Rock the Heart

by Michelle A. Valentine

  He shakes his head. “No. I’m responsible for enough as it is and quite frankly, I’m tired of it.”

  Alarms go off in my brain. Fuck. I don’t like where this conversation is leading. “What do you mean, Tyke? What are you not telling me?”

  Tyke takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m thinking of leaving the band.”

  “WHAT?!” My heart bangs against my ribs. I can’t believe what I’m fucking hearing. “What the fuck do you mean? Wha—I don’t...I mean...Damn it! Why?”

  He frowns. “I’m ready to branch out and do my own thing for a while. I want to be able to perform the music that I write, the exact way I envision it in my mind.”

  I throw my hands up. “You can do that right now. Running off and starting over isn’t the answer.”

  He tilts his head. “It is, Trip. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and this is the perfect time to branch out on my own. I’m not saying I’ll leave the band forever. I just need a break, like the rest of you, only my break from Black Falcon won’t be because of a woman.”

  Every fiber in my body buzzes with emotion, and for the first time in a long while, I feel like crying. “I’m begging you to not do this. It will ruin everything.”

  He places his hand on my shoulder. “It’s all going to work out. You’ll see. Thousands of bass players will line up to fill in for me. You guys won’t even miss a beat.”

  I stare into my brother’s eyes and see the conviction in them. He wants to do this. Who am I to deny him of his new dream? Nothing lasts forever, and I guess even identical twins need their own space.

  I sigh. “When do you plan on telling the others?”

  His lips pull into a tight frown. “I don’t know. It’s going to be soon, though. I think it may be after we record the new album. Don’t say anything. I owe it to them to be the one to tell them.”

  I swallow down the lump building in my throat. “It seems like you’ve already made up your mind.”

  “I think I have. This is something I need to do.”

  “Then you should do it. It’s not like we wouldn’t take you back. You can try a solo gig and then come back after you’ve gotten it out of your system,” I reason.

  “Yeah...” Tyke clears his throat. “We’ll see.”

  Before we can delve any further into the topic, the Mustang pulls down the driveway. Holly liked that car so much I went ahead and bought it for her. You would’ve thought I’d given her the moon with how crazy she went when I’d handed her the title and the keys. It’s an amazing feeling to have someone who appreciates me, so I don’t mind spoiling her in return.

  Holly helps Bill out of the car and waves to Tyke and I. I pull my hand from my pocket and wave at her in return as I think about how, in this moment, I finally feel complete. Too bad things can’t stay like this. A shit storm is brewing, and it’s all going to hit the fucking fan once Tyke breaks the news to our band brothers. Shit’s about to get fucking real.

  Chapter 17

  Between the Raindrops

  Holly

  I glance up from the registration table at the long line of riders here to sign up for the races this weekend. Every inch of the property at Mountain Time Speed Track seems like it has someone on it. Campers, sponsorship tents, scouts, riders, spectators, and our staff span out as far as the eye can see. Thanks to donations from Tyke and the rest of the Black Falcon guys we have been able to staff the two food pavilions, and hire a clean-up crew and experienced track hands. This place hasn’t ever been this busy. If I weren’t bombarded with getting everyone through this line as quick as I can so they can practice on the track, I would cry.

  Screams erupt all around me as my boyfriend makes his way over. Trip shakes his head with a big grin on his face when he catches me staring at him. His black t-shirt clings to his chiseled chest and shows off the definition in his toned body. The tattoos covering his arms may give the impression of bad-boy, but I know now that there’s nothing but a big softy hiding behind that filthy mouth.

  Trip twists the baseball cap on his head backwards and bends down to kiss my cheek. “Hey, beautiful. How are you doing? Do you need me to help you?”

  I shake my head. “The line will take three times as long if you sit here with me. People will line up to see you rather than register. So as much as I would like to take you up on that, I’m going to have to pass.”

  A random female fan yells, “WE LOVE YOU, TRIP!” from the back of the crowd somewhere.

