by Holly Hood
“I always thought you were more popular in school,” I said. “Everyone always wanted to hang out with you.”
“Where is this coming from?”
I sighed, blowing out a breath. “These are my insecurities rearing their ugly heads right now I suppose.”
“Well get over it. High school is over. We have bigger problems,” Karsen said. “Like groupies thinking they can hang all over our men.”
She always thought about the stupidest things at the wrong moments. “Are you really going to be jealous? Kidd loves you more than life.”
Karsen shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I like seeing girls put their hands on him. He’s mine. I don’t like sharing my shoes let alone my boyfriend. And if this band gets bigger I can imagine how much worse everything is going to get.”
I didn’t realize Karsen was so insecure about Kidd’s career. Maybe I was too busy worrying about Kenny and what he could do to all of us. I needed to act like a friend.
I touched her arm. “Karsen, no matter what Kidd will only have eyes for you.”
She was quiet. The music died down and then cranked right back up again. “Do you ever feel like something is wrong? But you don’t know what it is?”
“All the time,” I said without hesitation. I leaned into her, she wrapped an arm around me. “But we got this far, how much worse could anything get?”
Kidd and Slade came in the door.
“Yeah, how much worse?” Kidd teased, grabbing his prize—Karsen. She was more than a prize she was his everything. And it was so sweet.
Karsen brushed his bottom lip with her thumb staring into his eyes. “I’m being silly.”
“You’re right.” He kissed her on the lips. “Everything is going to be fine. And if anyone even looks at me I will be sure to remind the world there is only one girl I love.” He slapped her on the ass. “And that’s you, sex kitten.”
I laughed, watching Slade standing in the doorway. He gave a small smile and approached. “You’re not dressed.”
I looked down at my shorts and t-shirt. “Are you saying you don’t like my outfit?”
“I like you in anything you wear,” he said. “But tonight I want you in black and front and center.”
I nodded. “And you promise it’s not too revealing?”
Karsen pried her lips from Kidd’s to offer a reply. “Your boyfriend is about to sing in front of some big names tonight. His band, along with my fiancé might become the next big thing. If he asked you to come naked you should.”
Everyone laughed except for me. I still had other things weighing on my mind. Slade grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Nothing is going to happen tonight. They’re backing off. I think the talk you had with Eve helped out a lot.”
I held my breath, I wasn’t so confident. “It’s out of their control.”
“That’s right. Because it’s in ours.” He kissed me. His kiss was demanding and urgent. His hands found my behind and he squeezed. “Get dressed, we have less than an hour.”
***
I had the sneaking suspicion the guy behind me had a nice view of my ass cheeks. Because you couldn’t wear regular underwear with a dress like the one I had on.
I sipped my coke and tapped my fingers against the glass watching them tune their instruments from my seat at the pub table. I had front row. And the place was packed, more than ever before.
“That’s them,” Karsen shouted over the roar of the crowd. Between all the talking and the guitars strumming it was hard to hear anything.
My eyes moved from the big bouncer standing outside of the exit to the scantily clad waitress weaving around the tables. An older guy sat at one of the tables in a dark suit. He didn’t fit in and it was obvious he was the man who could make Evil Kings dreams come true.
“Who’s the lady?” I asked taking in the mid-thirties red head. She was twirling her tongue around her straw like she was about to do bad things to it right in front of the entire club.
“His partner,” Karsen announced. “That’s what Kidd told me.”
Only days ago Slade let me know about their chance at bigger things. He said he didn’t want to get his hopes up so he kept it to himself. The entire band kept it to themselves.
I was happy for him because I knew he wanted it more than anything. I had never seen someone so passionate than him and Kidd.
The lights died down and a quick hush fell over the crowd. The stage filled with smoke.
“How’s everybody feeling out there?” Slade asked gripping the mic. A few girls screamed and shouted some vulgar things at him. I bit my lip and held it together.
“This first song I have been working on for a while,” he told the audience.
I looked at Karsen. “What is he talking about?”
