Altered Chords

by Kristen Echo

  ALTERED CHORDS

  UNTAMED ROCKSTAR SERIES

  BOOK 0.5

  Kristen Echo

  ALTERED CHORDS

  Untamed Rockstar Series Book 0.5

  Copyright © 2018 by Kristen Echo and Kristen Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the above copyright owner of this book or publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Website: https://www.echoromance.com

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkristenecho/

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-7753433-2-5

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  AUTHOR NOTE

  SNEAK PEEK

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  Bria ♥

  T his was a mistake. The entire trip was one huge mistake, but she couldn’t leave. The first time she’d been out of the house in weeks and the lies were piling up. Bria stomped her foot on the gas, questioning her ability to survive a weekend away with her friends. She could only handle these women in small doses. Very small doses.

  “Stop rolling your eyes and listen to me. Bria, when we get to the hotel I need an hour to freshen up,” Tatianna said as she bent down to adjust the strap on her pumps.

  Bria wanted to reach back and smack her friend. They had been late leaving the city because Tat needed extra time to get ready. Her makeup, her hair, and her outfit were all perfect.

  She didn’t bother trying to hide the irritation in her voice. Her recent self-imposed isolation had strained their relationship. Her friends asked too many questions and Bria hated lying. So, she’d distanced herself. Only a few more days and it would all be over. She crossed her fingers that things went in her favor.

  Kelly laughed, throwing her thick mane of black curls back. “This isn’t a race to see how fast we get there. Slow down. Not all of us enjoy going at warp speed.” Her hands were against the dash and her big brown eyes locked on the street. Bria followed her gaze. Nothing but traffic and mountains in the backdrop. “Besides, I thought we were shopping when we arrived. When should we be there?”

  Any other day, she would have been the first one in the stores, but Bria wasn’t in the mood for shopping. Her credit cards were all frozen, and she couldn’t explain that to her friends. She was lucky her father agreed to pay for this trip, otherwise, she would have been stuck on his estate for another weekend. She refused to lose another day because of her ex.

  “Instead of shopping, why don’t we take a short hike around Banff? I haven’t been here in years.”

  Kelly pulled out a map from her purse. “The shops are that way.” She pointed towards the Cascade mountain range, the opposite direction to the town.

  “Town is the other way, Kell. Why don’t we split up and do our own thing? I’ll go hiking while you two go shopping. We can meet back up for dinner,” she said, twisting her fingers together. She’d come on this trip because she didn’t want to be alone any longer. She’d missed spending time with the girls, but keeping secrets was harder than she thought.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” Kelly leaned over and wrapped her thin arm around Bria’s shoulders.

  The summer heat made her skin clammy. The air conditioning in the car was on full blast, but she still felt hot.

  “No more moping. You spent the entire summer licking your broken heart and refusing to see any of us. It’s time to breathe in the fresh air and live again. Maybe even meet someone new.” Kelly’s voice was hopeful, and Bria smiled back at her.

  “I highly doubt you’ll ever meet anyone as perfect for you as Klein, but you should at least try to make him jealous. Pining over him and ignoring all of us obviously didn’t work,” Tatianna added. “Both of you have been MIA all summer. I hate what your breakup has done to our circle of friends.”

  Bria hated it too. She hated even more that she couldn’t tell them the reason for the breakup. They still thought Klein Burges walked on water. Not that long ago, she’d believed the same thing.

  It would break their hearts to learn he was a lying, cheating, crooked businessman who’d stolen millions. The investigation into his family business was being kept under wraps, but the allegations were true. She was a prime witness for the prosecutor’s office because he’d swindled over seventeen million from her bank accounts. Unfortunately, the nondisclosure agreement prevented her from discussing the active case.

  “He’s not perfect. No man is perfect,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “You’ll get your chance to make him jealous this weekend and hopefully he’ll come to his senses and take you back.” Tatianna’s love for Bria’s ex-boyfriend came shining through. The statement grated on her already frayed nerves. Her friends wanted to see her happy, and they thought that meant getting back together with the asshole of the century.

  “I don’t want him back.” Her words fell on deaf ears. They didn’t believe her.

  Klein was a catch, and he only had eyes for Bria from the moment they all met. His laser focus and charm had won her heart quickly. She’d been known to wear her heart on her sleeve, but she’d fallen head over heels within seconds. He was stunning, from his perfectly coifed golden hair down to his polished Oxfords. She’d been so flattered when he’d asked her out. She wished she could go back and see through all the lies.

  “Whatever you say,” Kelly added, sitting back in her seat, and returning her hands to the dashboard.

  “Why would I want to make him jealous? I swear, I don’t want to get back with him. If I never see his face again, it will suit me just fine.” She pounded the steering wheel, wishing it was his face. The horn sounded, and pain exploded through her fist. She deserved that.

  Kelly squeezed her leg. “You two dated for a long time. Three years isn’t something you want to throw away.”

