Our Secret Song: A sweet brother's best friend, rockstar romance (For Love and Rock Book 1)

by Emily Childs

  Before the heat bakes everyone by lunchtime, people are pleasant. I greet sellers, they smile back. Some even give free samples, or let me snort their homemade candles too long.

  At a chili stand, a woman taps my arm.

  “Hi,” she says. “Sorry, but you look like the girl dating Perfectly Broken.”

  My throat dries. Am I that recognizable? Until she points at my T-shirt and I realize my stupid mistake. I wore a Perfectly Broken T-shirt. Maybe it’s not that obvious, but it might’ve drawn a fan’s attention, then cause them to look twice.

  Bridger is always cool in these situations. If I’m going to be with him, I need to be too. “Um, Bridger is my boyfriend, yes.”

  Her face reddens and she beams. “I love Adam. He’s so talented and so nice. He’s signed all my stuff. Want to know something cool? He personally responded to a letter I wrote him.”

  I blow out a breath of relief. She doesn’t hate me for loving on the lead singer. “Yeah, Adam is a super nice guy.”

  “Do you know him well?”

  “I do. I grew up with him.”

  Her eyes widen. “You knew him as a kid? I bet he always loved guitar.”

  I snicker. “It took him a while to love it, actually. But he’s a natural.”

  A shadow passes over her face, but on second glance it’s gone, a smile in its place. “I’m coming to the show in a few weeks. I have floor seats. One row away from the gate.”

  “That’s awesome,” I say pleasantly and pay for the chilis. “If you give me your name, I bet I can score a backstage pass for you.”

  Tears brim in her eyes. “Really?”

  Her voice breaks and I touch her arm. Bridger’s right, this feeling, making people happy, is intoxicating.

  She digs through her purse and pulls out a pen and torn piece of an envelope. “Here it is. Adam might remember my name, but you don’t know it, so here.”

  “Great,” I say and take a step back when she invaded my space a little too much. “Nice to meet you, Tawni. I better get going.”

  She smiles at me as I fade back into the crowd. A weird encounter, but kind of fun. I need to get used to it.

  At the jeep, I glance at my watch. Two hours to go before everyone fills up Bridger’s patio furniture. I’m excited for this breakfast. Parker plays in Colorado this week, then after he finally has a string of home games, but the guys will be getting ready to kickoff their fall touring by a few Vegas-based concerts before they head to Arizona. After that, fifteen cities before the holidays.

  We might not get together again for a while, so I plan to make the most of today.

  “Hey, again.”

  I jump back, startled. “Tawni?”

  She grins at me, maybe three feet away. Her eyes flick to Bridger’s not-so-inconspicuous jeep. “I’ve seen this car online.” She licks her lips. The hair stands up on the back of my neck. Tawni isn’t looking at me, she’s drinking in the keys in my hand. “You could take me to him. You know where he lives.”

  “Bridger doesn’t like people he doesn’t know at his house,” I say as firmly as I can manage.

  “Bridger? No, not him, I’m talking about Adam.”

  “Tawni, you need to step back,” I say, holding up my hand and cursing my independent streak.

  Why didn’t I bring Quinn?

  Her brow furrows. “Step back? No, I just want to see Adam. If you know the band, you can take me to him. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. It’ll be a surprise, you know. He’ll be excited.”

  I take the keys between my fingers. This woman has a wild look in her eyes. The way she talks about Adam—I read her all wrong. It’s not as if she’s a typical fan, more like she’s obsessed with him. Becca hasn’t ever mentioned anything like this, maybe warned me to be careful, but nothing like this.

  “I’m not taking you to Adam. You can see him at the shows, but not in his personal space, Tawni. We all deserve privacy.”

  Wrong thing to say. Her face contorts and she lunges at me. “You want him for yourself!”

  I scream and try to shove her back, but she tangles her fingers in my hair. My heart races. The ground tilts. She’s attacking me. Seconds start to blur. I swing at her. Scream and kick. She curses me. Declares love for Adam Stone. Tawni takes my head between her hands. I shove against her, but it’s followed by a blinding pain.

