by K. K. Allen
Family. My chest warms at the word. The definition of family isn’t what I once thought it was. It’s better.
I slip out of bed, feeling the aches and pains of the night before, heavier on my mind than on my body. With each twist of my head, I remember the car jolting to a stop and the powerful slap across my face. With each roll of my wrists, I remember the ropes. My throat is dry and my jaw aches, which is when I remember the sock gag in my mouth.
It’s safe to say I’m a little banged up, but it was the fear of what could happen to the people I love that hurt me the most.
I slip on a pair of shorts and a tank top, brush my teeth, and step out onto the patio. There’s light chatter coming from the other side of the pool. Everyone appears to be out here. The band and crew, my dad, even Deloris. I’m walking toward them slowly to avoid damaging myself further.
Wolf stands when he sees me approach and pulls out a seat for me between Deloris and Mitch. I smile in thanks, kissing his cheek before sinking in between them.
Deloris has a smile on her face, which brings me the most relief. I hug her, my throat clogged with emotion as I remember all that she went through just to bring me some stupid bag of tapes. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
She squeezes me, just as I knew she would. “Nonsense. You have nothing to be sorry about, dear. Those men were monsters, and you saved my life.” She runs a hand over my head and pulls away, wiping the tears now falling from my eyes. “But who taught you how to use a gun?”
Laughter fills the air, and I look around and smile, my eyes catching on Wolf’s. “Tony, actually.”
His eyes widen in surprise and then he smiles. “I guess the guy was good for something.”
Mitch clears his throat, and I turn to hug him. “Hey, pumpkin. Speaking of Tony.”
I frown. Do we really need to talk about Tony this morning? “Yeah?” I ask, cautiously.
“Well, he posted a confession all over social media last night. He admitted to cheating on you, to starting that fight in the club that night, to hurting you, and to giving Wolf a good reason to clock him—he confessed to everything.” He waits for my reaction to continue. My thoughts are too busy trying to remember our conversation when I told him to give me a reason to trust him. He actually went through with it.
“Tony’s five-year contract has been placed on suspension,” Mitch says. “He can’t record any songs, even under new representation. And his current representation thinks he needs a long break.
My jaw drops wide. Holy shit. “Wright will probably lose his shit over that one.” Salvation Road was a huge moneymaker for Perform Live.”
Mitch nods. “I’m pretty sure Wright did lose his shit when Soaring threatened to pull all future contracts with Perform Live.”
“What?” I ask, breathlessly.
“The executives at Soaring are pissed that they had to hear about the truth from Tony after the fact, and not from Perform Live. You could have sued the label, Lyric. Soaring knows how much shit they could have been in for that type of behavior and for not doing anything about it.”
Wow. Just thinking about Perform Live losing a handful of contracts is enough to set my thoughts down a long, windy path. My friends work for that company. I don’t want anyone getting fired. Hopefully Wright will use this as an opportunity to do right from now on, instead of focusing on the bottom line while sacrificing what’s right.
“Hey,” I say, suddenly panicked. “Has anyone found Doug?”
Mitch and Wolf exchange looks as if there’s a piece of the puzzle they haven’t clued me in on. Wolf catches my eye first, so I wait for him to speak.
“He’s okay,” Wolf assures me. “Destiny called Doug to pick her up from some motel in Miami. I guess Crawley went apeshit on her too and dragged her out here. She says she didn’t want any part in his plans to take you, although she also claims she didn’t know what his plans were. After everything Destiny explained to him, Doug didn’t want his phone or anything else to potentially lead Crawley to him, so he left his things on Tony’s bus and picked Destiny up. She was high as a kite, and he took her to a hospital. They’re transporting her to a detox facility today. From there she’ll go to rehab.”
I shake my head, confused. “So, Destiny wasn’t in on Crawley’s plot to take Wolf’s money and leave the country?”
Mitch shrugs. “Apparently not. Who knows what we can believe, though. The point is, Destiny is getting serious help. This time, they’re not letting her leave rehab until the doctors give her the all-clear.”
