“Daddy!” Tessa gave her father an open-mouthed smile. “I’m 21.”
His jaw went slack, and he stared at her for a moment. “Are you sure? It feels like it was yesterday that I taught you how to drive. Do you remember that? You clipped the entry gate with my Maserati.”
Tessa’s hands flew to her lips. “I broke the headlight and you weren’t even mad.”
Tommy shrugged and smiled at his daughter with warmth and love projecting from his eyes – eyes that looked like exact replicas of Lucas’. “As if I could withstand those doe eyes.” Tommy handed the sketch pad back to Jessi and several pages flipped open. “Are those more designs?”
“Yes,” Jessi answered. “I made some designs for Sindy.”
“You did?” Sindy didn’t know what to say. She had lusted after this woman’s designs for years, but she could never afford anything that had Jessi Blade’s name on it. “Um. Thank you.”
Tessa read the worried thoughts inside Sindy’s head and whispered, “Don’t worry. My mom isn’t going to charge you.”
Sindy wouldn’t hear of it. This family had done too much for her already. “No. I’ll pay for them.”
“Let her do it.”
Sindy gave a slight shake of her head. She wouldn’t take advantage of the generosity in this household, but, she didn’t want to make a scene so she kept quiet. She’d deal with it later.
“We’ll go over the designs tomorrow,” Tessa told her mother. “I want to introduce Sindy to Alyssa and Damien. She hasn’t met them yet.”
Sindy’s breath caught, and she started to shake. Damien Diamond, Immortal Angel’s hardcore bassist, was here and she was finally going to meet him.
Tessa looped her arm through Sindy’s. “You’re gonna love Alyssa. She’s a total badass.”
“Don’t let her pierce anything!” Jessi called after them.
“What?” Sindy asked with a laugh, turning her head toward Jessi then to her friend for clarification.
“Alyssa’s a piercer. She pierced my nipples when I turned 18. My mom freaked when she found out, but I reminded her that she had a tongue piercing. I asked her if anything else was pierced that I didn’t know about, and that quieted her down real fast.”
When Sindy entered the living room, her gaze went straight to Lucas, who stood with his elbow leaning on the fireplace mantel enjoying a beer with Mason. He spotted her right away, but he was playing it cool, only tipping his chin at her while he continued his dialogue with Mason. But she saw the spark that lit up his eyes the moment he saw her, the way the corners of his mouth curled up, and the way he remained focused on her even though he was engaged in conversation.
Sindy’s pulse quickened, but she forced herself not to react. A lighthearted giggle drew her attention to a little boy on the other side of the room. He stood next to an elderly woman in a wheelchair with a pink blanket over her lap. Sindy looked closer. It was a Burberry blanket, and the woman’s nails were painted a matching color. She even wore a little makeup, and her stark white hair was pulled into a stylish loose bun. She was obviously well loved and taken care of. The boy was showing her his iPad. Mason’s parents stood with them, also looking down at the iPad. They suddenly let out a cheer, and Sindy realized the woman was playing a game on the iPad with the boy. “Is that Mason’s little brother?”
“Yep. That’s Michael. And Aunt Mary. She’s Mason’s aunt, but we all call her Aunt Mary.”
Sindy studied the woman and the way she delighted in playing with Mason’s little brother. Her arthritic fingers barely had the mobility to uncurl as she tapped on the screen. Neon colors reflected off her eyeglasses, while deep wrinkles fanned from the corners of her eyes as she smiled. Sindy couldn’t tell which one of them was having more fun, Mason’s little brother or his aunt. Watching them together was really sweet, especially with the vast age difference. “I take it she’s Jimmy or Audra’s aunt, and not one of their sisters, right?”
“No. She’s Mason’s aunt.”
Confused, Sindy tilted her head and turned to look at Tessa for an explanation.
Tessa paused, as if debating on whether or not to elaborate. “Jimmy is Mason’s father, but Audra is his step-mom. Mason’s birth mother left him with Jimmy when he was a toddler and took off, so Audra is the only mother he’s ever known. When Mason came to live with Jimmy, Aunt Mary came with him. Actually, I’m pretty sure she’s his great aunt.” Tessa smiled affectionately at the woman. “We all love Aunt Mary. She’s the best. Come on. I’ll introduce you.”
