by Quinn, Cari
Toenails and heavy feet came barreling through the door. Alex lost his breath as Brutus nosedived between us.
I laughed. Part of me wanted to know what he was going to say, but another part of me was glad for the interruption.
“All right, needs. I get it.” Nash pushed B’s huge head out of his armpit. “What the hell, man?”
I tucked a sheet around me to save me from the dog’s flailing feet. “Smells all our sexy pheromones. Probably isn’t used to smelling them for a bit.”
“Ever.” Nash’s eyes tracked to me. He stared at me hard before swinging his feet off the bed. “No one has ever been in this bed but you, duchess.”
I gripped his unscarred shoulder to stop him from getting up. “Is it wrong to be glad about that?”
He leaned back to kiss me. “I like when you’re proprietary. Why don’t you shower while I take him out? We’ll get some food.”
Brutus leaped off the bed, his whip of a tail wagging incessantly. He paced to the door and back again before doing a long stretch with his front paws, his rear end dropping down to a seated position as he let out an impatient groan.
“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea. In fact, would you mind coming to Ripper HQ with me?”
He frowned. “What do you need to go there for?”
“Donovan is in New York. He wants to talk to me about what happened.”
Nash’s brows snapped lower. “Why?”
“Donovan has been on me to increase security for a while. I just want to make sure he doesn’t go apeshit about it.”
“As well he should. Why don’t you have security?”
I shrugged. “We use the people at the venues. It has always been enough before.”
“Those people aren’t properly trained.”
I crossed my arms over the sheet. “Well, it’s never been an issue.”
“Until now.”
I sighed. “Until now.”
“Yes, then get dressed.”
“Nash.”
He stood. “No more discussion.” He stalked around the corner to his bureau. I heard drawers opening and slamming shut. He came back into my view with jeans and a hoodie on.
I tried to fight my way out of the wrecked sheets. “You don’t get to give me orders.”
He leaned on the bed, a fisted hand on either side of me. “You don’t take risks like this. You’re not stupid.”
I leaned back as if he’d slapped me. “Excuse you.”
“I said you’re not stupid. Stop acting like it.” Then he stood and snapped his fingers. Brutus scrabbled up from the floor and followed him.
I flopped back onto the bed. When I heard his door downstairs slam, I slapped the mattress. “Fuck.”
I knew he was right. I just didn’t want to have a wall of security around us every time we left a venue. I hated seeing the disappointed faces of fans who didn’t have an opportunity to talk to us.
Because that was security’s job. They were our first line of defense. They treated people like they were already guilty.
I pulled a pillow over my head and screamed. How had my delicious morning gone from bliss to shit in less than ten minutes?
I rolled off the bed and took my time in Nash’s sumptuous bathroom. It was male to the extreme with slate-colored tiles and matching grout. And the water pressure was divine. I needed all the help I could get to combat too little sleep and the soreness from conforming my body to two different sleeping partners.
Both of them infinitely stubborn.
Luckily, the dog was adorable.
Being without my usual hair products meant it was a messy bun kind of day for me. I repurposed my jeans and went commando. I felt a little weird doing that since we would be visiting my boss for all intents and purposes, but better than twice-worn undies. I rummaged in Nash’s bureau and found a stash of U.K. band shirts. I had to dig a little to find one that didn’t float on me.
My nails scraped over a piece of paper on the bottom.
“Don’t look.” I even said it out loud to make sure both my endlessly curious side and my moral side got the message.
Curiosity won.
It wasn’t like he’d told me not to look around.
I mean, he knew me, right?
I pulled out the paper to find it was a photo instead. Two grinning idiots hanging on one another. Nash was so much younger. No lines were dug into his brows. He even had his tongue sticking out like Jamie did all the time when we tried to take a picture of her. Even a pair of devil horns for good measure.
I almost didn’t recognize the man with him.
Kyle.
The scars had changed the map of his face so much. In the picture, he had thick shaggy hair much like Nash’s. In fact, they looked so much alike, it was eerie. Both wearing underground band shirts, beers in hand, obvious laughter in the air.
I flipped it over. London and a date over ten years ago were scribbled on the back.
The hard scrabble of a dog’s feet on hardwood made my heart race. We’d already had a rocky start to the day. I really didn’t need him to find me snooping. I tucked the photo back under the shirt. Actually, the same shirt he’d been wearing in the photo. There were two of them, one in much worse shape.
I looked at the one I held—a matching one.
I didn’t have time to dig for another. I quickly tugged it over my head and slid the drawer shut.
“Duchess? Shake your ass.”
I came around the corner to find him making the bed. So oddly domestic and yet so very Nash. He really didn’t like things to be untidy.
He looked up as he was tucking a mangled pillow back into its case. His eyes darkened, and the pillow fell out of his hands. “Where did you find that shirt?”
“It was the only one in your drawer that wouldn’t make me look like I was—”
“Take it off.” When I didn’t react fast enough for his liking, he stalked toward me. “Off.”
“Alex, I’m sorry.” His eyes were wild. I quickly flipped the shirt off and handed it to him. “Is it a keepsake or something?”