  I give him an I-told-you-so look and he laughs. “Good point. I’ll send Max over to help you out.”

  I smile. “Good idea.”

  He kisses my lips. “I’ll see you in a bit. I’m going to head over to the hotel and catch up with the guys. Tyke texted me a few minutes ago and told me Noel and Riff just made it in with their families.”

  “I’m nervous about meeting them,” I admit.

  He touches my cheek. “They’re going to love you.”

  The crowd starts chanting, “Black Falcon. Black Falcon. Black Falcon.” The noise is deafening.

  “Is it like this for you all the time?” I ask as I shove a finger in my ear.

  He nods. “Always. I’ve got to go, before they jump over this table.”

  “Go!” I shout to him over the crowd.

  I can see he’s reluctant to leave me, but we both know there’s no way in hell he can stay out here and help. I push his arm and shoo him away until he finally turns and pushes his way back through the crowd.

  I purse my lips and let out a long breath. This is some crazy life I’ve gotten myself mixed up in, but being with Trip is worth all the craziness.

  The rest of the day goes on without a hitch. The riders made it through qualifying runs, and moved into the quarterfinals. This event is going better than expected. There are even a few scouts out there checking out the riders in this open class event.

  After all the bikes clear out, and there’s nothing but chatter from the campers, I breathe a sigh of relief.

  We did it.

  “Checking out your success?” Max asks next to me.

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah. It was pretty great.”

  “Agreed,” he says while digging a small scrap of paper out of his pocket. He hands it to me. “Check it out.”

  I snatch the paper from his hand as he waves it in front of my face. “What is this?”

  He chuckles. “Open it and see.”

  I unfold the paper, and a very male script is scrolled onto the paper asking Max to call him and then listing a phone number.

  My eyes widen. “You met someone?”

  Max grins. “I did. He’s nice...and hot. I’m excited.”

  I laugh and hand the paper back to him while he practically glows. “I’m happy for you, Max. Everything is falling into place for you.”

  “And for you,” he adds. “Trip and you are great together. I’m glad you ditched the asshole. Trip is so much better for you.”

  “He is. I love him so much.” I give him a sad smile, not knowing if I can really ever forgive myself for not seeing the signs for how Jackson treated him for so long, but Max finally being in a good place is a start.

  “I checked the county jail’s website. Jackson hasn’t made bail yet, but I’m sure he will. One of these days he’s going to land himself in prison. I can’t wait until we have our day in court and tell the world what a rotten bastard he is,” Max says.

  I take his hand in mine. “And I’ll be right by your side.”

  He smiles. “Thank you, Holl. I’m glad I have a best friend like you.”

  A text message chimes in on my phone.

  Trip: I’m waiting at your house for you. I’m excited you’re meeting my friends.

  I glance down at my track outfit and sigh. Going out tonight is the last thing I want to do, but if it’s that important to Trip, I’ll go.

  Holly: See you in a few.

  “Is that Trip?” Max asks.

>   “Yeah. He wants me to meet the rest of the band tonight, but I don’t know if I feel up to it,” I admit.

  “Trip will understand if you want to wait.” Max hugs me into his side and then clears his throat. “Have you heard from Grace?”

  I stiffen in his arms. “She’s called the house a few times and talked with Dad, but I’m not ready for that yet. I’m glad to hear she’s handling detox well, and she may only have to serve six months of her eighteen month sentence.”

  Max pats my shoulder. “Maybe in time you will.”

  I shrug. “Maybe. She’ll have to prove that she’s changed before I even consider having any kind of relationship with her.”

  He gives me one final squeeze. “Okay, Blondie. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go inside and get some rest.”

  I hug him back. “Will do.”

  Exhausted, I trudge inside the house. Trip is sitting in the living room talking to my Dad, who looks a little better since he started treatment again. The doctors where pretty pissed that he stayed away because of his inability to pay. They lectured him a lot about financial assistance, even though he won’t need it now that Trip is covering his medical bills. I learned a lot when I went to the clinic with him the other day. There are so many false ideas floating around out there about HIV. The main thing I learned is that with correct medical care, Dad can live a long life, and that’s exactly what I’m hoping for.