Karsen shrugged, trying to convince me with a smile she didn’t have any idea what I was talking about. Slade hadn’t told me anything about new material.
“I call this one, kickstart.” The guitars kicked up and a slow sad melody flooded my ears.
She’s nothing close to ordinary
The kind of girl you could marry
She kick starts the feelings in my heart,
Emotions flowing, never knowing,
So many things, I want to say
She’s the girl I want in my bed
She’s the girl crashing in my head
I touch her lips, her fingertips
She’s stolen me away
Away from sanity
Away from all of me
Crash down
And save my soul
Tonight’s the night, she kick starts my heart
Never be apart;
Never go away
Always here to stay
Kickstart my heart
The crowd went wild. People were on their feet. Hooting and swearing. Karsen shook me. “I almost told you before we got here!”
I kept my eyes on Slade. He dropped down from the stage pushing through the throng of girls and muscle to get to me. Before I could thank him for doing the most romantic thing someone could ever do for me his lips were pressed into mine. I gripped his bicep struggling to stay on my feet.
I wanted him bad. He was my rockstar, nobody elses. And every moment he was near me proved it more and more. He pulled me against him, his hand in my hair. “So what did you think?”
What did I think? I was blown away and I was pretty sure any response I gave wasn’t going to come close to the tingling sensation on the inside.
I tugged him to me planting my lips on his again. Sometimes it was better not to say anything. Kidd yelled for him to get back on stage. He ran his nose against mine before he pulled away.
My heart fluttered in my chest when he climbed the stage, took the mic and smiled at me and only me.
“That was amazing,” Karsen said.
I nodded in agreement, shaking my head. I couldn’t find the words to explain how it felt.
Karsen jumped down from her stool. “Let’s get you something to drink.”
I looked down at my half empty glass. “Okay.”
“That might have been one of the sweetest things he has ever done for you,” Karsen said once we had our drinks in our hands. “Let’s get some air. I’m suddenly feeling claustrophobic.”
We held hands and squeezed through the crowd to the exit. “Move out of the way asshole,” Karsen said, bringing me back to reality.
My glass slipped from my hand crashing at my feet. I yanked her backwards right into Kenny. He was behind me now.
“As you can see we have a problem,” he said in my ear making sure I could hear every agonizing word. “I think your boyfriend will want to see this.”
He pushed Karsen and I back through the crowd his hands on both of us so we couldn’t take off. Karsen twisted and squirmed trying to get his hands off of her.
“Let me go, I don’t plan on going anywhere.” She pulled again and he did. “What is going on?”
Kenny pulled up a stool
and sat down, and forced me down beside him. The guys were busy playing. I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before Slade spotted Kenny in the crowd.
And when he did the microphone crashed to the ground. Kenny stood up ready for action. He pressed a hand into Slade’s chest stopping him from attacking. “Before you go laying your hands on me I want you to take a look over there.” He was referring to the exit, where Carlo stood overshadowing the bouncer.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Slade asked. His jaw tensed as he laid eyes on me. He knew what I was thinking.
“He’s here for a guarantee,” Kenny said. “Let’s step outside.”
We all moved through the crowd, the entire band. Oz did his best to assure the club owner they would be back to play a couple more songs.
It was chilly outside. I stayed close to Karsen.
She grabbed my hand squeezing it tight, like she did when we were younger when I was upset.
Carlo rolled his neck looking at all of us. He was huge. “I came here for one thing. As long as I get what I am after everything will be fine.”
“Slade,” I said. But he wouldn’t look at me. He probably hadn’t even heard me. I hadn’t even heard me.
“Do you want to fill me in on what the hell is going on?” Slade asked Kenny.
Kidd and Oz stayed by Slade’s side.
“My father wants a guarantee he is safe. That nothing is going to happen to him,” Kenny said. “In order for him to feel that way he wants Hope’s dad.”
All the air left my lungs. My chin started to tremble.
“That’s not going to happen,” Slade said.
Kenny sighed, looking down at the ground he shook his head. “Did you forget the part about my father?”