Tessa knelt next to Aunt Mary and took her hand. “Are you OK, Aunt Mary? Do you need anything?”
“You could give me some pointers on how to play Michael’s video games. That boy beats me every time.” The woman patted Tessa’s cheek. “I’m fine, dear. Who’s your friend?”
“This is Sindy.” Tessa stood up and stepped aside so she didn’t block Aunt Mary’s view, but never let go of the woman’s hand. “Sindy, this is Aunt Mary. She helped raise all of us.”
“Hi.” Sindy smiled at the woman. “It’s nice to meet you, Aunt Mary.”
“Hello, dear. Oh, you’re the new guitar player. I remember now. My Mason told me all about you. Welcome to our family.”
“Hiya, Sindy! I’m Michael,” the little boy happily blurted out.
He was adorable, and had the signature Wilder dimples. “Hello, Michael. I hear you’re Mason’s little brother. How old are you?”
“Nine.” He waved. “Bye. I’m gonna go play my game now.” He plopped down on one of the overstuffed chairs and buried his face in his iPad.
“Sorry about that,” Audra said, smiling at her son. “He’s so involved with electronics.”
“You should see him work the mixing console,” Jimmy said proudly. “That kid can layer sound and put a song together just as good as Mason.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Sindy spotted Alyssa and Damien Diamond walk into the room. “The cool couple” as they were dubbed by the media. They stood out immediately, not just because of Damien’s mile high blue Mohawk or Alyssa’s waist length black hair, or because they both had tattoos covering every inch of visible skin. These two demanded attention. Sindy couldn’t take her eyes off them, especially Alyssa. She was a gothic beauty with dark lips, heavily black-rimmed eyes, black attire and thigh-high boots.
Alyssa cackled at something, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and squeezed Damien’s face between her fingers. He pulled his chin out of her grasp and pursed his lips at her. At first, Sindy thought he was angry, then she saw the tiniest hint of a smile. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. He scolded her with his finger, and she let out another cackle. He responded by wrapping his arm around her lower back, tugging her close to him, and giving her a quick peck on her temple. She hung her arm over his shoulder and leaned into him, but her long hair got caught on the edge of his Mohawk, and the two of them grappled while they detangled themselves. Sindy could tell they were a fun couple, and she was anxious to finally meet the remaining member of Immortal Angel.
“Excuse us.” Tessa looped her arm through Sindy’s. “I want to introduce Sindy to Alyssa.”
“Oh, Alyssa is such a feisty thing!” Aunt Mary said with a light laugh. “Go. You’ll love her.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Sindy called over her shoulder to Aunt Mary while Tessa led her away. As they got closer, Alyssa spotted Sindy and brandished a beautiful smile.
“You’re Sindy,” Alyssa stated. “It’s great to finally meet you. Welcome to the insane asylum.”
“Thank you.” Sindy took in the bright red heart and angel wings across Alyssa’s chest and the colorful ink that covered both arms. “I love your tattoos.”
Alyssa tucked her hair behind one ear, exposing multiple piercings along the lobe and a bar through the cartilage at the top of her ear, and looked down at her arm. “Thanks. Most of it’s old. I should get new work.”
“And this is Damien Diamond,” Tessa said, as if he needed an introduction.
He jutted his chin at Sindy. “S’up?”
It was a good thing Sindy still had the mojito in her hand because she fidgeted like a junkie needing a fix. “It’s . . . I’m . . . it’s an honor to meet you.”
Alyssa chuckled. “An honor? We’re just regular people. Well, I’m regular.” She nudged Damien with her shoulder. “He’s a little irregular.”
Damien smirked at his wife. “Is that supposed to be a crack about my bowel movements?”
Alyssa put her hand to her forehead, closed her eyes and sighed, which made Damien display a mischievous grin. “I just like to fuck with her.”
They were chill and relaxed, which over-emphasized Sindy’s excitement. She knew she was smiling and staring at them like a psychopath.