  My brain boils in my skull. Frenzied voices surround us.

  Then, everything falls into syrupy black.

  Chapter 29

  Bridger

  I check my phone again. Not a word. It’s only eight, for all I know she left twenty minutes ago, but I’m still mad at her.

  I know Alexis well enough I had Quinn come in early because I knew she’d try to sneak out to get the few things she mentioned last night. If I had to guess, Quinn missed her by a few minutes. Now, I’m cursing my lazy self. I should’ve been awake; I should’ve gone with her.

  “You’re going to pace a track in your kitchen.” Becca grins at me and brings in two cartons of orange juice.

  “Hey, Bec,” I say and give her a side hug. “You guys are early.”

  She chuckles. “You do know I’m engaged to Adam, right? The most punctual being on the planet. What’s up with you?”

  I look back at my phone. “Nothing. Al went to get some groceries and . . . I don’t know, she hasn’t responded to my text.”

  “She ducked your security detail, huh?”

  I roll my eyes, mad all over again, and nod. “Yeah.”

  Becca rests a hand on my shoulder. “Bridge, a word of advice. I know it’s hard, but don’t smother her.”

  “You know how crazy it can be.”

  “I know, but Adam had to learn to let me breathe, too.”

  “You’re saying you don’t let people know where you’re going?”

  “Okay, yes, I do,” she says. “But I don’t always take a shadow with me. It wouldn’t work between us if I felt like I couldn’t come and go as I please.”

  “She can come and go,” I tell her. “It’s for right now. A lot of people are looking at me like I’m an abusive guy and someone might try to save her or whatever.”

  “Well, then they wouldn’t hurt her.”

  “Maybe not intentionally.”

  Becca doesn’t argue. She knows things like this happen. Not only with us, but we’ve heard countless stories of unintended harm done out in public. I don’t want to be that guy who demands a check-in from his girlfriend, but with so much spotlight on us, it’s hard not to be.

  “I’ll text her,” Becca says. She types something in her phone, then smiles at me. “Give her a few minutes before we all worry.”

  My front door opens and loud voices carry into the kitchen. “You could’ve held the elevator, Hawkins! I have my niece with me. Micah, that isn’t how guys treat a lady, understand?”

  “Way to teach female empowerment, Princess.”

  Becca and I share a look. Ellie and Tate—whatever happened between those two, they need to kiss and makeup or leave each other alone.

  “Come on,” Becca says. “When is Parker coming?”

  “He’s running a little late. Red eye last night, so he’s probably wired.”

  “Are you guys going to talk to him?”

  “Soon,” I tell her. We need to tell him the truth, but it’s one of those conversations I also want to avoid like it’s death. Parker will need to accept it. I love Alexis and I’m not willing to give her up simply because my best friend has a problem with it.

  We join the others in the front room. Micah lays on the floor, scratching Poppy’s belly. She looks like Finn with olive skin and golden-brown hair, but she has the attitude of Ellie. I give her a high-five as I walk past and laugh when Poppy slobbers on the little girl’s face.

  “Finn didn’t make it?” I ask Ellie.

  “Tour prep,” she says. “Last minute touches on some of Stacia’s stuff, then you guys will keep producers busy for the next few weeks.”


  Ellie talks to me, but her eyes shoot daggers at my couch. Tate glares back over the rim of his glass.

  I let out a groan. “Would you two work it out? It’s going to start bleeding over when we perform.”

  “Whenever he’s ready to apologize for being a complete—” She glances at her niece. “A complete jerk, then I am all ears.”

  I toss my hands up. “I give up.”

  Ten minutes later I stare at the food Al prepared last night. It’s covered. Untouched. Becca looks at her phone and my heart jumps, but she meets my gaze and shakes her head. Now, she’s worried. I can see it in the furrow of her brow.

  I’m calling her. No—someone is calling me.

  “Quinn,” I answer after the first ring, hands numb. He never calls unless there’s an issue. “What’s wrong?”

  “There was a problem at the farmer’s market. Mallorie called me after a video went online.”

  “Where’s Alexis?”

