RUINED - The Price of Play: Everhide Rockstar Romance Series Book 2

by Tania Joyce

  “And what path is that, Kar?”

  She closed her eyes and drew in a steady breath. This was a path she thought she’d never face. It was one that was too outrageous to contemplate.

  After everything they’d been through during the past few months, she’d grown to like him. She couldn’t deny it. But their lives would never meld as one. Fashion and music only crossed for gala events. The risk, to see if what she felt for him was something special, was too high. She couldn’t lose him—not after losing Ryan. She couldn’t face another broken heart. “Hunt, don’t let what we’ve been through with Ryan muddle your thoughts. We’re just friends.”

  Somehow, she had to push her feelings for him aside. They were only side effects from carrying his baby.

  She met his gaze. Something flashed in the depths of his eyes that snagged her heart. Was it doubt? Conflict? What-if scenarios?

  Too late, it was gone.

  Maybe it had been her wishful thinking.

  “Yes . . .you’re right. I understand if you don’t want to come,” he said, scratching his scruffy three-day growth. “The decision is yours. But I’d like you there with me. As my friend.”

  Losing Ryan was still raw. But each day, the scar on her heart healed a fraction. There were moments when grief consumed her, but Hunter was there. In some crazy mixed up way, she needed him. He was helping her to mend, and vice versa. And for that reason alone, she wanted to stay close to him for a little while longer. Even if it was only a few more weeks. Then they’d be back in New York and have to get on with their lives. They’d have to accept that Ryan was gone.

  “Hunt, I’m warming to the idea. I haven’t had a vacation in two years.” Not that it would be much of a holiday. “But the ground rules have to be set. It’s as friends. In separate rooms.”

  He swallowed, took a breath and nodded. “If that’s what you want, I can accept that.”

  Yes. I can. I must. I do. Please don’t make me regret this.

  “Okay then. If you’re ready to go back on tour, I’ll come with you.”

  Chapter 22

  Hunter stepped off the private plane in the early morning Buenos Aires sunshine. With Kyle, Gemma and Kara by his side, sleek black cars whisked them from the tarmac and security led them through a discreet door into the terminal and up into the VIP Lounge. There, with the Everhide staff and their backup band, they waited for customs clearance.

  Gemma and Kyle couldn’t keep still, weaving around, hugging and catching up with Bec, Sophie, and the band after four weeks of tour being canceled. Unable to get swept up in their energy, Hunter stood by the bar with Kara. While he was physically present, his heart and mind were elsewhere. Was he an idiot for coming back on tour? Had he thought of everything to ensure Kara remained safe? That she would be an inconspicuous part of their team? Would she be able to rest and recover?

  “How are you feeling?” He scanned Kara up and down. Neither had slept on the plane. Even with dark circles under her eyes, she looked kinda cute and sexy. She’d braided her hair, glossed her lips, and in her oversized “Everhide crew” shirt and loose-fitting pants she looked . . . hot. God, he was glad she was there. Dealing with the loss of Ryan was getting better, easier, and in the moments when he got overwhelmed, she’d become his safety net.

  “It’s good to stretch my legs. And my scar’s not aching too much.” Kara rubbed her abdomen.

  It had been one month since her operation, and to make sure she was okay he had medical staff coming to the hotel to check on her later in the day.

  She scratched her thigh and pinched at her pants. “These awful compression stockings are itchy and hot though. I can’t wait to get them off.”

  Visions of pulling them off with his teeth shot through his mind.

  Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. WRONG!

  “We’ll be at the hotel soon. Do you want me to organize a wheelchair? It’s a long walk through the terminal.”

  “No. I’ll be okay. I just can’t go fast.”

  “Once we get outside, it will be crazy. Promise me you’ll stay with Giles and Bec.” He hated having to leave her, but the paparazzi would be waiting for him, Kyle, and Gemma.

  “I’ve been around you long enough to know the deal.”

  “Down here is different to home. It’s not the fans you have to worry about—it’s the press. The paparazzi have no rules. They’ll hunt us like prey.”