  Trip glances up at me as I lean against the entryway into the living room. “You look beat.”

  I run my fingers through my hair. “I am.”

  Trip pushes himself up off the couch and comes to stand in front of me. He takes my hand in his. “We don’t have to go to the hotel tonight. They’ll all be here with their buses tomorrow. You can meet the other guys then.”

  Relieved, I smile. Meeting a bunch of rock stars and their beautiful wives isn’t something I’m up for right now. “That sounds good. All I really want to do is take a hot shower and go to bed.”

  Trip wiggles his eyebrows. “Great idea.”

  I laugh as I push away from him, not wanting my dad to witness mine and Trip’s public show of affection. “Good night, Dad.”

  “Night, honey. Great job today,” he calls as I make my way upstairs with Trip in tow.

  A few moments later, after Trip allows me to untangle myself from his arms, I step into a stream of hot water. I close my eyes and duck my head under the water, washing away the sweat and grime of the hectic day. My muscles ache from moving and carrying things all day long. It was constant today.

  The shower curtain slides open and Trip stands there, wearing nothing but a wicked grin. “Mind if I join you?”

  I laugh. “How can I turn down that proposal?”

  He steps inside the shower with me and dips his head, allowing the water to flow through his hair. The water slides down his body and my first thought is lucky water.

  I chuckle to myself for being jealous.

  Trip cocks his head to the side. “What are you laughing about?”

  I shake my head, still amused. “Nothing.”

  Trip leans in and presses my back against the tiled wall. “I think I’m just going to have to make you tell me.”

  I tilt my head up to stare into his hooded eyes. “How do you plan on doing that?”

  He traces a finger down the center of my stomach all the way down to my pussy, where he slides it against the folds. I bite my lip as he toys with me, turning me on like only he can.

  Trip presses his forehead to mine and licks his lips. “Like this,” he whispers against my mouth.

  The moment his finger rubs against my clit, I moan, “Trip.”

  “I fucking love the way you say my name.” His tongue darts out and he traces my lower lip with it. “Say it again.”

  He rubs in a circular motion and my hands reach up, finding their way into his thick, black hair. I cling to him as I say his name again.

  “Jesus,” he murmurs before crushing his mouth against mine.

  I’ll never get tired of this, and I know it’s crazy, but I can’t imagine my world without him in it now. He’s quickly becoming everything to me, and I can’t wait to see where this relationship leads. Trip is right. We are perfection.

  The Arizona heat beats down on us. It’s ridiculously hot for an October day, but I’m not complaining. I would rather have the sunshine versus rain, which we get very little of. All of the riders that made it into the semi-finals are out on the track, preparing for their run, praying they’ll make it to the finals where the bulk of the prize money lies in wait for the winners.

  “Looks like it’s going to be a kickass day for the heats,” Trip says while surveying the tack beside me. “I don’t think things could have gone better.”

  “I agree,” I say, feeling completely accomplished, taking in the fact that Trip and I planned and pulled this huge event off together in less than two weeks. “We make an amazing team.”

  He reaches down and threads my fingers through his, before bringing my knuckles up to his lips. “That we do.”

  Black Falcon’s tour buses pull into the gravel lot not far from my house and I let out a nervous sigh.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Trip says.

  I stare down at the simple t-shirt and jean shorts I’m wearing and envision the women on the bus looking much more glamorous than me. I’m not even in the same league. “Maybe I should change.”

  He furrows his brow. “Why? You look great.”

  Trip tugs on my hand and I freeze. “What if they hate me?”

  He turns and wraps me in his arms. “Everyone on those buses will adore you, just like I do. You don’t have anything to worry about. I promise.”

  I take a deep breath and stare at the buses. “Here goes nothing.”