He moved to his closet and set the shirt on a shelf inside. His shoulders were obviously stiff under his oversized sweatshirt. He came back with another more generic shirt. An old CBGBs one faded with many washes. He held it out to me.
“So, are you going to tell me what that was about?”
He looked at his shoes. “Not sure we want to walk through that door today, duchess.”
I never knew what landmines I’d hit when I was with him. I walked over to him and cupped his face, bringing it up to meet my gaze. “If we want this to work, you’re going to have to share everything about you. Maybe not now, but in time. Not just how talented your tongue is. Or that we make amazing music together.”
He slid his fingers along the back of my neck and drew me in. The kiss was wild, then suddenly went softer. It was as if he had to gentle himself and me at the same time. “I live in the dark. Let me have some of your light today.”
I swallowed down the heavy lump in my throat. “I can do that.”
“Good.” He stepped back to grab my jacket off the chair. “Now let’s get this Donovan thing over with and we can pretend we’re just two people with nothing but time.”
“I’ve never had a day like that.”
“Me neither.” He held his hand out to me. “Let’s give it a go, yeah?”
I took his hand and grinned up at him. “I’m game.” Later was soon enough to open that particular cage.
Luckily, it was a quick walk into civilization from Nash’s lair. The warehouse district was a hotbed of hidden clubs, eateries, and galleries. It was still a maze I didn’t understand. For fuck’s sake, New York City was a grid. It should have been easy to figure out where he was.
And yet it was a labyrinth.
We came out near a small Mexican cantina. It seemed incongruous to the area, but then again, that was New York for you. Since it was a good thirty minutes before the next train into downtown M
anhattan, we took the time to get a few tacos.
Nash, with his heavy Irish accent, rattling off Spanish made me grin. He glanced down at me. “Anything you don’t eat, duchess?”
“Nope.”
“Vegan, carbs, keto special?”
“Shut up, ass.”
He grinned down at me then said something in rapid-fire Spanish. The man behind the counter replied and there were a few chuckles between them. Obviously, he was a regular.
A few minutes later, we had a platter of soft tacos. Spicy shrimp and chicken, even tofu ones that made my mouth water. Chips, salsa, and fresh guacamole along with large cups of lemonade completed our meal.
“This is glorious,” I said around a bite of shrimp.
“Maria and Cruz make the best tacos in town.”
“I believe it,” I said around another huge bite.
He grinned. “Nice to see a woman eating.”
I swallowed and dunked a chip into the homemade salsa. “I burn calories like crazy. Nervous energy, I guess. Not as much as Jamie. She’s a whip even though she eats her weight in junk food.”
He tucked into one of the tofu tacos. “How long have you known one another?”
“God, since we were teens. I don’t remember a time when she wasn’t around. She’s the one who got me to start the band. My father’s a banker and I hated the high society world he and my mother thrived in. My brother fit right in though.”
Nash’s eyebrow winged up. “You have a brother?”
I nodded. “Will. We’re not close. I’m not really close to anyone in my family. They don’t exactly approve of the Park Slope Yorks being sullied by my dabble in rock n’ roll.”
“Dabble? You’ve been performing for, what? Over five years?”
I nodded. “Yeah.” I scooped up enough guac to break my chip. “Keeping track of me?”
He shrugged. “Hard not to notice. When we did the first festival in Winchester Falls, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you, duchess.” He reached across the table and thumbed off a little excess guac then brought it to his lips. “And then I couldn’t ignore you, no matter how much I wanted to.”
I took a deep pull on my lemonade. I needed the cool tartness to combat those memories. Between the festivals with Logan and that night in Ruin, there was a lot of history between us. Not all of it good.
I picked at a bit of chipotle chicken on my plate. “Do you think about that night?”
“Which one?”
I lifted my gaze. “You know which one.”
“Even if I could forget, you sending me your new version of ‘Dream On’ certainly brought all those memories back and then some.”
“You did watch it?”
“Every goddamn night, duchess.” He balled up his napkin and tossed it on his plate. “You good?”
I nodded.
Nearly ten years in New York had lessoned some of his accent, but when it was rough and heavy like that, it rolled into my chest and bloomed in all the empty spaces I wasn’t aware of having. Work had been my life for so long, I hadn’t allowed room for anything else.
He took our tray to the garbage and waved to the man behind the counter. I smiled and waved as we headed back out into the blustery October afternoon. The subway ride into the business district was quick and uneventful.
People watching was always my favorite thing to do.
Nash sat close to me, and every time I glanced his way, he was looking at me.
“What?”
“I feel like an old man next to you.”
I laughed. “Why?”
“I know you’re in your late twenties, but without your warpaint, you look like you could be in college.”
I leaned into him and nipped at his neck. “Dirty old man.”
He hooked his arm around my neck and dragged me closer, my hand landing just above his belt. “You haven’t seen dirty, duchess.”
I was saved by the announcement for our stop. He stood and took my hand in a vise-like grip against the flood of foot traffic.
Ripper Records’ New York headquarters was more a slick skyscraper business office than a compound like the Los Angeles location. Donovan Lewis had a few on-site studios I’d used before, but I preferred the British-flavored ones in L.A..
