.
Pulling my phone out, I send Jericho a text telling her what happened and drop my ass onto the couch in the back of the room. Her response is instant and I wish like hell that I could be there instead right now.
Jericho: I’m sorry. I know I put a stress on your friendship and if I could do anything to fix it, I would.
She is a better person than I am. That woman is always more worried about the shit going on between Dek and I than anything in her own life.
Me: I don’t even know what to do. He’s just going to hold a grudge about it.
Jericho: I’m sorry, baby. Mason and I are still your biggest fans.
She sends me a picture of them both and they both have Arduous Murder shirts on and Mason has a big grin on his face.
Me: You are the best. I don’t know what I’d do without you right now. Give him a kiss for me.
Jericho: Well without me, you wouldn’t have this drama. :/
Me: You both are worth it all.
We continue to text back and forth until Saint comes into the room.
“Wren, this shit between you guys needs to stop.”
I nod my head because I know it does. As a band, we can’t take the stress it is causing.
“I don’t know what you want me to do, Enver. He said he was sorry on the flight to Vegas and now he’s back to talking crap. I’m done with this shit. If he doesn’t want to put this drama behind us, I’ll just walk. It’s been an amazing run, but it’s not worth this bullshit if this is what I have to deal with. Mason and Jericho aren’t leaving either so I’m at a loss.”
He runs his hands through his long as fuck hair. Sometimes I don’t know why he doesn’t cut the shit off.
“I get you, man, but since you met her, she’s caused problems and that’s what pisses him off the most. I don’t know what to say. You are my best friend and so is he.” He takes a seat on the couch next to me and I give him the only answer I have left.
“Then I’ll walk. You guys can keep playing my songs and shit, I don’t care. But after tonight, I’m done.” I get up from the couch and squeeze his shoulder before walking out of the dressing room. I hear him call my name, but I don’t stop. If I do, I’ll let him talk me into staying and that isn’t something I can do.
Walking through the empty stadium hallways, I find a spot to hide out in and sit my ass down. I can see everything from where I am, but I doubt they can find me. I watch Saint walk back on stage and pull the other two together, probably telling them what I said.
Shadow looks pissed as he turns to Dek and says something, but Dek doesn’t even show emotion. I didn’t think he would, which is fine. Won’t be my problem after tonight, I’ll be washing my hands of his shit and flying back home to my woman and our little boy.
Pulling up a flight app, I search for the first flight out of here and book it. First thing in the morning, I’ll be on a flight home. I think about telling Jericho, but I know she’ll tell me to stick it out because we only have a month left, so I don’t say anything. I’ll just surprise her.
I watch Shadow storm off after his confrontation with Dek.
I sit in the same spot until they start letting fans in the stadium. I watch the first few fans go running to the front by the stage and I have to admit, I’m going to miss this shit. I love being up there on the stage, but the hostility we have going on isn’t worth it.
By the time the opening act starts, I still haven’t moved. My phone vibrates in my pocket and when I pull it out, I see a new message from Saint.
Saint: Where the fuck are you? Band meeting now.
Sighing, I run my hand through my hair before getting up and making my way to the dressing room. When I open the door, the guys are all sitting around the room. I shut the door behind me and all eyes land on me.
“Sit, Trigger,” Saint says, pointing to a chair next to the door.
I take the chair and put my forearms on my knees. I can feel their eyes still on me, but I don’t give a fuck. They can say whatever they want right now, after this show I’m headed home.
“The shit between Trigger and Dek needs to end. I’m tired of being in the middle of my best friends. Trigger said he’s done after the show tonight. I don’t want that to fucking happen. There was once a time where we got up on that stage every night because it was what we were born to do. Now, it doesn’t seem like we are up there for the same reason.” He rubs at his temples with his thumbs before tucking his hair behind his ears.
“All you two do is bicker like bitches now. Yeah, Trigger made a mistake. Fuck, Dek, we all have. He said he was sorry when it happened. None of us could have imagined that Elias would have outed him like that. Elias is a prick and I’ll beat the shit out of him when we go back to Vegas for this shit. He’s made this brotherhood we have turn into shit and I bet he’s laughing his ass off. He wins if we let this shit tear us apart.”
Shadow slaps his hand on his thigh.
I look up and they are both looking at me while Dek is staring at the damn wall. He’ll never agree.
“I told you guys I was sorry when he did it. I never meant for that shit to happen, but you know what? It did. I’m dealing with it on my end and I know that by his outing me, it means you are all at risk and I’m sorry for that, I really am. I love you guys like family and I would never do that shit on purpose. I want us to all live our lives like we have the last five years, but at some point, we have to realize that it could have happened to any of us. We’ve been lucky as hell. A lot of people know who we are and what we do for a living and any of us could have pissed the wrong person off.”
They all just stare at me now.
“But I’m not sorry for falling for Jericho. And I sure as hell am not sorry for Mason. Keep coming at me Dek because you’re pissed, fine. I’ll deal with it, but I won’t be a part of this band. I already told Saint I was leaving tonight and I am.”
“You’re walking away for some pussy. You can get that anywhere and you wouldn’t have any of the damn drama that comes along with it,” Dek yells at me.
�
��Yeah, I guess I could, but they aren’t her. She is what I want and I won’t give that up now that I’ve got her back. And I still haven’t forgotten that you were the reason she left in the first place. That you told her she was ruining the band because of the way I felt about her. That was bullshit. We’ve had our problems far longer than this and for you to put the blame on her is complete horseshit.”
He goes to say something else, but Saint puts a hand up, stopping him.
“That shit isn’t cool, Dek,” Shadow says from his seat. “For you to put the blame on that girl was bull. We all know it. You two haven’t gotten along in the last year and we all know it. Bitch move, man.” He shakes his head and turns to face me. “I know it isn’t much, but I think your girl is cool. She can hang around anytime she wants.”
I can’t help the small grin that forms over my lips. “Thanks, Shadow.”
He nods again and goes back to being somewhat silent.
“Trigger, I don’t blame her for shit. Plus, she’s the mother of our nephew. That means something to me at least. You have been half out the door for longer than you’ve known her. Dek, you need to chill the fuck out. We all make mistakes and that is no reason to make it your mission in life to fuck them over just because you’re pissy. I don’t know what your guys’ issues are and fuck, I don’t really care. But you need to figure this shit out because I’m done being in the middle of it. I love you all like the brothers I never had and I don’t want to lose anyone in this band. We’ve come so far to be this band and I don’t want to just throw it all away because of pettiness and bullshit excuses.”
I just stare at him. Enver has been my best friend for way too long and he knows me better than everyone else. He can read me like a book most days and right now, I hate that fact. He’s right, so fucking right that I hate it. I’ve been halfway out the door for the last year because I didn’t know if playing was what I wanted to do anymore, but now? Now I do.
Meeting Jericho has brought that passion I had for music back and for the first time, I want to get my words and music out there for people to hear. She doesn’t even know how much she’s changed me in this short amount of time.
