I shake my head. “Like I said, personality clash.”
Not that many personalities would mesh well with the guy. Being an asshole doesn’t make someone that compatible with most people.
“I haven’t had the chance to talk to him much.”
And he probably won’t either. He heads home in a couple of days. Back to work. Like me. This whole thing is probably pointless. Eden has other potentials and she’s going to find one. He’ll become hers quickly and it’ll all be over for Logan. No more second chances.
The silence wears on. I don’t know what to say. But I’m not going to feel good about leaving Eden touring without knowing she’s fully protected, that her powers are at their peak. Having a functioning fourth is a part of that. I know it instinctively. This needs a resolution.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and make the call to Logan before I can start to second guess myself. He doesn’t answer so I leave a message. I tell him where we are and ask him to come talk. He’ll probably delete the message and we’ll never see him again.
Wishful thinking, I know.
“He hated me on sight,” I tell Eli. “Because I came to take Eden out.”
“I’m pretty sure he hated me on sight because I was arresting him.”
“Well, that would do it too.”
Lunch arrives and quiet settles over us once more. Forgiving someone is all well and good, but if he can’t get rid of his anger toward us it’s pretty much a lost cause. It makes me ache inside for Eden. She deserves better.
Chapter Forty-Five
Eden
I hate shooting music videos. It’s two or three days of hell, being manhandled by hair and make-up and being yelled at to try different things or run back through the same sequence fifty times, until I’m so tired I just want to crawl up into a ball and melt into the ground. I tell myself it’s a necessary evil, but it feels like pure torture.
“They’re going to have to cut me out of this dress,” I complain to Nick when they’re moving the set around for the next scene.
He gives me a salacious grin. “Can I watch?”
I roll my eyes, pulling at the material under my arms. Always the same on these damn shoots. They have sample sizes that my curves want to bust out of and I have to be carefully manoeuvred into them. My breasts feel squished and I can’t believe something that feels this horrible can possibly look good. Going by Nick’s stare it does, but he pulls me in close and kisses my temple.
“I’m sorry the dress isn’t comfy. You can lay around naked after this to get over it.”
I smack him in the chest and he laughs.
“Ow, okay, I’m really sorry this time. No joke.”
“You’re on,” the young blonde runner with the headset tells me, taking my arm.
I follow her into place and the director guides me in what he wants from this next scene. I start to zone out as he drones on. I snap back when I realise he just said the word ‘harem’.
“Um, what?”
He sighs heavily and waves to the group of oiled up male dancers who are standing around off to the side. “They’ll lift you onto the bed and you need to lip-synch the chorus while they take turns trying to get your attention and you ignore them. We need some smiling and some fierce stares.”
My brain is still catching up as the camera starts to roll. It takes me a second to snap into action, spinning around in time to be picked up by the dancers. Oh, God, there are four of them. Did he do this on purpose? My stomach starts to churn. I brush off the anxiety as I sing the chorus. My song is playing in the background, to help make sure everything’s in time with the music. The dancers are great. They each have their part, they each try to take my attention away from the camera, but I don’t let them. If feels kind of strange, but weirdly right. The scene resets and we go again, and again. On the final take, I’m glad to get off the bed.
I meet Nick’s gaze as I look across the room. He’s enjoying himself and it makes me smile. I get the feeling he can’t wait until we’re alone. Or with Eli. I’m not sure if he’ll wait as long as getting back to the hotel. He’s already been incredibly touchy-feely today.
It just makes me want this day to be over even more than I already do. All I want right now is to be in bed with my men. Sleeping, having sex, watching TV; it doesn’t matter. I just want to be with them. Not play-acting with four dancers who look like they were born with sets of weights in their hands.
“We’re running through the scene again,” the director calls out. “We need to try this with the wind machine on. Places.”
Ugh. I get back into place and get ready to have cool air blown at me while I go through the same push and pull dance routine I thought we just perfected. I just knew this would be the day from hell.
Chapter Forty-Six
Logan
Skyler calls to let me know she’s with Lawson all day. I stare at the message from Asher. My talk with Eli was eye-opening, but I don’t know that it solved anything. Last night it all seemed simple, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it’s all for nothing.
I close my eyes and picture Eden’s face. If there’s the tiniest chance that I could be with her again, I should take it. Doesn’t matter what I need to do to get there. I open my eyes and put the phone back in my pocket.
He sent me the hotel room number. I drive there and head up to the room, my heart starting to pound wildly as I see her security detail stationed outside the room. This feels real now.
I push down all the irritation that wells as I think about who I’m here to see. I can’t stand Asher and I can’t see any chance of that feeling changing. He revealed Eden’s darkest secret to the world for a paycheck. How she could forgive him and let him into her heart, I’ll never know.
“Eden’s not in,” a bodyguard I vaguely recognise tells me. I don’t waste time wondering who he is.
“I’m here to speak to Asher.”
“Wait here.” The guy frowns before opening the door and going inside. I wait, hearing him state my name. Then he comes back out and holds the door open, nodding to me.