We checked in with the desk downstairs. A large man in a dark navy uniform was stationed just beyond the large marble counter.
I blinked at him when he came forward and asked us to come through a metal detector station. Evidently, Donovan’s security-conscious behavior included his own companies. Nash gave me one of his arched eyebrows, but dropped his phone, keys, and wallet into the plastic bin.
I didn’t have much on me since I’d left my house thinking I was just going to get food.
After the human shield checked the zipper in my jacket, we were finally free to go up to the penthouse. The guard typed something into the keypad at the elevator.
Once the doors closed, Nash crossed his arms. “I knew Lewis was obsessive, but this is a bit much.”
“Since the kidnapping, he’s been extra touchy.”
“Right.” He relaxed his defensive posture. “Kagan’s wife. It seems like a million years ago, but it wasn’t that long ago.”
“Add in the problems with Oblivion and Warning Sign’s previous tour…” I sighed. “There’s a lot to be anxious about.”
“And yet you are resistant to extra security.”
I lifted my chin. “That was the past and isolated incidents that didn’t pertain to us.”
“If even a small amount of danger touches you, it’s enough. I’m one-hundred percent on board with his level of security.”
I didn’t really want to go over it yet again. Damn alpha males thinking they knew what was best. And it wasn’t even because I was a woman. I literally had a trio of men in my band who were more than capable of handling themselves.
Cooper was a former Marine, Zane had grown up in the surfing community near one of the most dangerous areas of the California coast, and Oz was…Oz. He had enough demons to keep most people at a safe distance. Well, unless they were aiming to get naked with him.
He attracted women like concentrated nectar.
I might have been immune to it, but most women certainly were not.
The doors opened smoothly. The entire floor had a wall of windows, showing off a 360 degree view of the city. Donovan’s office was also all windows in the fancy tint I knew all too well. I’d outfitted both my homes with the special glass that was privacy and security rolled into one.
A trim woman of indeterminate age rose from a desk in front of Donovan’s glassed-in office. Her cap of icy gray hair was cut close to her face with a perfect swing of straight hair. I envied the smooth perfection of it. Without our wardrobe and hair crew, I was messy curls and freckles galore.
And right now, I wished for a little of my makeup and styling. It always felt like I needed a bit of polish before I saw Donovan, but it couldn’t be helped right now.
She smiled at me. “Miss York, thanks for calling ahead. I cleared some time with Mr. Lewis. I was unaware you were bringing a…colleague.”
“Hear that, duchess? It’s better than the names she usually uses for me. Nice to see you, Bea.”
“Mrs. Vernon to you, Alexander.”
Nash stiffened next to me. It was rare for Nash to have anyone mention his Christian name. I started using it to get to him, but now it was just part of us. I didn’t want to be like all the rest when it came to this twisty, private man.
Donovan opened the floor-to-ceiling glass door. “Lindsey, thanks for coming. That’ll be all, Bea.”
She inclined her head but shot Nash a scathing glance before returning to her desk.
“Must you antagonize everyone?”
Nash gave me a wolfish grin then stretched his arm out for me to go ahead.
Donovan held the door for us both and closed it behind us. “Nice to see you, Nash.”
“Lewis.” He stood along the side of the trio of
chairs in front of Donovan’s massive desk. New York City sprawled behind him.
Instead of taking a seat behind the desk, Donovan sat on the corner, his hands clasped in front of him. He wasn’t quite the buttoned-up suit I was used to. His jacket hung on his chair, and the cuffs of his gray shirt were folded back over surprisingly strong forearms.
“Have a seat, Lindsey.”
It was reactionary, but I wanted to stand. However, that was just me being bitchy. Maybe Nash was rubbing off on me. I sat down and crossed my ankles, tucking my knees to the side. My spine was straight as an arrow. “Since I’m in town, I thought it was better to do this face to face.”
“I agree. And I appreciate it.”
“First of all, I’m thankful for your quick attention to this. I know I’ve been reticent to bring a full security team on board.”
Donovan gave me a placid stare, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. I was well aware of his feelings on the subject. Not that Donovan said much. He usually waited for people to talk themselves into corners or into doing what he wanted.
Lila was much the same.
But I wasn’t a novice at this. I’d fought for many things since I’d become the unofficial spokesperson for the band. I could feel Nash at my back. Whether he was literally in my corner, or just being his usual antagonistic self, I wasn’t sure.
Donovan glanced up at Nash, then back to me, then unlaced his fingers. “And now?”
“I’m not stupid.”
“Never said you were.”
“But it’s about more than just my own feelings on security. You know I don’t like creating a wall around us. I want fans to believe we’re approachable.”
“Those things are not mutually exclusive.”
“In my experience, they are.”
“I’ve spoken with Lila and Sabrina.”
Great. Sabrina was more of a shark than even Lila was about touring and rules.
“We’re going to bring in Noah Jordan. He’s aware of the special needs of this business, thanks to his intimate knowledge of the subject.”
I crossed my arms over my middle. “How so?”
“His brother is Hunter Jordan from Hammered.”
“Oh. I guess he would be very intimate.”