“And what about my songbook?”
“Doug is bringing it by this afternoon. He wanted to stay with Destiny until she got transferred. I guess to make sure it actually happened.”
I sigh and relax against the back of my chair. “I hope she does get help. Real help.” I look at my dad, hoping that this is the end of all the craziness that’s filled our world in such a short amount of time. Because while the crazy may have brought us all together, I just want to focus on the together part for a change.
I turn to Deloris next. She pats the top of my hand with her free one. “Stop giving me those sorry, puppy eyes.” She nods at the empty plate in front of me. “Fill up and eat. You never know when you’ll need your energy around here.”
Everyone laughs as I do as she says, because as always, Deloris is right.
It’s almost nine p.m. when Doug finally shows up, walking through the foyer and into the living room. He looks about five years older than he did last week, probably from the combined stress of Destiny and Tony.
I want to cry when I see my songbook tucked under the crook of his arm. It looks the same as I remember it, completely unharmed—unlike my poor wrists, which are bruised and raw from trying to free myself from a rope knot like fucking MacGyver. I roll my wrists subconsciously and sit back, allowing my dad to greet Doug first.
There’s a long hug and a lot of back patting, their voices hushed for a few minutes. All the while, my hands are itching to steal my songbook back. Wolf must sense my anxiety because he stands from the couch first and holds out his hand, smiling down at me.
I take it, feeling Wolf’s warmth in the simple touch—one that knows me all too well. I never thought I was the type of person who wanted anyone to know me inside and out. There’s too much to lose when someone holds your heart—truly holds it.
But with Wolf, it’s always been deeper than a simple attraction and great sex. It’s a connection that started at fifteen years old, when each of our worlds were right at the edge of falling apart, yet neither of us knew it. We were kids, too wise for our own good. Kids who grew up way too fast in an industry designed to destroy innocence in one clean sweep. Somehow, we held on … and then we found our way back to each other.
When Doug is done speaking to my father, he pulls me toward him in a strong embrace.
“I have something for you,” he teases, his voice thick with the same compassion a father has for his child.
Doug could never replace my father, but the fact that he’s always embraced me like I’m his means more to me than anyone will ever know. He was there when I needed him … when my flesh and blood wasn’t. Not because my father chose to stay away—that was completely my doing. But still, Doug was there when I needed him, never asking questions, never adding pressure. He’s just another light in the bright, shining chandelier that’s become my family.
“Thank you, Doug,” I say, taking the book from his hands and holding it to my chest. “For everything. Thank you.”
He cups my cheek and holds his forehead to mine. “No, Lyric. Thank you.”
Once upon a time, Doug told me a story about himself that will forever stay close to my heart. The story of a proud gay man who has been with the same partner for twenty-plus years. He’s always wanted kids, but for whatever reason, the man he loves never shared the same dream. Doug, being the selfless man he is, accepted this fate.
Deep down, I know there’s something about our relationship that fulfills
that dream for him. And I welcome that. It’s enough, for me. And I know now that it’s enough for him.
Epilogue
Lyric, Nine Months Later
The man waiting for me when I exit the plane in Chicago is the exact opposite of what I expected. With dreadlocks so long they practically reach his ass and thick-rimmed glasses that hide far too much of his caramel eyes, I’d say this is Wolf’s best disguise yet. But not even the brightly colored poncho can fool me when a huge grin lights up his face.
I’m one of the first passengers off of the plane, so there’s plenty of room when I run the remaining distance to him and jump into his arms. Our bodies collide, our mouths crash together, and our arms squeeze each other tight.
I can feel it. Our energy sparking the air. Two dangerous souls finding a match in each other. It’s clear our love is more intense than ever—so much so that after spending the week apart, a tear slips from my eye and my heart feels like it might explode in my chest.
“Babe, don’t cry,” he murmurs against my lips.