  Bria wasn’t the one who tossed it aside. “Three years too long,” she mumbled.

  Once her parents told her about the missing money, she’d wondered if Klein had been using her all along. He’d nearly emptied her accounts. The investigation had revealed so many disgusting facts. It left her with so many questions. She wanted answers, but she wasn’t allowed to ask. The not knowing was paralyzing. The fact the man she planned to spend eternity with had used her was devastating. Their entire relationship had been nothing but a bed of lies. Her friends could never understand her pain.

  “It’s not often you meet someone as devoted as Klein. He’s lost without you, Bria.” Kelly shifted her weight. “He was so devastated you stopped returning his calls. The poor man won’t talk to any of us anymore. He doesn’t want us to have to pick sides.”

  “There’s a reason for that.” Bria refused to say more and chewed her lip. She’d been so close to spilling the beans about him. It was eating her up inside. Even more when they sang his praises.

  “You need to get laid,” Kelly stated casually, causing Bria’s eyebrows
to shoot higher than the mountain tops. “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. Having sex with a stranger will remind you how great your relationship was and make you fight to get him back.”

  Tatianna leaned in closer to the pair. “Think about it, Bria.”

  She laughed at their suggestion. “Wait. Is that why we’re here? You brought me to the hookup capital of Canada, so I would get lucky? Ladies, you are both too much.” Her heart swelled, and she found it difficult to take a full breath. She glanced over at her friends and smiled.

  These ladies were the best. She loved them so much. They might be a pain in her ass, but they were awesome friends. And they were right. She needed to get laid and forget all about Klein Asshole-Burges. Too bad her confidence level was at zero. She’d never had a fling or hooked up with a stranger. She wouldn’t even know how to approach that situation.

  Her dating history was limited. She’d had two relationships. Both men had been with her for her bank account and nothing more. That was a bitter pill to swallow.

  Tatianna smiled wickedly. “Sex is exactly what you need. Except, unlike Kelly, I think it will help you move on. Let go on Klein. He might be powerful and connected, but you can, and will, find happiness again.”

  Bria wished she wasn’t driving, so she could hug her friends tight. “You two are amazing! I might hate you both sometimes, but your hearts are in the right place. Thank you for planning this trip. I needed this before school starts in a week. I know he’ll pop up, and I’m not ready to see him again.”

  Kelly clapped her hands. “Woot! It’s settled, you’re getting laid this weekend. This will be fun. I can’t wait to find you a man.”

  “You ladies have absolutely no say.” Bria smiled at the prospect of meeting someone new. Their suggestion had taken her by surprise and she’d missed the signs. Her gaze landed on the exit too late. They were in the wrong lane with no way to make it. “Shit. I missed the first turn.”

  “There’s another one up ahead. I think. What do you mean we have no say? I have fabulous taste in men.”

  Bria looked in the rearview in time to catch Tatianna tossing her long auburn hair over her shoulder. “Tat, don’t take this the wrong way, but your taste sucks. You love Klein. Every man you date is his clone. If they don’t own a tailored suit, you look the other way. Someone who looks like that is the opposite of what I want. If I’m going to do this, then I need someone totally random. A man I’ll never see again. Someone who only wants sex and has no idea who my family is.”

  Sex and nothing more; that sounded good in theory. Except, she had no idea how to disassociate feelings from intimacy, but she could try. If it would help her smile again, she owed it to herself to do this. The idea alone had her smiling from ear to ear.

  Her friends laughed. “We’re not in Calgary anymore, so it’s unlikely you’ll meet someone from the city. There are travelers here from all over the world. Whoever you pick, make sure he’s hot.”

  She pondered her friend’s suggestion and Bria knew exactly the type of man she was looking for. A smoking hot bad boy who didn’t pretend to be a good guy. He’d be tough and masculine. She wanted a man who’d make her come so hard she’d forget all about her ex. She chuckled, thinking about the impossible list she’d formed in her head.

  Yeah, the perfect alpha male wouldn’t be hard to find at all.

  For some reason, a man with dark hair, dark eyes, and tattoos popped into her head. She had no idea why that image took shape. It was the opposite of the men she’d typically been attracted to. Bria usually gravitated towards preppy, boy next door kind of men. But there was nothing usual about the imaginary man in her thoughts. The image gave her shivers.

  “Look at those guys pulled over there. Vulgar,” Tatianna exclaimed.

  Bria looked over and saw two men standing on the side of the highway talking. They were facing each other, and her pulse raced. The taller of the two looked exactly like the man she’d just conjured. His thick arms were bare and covered in ink. She’d wished they were closer, so she could get a better look. “I wouldn’t call them gross.”

  “I’m fairly certain he’s using the highway as his bathroom. Those are not the kind of men you want to associate with.”