  Sam, their head of security, had briefed them on the plane about getting everyone safely into the city. With all the cars, police escort and additional security, anyone would think the president was coming to town.

  Hunter didn’t know whether to be excited or terrified. “When we get to the hotel, Kyle, Gemma, and I have to go straight into a press conference. Would you mind checking into your room, and I’ll catch up with you later?”

  She placed her hand on his arm, and little sparks ran across his skin. What was that? Surely it was from being on edge about her wellbeing. “Hunt, stop worrying. I’ll be fine.”

  The VIP airport customs officer walked from the counter over to Sophie and handed her the pile of passports. “Ms. Carter. You are clear to go. Security will escort you and your group to the cars that await you.”

  Hunter squeezed Kara on the arm. “I have to go with Kyle and Gem. Are you going to be all right?”

  “Yes. Go.” She smiled and shoved him on his way.

  He nodded to Giles. “Don’t let Kara out of your sight. I’ll see you at the hotel.”

  Walking down the private corridor, Hunter’s palms sweated. Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped through the doors, out onto the sidewalk with Kyle and Gemma, and straight into a wall of paparazzi. Flashes, shouts, and jostling people surrounded him. Lenses, cameras, and cell phones were shoved in his face. His heart thundered as hard as a jet plane taking off. Security made a pathway for them to their waiting convoy.

  He slipped into his car and glanced over his shoulder to see how the team were doing. Over the heads of the paparazzi shoving cameras against the windows, he saw Kara slip into the end car with Bec and Giles. No one bothered them. Turning back around, he let out the breath he’d been holding.

  Gemma touched his knee. “She’ll be okay, Hunt.”

  “I know. It’s cool.” His voice may have been full of confidence, but his gut twisted and turned. “I’ll feel better when we’re at the hotel.”

  Led by two police motorbikes with flashing blue lights, their four-car convoy took off, a police cruiser following behind. When they turned onto the freeway into the city, Hunter gripped onto the handle above the window.

  Kyle shook his head and pointed to the motorcycles trying to keep pace with them. “Look at these crazy dickheads.”

  A man doubled on the back of one and propped a camera lens in their direction.

  “We’re not worth killing yourself over.” Gemma gazed out the window. “That’s bullshit.”

  Normally Hunter would wind down the window and give the photographer a great shot, but he wasn’t in the mood. He peered over his shoulder once more to make sure the other cars were following. He grabbed his cell phone and texted Kara.

  All okay?

  She replied.

  Yes. XO

  He went to swipe his cell phone off but stared at his screen saver. A photo of him and Kara on the sofa at the beach house. He’d taken it to prove to her that his eyes were redder than hers. She’d won. He loved the photo of her smile.

  How was he going to reset everything back to normal after tour?

  Everhide’s convoy exited the highway and the motorcyclist disappeared in the traffic. The car’s tires thudded over the bumps in the road as they headed along wide streets and avenues full of gardens and parklands, past the dominating Obelisco de Buenos that was surrounded by tourists taking photos, Plaza de Mayo with the Argentinean flag flying in the breeze, and onto their hotel overlooking the river.

  When Hunter stepped out of the car, the heat and stench hit him—car fumes, weird spicy foods,
and cigarette smoke. Traffic rumbled by, but that didn’t compare to the ear-splitting screeches coming from the fans, held back by street barriers and a line of police standing at the edge of the hotel’s driveway.

  Hunter peered over his shoulder. Kara’s car waited in line at the hotel’s entrance. She was here. All was good.

  Seeing the fans usually sent a charge through his veins, but today he didn’t even get a hum. Drawing on a smile and mustering up a small element of zing, he headed over to the crowd with Kyle and Gemma, and security. As he played it up for photos and signed autographs, he kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure Kara slipped into the hotel with the team. Once she was through the doors, he breathed easier. By the time Kate came out to get them ten minutes later, he felt better. Now Kara was inside, he had nothing to worry about.

  Kate circled her finger through the air. “Time to go. The press conference is ready. Let’s get it over with so we can all crash.”

  Hell yeah.