I go inside and the door swings shut. All of these suites look the same to me. I have a weird sense of déjà vu, until I lock gazes with the guy I came here to see.
Asher stands up and I try not to think about how much I want to knock him out. He’s wearing a shirt with the sleeves rolled up and pants that look like they belong to one of those dumb three-piece suits he’s so fond of. His serious expression carries a hint of distain that really makes my fingers twitch. I’ve wanted to punch him out ever since the night he came to pick Eden up.
“Got your message.”
He looks me over and sighs softly. “Can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Well, that makes two of us.” I want to turn on my heel and walk out. Something bigger than my pride is keeping me here.
“Eli told me about Diana,” he says.
Hearing her name from his lips is a knife to the chest. This is the guy who let her down. She wanted him to love her, to see through the facade and break it apart. He didn’t. Couldn’t.
“I don’t want to talk about that.” I can’t. Not with him. My teeth are starting to grind already and all he did was mention her name.
He smiles sadly as he approaches me. “I don’t need you to talk, Logan.”
I don’t understand what he means until he grabs hold of my wrist and his smile tightens when his gaze meets mine. “I want to see for myself.”
The flash of light is as blinding as the day my heart stopped. I have to fight not to rip my arm out of his grasp. I don’t want him inside my head, but this needs to happen. He needs to see I’m not a threat. That I’m truly ready to be at Eden’s side and in her heart, whatever the cost.
I keep my eyes closed, feeling warm and oddly calm as he sees into me. When Asher’s grasp falls away I open them again, and find him staring at me with an odd expression on his face.
“Get what you were looking for?”
> “I’m sorry, about... I’m just sorry.” He shakes his head and crosses his arms.
“So am I cleared then? Or do you need any more tests before I can speak to Eden?”
“I wanted to know you didn’t lie to Elias. You didn’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with you being Eden’s fourth.” He frowns.
“Look, I don’t like you, but I don’t need to kill you. Truce?”
“That’s not good enough.”
The fuck do I have to do to get on this cretin’s good side?
“You can stop thinking of me as a cretin, or a hack, or whatever else.” Asher snaps, staring me down.
“Get the fuck out of my head.”
“You think I wanted to publish those chapters about Eden’s mother?” His eyes are blazing and I begin to wonder if I’m going to have a good use for the fists at my sides after all.
“I think you rushed at the chance to sell her out so you could buy that fancy car of yours.”
He laughs, and doesn’t stop until he’s practically breathless. I wait for him to say one more word, just one more to trigger my impulse to rip out his spine.
“I haven’t touched that money.” He clears his throat. “That’s what you think of me? I didn’t write that book for the money, Logan.”
“Okay then,” I say with a snort.
“I knew it would be written either way. That story about her mother was already made public. The publisher was going to get someone else to write it if I didn’t. I did it so some asshole who just wanted a fat paycheck wouldn’t make it sound worse for dramatic flair. I wrote it for Eden. She knows that.”
So that’s how she can love him. He’s pulled the wool over her eyes.
He sighs and grabs my wrist again. I’m ready to set it off now, but he shakes his head.
“Touch me and think about what you want to know. Eden’s light can go both ways.”
What I want to know? “Why are you such a prick?”
He rolls his eyes. “Ask a serious question.”
“I was deadly serious with that one.”
Okay, he wants this to get serious? “How do you feel about me?”
I get a flash of memories when I ask. At first it’s too hard to pry them apart. They’re just a whirring, swirling blur. Then the images slow down, and words filter through.
Dangerous. Threat. Killer. Psycho. Obsessed.
He doesn’t have any positive feelings toward me. It’s hardly surprising. Then, I hear more.
Impressive. Strong-willed. Devoted.
Yeah, so there are less of them, but he does think I have some nicer traits. Huh.
“Don’t let your head swell too much,” he mutters.
“Eden thought I was impressive too.”
He rolls his eyes. “Ready to ask the real question yet?”
“Why did you ask me to come here?”
I see him talking to Eli right next to where we’re standing right now. I feel it when he believes Eli. When hope bursts through him that maybe they can accept me. Relief over having Eden’s fourth confirmed quickly.
“You think Eden’s in danger.”
He nods briefly. “She was at full power when she took you as her fourth. But things are up in the air as long as she still plans to find a replacement. I don’t want her at risk while she’s undecided. If we can find a way to get along, everything can be resolved now.”
Concern for Eden overrides my compulsive annoyance that he really only has me here to make sure she’s protected. His acceptance is still there, even if there’s a grudging tint to it.
“If you’re her fourth, that’s forever, Logan. Once we all accept you there’s no turning back.”
“I know,” I tell him, even as the weight of his words hit me full force. This isn’t some one night stand I’m signing up for. It’s not monogamy either. If I’m accepted, I’m one of four men who only have eyes for their Goddess. It’s a strange situation to jump straight into, but every part of me wants to dive in head first.
“I forgive you,” Asher tells me, and I feel the truth in his words.
An odd feeling of euphoria surges over me. “I forgive you too.”