I bury my face in his neck and smile. “I’ve missed you so much.” But he already knows this. He knows how emotional I’ve been this week. Abnormally so, but understandable given the situation.
It’s been three months since the final leg of Wolf’s European tour ended. I stayed on the payroll, but no longer as his road manager. Wolf, the band, and I agreed that it was best for me to hand that title over to someone else. Someone who wouldn’t be screwing the lead singer every chance she got. Instead, I became Wolf’s co-writer. Together, we wrote eight new songs for the band’s next album. Wolf wrote the rest on his own.
Correction. Wolf didn’t just write the rest of the songs. He wrote the hell out of them and then dropped the mic. I’ve never seen someone so dedicated to extracting their soul onto paper like that. It was like all the words were there, brewing, like prisoners waiting to be unleashed.
And the momentum hasn’t stopped. Wolf has spent the last two months with his band in the studio working on the new album. Which is why, when I decided to visit Destiny at her rehab facility in Malibu, Wolf agreed to let me go alone.
Just over a week ago we received news from Davis that Crawley died in prison. He picked up an infection that he couldn’t fight off, and that was the end. I can’t help but think it was the gunshot wound to his chest that helped him reach his end faster, but I feel no guilt. No regret. Just … disappointment that a person could become so desperate to take something that wasn’t his that he would hurt whoever stepped in his path.
After I heard the recent news, I planned a trip to see Destiny. I figured after nine months, it was time to face the woman that practically sold her soul to the Devil himself. At the very least, it was time for closure.
When I arrived at the rehab facility, paparazzi were everywhere, as if waiting for Destiny to be released so that they could pounce. Immediately after the “incident,” as we call it, the media went crazy. Someone leaked the entire story to the press, beginning with the songs Destiny stole from me when I was seventeen. It’s been insane, but at this point I’m getting used to the spotlight.
By the time I got to Malibu, she’d already heard the news of Crawley’s death. She was somber about the whole thing, admitting that she trusted him for all the wrong reasons. And for the first time in my life, I saw something that resembled defeat in my mother’s eyes. The game was over. The only thing she could do now was get better and find a way to move forward.
I dry my eyes with the back of my hand and look around in confusion when it dawns on me where Wolf and I are standing. “You were supposed to wait for me outside baggage claim. How did you get past security?”
Wolf grins and nods behind him at Rex. “I couldn’t wait that long, so we bought tickets.”
“To where?” I ask incredulously.
He shrugs. “I’m not sure.” He pulls out the tickets from his back pocket, and I swipe them away.
“St. Louis?” I burst into laughter. “Really? You could have chosen to fly anywhere and you chose a city that’s two hours away?”
Wolf shrugs, his face flushing. “Hush, woman. I asked for the cheapest flight and bought two tickets so Rex could keep the ladies away. It was supposed to be a romantic gesture.”
I tug at a loc of his wig and tilt my head. “I’m pretty sure this getup worked just fine at keeping the ladies away. You didn’t need Rex.”
His eyes narrow dangerously, making me giggle. In an effort to soothe the blow to his ego, I wrap my arms around his neck and bite my lip. “Hmm. Were you hoping this romantic gesture would help you get lucky?”
There’s a twinkle in his eyes as his palm slips down to grope my ass over my jeans. “As a matter of fact…”
We laugh and kiss until the plane begins to dump out the coach passengers, and our lip lock is rudely interrupted by a couple elbows.
“C’mon,” Wolf says as he weaves his fingers through mine. “We’ve got somewhere we need to be. And I want to hear about your visit on the way.”
He leads me through the airport to the exit where a limo is waiting for us. That’s different. We never rent a limo unless the band is going out somewhere nice.
The driver holds our door open while we slip into the backseat and wait for Rex to collect my baggage. Wolf wastes no time removing his disguise and pulling me onto his lap so that I’m straddling him. He reaches for my hand, kissing each finger as he speaks.
“Was it hard to say goodbye?”