  Security escorted them through the elaborate lobby with its massive glass atrium and arched ceiling up to the fifth floor. After a quick recap of the meeting’s agenda, Kate led them into a large room overflowing with journalists, TV presenters, radio hosts, and photographers. Just another typical press conference. But needles prickled the back of Hunter’s neck, and his palms turned clammy. What was wrong with him? Was he on edge because this was his first interview since losing his son?

  He stopped in the center of the stage with Kyle and Gemma to pose for photographs. He linked his arm around Gemma’s waist, with Kyle on her opposite side, and camera flashes blinded him from every angle. Peering over the crowd, no faces looked familiar. Then he spotted Kara standing toward the back on the far side of the room next to Bec and Giles.

  What the hell?

  He’d told her not to come. Even though Kara had her baseball cap on and a plain T-shirt, she stood out like a spotlight. If the media got light of the fact she was here, they’d devour her.

  He tugged on Gemma’s shirt and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Kara’s here.”

  She gave a subtle nod and squeezed her arm around his waist.

  “All righty,” Kate spoke into the mic at the lectern, “let’s get underway.”

  While the guests settled, Hunter, Kyle, and Gemma took seats at the panel table behind them. Gemma whispered something into Kyle’s ear, and he threw Hunter a worried look.

  “Welcome.” Kate took control of the room. “Everhide are excited to reach your beautiful country.”

  As Kate ran through her introductions, Hunter’s leg jiggled. His gut didn’t feel right. The air pressed into him from all sides. He’d done thousands of interviews; this one shouldn’t be any different. He let out a slow and steady breath. Time to focus.

  “What can fans expect from your two concerts here in Buenos Aires?” the first reporter asked, a timid lady whose voice was quiet and hard to hear.

  Hunter slipped into performance mode, concentrating on their well-rehearsed responses. “The best show ever,” he said in a would-you-expect-anything-less tone. “We’ll cover songs from our new album, and some of our past hits, and guarantee a lot of fun on the night.”

  The next reporter, a lady wearing a bright yellow dress covered in polka dots, waved her pen at them as she spoke. “All your shows have been sell-outs. How does that make you feel, performing in front of thousands of fans every night?”

  Hunter chuckled under his breath. He’d lost track of how many times he’d answered this question over the years. “It’s freaking awesome,” he hollered into the mic.

  “Are you releasing another single off your album?” A man with ART-RADIO logoed on his shirt asked next.

  “Yes. It will be ‘Traveled,’” Gemma said. “We’ve been filming bits and pieces for the video clip while we’ve been touring. It will be out in a couple months.”

  Hunter’s chest warmed as he gazed in Kara’s direction. Visions of her on set with them in LA filled his mind. Her dressing him. Being close to her in the trailer. Teasing and taunting each other. How life had changed since finding out she was pregnant.

  “‘Traveled’ is my favorite track.” Kyle grinned sheepishly. “It’s about searching for love only to find it right at home on your doorstep.” He leaned over and kissed Gemma on the cheek. She blushed as red as Kyle’s scarlet T-shirt.

  A wave of awwws rippled across the audience.

  Questions continued to fly back and forth for twenty-or-so minutes. Hunter lost track of time, and didn’t look at the next man who stood and introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Gerard Rivers from Entertainment On-Show.”

  Hunter’s heart stopped. His head whiplashed in Gerard’s direction. Gemma and Kyle stiffened beside him.

  Gerard’s grin smeared across his face like cream cheese on a bagel. “While I’m sure everyone is glad to see you return to tour”—Gerard waved his hand across the crowd, his cocky tone cold—“Hunter, after what has happened, are you sure you’re ready to return to the stage? How are you and Ms. Knight coping after the loss of your child?”

  Gerard’s question was like a punch to the guts. Hunter glared at Gerard, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Bec and Giles edge closer to Kara. He wished Kara wasn’t in the room. She didn’t need to listen to this asshole.

  His heart struggled to beat, and his mind went blank, unable to remember what to say. With a trembling hand he circled his thumb over the inside of his right forearm. Over his new tattoo. 03/24.18:07—03/26.05:17. Ryan’s time of birth and the time of his death. His mind filled with images of his son’s lifeless body. How was he coping? Not well.