“Attention everyone!” Jessi called as she entered the great room and placed a tray on the coffee table. “We have pork croquettes. I’ve been instructed by my husband, the chef, that if you don’t eat them within the next 30 seconds, you’ll miss the peak flavor.” She and Alyssa made eye contact, and they both burst out laughing.
Damien dove at the tray and stuffed three in his mouth, one after the other. He smiled while he chewed, obviously enjoying the appetizers, and plopped down in the chair. “He’s right. That was perfection.”
“Does Papi need help?” Tessa asked her mother.
“Papi always needs help. Come on.” Jessi put her arm around Tessa. “Let’s see what else he has for us to eat.”
“I’m coming, too.” Alyssa followed them. “I’m going to tell Angel no one ate his croquettes, and they’re all cold.”
“You’re so mean!” Tessa exclaimed.
“I can’t help it. He’s such a trip. Wait until you see his face when I tell him.”
With Tessa, Jessi and Alyssa out of the room, Sindy was stuck standing alone across from the chair where Damien Diamond sat. Forget star-struck, this was downright awkward. She didn’t want to be rude and just walk away, but she had no idea what to say to him. Damien didn’t have the easy, extroverted personality as the rest of the band and the others in the room. He had the hardened look of a punk rocker.
After a second or two, Sindy sat on the sofa adjacent to Damien. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him. His leather jacket was covered in spikes and studs. His posture was relaxed and confident, sitting at an angle in the chair, defying its square shape. His shoulder and one arm leaned over the side and one booted ankle crossed over the knee of the opposite leg. He chewed on a fingernail and she noted the tattoos on the back of his hand and across his knuckles. Pure gore covered his neck and peaked out from the collar of his T-shirt. There was a mix of skulls and gargoyles and the tip of a bat’s wing. They were actually kinda cool.
He turned and looked at her, unexpectedly, and jutted his chin at her. “S’up?”
It’s the second time he uttered the word, and she didn’t know if it was an actual question or not. Was he asking her what’s up? Or was it just a cryptic greeting? She didn’t know how to answer, so she said, “Hey,” and immediately felt stupid.
The chain that attached his wallet to his belt loop clanked as he stood, crossed the room and sat next to her.
Holy shit. The small hairs on Sindy’s arms stood on end at the close proximity to this intimidating man, and she moved over several inches.
“I heard about you,” he said.
Her defenses rose. “What did you hear?”
“That you were down on your luck. That you didn’t have a place to stay. That you don’t have much family.”
She was done being embarrassed about her situation. And, frankly, a bit ticked off that her personal business was talked about so freely without regard for her privacy.
“I know how you feel.” A tone of empathy permeated Damien’s words. “I lived on the streets. If it wasn’t for Angel, and my girl, I don’t know what the fuck would’ve happened to me.” He gazed through the archway in the direction where Alyssa left the room, and his expression softened. Lightness and love seemed to emanate from him, exposing the facade of his gruff exterior as thoughts of his wife passed through his mind. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and his expression went blank again. “I got no family. Never had a father. The woman who used to be my mother threw me out the day I turned 18. When Angel found out I was on the street, he picked me up and brought me to his place. I resisted, too proud to accept help, but he literally tossed me in the car.” He was quiet for a few seconds, reflection hardening his eyes. “I don’t know what your backstory is. But whatever shit you’ve been through, I can guarantee you I’ve been there.”
There was so much empathy in his voice and in the emotion that filled his face and eyes that it left an ache in Sindy’s heart. She never expected the pain she saw staring back at her, and her heart went out to this man who showed the world a very different side of him. Through the lens of the media, Damien appeared hard, almost cold at times, but a vulnerable and sensitive man sat next to her offering her comfort by sharing very personal details of his life. He had built walls around his heart just as she had. Although hers had pretty much crumbled recently, his were still very much in place.
“These people right here.” He fanned his hand out in front of him. “In this house. Tonight. They’re my family. By choice. By inclusion. And these kids. Mason. Lucas. Tessa. Even Michael. I never met youth with so much common sense, brains, and talent. I love them like they’re my own. Each one of them. They’re my family, and they’re gonna be your family, too. You may feel like an outsider now, but you’re not. They’ve already taken you in. They’ll never turn their back on you. They’re loyal. Remember that. I used to think I could go at it alone. That I didn’t need anyone. But I was wrong. My girl made me see that. She’s everything to me. I’m nothing without her. We need people. We need each other. These people here, they got your back. And that includes me, too. You and me, we have the same roots. So if you feel like you need to talk to someone who knows what it’s like to come from nothing, someone who lived through the same shit as you, that’s me.”