I let go of the anger that filled me before, that burned inside of me every time I saw his face. He didn’t steal Eden away from me, and he’s willing to give me another chance after I shot him twice. It’s all in the past now. We can start over.
The light fades and he pulls back.
“Eden will be out for the rest of the night. She’s working. Do you want a drink?”
Breakfast cured my hangover, so I nod. After the weirdness of the last couple of days I could use a drink. “Is there beer in the mini-bar?”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Eden
The shoot is almost over when I catch a flash of purple hair on the edges of my vision. The director smiles and calls me to him just as Arianna arrives at his side.
“For the final shot, I wanted to get another icon into the mix. Your manager approved the decision. It’s going to help you keep your fans.”
Help me keep my fans? I frown at him. He’s been pretty damn unconventional, and I’ve rolled with every punch, but this one makes my stomach churn. I didn’t think I’d see her again, never mind so soon.
“Hi, Eden,” Arianna says, her gaze dropping to my lips.
“What exactly are we doing in this shot?”
“You’ll be dancing with your men, it will get fast paced to the point of frantic, then Ari will rescue you. That will be the end scene. Your management approved all the videos for the new album to tell a story. So she’ll be in the next one too.”
“What do you mean, rescue?” I ask, crossing my arms. I have a small list of no-ways for music videos and kissing is one of those things. I’m a singer, not an actress. I don’t want to kiss someone I’m not in a relationship with for the sake of entertainment. Especially someone who might be dangerous.
“She offers her hand and you take it, with the promise of more to come. She’s playing a freer version of you.” He nods as the make-up girl leads Ari over to the table.
“Take five while we set up the shot.” He walks away.
I go back toward Nick who’s chatting with the dancers. He turns to me as I approach, his grin brightening as he puts an arm around my waist. His touch sends tingles down my spine. One more shot and we’re done. Home with Nick to curl up in bed between him and Eli. Thinking about it seriously improves my mood, but then I glance at Ari and my stomach begins to churn again.
“They said there’s one more shot and you’re done.” Nick tells me, before putting a hand under my chin and tilting my head to stare into my eyes. He frowns. “Hey, are you okay?”
I nod and tug on his hand. He follows me out of earshot of the dancers.
“Arianna is here, they brought her in to film the last shot.” And she’ll be in the next video with me too. Ugh. This just gets worse and worse. I don’t know what Ari’s game is, but this is messed up.
Nick glances around until he sees her. He looks back at me. “Are you really worried over this?”
Am I? It’s just a dumb video. She won’t try anything in front of all these people.
I sigh and shake my head. “Not really. I just... don’t like it.”
“Tell me, if you want...”
“It’ll be fine. I just want to get out of here when it’s done.”
He nods. “The minute it’s over, we’ll go.”
The director calls for me and I head over to where the dancers are standing, walking between them until I’m on my mark. I’m nervous now and it’s getting harder to keep the anxiety from showing. I take a few slow, deep breaths and open my eyes when the music swells to life. The beat runs though me and I move, letting my partners lead. The choreography is basic but effective. I know what we’re going looks good. I stumble a little at the end, right before Ari’s due to make her entrance, and we go again. It takes five tries to get it right and I know I’m to blame. Nerves. I seriously need to sha
ke them. I glance past Ari at Nick when she reaches her hand out to me to let me escape. It puts just the right expression on my face as I let her pull me free.
The director yells cut and I relax, but Ari links her fingers through mine instead of letting me go.
“We make a good team,” she leans in and whispers before she lets go.
I move away quickly, eager to get out of the tight corseted dress I’ve been pulled into for the video.
The wardrobe girl is quick to usher me behind the curtain. I see Nick frowning at Arianna but I don’t have time to dwell on it when he moves toward her. I need to get out of this outfit and get the hell back to the hotel. Minutes tick down as the wardrobe girl unties the corset. I step out of the shoes and look for my own clothes. They’re hanging over the back of a chair close by. My heels lying underneath. The slightly higher, slightly smaller heels that went with the outfit for the video kind of pinched my toes. I kind of wish I’d worn sneakers to get here now, but I guess they wouldn’t have looked too good with the dress. I cringe at the thought of putting the heels on. What are the alternatives? I guess I could always get Nick to carry me.
I smile at the thought. My men do have a standing offer to do that whenever I need it.
“The designer has a gift for you,” the wardrobe girl says, sounding uncertain.
“The designer?”
“Of the outfit for the shoot,” she explains. “She’s kind of new and she doesn’t really know how these things work, but she’s a friend and I said I’d make sure you got it.”
I turn as she takes the corset and puts it into a black box that sits on top of another box. She puts the boxes into a bag with a shimmery logo on it. I slip into my underwear and take the skirt off myself, which she adds into the bag. I haul on my dress and step into my shoes.
She holds the bag toward me. Her face is kind of red when she offers me it. She’s afraid I won’t take it. She doesn’t know what she’ll tell her friend, the woman she’s secretly in love with, if I don’t accept it.
I smile and take the bag. “Thank her for me. The outfit is gorgeous.”
Bad Blood (Rock Goddess Reverse Harem Book 5) Page 13