“I don’t give a shit about your father.” He stepped closer. “I did what you wanted me to do. I’m not going to hand over her dad. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Is that your final answer?” Kenny asked.
“Are you forgetting who we are?” Kidd spoke up. He was trying to help out. I wasn’t sure how much it was helping though.
Carlo stepped forward closing the space between him and Kidd. “Oh I know who you all are. You practice magic, cast spells, it’s beneath me. I’m much more than magic.”
Karsen screamed when Carlo grabbed a hold of Kidd. Kidd grabbed him holding onto the arm squeezing the life out of him.
I grabbed Karsen. I didn’t want to see her hurt.
“Stop it,” I begged him. I pleaded with Slade and Oz and anyone who would hear me. But nobody could do anything. He was more than any of us.
He looked at all of us, his hands still around Kidd’s neck. “Do you want to test me still?” He let go dropping Kidd on the ground and moved over him.
Karsen sobbed.
“Hope take her home,” Slade told me.
Carlo shook his head. “Oh no. I want you all to watch what I am capable of.” He pressed down on Kidd’s chest. “This girl is in love with this man. Here, darling. Have his heart.”
Karsen’s screams deafened my ears. I covered my eyes when I saw blood. I couldn’t breathe, I could see and I couldn’t think.
I dropped down and buried my head against my legs. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
I wasn’t sure if it was real.
I pressed my fist against the side of my head and screamed forcing myself to breathe. But before I knew what happened everything went away.
Faded into nothing.
Silence
I batted one of the decorative pillows pressed against my face and opened my eyes. Everything was silent. My bed springs screeched when I rolled to my side to find Slade.
He wasn’t sleeping, he was pressed against my wall covered in blood, his knees drawn up.
And everything came crashing back into my mind. I started to cry, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Where’s Karsen?”
He shook his head, running a hand down his face to wake himself up maybe. “She’s out in the living room passed out on your couch.”
I didn’t want to ask.
Slade pulled me against him and let me cry. He cried to, his sobs shook my body. And it made me sick.
“Is he gone?” The words didn’t sound real. But they were mine and they were coming out of my mouth.
Slade squeezed me tighter and forced the words I didn’t want to hear and he didn’t want to say out of his mouth. “He wanted to prove his point. And he used Kidd to do it.”
My chest ached. My throat hurt and tiny black spots were starting to mess with my eyes. “I have to see if she’s alright.”
Slade stopped me. “She’s asleep. Just let her sleep. There’s nothing you can say or do to make her feel better. She lost someone very important to her.”
“So did you.” I wrapped my arms around him.
“Yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “And I feel numb. I don’t know what to think. Or what to do.”
“Slade I’m so sorry.” I wiped the tears. I needed to be there for Slade not a big mess of emotions. “Maybe we should have agreed.”
“There is nothing to apologize for. You didn’t do this,” he said.
I crossed the room. “Did you see my dad?”
“His car was gone when we got here,” he told me.
I watched Slade from across the room, sadness written all over him. He stared at his hands.
I couldn’t believe what happened. It was a horrible nightmare I couldn’t wrap my brain around. I wasn’t sure if I was just traumatized or I really didn’t remember.
Or maybe it didn’t happen and I woke up from a bad nightmare. One more look in Slade’s direction told me it wasn’t a nightmare. It was real.
“You need to clean up.” I took his shirt off and dropped it on my floor. “Come on. We can take a shower.”
He didn’t argue with me. He followed me down the hall to my bathroom. I locked the door once we were in and grabbed two towels out of the cabinet.
Slade stared at himself in the mirror, his eyes were dull. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him. “Everything is not okay, but I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
His chin trembled. He squeezed my arm and sighed.
I managed to get him out of the rest of his clothes and turn the water on. I made sure it wasn’t too hot, although I wasn’t quite sure he would even notice.
For once, the sight of him didn’t stir up familiar pangs of lust in my stomach. All I wanted was for him to feel better and to take his pain away.