  “We’ve found her at Vegas Regional.”

  He rambles off bits and pieces of what happened, but I’m only half listening. My stomach drops out of me. The hospital?

  I’m on the move before I take another breath.

  “She has my jeep,” I shout, drawing the eyes in my house to follow my every step.

  “I’m ready with a car now.”

  “Be there in five minutes.” I hang up and hurry to the door.

  “Bridge,” Tate says on my heels. “What’s going on?”

  “Alexis had an encounter with a fan. She’s at the hospital.” I look to Ellie. “Parker will be here soon and he’ll lose his mind. Don’t let him drive.”

  Becca stands, face pale. “I’ll stay and talk with him, then we can drive him there.”

  I nod. Parker knows Becca well. He’ll listen to her over Ellie.

  I don’t bother telling Tate and Adam not to follow me, they won’t listen. Unlike me, they do view themselves as extra brothers to Alexis Knight, and their steps are almost as determined as mine. Almost.

  In the car, Quinn catches me up with what he knows, shows me the video. Someone at the market started filming when a stout woman approached Alexis and started shouting about Adam.

  My friend pales beside me. “That’s the lady who wrote me all those letters. She . . . she sent me . . . pictures.”

  He shudders.

  “The one you had the restraining order for?” We’ve all had our share of overzealous fans, but only Adam and I have ever had restraining orders against people. Mine wasn’t violent, but pretty delusional.

  He shakes his head. “I thought she was gross, but not aggressive. After I proposed to Becca she started sending pictures with Bec’s head replaced with hers. Among other things.”

  I clench my jaw. The woman must’ve recognized Alexis as having a connection to the band. Adam scrubs his face and looks like he might get sick. “Lex stood up for me. You can hear her tell her to get lost.”

  Tate scoffs. “What did you expect her to do? Give up your address?”

  “Shut up,” Adam snaps back. “I didn’t mean it that way. I feel bad this is because of me, so ease up.”

  Tate grumbles his bad mood at the window and keeps his gaze there the rest of the time. Alexis fights for her people, but this shouldn’t have happened. This isn’t Adam’s fault, it’s mine. I should’ve been there with her.

  The moment the car pulls alongside the curb, I hop out and rush to the front desk in the ER. An orderly allows me back, but blocks Tate and Adam to get more information. I outpace the guy, searching for the room number.

  A nurse steps out when I skid to a stop. She looks startled, then embarrassed. “Oh, uh, you’re . . . Mr. Cole.”

  “Is she in there? Knight. Alexis Knight.”

  The nurse smiles. “Yes. Go on in, she’s just signing discharge papers.”

  I give her a rushed thank you, hardly grasping that she said discharge, meaning Alexis is allowed to leave.

  A rush of adrenaline floods my system when I step into the tiny room. Alexis has her back to me, but I note the bandage on the side of her head.

  She’s so . . . everything. I can’t form a single word.

  The instant she turns around, I have her in my arms. She buries her face in my chest, breaths shaky. I hold the back of her head, kiss her hair, her cheek, careful to avoid the bandage. My hands frame her face as I urge her back to crush my lips to hers.

  Alexis clings to my waist. She kisses me back like it’s the first time and last.

  “I’m okay, Bridge,” she says and rests her forehead on my shoulder. “Only a slight concussion.”

  “Slight concussion! Alexis!” I swear under my breath and inspect her face.

  “Look, before you get all mad at me, Cole—”

  “I am mad at you. Furious,” I say and kiss her again. “But I can’t decide if I want to shout at you or kiss you.”

  “The latter, obviously.” She smiles against my mouth. “But I’m sorry. I-I-I shouldn’t have left without, at least, telling someone where I was going.”

  “Do I have a concussion? Is Alexis Knight apologizing?” She pinches my arm, but melts into me when I pull her close again. “You should’ve told someone, Al. I know I push this security stuff, and I don’t want to smother you, but . . . I haven’t been that scared in a long time.”

  She gently scratches between my shoulder blades, pressing kisses to my neck. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “They . . . they told me Tawni was arrested.”