I spent every day of the past week with my mother at her rehab facility in Malibu. There were good moments and bad moments, and in the end, I came to the conclusion that Destiny will always be Destiny. With or without the drugs, she’s still a cold and cynical woman, although somewhat subdued now.
She was kinder to me this week than she’s ever been. Apologetic, even. But I don’t think her resentment will ever go away. It’s buried too deep. But I don’t even think it’s me she resents. I think she resents herself.
Hopefully her pain is something she can get to the root of and heal, but that’s not for me to worry about. But I will wish her the best and hope that she finds happiness the way I have.
“After the week we spent together, goodbye was almost cathartic,” I tell Wolf, leaning in until my body relaxes against his. “It felt good to walk away without animosity, knowing that I gave her my all this week. She seemed to accept it this time, not that she had much of a choice.”
I lift my head and Wolf brings his nose to mine to gaze lovingly back at me. “She’s lucky to have you, babe. But next time, I’m going with you. Even if I’m forced to drink Coronas on the beach while I wait for you outside the facility.”
I laugh. “You’re so sweet to take one for the team, but that won’t be necessary. Destiny’s getting out in two weeks, and then she’s selling her house and moving to Malibu.”
“She must really like it there.”
“The change will be good, too. It’s not like she has a music career to go back to, so she’s gonna have to find some new hobbies.”
It wasn’t my intention for Destiny Lane’s thievery to go public, but her betrayal made huge news—almost bigger news than the kidnapping. But even with everything out in the open, I refused to file charges and refused the rights back to the songs on My Forever. That part of my life is over and done with, and I don’t need the royalty checks as a constant reminder of the suffering.
I’m happy with where I’m at, living with Wolf in a hotel in the Chicago Loop while we figure out our next step together. I’ve toyed with the idea of us finding a more permanent residence, something I keep hinting to Wolf about, but I won’t pressure him. We both got into this relationship with an understanding that we’re comfortable on the move.
But things have changed. I want us to have a place to call our own. One day I’ll bring it up to him. When the timing feels right.
A loud thud catches my attention as Rex closes the trunk shut and walks around to the front passenger seat.
>
“So, where are you taking me, rock star?”
Wolf wiggles his eyebrows. “You’ll see in forty minutes to an hour, depending on traffic.”
I grin and lean in, brushing my lips against his while I grind against the hard bulge through his jeans. His eyes blaze with heat. “That’s a long time,” I say. “Maybe you should put the screen up.”
Wolf shifts me off of him, and I wait until the tinted glass shields us from the front of the limo. Wolf is already unbuckling his belt while I toss off my slippers and peel off my leggings and underwear.
When I climb back onto his lap, Wolf’s jeans are down just enough to pull out his thick cock.
“Damn, baby. Missed me?”
His fingers are unfastening my button-down blouse as he nods slowly. It’s not until he has his face buried in my chest that he lets out a moan and then speaks. “Fuck yes, Lyric.”
I lean back slightly, taking away his pillow and smiling slyly when he glares. “Patience. This is for you.”
Wolf’s eyes follow the movement of my hand as it traces a line from my stomach to my clit. With my middle finger, I begin to circle it slowly.
“I love the way you touch your pussy,” he groans. “Look at how slick you are, babe.”
“Only for you.” I lift my hips and come back down just like I would on his length, up and down, as my finger slides between my folds until Wolf can’t wait anymore. He growls then reaches for his cock, stroking it in time with my movements.
With a coy smile, I replace his hold with mine and plant myself around him, sinking deep and burying my face in his neck. “I’ve missed you,” I breathe.
He chuckles and bucks his hips slightly. “You missed my cock, baby. And he missed your tight cunt, so fucking much. And I think I know what missed me.”
In one swift motion, Wolf flips the cups of my bra, exposing my hard nipples and pushing my breasts up so they’re on display. He takes one in his mouth, wasting no time in swirling his tongue around my nipple as he grips my waist and starts moving me.