  He laughs and leads me to the bus. Each step I take, my hands grow a little clammier. The fear of the unknown always gets to me. I’ve never have liked being in the spotlight or being judged and meeting a group of new people feels no different. All of them will be checking to see if I’m good enough for Trip, measuring me up against some standard I’m not likely to meet.

  After a couple swift knocks on the door, Tyke opens with a grin. “Hey, lovebirds. Come on in. The others want to meet you.”

  “Great,” I say and Trip gives my hand a little reassuring squeeze.

  The second we’re at the top of the steps, all eyes fall on me. I swallow hard, while Trip wears a smile so big it practically takes up his entire face. “Guys, this is Holly Pearson. Holly, this is everyone.”

  I stand there frozen for a moment, and then force myself to wave. “Hi.”

  A tall, slender brunette holding an infant in her arms is the first one to make a move. She places the baby’s bottle on the counter and walks over to me. She smiles and extends her arm. “Hi, Holly. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Lanie Falcon, Noel’s wife.” She motions to the very attractive man that was standing next to her. Like Trip, this guy is covered in tattoos and wears a beard.

  I take her hand into mine and shake it, returning her smile with one of my own. I like her. She seems down to earth. The baby in her arms, wrapped in a soft blue blanket, squirms.

  I smile down at the precious little thing. “He’s beautiful.”

  Lanie’s pretty face instantly brightens at the mention of the baby. “Thank you. He looks so much like his father.” She laughs. “One of these days I have the feeling I’ll be beating off the ladies with a big stick.”

  The beautiful redheaded woman sitting on the couch next to another hot guy with a crazy-looking Mohawk says, “More like a big club, Lanie.”

  The two men and women laugh along with Trip and Tyke. If the women are as crazy over the rest of these guys as they are over Trip, I would have to agree with the club theory.

  Trip points to the second couple. “That’s Aubrey and Riff. He’s our lead guitarist.”

  Riff raises his hand and waves just as a second baby begins to cry from somewhere in the back. The tatted rocke
r grins and kisses Aubrey’s cheek. “And that would be our daughter, Hailey. She gets cranky when the bus stops.”

  My eyes flit around the bus. Walking onto a bus with couples and babies isn’t exactly the rock star image I had floating around in my mind.

  There must be an odd expression on my face, because Trip asks, “Something wrong?”

  “No,” I answer, shaking myself out of the thought. “I guess this isn’t exactly what I expected.”

  He chuckles and winks at me. “Yeah. We’re a rowdy bunch of rockers on this bus.”

  Tyke opens the refrigerator door. “Do you want something to drink, Holly?”

  “Sure. Do you have a bottle of water?” I ask.

  Lanie and Aubrey look at each other knowingly and smile, before Lanie says, “I think Holly is going to fit in just fine around here. If she’d asked for a beer, she wouldn’t have been the girl for you, Trip.”

  “Like I’d let the two of you decide that for me,” Trip says with an amused tone.

  “You’re like a brother to us,” Aubrey says. “We’ll always watch out for you. We want to see you settle down with a nice girl—not one of those party-girls.”

  “Don’t worry.” Trip throws his arm around my shoulders. “My girl here isn’t even a fan of our music.”

  I smack his stomach. “Shush, Trip!”

  “What?” He laughs while his eyes twinkle. “That will earn you points with these two.”

  “That’s true,” Lanie confirms.

  I shrug. “I’ve only ever heard one song.”

  “Which one?” Aubrey asks.

  I grimace. “Ball Busting Bitch.”

  Another round of laughter fills the bus as Noel begins shaking his head. “I’m never going to live that one down, am I?”

  Lanie shakes her head and kisses his lips. “Afraid not.”

  “What’s so funny about that song?” I whisper to Trip.

  “It’s actually funnier to hear Noel explain it,” Trip replies.

  “Yeah, Noel. Why don’t you tell Holly about how you love to dedicate that song?” Riff says with a snicker as he returns, rocking a baby in a little pink blanket in his arms.