  I nod, rehashing the brief explanation I got from Quinn. The woman was taken away after bystanders jumped in to help. How long she stays will be up to Alexis, I suppose. “She assaulted you.”

  “I know. It happened so fast. I keep thinking what if it would’ve been Becca.” Alexis’s eyes turn glassy. “Do you think this sort of thing will happen a lot?”

  My stomach sinks to my feet. Is she having second thoughts? Not that’d I’d blame her. It can be nuts out there.

  “Maybe,” I admit, praying she stays despite it all. I’d give her an entire security detail if it made her feel better. Retired CIA? Ex-Marine? Yep. If she wanted it, I’d find a way to make it happen. “I get if you—”

  “Don’t,” she whispers.

  “Don’t what?”

  “You’re going to give me a backdoor away from you.” Alexis runs her hands over my chest, shaking her head. “I’m not asking because I don’t want to deal with it. I’m just mentally wrapping my mind around it all, so I can make peace with having Quinn as my shadow until I die.”

  I smile and rest my head to hers. “At least he’s not terrible company, right?”

  My thumb brushes her bottom lip. She grins and stands on her toes to kiss me. The anxiety of the moment starts to fade and I get lost in her sweet scent, her warm touch. In her.

  I’m not positive how long we’re tangled up in each other before a throat clears behind us. My heart stills, and Alexis, still flat against my chest, stiffens.

  “There aren’t any cameras in here,” Parker says, his voice low and dark. His eyes are heavy, hair slightly on end. He’s in his Kings sweats and bears something dangerous in his eyes when he looks at me again. “Almost looks like you’re pawing my sister for real.”

  “Park,” Alexis says. “I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

  His jaw tightens. He doesn’t look at her. Parker doesn’t take his eyes off me.

  Alexis slowly eases from my arms and takes a step toward her brother. “We, uh, we need to talk.”

  Parker’s eyes bounce between me and Alexis, but he settles on me again. “I asked you to look out for her, not sleep with her.”

  A hot spark of anger floods my chest. “Watch it, man.”

  “You both watch it.” Alexis steps between us, glaring. “Parker, listen, we didn’t plan for this to happen—”

  “Maybe you didn’t,” Parker snaps. “But I want to know how long he’s been planning it. Did you see an
opportunity when I called asking for a favor? Saw how she was vulnerable? What was it?”

  My jaw tightens. “If you think I’d do that to Al, then you don’t know me.”

  “I know exactly how you are.” Parker laughs bitterly and faces Alexis. “Has he told you about life on the road? The parties, the women? Did he tell you—”

  “Seriously, Parker?” I take a deep breath before I hit him. “How many years ago was all that?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Stop it!” Alexis shoves Parker’s shoulder. “I know everything. I’m not meeting him for the first time here. But look at you casting stones, Mr. NDA.”

  Parker glowers, but shuts his mouth for once.

  “Park, you can drop the macho act. It’s unbecoming,” Alexis goes on. “I’m a big girl and—”

  “I never should’ve left her with you,” Parker rails at me, stepping away from his sister. “First you drag her into this ruse—”

  Alexis balks. “Excuse me, I agreed . . .”

  She’s drowned out. Truth be told, I’m only focused on Parker now. Seething is more like it. He’s got a lot of nerve accusing me of taking advantage of Alexis. He knows we argue, knows we pester each other, but he should know by now I’d never intentionally hurt her. Ever.

  “Then, you make her think she means something more to you,” Parker barrels on.

  “She does mean more to me!” The words slip out, and I clamp my mouth shut.

  “Bridge,” Alexis whispers. She wants me to open everything, say everything.

  It’s a suffocating kind of thought. To expose my heart to her when I’ve lost her before.

  Parker butts his chest with mine. “She’s getting trampled by lunatics! You aren’t thinking of what’s best for her.”

  I’m not sure he’s wrong. Not sure he’s right, but his words sink deep into my chest.

  Parker starts ticking off his fingers. “She can’t go to school, she can’t go to the grocery store, she’s getting private emails exposed.”

  “I’d never hurt her,” I say dumbly.