She nodded, touched at the way he reached out to her. She was blown away by the soft-hearted empathetic man that lived beneath his hard-as-nails exterior, and overwhelmed at how everyone regarded her as family and made it a point to tell her so. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” She knew that Tessa and Mason and Lucas didn’t hold anything over her head just because they came from money, but they couldn’t possibly fathom how hard it was for her. Damien knew what it was like.
“Remember what I said. These people are loyal.”
The words echoed in her head. The people in this house have done everything for her. They supported her, helped her, and never judged her. They didn’t have to, but they did. And no one helped her more than Tessa. And how did she repay Tessa’s loyalty? By sleeping with her brother and jeopardizing the future of the band. Again, the guilt and wrongdoing hit Sindy like a slap in the face.
She excused herself and walked onto the deck and stared at the dark ocean in the distance. The scent of salt water filled her lungs and the soothing sound of the waves crashing on the beach echoed with serenity. But, all she could think about was how she was playing with fire. A bright future filled with hope was unfolding in front of her. Opportunities that she never thought she’d have were at her fingertips. It was good fortune on top of good luck. Everything was falling into place, and she was destined to come out on top. She wasn’t going to sabotage her future and ruin everything for everyone because she couldn’t stay away from Lucas Blade. It wasn’t just her future at stake, she reminded herself. Tessa, Mason and Lucas had worked for this moment their entire lives.
A hooded sweatshirt landed on her shoulders. “It’s chilly out here,” Lucas rubbed his hands up and down her arms a few times to generate some warmth. He could be so sweet and kind sometimes.
“Thanks,” she said meekly, her heart breaking.
“You were lost in thought and didn’t hear me. I was calling you.”
; When she turned to look at him, tears filled her eyes.
The smile slid off his face. “What’s the matter?”
“Lucas, we need to stop.”
His brow crinkled with confusion. “Stop what?”
“We can’t keep sneaking around. Too much is at stake.”
“There’s no reason to sneak around. We can tell Tessa and Mason. We can tell them right now.” He took a step toward the sliders and extended his hand toward her, but she shook her head.
“No. Don’t you understand how much is at stake here? Me and you getting involved isn’t a good idea. Not now. We can’t mess this up. It’s too important. For everyone. I’m not going to jeopardize the success of the band.”
“What does me and you being together have to do with the success of Prodigy?”
He really didn’t see it, so she knew that she needed to be frank and truthful about it. She let out an exhausted breath as she readied herself to explain the real reason that was stopping her. “Do you really think we’re going to fall in love, get married and live happily ever after? What are the chances of that happening? Slim to none. Odds are, things will fizzle out after a few weeks and we’ll have an awkward break up. Maybe end up hating each other. What then? How are we supposed to work together after something like that? Or spend months together on a tour bus? You know we couldn’t move forward after that. You and me together is a disaster waiting to happen.”
He looked crushed, as if someone just kicked him in the stomach. His face drooped, and his mouth hung open into a sad frown. The wrinkle in his brow tarnished his usual carefree expression. Even in the dim moonlight she could see his pain. “I thought you cared about me. Were you just using me?”
“Of course not, Lucas. I didn’t even like you when I first met you. I thought you were an asshole.” She expected him to laugh, or at least smile, but he didn’t. His eyes were dulled with sadness, and his mouth remained in a downward arc. She didn’t think her damaged heart could break any more than it already had, but watching the pain in Lucas’ face felt as if an icepick had chipped away at the last remaining pieces, leaving nothing but dust. The saddest part was that she really wanted to be with him. She had genuine feelings for Lucas. There was just too much at risk. “I care about you. You made me fall for you, and I fell hard. But, I know it’s going to mess up everything we’re working toward. Let’s just back off for a while. Let’s just get an album recorded and go on tour. Then we can see what happens. Maybe, in the future, we can try again. But, not now.”
LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 18