  Gerard, you son of a bitch. Why are you here?

  Each breath was like razors slicing into his chest. With all his strength, Hunter hung onto composure by a thin thread. When Gemma placed her hand on his back, he nearly lost it. He took a sip of water and cleared his throat. Focus, damn it. “We’re taking one day at a time. Thank you.” Somehow, the words came out. He turned his head and scanned the room for the next reporter and their question.

  But Gerard continued. “What is the status of your relationship with Ms. Knight? Has this incident brought the two of you together?”

  Hunter’s heart crashed against his ribs. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist beneath the table. “My personal life is none of your business, and not open for discussion.”

  “But the fans want to know.” Gerard’s pompous tone grated his nerves. “I heard she’s here with you?”

  The muscles in Hunter’s neck pinched, and his mouth ran dry. He tried to resist looking in Kara’s direction by staring at the back wall, but it was useless. He took a quick glance to make sure she was okay.

  Gerard spun around, following his line of sight. He stopped when he spotted her. “It looks like I have my answer.” He nudged the photographer sitting next to him and pointed his finger straight at Kara.

  The blood drained from Hunter’s face. The room erupted into commotion. Frantic voices buzzed in his ears. “There she is.” “Get her.” “Now.” “Hurry!” Cameras swung in Kara’s direction, and flashes went off in blinding spasms.

  “Giles. Bec. Get her out of here,” Hunter boomed into the mic. He shot from his chair, knocking it over and rushed across the stage to get to Kara. His legs couldn’t carry him fast enough. At the bottom of the steps, blocked by the sea of photographers and reporters, his heart pummeled somewhere up near his throat.

  The reporters kept up with their harrowing cries.

  “Ms. Knight, Ms. Knight, why are you here with Everhide?”

  “Are you in a relationship with Hunter?”

  “How are you feeling after losing your baby?”

  Every muscle in Hunter’s body seized. He couldn’t get to Kara. There were too many people jostling through the narrow doorway. Mick, his bodyguard, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back. Hunter fought against him, tried to free himself, tried to get to Kara. With Chester’s help, Mick hauled him out of the room thr
ough another side door.

  “What the fuck?” Hunter ripped free of their hold once he was in the hallway. “Where is she?”

  Mick uttered into his security headset, then pointed his chin down the hallway. “Boardroom.”

  Farther down the corridor, the clamor from the reporters echoed off the tiled floor. With Hunter jammed between Mick and Chester, they charged through the throng of people like they were knocking pins out of the way in a bowling alley and made their way to the boardroom.

  Hunter slid into the room, dashed past Giles and Bec and dropped to his knees in front of Kara who sat on a chair by the boardroom table. “Are you hurt?” His hand trembled as he brushed her hair back from the side of her face.

  “No.” She shook her head. Her whole body shuddered beneath his touch.

  What was she thinking? “I asked you to stay in your room. I knew something like this would happen.”

  Her eyes glassed over, and she cried. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight, burying his face into her hair. “Bloody Gerard! Why does he have to be in our faces all the time?”

  The voices and noise from the reporters rattled the closed door behind him. In crazed moments like this, Hunter was thankful for their bodyguards. Mick and Chester had stayed outside on guard with the hotel’s security team. Giles stood like a statue inside the room. Sam had stayed back with Gemma and Kyle.

  “Well. That was fun.” Bec reached for the jug of water on the table and poured them a glass. Her voice was calm, as if no feather of hers had been ruffled. “The wolves are thick and furious today. Wasn’t expecting excitement like this.”

  Hunter glared at Bec and snapped, “Excitement? Kara could’ve been hurt.”

  “Nah.” Bec swished her hand at him. “We had everything under control.”

  Hunter wasn’t so sure. Did she have everything in hand? Did security? Maybe he’d overreacted to what he, Gemma, and Kyle put up with most days on tour?

  The door burst open. A blaze of flashing lights filled the room. Kyle, Gemma, Sophie, and Kate burst through the security guarded gap and slammed the door shut behind them.