  “Disgusting trolls aside. There is no if, my dear Bria. You are going to hook up with a man this weekend. Let’s go shopping and buy the perfect outfit for seduction. My treat.” Tatianna had an eye for fashion. She was studying to become a fashion designer.

  Bria trusted her friend to hide her curves, emphasize her assets, and make her look beautiful. It also helped that she offered to pay. She couldn’t say no and nodded, accepting their offer.

  “We have a plan. Let’s do this!” Kelly jumped up and down in her seat like a kid on Christmas morning.

  Now they’d put this idea in her head, she felt ready to tackle the world. More importantly, she was ready to tackle some mystery man to the ground and ride him. Her knees clenched together. It had been months since she’d been with a man. She traced her fingers over her lips.

  Bria exhaled, trying to lose the impure thoughts running around in her brain. She hadn’t been this excited since… all the recent memories were tainted by Klein. She hated that he’d controlled every moment of her adult life thus far. Even after the breakup she’d been forced to hide away. That was all about to change.

  It had been a very long time since she’d done something risky. Adding bright red to her naturally white-blonde hair was about the extent of her daringness.

  “Once we get into town, go back down the other street like we’re leaving again. I’m positive there’s a perfect shop in one of the resorts.”

  The excitement grew in her belly. “Okay, let’s shop, drink, then find a bar to meet this man. I have a feeling this will be a wild and crazy night.”

  The more she thought about this the more she embraced the idea. She was so horny she was liable to grab the first guy that walked by and kiss him. Luckily, she had some restraint. Not much, but the little she had would not last long. She was done living on the sidelines. It was time to play.

  To hell with her broken heart.

  To hell with asshole ex-boyfriends.

  This would be a weekend she’d never forget.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Tyson ♫

  T he crisp mountain air reminded Tyson of new beginnings. It also made him slightly lightheaded. He inhaled a big gulp of fresh summer sunshine and coughed. Must be the altitude he laughed as he clutched his chest, letting all the toxins escape.

  Months of partying was taking its toll. After spending hours huffing exhaust fumes, he was glad for a break. Even if it was an unintended stop. He blamed the extra three cups of coffee for this latest stop.

  “I can’t believe you missed the exit.” Nathan leaned on the van. His deep rasp cut over the loud music billowing from inside.

  Tyson hadn’t bothered turning down the tunes when he’d pulled over. The guys hadn’t even stirred. “We can take the next one. Banff will still be there in five minutes,” he yelled back between coughing fits. He had to give up smoking soon, but not today. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his vaporizer. Two pulls later and a cloud of smoke surrounded him. The coughing subsided. “I wasn’t the only one who had to take a piss. We’ll be back on the road in a sec.”

  This was the final leg of the Canadian summer tour. In a few days they were heading home. Tyson should have been happy, but he wasn’t ready for the adventure to finish. He didn’t want to face the shit storm waiting for him. Glancing through the door Nathan slid open, the other guys were still passed out cold from a night of debauchery. He smiled. Being the roadie for Altered Chords was the best decision he’d ever made. It paid fuck all, but it had been a perfect escape.

  After two long months on the road, they’d weathered their share of ups and downs and survived. He had no idea what the hell he was going to do once he returned to Winnipeg. Nathan, Brody, Grant, Peter, and Darryl were like brothers. The band was h
is family. Better than the bullshit blood relatives he had.

  “You should lay off that shit. Your lungs will thank you,” Nathan said, his boots digging into the gravel shoulder where he’d parked the van. The lead vocalist stretched and groaned. His pretty face creased from the sweater he’d balled up and used as a pillow.

  “Maybe I’ll quit once we’re done the tour,” he lied. He had no intention of giving up his vape. It’s what calmed him when shit got heavy.

  Nathan scratched his balls and undid his zipper. “Once we get to town, I call dibs on the shower. Remind me if we got a room with this one?” He sniffed himself and winced, making Tyson chuckle.

  Only half the venues they’d played offered the band a room as part of the contract. This next gig didn’t. When there wasn’t a room provided the guys found other places to stay since there was no room in the van for them all. The guys never had a shortage of ladies offering beds for the night. Over sixty days on the road and they’d never lacked for a bed. Tyson had slept most nights in the van.

  “No room tonight. You’ll have to find groupie loving,” he answered, looking at the van while Nathan pissed on the tire.

  Peter stepped out with his hair disheveled, running a hand through his golden locks trying to fix it. “Let’s rent a room somewhere so this animal can clean up.” He pushed Nathan, who stumbled forward a few steps. “You fucking stink. I almost felt bad for the chicks you fucked last night.”

  “Don’t be a hater because you’re striking out.” Nathan turned and tackled the rhythm guitarist. Pete hit the ground with a thud. They rolled around, ending with Nathan’s armpit in Pete’s face.

  “Get the fuck off me you smelly bastard.”

  Nathan stood first, his cock still flapping loosely in the breeze. “You’d suck my cock and lick my balls right now if I let you.”